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Obesity pushes diabetes cases up to 2.5 million

Charity blames weight crisis for record number of diabetes diagnoses The number of people with diabetes in the UK has risen by more than 167,000 since last year to nearly 2.5 million, a charity said today. The sharp increase, to 2,488,814, is more than double the 83,000 rise in the number of diabetics from 2006-07. The number of people with diabetes in England has passed 2 million for the first time, due to a 6.4% rise in diagnoses, said the charity Diabetes UK. The number of people with diabetes rose by 6.8% in Northern Ireland and 6% in Wales over the same period. Scotland experienced the biggest rise in the UK - 16.7% - partly due to improved recording of cases. About 90% of people with diabetes have the type 2 form of the disease, which is strongly associated with obesity and lifestyle. There are about 5 million obese people in the UK, compared with almost 4.8 million last year. Douglas Smallwood, the chief executive of Diabetes UK, said the figures were "truly alarming". Although part of the rise could be explained by improvements in diagnosing the condition, he said the main factor was the UK's "obesity crisis". He said: "The soaring diabetes prevalence will continue to put a massive strain on an already struggling NHS and unless it can respond, people's health could spiral downwards. "We need to do all we can to raise awareness of the seriousness of diabetes and help people understand how a healthy lifestyle can help reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes." Diabetes causes heart disease, stroke, amputations, kidney failure and blindness, and more deaths than breast and prostate cancer combined. Diabetes UK estimates there are more than 500,000 people in the UK who have type 2 diabetes but do not know it. The condition can go undetected for up to 10 years. Half of people with the disease already have symptoms and complications by the time they are diagnosed, according to the charity. Source: David Batty and agencies 20 October 2008 (Source: guardian.co.uk; Rachel Leach - HOPE network and network Co-Ordinators)

Parents 'wrong' on child weight

Many parents overlook their child's unhealthy weight because they believe it is normal, research suggests. Data on 2,100 Australian children found 40% of parents with an overweight or underweight child had not spotted this. Among children, the underweight were more likely to think of themselves as average than the overweight. The University of Melbourne researchers said parents would not act to help their children gain or lose weight if they did not see the problem. Child obesity is thought to be increasing fast in many countries, and experts are hunting for effective ways to intervene, both at school, and home. The Australian research shows just how hard it could be to challenge parents' perceptions of their children. The Melbourne researchers analysed the 2,100 children using both Body Mass Index and waist circumference, to try to establish which fell into the "underweight", "overweight" and "average" groups. They then compared these results with the recorded perceptions of their parents. In total 43% of parents of overweight or underweight children placed their child in the "average" bracket. For overweight children alone, this rose to nearly half. Remarkably, a very small percentage of parents had even more extreme views, assessing an overweight child as underweight, or vice versa. The parents of boys were less likely to make a correct assessment. When the children themselves were asked, six out of 10 underweight girls and half of underweight boys did not assess their weight correctly.

Big society

Dr Pene Schmidt, who led the research, said: "Parents are more likely to take the necessary preventative actions if the perception of their child's weight - whether underweight or overweight - is correct." Tam Fry, from the National Obesity Forum, said that the results were "unsurprising". He said: "There was recent research in this country which showed that a similar proportion of health professionals were unable to make the distinction. "We live in a society where being big is becoming far more common, and is seen as normal." He said that it was hard for health visitors and doctors to intervene if they were likely to meet a hostile response from the parent. 19 October 2008 (Source: BBC News; Rachel Leach - HOPE network and network Co-Ordinators)

