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![]() Châtenay-Malabry (FR - 92290), November 29, 2021 EFITA newsletter / 1015 - European Federation for Information Technology in Agriculture, Food and the Environment Do not miss the Virus Jokes in English and French The informatique-agricole.org site now offers you the possibility of subscribing the RSS feeds of its two newsletters See RSS feeds to implement to ensure that you continue to receive this newsletter To unsubscribe this newsletter, please contact me directely: guy.waksman(a)laposte.net if this link Unsubscribe does not work. Please note that I changed the presentation of the links that are embedded in the name of the web service. ![]() To correspond with me (GW), please use this address: guy.waksman(a)laposte.net To subscribe the efita newsletter (please ask your friends and colleagues to test this link) Efita Newsletters subscription Before computers The mission of Our World in Data is to make data and research on the world’s largest problems understandable and accessible for everyone Our World in Data Global Change Data Lab Oxford, OX2 - United Kingdom See ourworldindata.org Weekly newsletters about ICT in Agriculture in English and French Both newsletters have around 14000 subscribers. >>> Last weekly EFITA Newsletters in English (created in 1999) Efita Newsletters >>> Last weekly AFIA Newsletters in French (created more than 20 years ago in 1997) Afia Newsletters >>> Statistics for the last efita newsletter >>> Last issue of the afia newsletter >>> Last available satistics for the afia newsletter Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory: A Year on the Medieval Farm - Medievalists.net The importance of personal relations for economic outcomes After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, West German families that had relatives in East Germany saw an increase in their incomes — and this growth in incomes was significantly higher than that of similar West German families without such family ties to the East. Why did this happen? Are personal and family ties really so important to our economic outcomes that they result in systematic differences in income growth? In this article from November 2019, we describe how social connections matter hugely for economic outcomes — from finding a job to international trade. These connections can have positive consequences that extend beyond those directly involved, bringing benefits to society as a whole. Gender wage gap The gender wage gap is defined as the difference between median earnings of men and women relative to median earnings of men. Data refer to full-time employees on the one hand and to self-employed on the other. Wage levels (OECD) / Low paid workers (OECD) Wage levels are divided by low pay and high pay. The incidence of low pay refers to the share of workers earning less than two-thirds of median earnings. The incidence of high pay refers to the share of workers earning more than one-and-a-half time median earnings. Data refer to full-time employees. This indicator is measured in percentages. Thanksgiving is bound to cause a spike in America’s covid infections Blame resistance to getting jabbed and a lack of home testing. .../... Britain lets each person order packs of seven rapid tests free. “In other countries, we see it’s become the norm for friends and family to get tested before a party, before dinner, before celebrations,” says Leana Wen, a former health commissioner of Baltimore. “We need to get to that point in this country.” .../... See economist.com Futurefarming.com > World Fira 2021 to explore role of ag robots in the future In the World FIRA 2021 roundtable discussion “Automation and the new ways of organizing agricultural work worldwide,” panelists from around the globe will discuss how a dynamic ag robotics market provides new opportunities for the industry to evolve. > Wiferion automates charging of field robots in outdoor areas > Agricultural robots market worth $ 11.9 billion by 2026 > Last chance to register for the Best Field Robot Concept Award 2021! > The CIMAT project develops autonomous multi-purpose field robot > Kubota and Yamaha invest in robotic strawberry harvester > Yanmar launches autonomous vineyard spraying robot > Autonomous weeding – a year of tests Three autonomous weeding robots were put through the ringer in Ontario this year – and with good results. Overall, and despite occasional hiccups, those running the trials said the robots’ performance exceeded expectations. > The tests occurred at a variety of farm sites in Southwestern Ontario > Interview:.. Burro CEO: “United States has great potential for field robots” What does the future of field robots look like? We spoke to Charlie Andersen, CEO of Burro, maker of so-called collaborative farm robots. > Video: How does a fixed bed plough work? Steverink's fixed bed plough still requires some precision adjustment to achieve an optimal soil > Expert Opinion: Gene editing to lead a new agricultural revolution Non-GMO gene editing will enable farmers to have a better workplace and a more sustainable future. > Carbon storage: Hydrogel to stimulate carbon storage in soils A group of Brazilian researchers is developing a “hydrogel” that is able to capture carbon from the atmosphere and fixate it in the soil. > Data: ATLAS project to integrate and connect farm data sources The EU funded “ATLAS” project aims to create interoperability structures for data-driven agriculture. > Electric tractors: Trimble invests in Monarch Tractor Trimble’s corporate venture capital fund Trimble Ventures, announced its investment in Monarch Tractor > Tools & data: