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![]() Châtenay-Malabry (FR - 92290), June 21, 2021 EFITA newsletter / 991 - 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... 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 5 tools to support your breeding decisions, by Doriane June 24, 2021 - 2 PM Central Europe - 9 AM Central America - Free webinar Do you know what supports +750 agronomists in their decision-making? Key take away: - Qualify your germplasm - Maximize genetic value potential - Overcome cost and resources constraints - Enhance information sharing - Make the best choices for the market Clément Bouckaert, Agronomist and IT expert, helps plant breeders visualize their data and take the good decisions. He will show you awesome graphs, dashboards & matrix to organize and monitor your activity. See doriane.com
Initiative "For a Switzerland free of synthetic pesticides" the NO of the Swiss people who are quite overwhelmingly against the ban on pesticides The initiative "For a Switzerland free of synthetic pesticides" aimed to completely ban the use of synthetic pesticides in the country, as well as to ban the import of foodstuffs containing them. Opponents considered the project "extreme" and dangerous for the supply of Switzerland. In blue, the " boboland ": Geneva, Lausanne, Bale, Zurich Switzerland: Voters reject pesticide-free farming proposals Over 60% of Swiss voters have thrown out a pair of initiatives aiming to ban the use of synthetic pesticides in the country. Economics Minister Guy Parmelin said on Sunday that after a “highly emotional” campaign, voters had chosen the “rational and pragmatic” option for the future of agriculture and food security in Switzerland. Rather than the “revolution” proposed by the initiatives, citizens gave their backing to the “evolution” proposed by government and parliament towards a sustainable farming sector, Parmelin said. Such an evolution, as Parmelin had argued during the campaign, includes a legal project aiming to reduce by 50% the risks associated with synthetic pesticides by 2027. Urs Schneider, deputy director of the Swiss farmers’ federation, also said on Sunday that “objective arguments” had triumphed over emotional ones, and that the result was a “huge relief” for farmers. See swissinfo.ch Rantizo Rantizo is elevating precision agriculture with in-field drone applications when and where they're needed. Fungicide, micronutrients, cover crops...the sky's the limit! Our turnkey system offers everything needed to legally Fly & Apply: Drones, proprietary hardware and equipment, software to optimize productivity, licensing, support, and training. See precisionag.com AgVend AgVend is your digital partner for serving the producer of tomorrow. We provide ag retailers with white-labeled information, engagement, and commerce portals. Our suite of products is designed to strengthen the relationship between ag retailers and their grower customers. The AgVend team is comprised of individuals with backgrounds in agriculture, digital marketing, and omnichannel retail, and operates from dual locations in Minnesota and California. See precisionag.com Solinftec Solinftec has spent the last 13 years building real solutions for real people. We could help you get an additional 5,000 acres through each rig per year by finding the most efficient routes to fields and dispatching tender trucks in real-time, considering label requirements, tank-mix cleaning times, and field-specific weather. See precisionag.com Agworld: Enabling Collaboration in Agriculture Making Ag Retail more profitable. The Agworld Platform enables America’s Ag Retailers to realize significant cost savings, $286,500 per year on average for a mid sized organization, as well as empowering advisors to develop more and better grower relationships that last. See precisionag.com Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory: A harvest landscape - (after) Abel Grimmer (1570-1619)
Bushel acquires FarmLogs to integrate farm-level and supply chain data, AFN, by Lauren Manning US grain-trading platform Bushel has acquired FarmLogs, a farm management app aimed at row crop operations. Through the takeover, it will be able to connect on-farm management data across tens of thousands of growers responsible for 40% of the grain originating in the US. Neither startup commented on the financial aspects of the transaction. The separate FarmLogs brand will live on, but its employees will join Bushel. The acquisition bucks the trend of larger, established agribusiness players scooping up startups to bring tech in-house. Fargo, North Dakota-based Bushel launched in 2017, while Michigan’s FarmLogs started in 2011. .../... See agfundernews.com Drones in agriculture: why now is the time to invest Drones are fast becoming a crucial tool in agriculture, but how do you know if drones will be the right choice for your business? See futurefarming.com How to control growth phases intelligently and efficiently Cameras can support the visual monitoring of products and growth phases of crops. See futurefarming.com Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory: Les quatre saisons : Le printemps par Abel Grimmer (1570-1619) Hands-free farming: Australia gets its first fully automated commercial farm Hands-free farm to demonstrate the future of farming through robotics and artificial intelligence. See futurefarming.com Field robots: Haggerty AgRobotics operates fleet of autonomous machines Haggerty AgRobotics manages a fleet of Raven OMNi platforms with machine-to-machine connectivity. See futurefarming.com Electric tractors: Ideanomics acquires electric tractor maker Solectrac Ideanomics acquires the remaining 78.6 percent of the fully diluted