Fat bacteria in gut behind obesity, study shows

There is a strong connection between obesity and certain forms of bacteria in your gut, says the recent research. While bacteria in the human gut aid in digestion, some bacteria can influence your obesity levels. The study found that obese bacteria might lead to more weight gain. The bacteria have genesdefine that make them better at extracting calories/nutrients from food. Researchers at the UT South-western Medical Center suggest the fact that it is the presence of certain kind of bacteria in the human digestive tract which affects how much weight a person gains. According to this new research, there are two types of bacteria that activate a receptor molecule, called Gpr41, which helps slow down the food so that it can be processed completely. During this process, more nutrients or calories are extracted from the food leading to weight gain in the human body. While the presence of such species of bacteria are found to be reason behind the weight gain, the absence of these means that fewer nutrients and energy will be absorbed by our body due to the fast digestion process. Researchers, during a study on genetically-altered mouse subjects, came out with findings which showed that those that were bred without Gpr41 were slimmer than the others although fed on the same quantity of food. Dr. Masashi Yanagisawa, Molecular genetics professor at UT Southwestern and senior author of the study, reveals that scientists might be able to find a remedy for people with certain forms of obesity. "It's quite possible that blocking this receptor molecule in the intestine might fight a certain kind of obesity by blocking absorption of energy from the gut." The research also came to conclude that although the lack of Gpr41 does result in less calories and energy in the human body, but it does not pose any health risks. With the discoveries of this study, we might see the researchers finding a cure for obese people in the times ahead. Source: Harleen Kaur 19 October 2008 (Source: http://www.themedguru.com/articles/fat_bacteria_in_gut_behind_obesity_study_shows-86114698.html; Rachel Leach - HOPE network and network Co-Ordinators)

Fighting Obesity, Hypertension, Diabetes And Other Metabolic Diseases By Computer

Scientists know that different normal and diseased tissues behave differently. But a method that tells them just how they do so may one day give medical science a new way to fight obesity, hypertension, diabetes and other dangerous disorders of the metabolism. Until now, scientists had to rely on basic observations at the cellular level, since they lacked information about the metabolic processes of individual organs, such as the liver, heart and brain. But a new computational approach developed by computer scientists Tomer Shlomi, Moran Cabili and Prof. Eytan Ruppin from the Blavatnik School of Computer Science at Tel Aviv University may help science gain a clearer overall picture of the metabolic processes in our different tissues. Their model could be potentially used in the future to refine the diagnosis of various metabolic-related disorders, aid in treatment and develop new drugs. The results of their research were recently reported in the prestigious journal Nature Biotechnology.

Between Healthy and Diseased Tissues Lies the Answer

The model integrates tissue-specific information from healthy or diseased organs and matches it to an existing model of the global human metabolic network to predict metabolic tissue behavior. Their results, shared with Markus Herrgard and Bernhard Palsson from the University at San Diego, "establish a computational basis for the genome-wide study of normal and abnormal human metabolism in a tissue-specific manner," says Prof. Ruppin. The computational model describes metabolism in ten different human tissues, exposing the functions in the body responsible for metabolism - a set of chemical reactions occurring in living organisms that allows tissues to grow, maintain their structures, and function and respond to other bodily cues. And while the research published focuses on ten specific tissues, the tool can be expanded and applied to other tissues, then potentially to entire organs. "The previous model of human metabolism was a generic one, which did not describe how the metabolism of different tissues work," says Shlomi. "Now we can provide large scale descriptions as to how tissues metabolize different compounds and how metabolism actually works in individual organs like the heart, liver, brain or pancreas."

Towards Computerized Disease Diagnosis

Building on these results, the Tel Aviv University team are now working on developing tools for the discovery of biomarkers (metabolites that can be measured in the blood and urine) that are associated with different diseases. The team is developing computational methods for identifying novel metabolic biomarkers that may be used for diagnosing an array of genetic metabolic disorders (including such disorders with relatively higher incidence in Jewish populations such as G6PD and Tay-Sachs). More generally, this basic research provides scientists with important knowledge of the metabolism of different body tissues and organs. The consequences of this endeavour and its basic motivation is to help drug developers as they explore new drug targets. The current research is at the basic science level, but such research may lead to unforeseen applications. Today's cancer-fighting drugs, for example, kill both cancerous and healthy cells. When more becomes known about the metabolism of cancer in different tissues via a combination of experimental and computational studies of the kind described in the research, then hopefully more effective and targeted drugs could be built, says Prof. Ruppin. Source: George Hunka, American Friends of Tel Aviv University 19 Oct 2008 (Article adapted from original press release.) (Source: Medical News Today; Rachel Leach - HOPE network and network Co-Ordinators)