Bayer and Microsoft partner to develop digital farming tools Bayer announced a strategic partnership with Microsoft to build a new cloud-based set of digital tools and data science solutions. See futurefarming.com xarvio FIELD MANAGER Expands Weather Station Connectivity Enabling the connection of weather station devices from METOS by Pessl Instruments and Sencrop increases choice among compatible weather stations for xarvio FIELD MANAGER customers. See precisionag.com Bayer, Microsoft Enter into Strategic Partnership to Advance Digital Capabilities for Food, Feed, Fuel, Fiber Value Chain The partnership will help build a new cloud-based set of digital tools and data science solutions for use in agriculture and adjacent industries. See precisionag.com Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory: The Labours of the Months, February: Pruning Vines, Breaking Ground Agrology Closes Capital Raised via Harvest Returns Platform Agrology is a fast-growing developer of predictive agriculture technologies to help growers maximize profits with minimal input costs and environmental impact. See precisionag.com EarthOptics Launches New Soil Carbon Project Labeling to Help Consumers Choose Climate-Smart Products Calls on CPG companies to display on packaging amount of carbon removed from atmosphere and stored in soil to demonstrate positive impact on climate change. See precisionag.com Big Agriculture and Consolidation: The Good, the Bad, and the Fabulous As the industry continues to get bigger through mergers and acquisitions, it may be setting itself up for big efficiency gains derived from big data analysis. See precisionag.com Satellite Industry Grows as Investors Bet Billions on Space-Derived Data Remote-sensing companies project robust growth; some executives anticipate consolidation in sector. See wsj.com Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory: The Labours of the Months, April: Farmyard Scene 10 amazing tractor innovations throughout history, by Brian Boyce Published: October 27, 2021 As 21st-century farmers click instructions onto touchscreens using their tractor’s artificial intelligence (AI) driven systems, pictures of old man John Deere’s 1837 model steel walking plow may loom in their mind. Even the grandparents of modern producers, members of the World War II generation, would consider today’s agricultural equipment to be the stuff of science-fiction films. From horse-pulled machinery to steam, to gasoline, diesel, and even electric, the technology behind tractors has come a long way — leading to a bevy of amazing tractor innovations in nearly two centuries of history. And all fans of the field are excited about the future yet to come. Below are 10 of some of the most significant advances in the history of the tractor. That said, no such list could ever hope to be exhaustive as developments in tractor technology date back to the early 1800s. In broad terms though, it’s clear some contributions marked milestones in the fields of history, providing a starting point for a multiplicity of offshoot inventions and improvements. Agriculture remains a mainstay of not just commerce, but technology, serving as the base from which so much science is created. Upon these 10 advancements, everything now considered a tractor was built — and great expectations remain for what lies ahead. See agdaily.com EIP-AGRI The agricultural European Innovation Partnership (EIP-AGRI) works to foster competitive and sustainable farming and forestry that 'achieves more and better from less'. It contributes to ensuring a steady supply of food, feed and biomaterials, developing its work in harmony with the essential natural resources on which farming depends. See ec.europa.eu See EIP-AGRI Newsletter Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory (?????): The Labours of the Months, May: Boating Party Asia will lead agrifood’s ‘future of breakthrough innovations,’ says Cargill strategy chief, AFN, by Jack Ellis Last week delegates descended — albeit virtually — on Singapore for SWITCH, the city-state’s annual tech festival. And in a refreshing turn for an event historically dominated by discussion of fintech, e-commerce, and enterprise software, agtech and foodtech featured more prominently on the agenda than ever before. Part of the reason for this is that Singapore, which imports over 90% of its nutritional needs, has placed more of an emphasis on food security and resiliency in recent years. This trend was only accelerated by Covid-19 and resulting supply chain breakdowns. Indicative of agrifood’s ascendancy in Singapore and the wider world of tech was the choice of speaker to deliver the opening keynote at SWITCH: Marcel Smits, Asia-Pacific chairman and global head of corporate strategy at Cargill. That the US agribusiness major has appointed Smits to hold both those roles concurrently speaks volumes about its outlook when it comes to Asia. “Today [Asian markets] are not looking to play catchup to their Western counterparts anymore; instead, they are looking to leapfrog in terms of growth and development, and will be the backbone of global innovation for many years to come,” he said, noting the region’s contributions in areas such as AI, blockchain, and augmented reality as examples.. However, “while the region is thriving, sectors such as agriculture have somewhat lagged in adopting and fully leveraging these new technologies,” he continued. “Innovation in all its forms — technology, digitalization, and R&D — provides the means to address some of the greatest challenges facing the Asian food ecosystem. And while there are several challenges that pose a serious threat to