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EU bans prophylactic use of antibiotics in farming
25 Oct, 2018
The European Parliament has approved new legislation to come into force in 2022, banning the prophylactic use of antibiotics in farming. Preventative antibiotics can be routinely given to farm animals – particularly to pigs and poultry - to compensate for the substandard living conditions where disease outbreaks are common and harder to control, and to prevent infection, for example in the early weaning of pigs. Estimates suggest that in Europe two thirds of our antibiotics are used on livestock animals.
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/poultrynews/40535/eu-bans-prophylactic-use-of-antibiotics-in-farming/
Precision agriculture may bring tremendous increase in India's productivity
24 Oct, 2018
India, though one of the biggest producers of agricultural products, has an average farm productivity of only 33 per cent of that of farms the world over. This productivity needs to be increased so that farmers can get more remuneration from the same piece of land -- with less labour. Precision agriculture (PA) may provide a way to do it. PA is the application of precise and correct amount of inputs like water, fertiliser, pesticides, etc., at the correct time to the crop, to increase productivity and maximise yields.
https://www.devdiscourse.com/Article/technology/228212-precision-agriculture-may-bring-tremendous-increase-in-indias-productivity
Agri-tech can turn African Savannah into global food basket: African Development Bank
26 Oct, 2018
The African Development Bank (AfDB) is championing a new regional and global effort to transform the African Savannah from a “Sleeping Giant” to the cradle of the continent’s green revolution. AfDB has determined that the African Savannah can support the production of maize, soybean, and livestock, and transform the continent into a net exporter of these commodities. Only ten percent of the African Savannah is under cultivation – better utilized, small sections of Africa’s grasslands could provide direct jobs for tens of millions of young people and indirect jobs for many more.
http://www.africanews.com/2018/10/25/agri-tech-can-turn-african-savannah-into-global-food-basket-african-development-bank/
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CLIMATE CHANGE
India lost $79.5 billion due to climate-related disasters in last 20 years: UN
10 Oct, 2018
India lost $79.5 billion to climate-related disasters in the last two decades, according to a United Nations (UN) report. The report comes in the wake of the global organization sounding the alarm on the dire effects of climate-change, including a rise in extreme weather events, if warming is not limited to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels. At least 91% of all major disasters recorded from 1988 to 2017 were climate-related, according to a UN report
https://www.livemint.com/Politics/dKczel8e13CfJCffpb4seK/India-lost-795-billion-due-to-climaterelated-disasters-in.html
Cultural heritage has a lot to teach us about climate change
16 Oct, 2018
Museums, archaeological sites and historical buildings are rarely included in conversations about climate change, which tend to focus on the wider impact and global threats to our contemporary world. Yet these threats impact everything, from local cultural practices to iconic sites of outstanding universal value. In light of this, it’s worth exploring the relationship between our heritage and the changing global climate in more detail.
https://theconversation.com/cultural-heritage-has-a-lot-to-teach-us-about-climate-change-103266
5 major crops in the crosshairs of climate change
25 Oct, 2018
Climate change is coming like a freight train, or a rising tide. And our food, so dependent on rain and suitable temperatures, sits right in its path. The plants that nourish us won't disappear entirely. But they may have to move to higher and cooler latitudes, or farther up a mountainside. Some places may find it harder to grow anything at all, because there's not enough water. Here are five foods, and food-growing places, that will witness the impact.
https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/10/25/658588158/5-major-crops-in-the-crosshairs-of-climate-change
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DROUGHTS
Drought to cut east Australia crop output in half from 20-year average
26 Oct,
2018
Drought is expected to cut eastern Australia's crop production this year to less than half the average over the past 20 years, with New South Wales to be worst hit, the country's agricultural commodities forecaster said. While some regions are facing the worst conditions in memory, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics said the drought-hit areas are smaller than in previous droughts.
https://www.businessinsider.com/r-drought-to-cut-east-australia-crop-output-in-half-from-20-year-average-2018-10?IR=T
Scientists develop transgenic rice that can grow under high salinity, drought
25 Oct, 2018
A group of researchers from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) and University of Illinois have developed transgenic rice that promises to generate high yields even under conditions of high salinity, high temperature and drought. The scientists hit upon the idea while studying a wild rice variety, Pokkali, grown in coastal regions of Kerala. When they tried to figure out its ability to survive and thrive in highly saline environment, it emerged that it had very high level of a gene, OsIF.