Obesity 'lifts inflammation risk'

Obesity and lack of fitness raise the risk of illness by impacting negatively on the body's internal chemistry, research suggests. A US team found levels of white blood cells were highest in men who were unfit and overweight. White blood cells are key to fighting infection, but high levels can be a sign of inflammation, which is linked to coronary heart disease. The study appears in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. A team from the Pennington Biomedical Research Center carried out tests on 452 healthy men who were taking part in a long-term study of fitness. Blood tests were taken, and analysed for their content of various types of white blood cell. After taking account of age, the researchers found that all groups of white blood cell were lowest in the men who were most physically fit. The greater proportion of body fat a man had, the higher his white blood cell count was. Total white cell count was highest in men who had a combination of higher body fat and lower levels of physical fitness. Levels were also high among men with lower body weight but lower levels of fitness. However, a high degree of physical fitness negated the effect of extra body fat.

Key role

White cell counts tend to rise after a bout of vigorous exercise, but the researchers said regular exercise might condition the body to respond more efficiently to the physical demands made of it. Lead researcher Professor Tim Church said it was clear that inflammation played a key role in heart disease and other illnesses, but the factors which drove it were still relatively unclear. He said: "There is nothing worse than a risk factor that an individual cannot modify, but here are two risk factors - obesity and fitness - which they can do something about." June Davison, cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: "These findings add to evidence that regular physical activity and keeping close to a healthy weight have huge benefits for your heart health." And John Brewer, performance director at the Lucozade Sport Science Academy in Slough, stressed that an unhealthy lifestyle posed "real dangers" to health. He said: "Whilst studies like this one, and initiatives from the government and health-promotion agencies, can raise awareness of the risks, ultimately it is down to individuals to chose a lifestyle and habits that give them the best chance of leading a healthy, active life." 17 October 2008 (Source: BBC News; Rachel Leach - HOPE network and network Co-Ordinators)

Children who skip breakfast twice as likely to be obese

Children who eat breakfast each day are half as likely to be obese as those who skip it, new research shows. They eat less for lunch and tend not to snack between meals, experts say. The study looked at 15,000 five year olds born in the first two years of the millennium who were weighed and measured. It found children who were obese were about twice as likely not to eat breakfast as children of normal weight. Researchers also found those with unemployed parents were almost three times as likely to go without breakfast as those whose mothers and fathers were both working. The study found about one in five of the children was either overweight or obese when they started school. More than 17 per cent of girls and 13.5 per cent of boys were overweight and a further 6 per cent of girls and 5 per cent of boys were obese. Professor Heather Joshi, director of the Millennium Cohort Study, said: "This may be due to the lack of a daily routine of rising early enough to eat breakfast. "The consequence of not having breakfast is that children - and adults, of course - are more likely to get hungry before lunch and snack on foods that are high in fat and sugar. That could help to explain the link between obesity and not eating breakfast. "It is also likely, of course, that parents who fail to give their children breakfast may be less organised about nutrition in general." But Prof Joshi, of the Institute of Education at the University of London, added that economic pressures, such as the inability to afford healthy food, do not appear to be key contributors to weight gain. She said: "Poor children in our study were no more likely to be overweight and only very slightly more likely to be obese." Eating regular meals, other than breakfast, also appeared to have no influence on whether a child would be overweight or obese. But the researchers did find an association between mothers' education level and children's weight. Just three per cent of the children of graduate mothers were obese, compared with eight per cent of youngsters whose mothers had no qualifications. Dr Colin Waine, immediate past chairman of the National Obesity Forum, said: ""This confirms what we have suspected for some time that breakfast is a good way to start the day for all children and is associated with reduced obesity levels and also better performance at school." 17 Oct 2008 (Source: Telegraph; Rachel Leach - HOPE network and network Co-Ordinators)