the region’s food supply, they’re also creating opportunities for innovation.” In Asia, some of the innovation opportunities being explored by Cargill include alternative proteins, vertical farming, drone-enabled crop surveillance, and facial recognition tech for livestock, Smits said. Tech is “disrupting Cargill’s businesses like never before” and is “key to our growth strategy,” which comprises three pillars: people, partnership, and product, he explained. .../... See agfundernews.com Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory (?????): The Labours of the Months, June: Shearing Sheep Sizing up America’s Thanksgiving food waste problem, AFN, by Jennifer Marston Tis the season for wasting food. In America, that season usually starts with the Thanksgiving holiday. Food waste may be extra pronounced this year as this is the first Thanksgiving many families are getting together since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and travel is expected to skyrocket and with it, greenhouse gas emissions. So too is the amount of Thanksgiving food waste thrown out. Food waste think tank and nonprofit ReFed estimates that 305 million pounds of food from Thanksgiving dinner will be thrown out this year. Production of this food generates more than 1.1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, which is the same as driving 169,000 cars for a full year. More than 1 billion gallons of water go into producing this amount of food; the same amount of water used by everyone in New York City for three and a half months. See agfundernews.com Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory: The Labours of the Months, July: Making Hay
John Deere posts record profit despite strike, CNN, by Chris Isidore John Deere posted record annual income Wednesday despite the recently concluded five-week worker strike, and it predicted another record year ahead. The Midwest farm and construction equipment maker posted annual net income of nearly $6 billion, more than double the $2.8 billion it earned a year earlier and easily clearing its previous fiscal year record earnings of $3.5 billion reached in 2013. The company said it anticipates earning between $6.5 billion to $7 billion in the current fiscal year. …/… See cnn.com Agriculture can be climate leader with 'build back' funding, says Vilsack, in Successful Farming, by Chuck Abbott The farm sector would gain $27 billion for climate mitigation, including payments for planting cover crops, from the social welfare and climate change bill passed by the House, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Agriculture can lead the way in the fight on climate with climate-smart agriculture and forestry practices that sequester carbon, reduce emissions and create new and better market opportunities for producers.” The bill, sent to the Senate on a House vote that followed party lines, allots $5 billion for the cover crop program, with payments of $25 an acre for up to 1,000 acres per farmer. Also earmarked were $10 billion to expand food programs for school children, $27 billion for forest restoration and wildfire prevention and $6 billion for debt relief to economically distressed farmers in high-poverty areas. It also would grant employment and travel authorization to undocumented immigrants, including farmworkers, who have been in the United States since at least 2011 if they apply for parole, pay a processing fee and pass background and security checks. .../... See agriculture.com/ Agtech innovation will be key to Kenya’s Covid-19 economic recovery, AFN, by John Njiraini Kenya has emerged as a hotspot for agtech innovation in sub-Saharan Africa, with more than 100 solutions in the market driving growth, productivity, and sustainability in the agrifood value chain. Companies like Twiga Foods, Apollo Agriculture, iProcure, Safaricom‘s DigiFarm, and Farmers Pride are igniting a digital revolution in agriculture with services like procurement, last-mile distribution, access to finance and quality inputs, weather monitoring, and yield predictions. Such technologies have the potential to drive the country’s economic rebound from Covid-19, according to a new report from Gatsby, Msingi and Kenya Markets Trust. “The expanding footprint of Kenya’s tech firms and the country’s emergence as a tech gateway to East Africa represent a major opportunity for the region,” states the ‘Horizon Kenya’ report. See agfundernews.com Why cellular agriculture could be the future of farming Raising livestock contributes a significant proportion of the food industry's climate emissions, but scientists and a growing number of companies are hoping that growing meat – everything from beef to turkey and even fish – from cell cultures in laboratories may offer a solution. See bbc.com Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory: The Labours of the Months, August: Moving Wheat, Binding Sheaves
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Majority of public in Europe support Covid vaccine passports – survey Exclusive: Survey also found people are frustrated with governments’ pandemic response and restrictions. Has innovation improved kitchen appliances? To answer this question, we looked at the prices of six kitchen appliances in 1980 and 2020. After adjusting for wages, we found that kitchen appliances have become 87.9 percent cheaper over the last 40 years. See humanprogress.org Fears about climate change and overpopulation are making young people in many rich countries hesitant to have children. In this episode of the Human Progress Podcast, British journalist Madeleine Kearns joins Chelsea Follett to discuss this misguided eco-anxiety. See video See humanprogress.org Which vaccine is the most effective against the Delta variant? The mRNA jabs seem best—but all offer protection. Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory: The Labours of the Months, October: Sale of a Bull