https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/agriculture/scientists-develop-transgenic-rice-that-can-grow-under-high-salinity-drought-61938
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FLOODS
Jordan floods: At least 18 dead after torrential rains sweep away students on school trip near Dead Sea
26 Oct,
2018
At least 18 people have been killed and many more injured when torrential rains swept away a group of students and teachers touring in a bus near the Dead Sea, Jordan's military said. Official news agency Petra said 37 students from a private school, along with seven adults, were swept into a valley when heavy rains unleashed flash floods in the area.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/jordan-floods-dead-sea-death-toll-rain-latest-update-school-trip-teachers-students-a8601611.html
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FOOD SECURITY
FAO helps to improve fish safety in Ukraine
24 Oct, 2018
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is helping Ukraine improve the safety of its fishery products and boost exports to Europe. FAO said based on findings of an assessment in 2016 and conversations with food safety authorities it identified a need for specific protocols in fisheries and food safety. A project began in July 2017 with the State Service of Ukraine on Food Safety and Consumer Protection, the State Agency of Fisheries, the Association of Ukrainian importers of fish and seafood and the Association of Ukrainian Aquaculture Society.
https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018/10/fao-helps-to-improve-fish-safety-in-ukraine/
19 books to take the food system back
25 Oct, 2018
Food Tank is highlighting 19 books about food and agriculture that explore food policy, nutrition science, healthy eating, food justice and the challenges of farming. Readers will be able to immerse themselves in new roles as activists, brewers, chefs, farmers, politicians and more. Here are Food Tank's 19 top picks to inspire new and old activists, leaders and innovators in the food system.
https://www.ecowatch.com/19-books-to-take-the-food-system-back-2615136368.html
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IRRIGATION
Drip irrigation can raise foodgrain output 40%
24 Oct,
2018
If a small country like Israel can feed the entire world, India, now among the top producers in fruits and vegetables, can more than double its horticulture produce by adopting drip irrigation extensively in the country. Nearly half of India's 142 million hectares of arable land, to be precise 69.5 million hectares, can be brought under drip irrigation, according to official estimates. This if adopted, farm production in drip irrigated land would go up 40% on an average, labour cost will reduce 40% and use of scarce water would be lowered by at least 40%.
https://www.dnaindia.com/business/report-drip-irrigation-can-raise-foodgrain-output-40-2678455
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WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Couple develops way to make water out of thin air, wins $1.5 million XPrize
25 Oct, 2018
The XPRIZE 2018 was awarded to David Hertz and Laura Doss-Hertz, who won $5.1 million. They were able to collect as much as 528 gallons (2,000 liters) of water a day from the air, at a cost of no more than 2 cents a quart (1 liter). The XPrize competition, created by a group of philanthropists, entrepreneurs and others, has awarded more than $140 million over the years for what it calls audacious futuristic ideas aimed at protecting and improving the planet.
https://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-news-technology/couple-develops-way-to-make-water-out-of-thin-air-wins-1-5-million-xprize-5418134/
The ‘Tap' App is a drinking water search engine for refillable bottles
25 Oct, 2018
A California startup just launched a new crowdsourced app that's being billed as the world's first global search engine for clean drinking water. Called Tap, the system is designed to provide people with a way to easily fill their reusable water bottles and reduce the one-time use of plastic bottles. The free app works with the GPS locator on your phone to find nearby water fountains, water bottle refill stations, or “water ATMs” where people can purchase clean water for refillable containers.
https://www.seeker.com/earth/the-tap-app-is-a-drinking-water-search-engine-for-refillable-bottles
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FORTHCOMING EVENTS
5th International Symposium on Dam Safety, 27-31 October 2018, Istanbul, Turkey
Website: http://www.damsafety2018.com/
9th International Micro Irrigation Conference (9IMIC), 16-18 January 2019, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India on the theme: Micro Irrigation in Modern Agriculture.
Website: http://micro-irrigation2019.com/
International Dam Safety Conference 2019, 13-14 February 2019, Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, India
Website: www.damsafety.in/idsc2019
5th African Regional Conference on Irrigation and Drainage (ARCID), 16-19 March 2020, Rabat, Morocco on the theme: Sustainable Management of Irrigation for Improved Resilience of Agriculture in Africa.
Website: http://www.anafide.net/
Water for Food Global Conference 2019, 29-30 April 2019, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA on the theme: Water for a Hungry World: Innovation in Water and Food Security.
Website: https://waterforfood.nebraska.edu/news-and-events
3rd World Irrigation Forum (WIF3) and 70th International Executive Council Meeting, 1-7 September 2019, Bali, Indonesia on the theme: Development for water, food and nutrition security in a competitive environment.
Website: http://www.icid2019.org/
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LATEST PUBLICATION(S)
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The study on
''Water Productivity Mapping of Major Indian Crops'' presents for the first time, maps on the water productivity of ten major Indian crops across cultivating districts and states. It builds on the expectation that if key decisions regarding irrigation, cropping patterns, input pricing, and incentive structures are predicated on water productivity of crops, it would ensure that water in agriculture is distributed more widely, water-use efficiency is enhanced, and Indian agriculture becomes more sustainable and productive in the long run. Thus, the study seeks to inform targeted policies and investment interventions for meeting the twin objectives of "har khet ko pani" (water to every field) and "more crop per drop." The report will encourage policy makers to take note of and trigger an effective response to the looming water crisis faced by the agriculture sector in India. The book has been released as an Open Access and may be downloaded @ https://bit.ly/2Q6OU
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