Obesity, age link to stillbirths

There could be an "epidemic of stillbirths" in Australia in the next few years if the nation's obesity rate continues to soar and more women aged over 35 have children, researchers have found. An analysis of more than 100 studies on stillbirth over 10 years, the largest of its kind in Australia and New Zealand, has found about 40 per cent of the 2000 Australian stillbirths a year are preventable if a woman loses any excessive weight, has children earlier and gives up smoking. "That's 800 babies a year which could be saved if we were able to remove these three modifiable factors," the study's lead researcher, Vicki Flenady, said. About 24 per cent of stillbirths, where a baby dies after 20 weeks gestation, occur because the mother is overweight or obese, 11 per cent because she is over 35 and 7 per cent are due to smoking, Ms Flenady said. "In some parts of Australia, we are already seeing an epidemic of stillbirths because obesity rates are soaring." More than 35 per cent of pregnant women are overweight or obese and one in every seven babies in Australia is now born to a first-time mother aged over 35. David Ellwood, a professor in gynaecology and obstetrics at the Australian National University medical school and a member of the Australian and New Zealand Stillbirth Alliance, said the stillbirth rate had not dropped in Australia in 20 years and was still 10 times more frequent than sudden infant death syndrome. "While there are obviously still many unexplained stillbirths, this research is particularly heartening because it gives a clear indication of things women can do to reduce the risk," he said. Professor Ellwood said other factors which appeared to increase a woman's risk of stillbirth were identified but required further research. These included advanced paternal age, maternal stress, inadequate antenatal care, previous caesarean section, excess caffeine intake, alcohol and substance use. Obesity-related type 2 diabetes also played a role. Source: Kate Benson 15 October 2008 (Source: smh; Rachel Leach - HOPE network and network Co-Ordinators)

Best in Finland awards recognise high quality small-scale food producers

The Finnish magazine Viisi Tähteä has published its fifth annual Best in Finland awards selecting the best products available from small-scale Finnish producers. The awards set out to make restaurant professionals aware of the newest, top-quality Finnish products offering great flavours.

Fresh fish

Fisherman Arto Mero landed first prize in the Best Ingredient class for the Lake Inari Arctic char he delivers fresh from Finnish Lapland to e.g. restaurants in Helsinki. Chef and jury member Markus Maulavirta described how the highly prized fish is caught in the morning and flown to restaurants in the capital city by the afternoon, arriving faster and even fresher than if ordered from a local fish wholesaler.

Meat with a conscience

Best Service Concept award went to the Roinila livestock farm in Kangasniemi, Southern Central Finland. On-farm slaughter ensures the animals meet a humane end and that the meat itself maintains a good consistency. Roinila observes sound environmental practice using for example less fertiliser and sells some of its meat at local Farmers Markets to reduce unnecessary transportation.

Dairy and eggs

The award for Best Cultural Achievement was given to Riitta Saloniemi who breeds the indigenous Finnish kyyttö cattle, using their milk to produce super-tasty cheese. Eggs from the Karhumäki organic henhouse won the best Finnish Food Product award. Flavoursome with an excellent colour and whipping properties, they are particularly popular with catering professionals.

Organic beer

The award for Best Innovation went to the Organic Hop project ongoing in Northern Satakunta, in the west of Finland. Initially an EU project, the cultivation of the Finnish hop has been pursued in determined fashion by growers, and it is hoped that it will eventually be possible to manufacture entirely Finnish-made organic beer given the necessary co-operation of the breweries and other stakeholders, explained Olavi Saunajoki, who accepted the award on behalf of the project members.

Roe for export

The award for Best Finnish Product Concept was won for Baltic herring roe which is exported to Japan by West Coast Fish Ltd and Piipanoja Ky. 03.09.2008 (Source: Finfood)

Ready-to-eat foods make everyday life easier

Autumn is a busy time for many families as the children start a new year at school and parents return to work after the summer holidays. It takes some time to readjust to the daily routines and it helps to find ways to make life a little easier. The Finnish food industry is doing its part with lots of ideas for everyday dishes that make cooking less arduous.