cap table of Solectrac. See futurefarming.com Planting: Case IH introduces new planter technology Latest offerings include ISO Planter Control and wider boom options for the FA 1030 air boom applicator. See futurefarming.com Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory: L'été (1607) par Abel Grimmer (1570-1619) Field robots: Field Robot Event concludes with seven winners Overall winner of the Field Robot Event is Bullseye team from Wageningen University, the Netherlands. See futurefarming.com Brazilian freight & fintech startup GoFlux scores funding Exclusive!, AFN, by Lauren Manning & Jack Ellis Freight has become a major target for digitalization, with paper-based practices and telephone calls still characterizing how most transactions in the industry are handled. Among the many startups leading the charge is Brazil’s GoFlux, which is hoping to breathe some digital life into the way the country transports its bountiful agricultural commodities. “What we are trying to do is build a full network of cargo freight,” Rodrigo Gonçalves, CEO and founder of goFlux, tells AFN. “To do so, we are connecting large agriculture companies to transport companies.” See agfundernews.com These robots & machines are the future of agriculture, by Loukia Papadopoulos Agriculture and farming might seem like boring industries until you see the technology they use. Agriculture and farming at first glance do not seem like very exciting industries, but the tech used in them is some of the most advanced out there. Indeed, the industries see the use of robots and machines that do everything from killing weeds to pick up fruit and vegetables without bruising them. In this video, we bring you some of the latest advancements in agriculture and farming you have to see to believe. These innovations are meant to keep up with an increased need for food and a decreased workforce in the agriculture and farming industries. .../... See interestingengineering.com Maternal mortality Standoff Between Farmers And Tractor Makers Intensifies Over Repair Issues (May 26, 20217) Some farmers are in a bruising battle with John Deere and other tractor makers over what they are allowed to repair on the equipment they own. See npr.org Shouldn't Farmers Be Allowed to Fix Their Own Tractors? It’s simple. You bought it, you should own it. Period. You should have the right to use it, modify it, and repair it whenever, wherever, and however you want. It’s our mission to make sure you can. We fight for your right to fix. Simple. Our goal is to advocate for repair-friendly policies, regulations, statutes, and standards at the national, state, and local levels. Members of The Repair Association enjoy the backing of some of the world's most powerful activists. We travel the globe on your behalf, testifying in front of statehouses, standards committees, and media outlets to make sure your business continues to thrive. Our efforts have already yielded success from jailbreaking to automotive repair and even the right to unlock your cellphone. We plan to do more. We’ll be launching more initiatives that are important to the repair industry in the future…stay tuned. See repair.org Farmers Are Having to Hack Their Own Tractors Just to Make Repairs Owners are turning to hacked software from Eastern Europe as farm equipment companies won't license it to them directly. See thedrive.com Farmers Fight John Deere Over Who Gets to Fix an $800,000 Tractor The right-to-repair movement has come to the heartland, where some farmers are demanding access to the software that runs their equipment. See bloomberg.com Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory: L'été par Abel Grimmer (1570-1619)
‘Who’s making decisions, who’s benefiting, who’s gaining the wealth?’ Errol Schweizer’s got questions, Green Queen Media, by Sonalie Figueras Errol Schweizer has spent decades in the food industry, over 25 years in fact. He has held down many positions, from grill cook to stock clerk to purchasing manager. A native of New York’s the Bronx who studied biology and got his start in community organizing, Schweizer was thrust to the (inter)national food stage when he worked his way up to becoming the V.P. of Grocery at Whole Foods, during which time his team grew sales to over US$5 billion and helped launch brands such as Beyond Meat, Daiya, Califia Farms, Justin’s, Ripple, Hampton Creek, Gardein, Siete Foods and many more. See greenqueen.com TerraClear raises $25m to help farmers get rocks out of their fields, AFN, by Lauren Manning Rocks may seem like the least of farmers’ worries. But for some, they can create serious challenges around planting and harvesting. Medium to large farms incur costs of anywhere from $5,000 to $150,000 annually due to problems and damage caused by rocks, according to US startup TerraClear. “The vast majority of farm ground is between eight to 12 inches deep. Any de-tillage or erosion is going to bring rocks up every year,” CEO Brent Frei tells AFN. TerraClear recently closed a $25 million Series A round led by existing investor Madrona Venture Group. The raise follows its $6.1 million Series A in 2019 and brings its total funding to $38 million. .../... See agfundernews.com The future of Australia’s agriculture industry is hinged on carbon emissions, AFN, by guest contributor: Justin Webb The Australian Academy of Science recently warned that the world must reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 if Australia is to avoid potentially insurmountable challenges to its cities, ecosystems, industries, food, and health systems. While it has previously been suggested that agriculture should be exempt from our proposed 2050 net-zero carbon emissions target, industry leaders, such as the