Un país 100% ecológico reduce sus emisiones, pero las genera fuera, para Miguel Ángel Criado, 27 oct 2019 La agricultura y ganadería orgánicas rinden casi la mitad de energía y proteínas con la misma tierra. "En los actuales sistemas alimentarios, al menos en los países industrializados como Reino Unido, generamos también mucho excedente (alrededor del 30% de la producción acaba en la basura) y producimos una gran cantidad de alimento que convertimos en piensos de forma ineficiente para obtener comida de origen animal. El 40% de la producción de cereales y enormes extensiones de maíz y soja son para piensos", comenta Müller. "Así que si reducimos el desperdicio y los cultivos dedicados a pienso, tendríamos que producir mucho menos, lo que se podría hacer sin usar más tierra o sistemas más intensivos que los orgánicos", añade. El mexicano Hernández-Medrano coincide con el suizo: "la mejor manera de disminuir el impacto es mediante un consumo racional de proteína de origen animal, disminuyendo su desperdicio". Así que, para ambos, no se trataría tanto de agricultura sostenible como de sistemas alimentarios sostenibles, trasladando la responsabilidad al consumidor. Como dice Müller: "la agricultura sostenible solo se puede lograr si cambiamos radicalmente nuestros hábitos de consumo". Ver elpais.com Los clientes podrán exigir que sea una persona y no una máquina quien preste la atención telefónica, para Miguel Ángel Medin Consumo prepara una ley para regular estos servicios. Las asociaciones de consumidores consideran que la norma se queda corta. Ver elpais.com El negacionismo es cosa de 'boomers' El discurso antivacunas y la conspiranoia parecen haber calado más en la mediana edad que en los nativos digitales. ¿Por qué? Inmersos en la cotidianidad online, los jóvenes filtran de manera intuitiva. Ver elpais.com Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory: The Labours of the Months, November: Carding Wool El sentido de la vida es amar”, con María Belón · Médico y psicoterapeuta Ver aprendemosjuntos.elpais.com España insiste en atraer a los jubilados europeos, para Sandra López Letón, 20 nov 2021 Los complejos residenciales para personas mayores autónomas comienzan a despertar el interés de los inversores extranjeros. Ver elpais.com ‘Sicilia 1943′, de James Holland: aviadores ardiendo, infantería masacrada y tanques Tiger cerca de la playa, para Jacinto Antón El historiador británico publica una emocionante revisión de la invasión Aliada de la isla italiana durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Ver elpais.com Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory: The Labours of the Months, December: Slaughtering a Pig Biofueling Our Future with Agriculture There are many challenges to producing biofuels from agricultural crops. Dr. Ryan Stoklosa and other scientists with the ARS Sustainable Biofuels and Co-products Research Unit in Wyndmoor, PA, are researching second-generation biofuels—liquid transportation fuels generated from plant biomass such as perennial grasses, trees, or agricultural waste residues. See ars.usda.gov Big Winners From Natural-Gas Crunch: Coal Power Plants in Europe Profit margins are far and away the highest they have been in years. Under Europe’s climate policies, this shouldn’t be happening. See wsj.com Je AfD, desto Corona, Von Holger Dambeck und Peter Maxwill Wo die AfD stark ist, vermehrt sich das Coronavirus rasant. Ein Zufall? Forscher haben das Phänomen genauer untersucht – und sind von den Ergebnissen selbst überrascht. Así afronta España el cierre del gasoducto del Magreb, Existen muchas alternativas que garantizan el abastecimiento, pero todas pasan por un aumento en el precio. Ver elpais.com
A man goes out of prison after twenty years He decides to go back to the neighborhood where he lived. When he gets there, he cannot recognize the place. Everything has changed a lot. The places he used to visit have all disappeared. Even the pub has disappeared. He is very tired and would like to have something to eat. He goes into a small café and has a coffee and a sandwich. When he takes out his wallet, he finds a shoemaker ticket in it. He then remembers that the last thing he had done before being arrested was to take a pair of shoes to the shoemaker's. He decides to go there and try. What a wonderful thing! The shoemaker is still at the same place. He gets into the shop and tells the shoemaker that about twenty years before he had left him a pair of shoes to have them repaired. The shoemaker has a look at the ticket and says: "O.K. Come back tomorrow. They will be ready then." Some things never change. The distribution of this efita newsletter is sponsored by vitisphere.com Please, contribute to the content of your efita newsletter, and advertise your events, new publications, new products and new project in this newsletter. Without your support, it will not survive! Contact: Guy WAKSMAN E-mail: guy.waksman(a)laposte.net To read this newsletter on our web site See Efita The archives of this newsletter See Efita About the EFITA mailing list You can use the efita moderated list (> 15000 subscribers) to announce any event / product / web site / joke (!) related to IT in agriculture, environment, food industry and rural areas. If you want to subscribe a friend, please fill in his form. If you do not wish to receive our messages, please fill in the following form... |