Pre-cooked chicken makes for fast efficient cooking

Atria Group Plc is launching 250 gram packages of mildly peppered fried chicken fillets and unseasoned fillet pieces ideal for cooking or as part of a cold meal. Privately owned Finnish food industry group Saarioinen’s product range already includes oven-roasted chicken fillet slices in honey marinade. What could be easier than taking the pre-cooked chicken from the package, salad from a bag, croutons from a box and salad dressing from a bottle to make a delicious meal. Launching its pre-cooked Liekkisiivet hot chicken wings, the Kariniemi Farm is also entering the pre-prepared chicken products market. The especially spicy wings come in a 900 gram package and can quickly be heated in a conventional or microwave oven.

Ready-to-eat straight off the shelf

Very busy Finnish cooks can now grab a sausage sauce meal straight from the shop shelf. The HK Mummon ready-meal range is expanding its family of homely foods with a sausage and potato dish containing HK Ruokatalo’s popular Sininen lenkki sausages. The new HK Mummon items benefit from the award-winning MicVac packaging technology also employed in HK Via ready-to-eat meals. Once the package starts to make a whistling sound in the microwave oven, the meal is ready to be served!

Adding more vegetables

Both Saarioinen and HK Ruokatalo have brought out well-balanced meat and mashed vegetable dishes. HK Mummon’s pan-fried steak meal includes a potato-carrot-vegetable mash and gravy, while Saarioinen’s pork in sauce comes with mashed potatoes and carrot in a slightly larger 350 gram portion. Both meals contain 120 kcal energy and 6.4 grams of fat per 100 grams, and a similar salt content at 0.8 per cent for pork in sauce (also suitable for lactose free and gluten free diets) and 0.9 per cent for pan-fried steak (low lactose diets). Yet another Finnish food specialist Kokkikartano Oy is celebrating autumn flavours with its new rich-tasting wild mushroom soup. The new soups are all low in lactose and the range offers some items which are low in fat, too.

Ready-to-eat meals are made with healthiness in mind

Ready-to-eat meals are also being bought by consumers concerned about their own and their family’s health. Several HK Ruokatalo products such as minced meat risotto carry the famous Finnish Heart Symbol. With a taste that appeals to the whole family, the risotto’s large package size serves one or two. The growing Via ready-to-eat food family has a special focus on nutrient content and HK Via Pippurihärkä is the first in the range to contain potato. Roast beef in black pepper sauce, vegetables and potatoes parisienne make for a healthier, lighter meat dish which like the other items in this Star Product of the Year 2008 range also carries the Heart Symbol. 03.09.2008 (Source: Finfood)

Investing in Finnish spring water

The Finnish Water Group has attracted capital totalling MEUR 1.3 from government-owned financier Finnish Industry Investment Ltd and a group of private investors. The company bottles its Polar Spring and Kivistö brands from the Asikkala spring located 25 kilometres north of Lahti in Southern Finland, and also supplies private label products to customers large and small around the world.

Raising capacity to satisfy a growing international market

“The fresh injection of capital is helping to finance the recently completed 2,000 square metre production plant and our building of new production lines which mark a substantial growth in capacity,” explained Jarkko Haukijärvi, Managing Director of Finnish Water Group. Chairman of the Board Niilo Pellonmaa believes that pure natural Finnish spring water has great potential to tap into export markets while the company continues to benefit from sales to the growing domestic market. “The market for bottled drinking water is growing strongly all over the world and our abundant high quality water resources springing from Finland’s renowned pure and untarnished nature provide Polar Spring waters with great potential to make the most of that growth,” says Director Henri Grundstén. 03.09.2008 (Source: Finfood)

Nourishing snacks keep school children going

With autumn fast approaching and the children back to school, parents need to find a balance between healthy, nourishing and attractive snacks for their children. After school snacks must be more than just goodies as the kids need energy for homework and hobbies. Ideal ready-to-eat snacks for the youngest school children include for instance ready-made sandwiches, fruit, berry quark, or yoghurt, and cereals. Even if it’s just a small snack, it’s important to consider what goes into it: opt for low fat, salt, and sugar content, and e.g. whole grains. Older children will also consume healthier snacks if parents remember to offer them vegetables and fruit, which are after all easy to eat. Sliced vegetables and sliced or whole fruit make for quick and easy refreshment and are ideal in a lunch box for children attending after school activities.