National Farmers’ Federation CEO Tony Mahar, have actively been advocating for the vital role agriculture can play in creating a more sustainable future. Farming currently accounts for 14% of global greenhouse gas emissions (GHGe), with red meat production being labelled as a large contributor through enteric gases, manure, and land-clearing practices. Conversely, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization recently concluded that a 30% reduction of GHGe would be possible if producers in a given system, region, and climate adopted the technologies and practices currently used by the 10% of producers with the lowest emission intensity. As the world’s largest exporter by value of beef and lamb, Australia carries the responsibility and opportunity to implement and support technologies that can create the world’s first and only net-negative carbon footprint of red meat production. Here’s how. .../... See agfundernews.com Quantum computing’s answer to the global food security problem, AFN, by guest contributor: Joseph Byrum Even in the 21st century, food security remains a problem. Regions of the world most impacted by weather extremes and natural disasters need access to more resilient crops and growing techniques. Over the last several decades, technology has rescued hundreds of millions from the brink of starvation. Selective breeding created better genetics to make crops more resilient and bountiful. Better machinery, fertilizers, and soil management practices improved fertility. More advanced chemistry for crop protection products kept weeds and insect pressure from crippling production. Data analytics and AI-backed crop intelligence solutions represent the latest advance that can assist farmers to make smarter decisions and take action to resolve various crop pressures before they have a chance to affect yield. See agfundernews.com Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory: Les quatre saisons : L'automne par Abel Grimmer (1570-1619) Why dairy farmworkers are moving beyond fair trade, Forbes, by Errol Schweize Dairy farmworkers and advocates are criticizing a new fair trade label for dairy products. Fair Trade USA’s new Fair Trade dairy program is rolling out on select sku’s of Chobani Greek Yogurt. The leading Greek yogurt brand has partnered with Fair Trade USA for Milk Matters, a customized audit process for dairy supply chains to ensure fair treatment of workers, among other laudable goals. Yet the certification process and market entry has attracted resistance from the most unlikely sources: the dairy farm workers and their advocates that such a program should be benefitting... See forbes.com Joe Biden’s presidency has partly restored America’s image abroad (The Economist) Vaccination triumph (NYT) The Western South Atlantic humpback whale population was driven to the edge of extinction by the commercial whaling industry See mcusercontent.com Organic lobbyists show ‘sheer hypocrisy’, by Matt Ridley Organic lobbyists show ‘sheer hypocrisy’ opposing UK emergency authorization of neonicotinoid sugar beet seed treatments — while supporting environmental waiver for ‘acutely toxic’ copper sulfate. See rationaloptimist.com Wilhelm Rontgen, by Alexander C. R. Hammond This week, our hero is Wilhelm Röntgen. The German scientist was the first person to identify electromagnetic radiation in a wavelength that we today know as an “x-ray.” Today, x-ray machines are common at most medical facilities. They are used for dozens of reasons, but the most common usage includes detection of broken and fractured bones, heart problems, breast cancer, scoliosis and tumours. The ability to accurately monitor the internal conditions of our bodies leads to better medical decisions. Every year, x-ray machines are used to help save the lives of millions of people. See humanprogress.org
A Multibillion-Dollar Plan to End Polio, and Soon A global partnership announced plans to spend more than $5 billion to eradicate poliovirus. .../... Many countries were dealing with sporadic outbreaks of polio before the coronavirus emerged, but the pandemic brought some polio vaccination programs to a halt, at least for a few months, and worsened the trend. Last year, there were 1,226 cases of polio worldwide, compared with 138 in 2018. .../... From March to July last year, polio immunization campaigns were suspended in more than 30 countries, resulting in more unvaccinated children and more outbreaks of vaccine-derived polio. The oral polio vaccine that is currently used widely contains a weakened strain of the virus. Children who are immunized with this vaccine can pass the virus into the environment through their feces; from there, it can infect unprotected people. As the virus passes from one unvaccinated person to another, genetic changes can cause it to revert to a form that can cause paralysis. See nytimes.com The mRNA vaccine revolution is just beginning mRNA brought us a Covid-19 vaccine in record speed. Next it could tackle flu, malaria or HIV See wired.co.uk Nothing is more responsible for the good old days than a bad memory: L'Automne ou Les travaux de la ferme par Abel Grimmer (1570-1619) Chistes en español Chiste 1 - ¿Tienes WiFi? - Sí - ¿Y cuál es la clave? - Tener dinero y pagarlo. Chiste 2 En una entrevista de trabajo: - ¿Nivel de inglés? - Alto - Bien. Traduzca "mirar". - Look. - Perfecto. Úselo en una frase. - "Luke", yo soy tu padre. - Contratado. Chiste 3 ¿Cuál es el café más peligroso del mundo? El ex-preso Chiste 4 - Mamá, mamá, los spaghetti se están pegando. - Déjalos que se maten. 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 Afia The archives of this newsletter See Afia 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... |