Jalapeños on bread and carrots in berry soup

Finnish food products launching this autumn stress new flavours and healthiness. The new BBQ-Paprika and Hot-Jalapeño flavoured ham cold cuts produced by Finland’s largest meat processor Atria are perfect for hot sandwiches and contain less than three per cent fat. The ham slices are beautifully textured to lock in juiciness as they are heated. While soups should not be seen as a replacement for fresh vegetables in a healthy diet, they do make for a great way to eat vegetables and even fruit. The new blood orange and carrot soup with added fibre produced by Finland’s leading milk processor Valio complements the dairy company’s popular berry soup family. For the first time, Valio has used the fruit sugar fructose to sweeten the soup, generating a lower sugar content, while berry soups with no added sugar are yet another option. The ready-to-serve soups are delicious with porridge and cereals or simply as they are.

An inadequate diet increases the risk of weight gain

The Finnish Horticultural Products Society asks parents to bear in mind the importance to school children’s energy levels and well-being of regular eating and using the right ingredients. The greatest challenge is to include vegetables, root crops, berries, and fruit in every meal. The Finnish recommendation for vegetable intake is around half a kilo (six handfuls) a day. We need to make a special effort to ensure that our children and teenagers consume enough vegetables as the positive impacts of learning good eating habits that help maintain health and protect against illness will continue long into adulthood.

Building healthy habits

At the end of July 2008, international news agency Reuters reported on the significance of eating vegetables, without which we don’t get all the nutrients the human body needs. Teenage girls in particular should consume enough vegetables to build a strong foundation for healthy physical development leading into adulthood. Besides deficiency symptoms, an inadequate diet increases the risk of weight gain. According to the Institute of Medicine in Washington DC, obesity has more than tripled over three decades from 5 to 17% of 12–19 year-olds living in the United States. The article noted that studies anticipate overweight children will become overweight adults. For more see: http://features.us.reuters.com/wellbeing/news/057CBB36-5F3A-11DD-906D-38F62BCD.html More information: Valio Atria 27.08.2008 (Source: Finfood News)

ICRISAT to re-establish center in Nigeria

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) will soon re-establish its center in Nigeria. This intent was formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed with the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN). ICRISAT Director General Dr William D Dar and the Executive Director of ARCN, Dr BY Abubakar, signed the MOU recently. The Chair of ICRISAT’s Governing Board, Dr Stein Bie, was present during the signing function. ARCN will facilitate ICRISAT’s re-establishment in Nigeria through this MOU. ICRISAT had research collaboration with the Nigerian Government since 1987, with a research center at Kano, which was later closed down. According to Dr Dar, the MOU will strengthen collaboration with Nigeria, and with the re-established Center ICRISAT scientists and their counterparts from the national agricultural research system of Nigeria will be able to work together closely on agricultural research. This will be a boost to collaborative research in Nigeria and neighboring regions. Under the MOU, ARCN and ICRISAT will implement joint research programs in Nigeria; ensure mutual cooperation and collaboration among scientists; facilitate exchange of germplasm, breeding material, scientific information and techniques; and also focus on capacity development. ICRISAT will initiate a regional research and training program on its mandate crops (mainly sorghum and millet) and natural resource management in West and Central Africa from a central base in Nigeria. 25 September 2008 (Source: CGIAR, www.icrisat.org)

Australian Foreign Minister visits ICRISAT headquarters

The Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Honorable Stephen Smith, visited the global headquarters of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) at Patancheru, near Hyderabad today (10 September). Hon Stephen Smith was accompanied by Ms Victoria Walker, Counsellor of the Political and Economic section of the Australian High Commission in New Delhi, Dr Christian Roth, Program Officer, ACIAR and Dr Kuhu Chatterjee, ACIAR, who saw the progress made in the collaborative research projects between ICRISAT and Australian organizations. They were also informed about the genotyping services that ICRISAT provides in collaboration with the Diversity Array Technology Pvt. Ltd. of Canberra, and visited the integrated watershed management and crop demonstration plots on campus. ICRISAT Deputy Director General (Research), Dr David Hoisington, welcomed the Minister on behalf of Director General, Dr William Dar, and stated that ICRISAT’s relationship with Australia has been strong and steady since 1975. Some of the projects in collaboration with Australian agricultural research organizations are: Re-starting groundnut cultivation in Timor Leste, where ICRISAT is an active partner in the “Seeds of Life” project, initiated by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), to re-construct agriculture in Timor Leste ( East Timor). Improving groundnut yield in Papua New Guinea and Australia, supported by ACIAR, and using elite groundnut germplasm lines from ICRISAT. Accelerated genetic improvement of chickpea, funded by the Council of Grain Grower Organisations Ltd of W. Australia, and in partnership with the Department of Agriculture and Food of the Australian Government, the Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture (CLIMA) of the Univ. of Western Australia, and the Punjab Agricultural University in India to develop early maturing, disease resistant, desi chickpea breeding lines. Increasing grain legumes production in Myanmar, involving farmer participatory selections of improved varieties and crop management practices, including Rhizobium inoculation. Improving dual-purpose sorghum crop, to increase the productivity and fodder quality of postrainy sorghum. Improving the quality of pearl millet residues for livestock. Supported by ACIAR, the project is high-priority for ICRISAT, the International Livestock Research Institute, and Indian national programs. 25 September 2008 (Source: CGIAR, www.icrisat.org)

US$22.33 million loan to Ghana will enhance agricultural and rural growth and help reduce poverty

A $22.33 million loan to the Republic of Ghana from IFAD will increase investment in rural areas to provide economic opportunities, particularly for women. The total cost of the Northern Rural Growth Programme is US$103.55 million. IFAD, which has initiated and designed the programme, will provide a loan of US$22.33 and a US$0.40 million grant. The programme is co-financed with the African Development Bank, financial institutions and private investors and will run for eight years. The loan agreement was signed today in Rome by Professor George Gyan Baffour, MP, Deputy Minister for Finance and Economic Planning and Lennart Båge, President of IFAD. The Northern Rural Growth Programme is aimed at achieving sustainable agricultural and rural livelihoods and food security for the rural poor people, particularly smallholder farmers, rural women and vulnerable groups in Northern Ghana. The specific objective is to develop inclusive and remunerative agricultural and food value chains, from farmer to consumer, such as grains and oilseeds, fruits and vegetables, and animal products. 45,000 households, mostly small-scale farmers, will be directly supported. More than 100,000 households will benefit from investments in infrastructure. Access to rural financial services will be improved while investment in transport and market infrastructure will reduce post-harvest losses, improve quality and reduce transaction costs. Irrigation development will be supported, improving agricultural production in terms of both quality and quantity. Producer organizations will be strengthened. By investing in the rural areas of northern Ghana the programme will contribute to increased investments and economic activity, higher farm-gate prices, higher household incomes and improved standards of living, thus reducing poverty and bridging the development divide between the northern regions and the rest of the country. The programme is a direct response to the three major poverty divides in Ghana: rural-urban, north-south and gender. With this project, IFAD will have financed fourteen programmes in Ghana, amounting to a total commitment of US$178.4 million, making Ghana the second largest user of IFAD resources in the region. Press release No.: IFAD/41/08, Rome – 12 September 2008 (Source IFAD)

Extraordinary meeting at the European Parliament will hear from the Rome-based UN agencies on high food prices

The European Parliament will hear from three UN agencies tomorrow on the current food price crisis. A special meeting of the Development Committee will be discussing proposals to release an extra €1 billion euros from the European Commission to support urgent needs as well as funding seeds and fertilizers for developing countries. As part of the discussions the Executive Director of the WFP Josette Sheeran, the Director-General of the FAO, Jacques Diouf and the Vice-President of IFAD, Kanayo F. Nwanze will tell the committee how the three Rome-based food agencies are working in partnership to respond to high food prices. The continuing rise in food prices is expected to push about 100 million more people into poverty, nearly 30 million of them in Africa. Food production will need to rise 50 per cent by 2030 to meet growing demand. The Rome-based UN agencies are collaborating to ensure an effective and efficient response. At the beginning of June, world leaders and policymakers met at the FAO headquarters in Rome at the High-level Conference on World Food Security: The Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy to discuss ways in which to safeguard the world’s most vulnerable populations. The Conference concluded by calling on the international community to increase assistance for developing countries, in particular the least developed countries and those that are most affected by high food prices. Tomorrow the three UN agencies will also outline their specific responses to the crisis. In August the World Food Programme announced a US$214 million package directed at sixteen hunger hotspots. With US$104 million, WFP is supporting more than 11 million people in 14 countries particularly hard-hit by high food prices. In addition, the WFP is providing $110 million in the Horn of Africa which includes funds from its emergency reserves, to meet urgent food needs including supplementary feeding programmes for malnourished children. In June, during the World Food Security conference in Rome, WFP announced a US$1.2 billion cash package for 62 countries hit by high food prices. In addition to US$900 million of ongoing field activities, which are contributing to increase food security worldwide, FAO, through its Initiative on Soaring Food Prices, is active in 78 countries, distributing seeds, fertilizer, animal feed and other farming tools. FAO is working closely together with governments, farmer’s organizations and NGOs. FAO also advises governments on policy measures in response to the crisis. Together with WFP, IFAD and the World Bank, FAO is developing short and medium term strategies for countries to respond to the crisis. FAO short-term interventions, financed from its own resources and donor contributions, amount to around $60 million but FAO estimates US$ 1.7 billion is needed to improve small holder farmers’access to agricultural inputs and boost food supplies. IFAD’s immediate response has been to make available up to US$200 million from existing loans and grants to provide an urgent boost to agricultural production in the developing world. The agency continues to press for rapid and urgent longer-term investment in agriculture to enable the 450 million smallholder farms in developing countries to grow more food, more productively, and thereby increase their incomes and resilience, and respond to the increasing global demand for food. Joint Press release No.: IFAD/40/08, Brussels/Rome – 9 September 2008 (Source IFAD)

IFAD’s President says more must be done to make aid effective

Ministers, aid agencies and senior officials are gathering to discuss development performance this week in Accra, Ghana at the Third High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness. Speaking ahead of his visit to Ghana, IFAD’s President Lennart Båge says it is time for donors and their partners in developing countries to take responsibility for accelerating action to meet the commitments of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness. “There has been progress since 2005,” says the IFAD President, “but not enough to meet the 2010 targets set in Paris. We must do more, and we must do it faster.”

With millions at risk there is no time to lose

As the world prepares to meet new challenges from rising fuel and food prices and climate change, it is more important than ever that development efforts are effective. It will be difficult to meet the commitments made in Paris three years ago, but it is not impossible. There are more than 850 million hungry people in the world today. High food prices are expected to push about 100 million more people into poverty, nearly 30 million of them in Africa. Climate change is likely to put an extra 50 million at risk of hunger by 2020. Food production will need to rise 50 per cent by 2030 to meet growing demand. “Given the urgency of the situation, failure to meet the Paris commitments is not an option,” says Båge.

Developing countries themselves need to be active partners in leading their own development

Country ownership is at the heart of effective aid. Country ownership is a process that allows governments, civil society and the private sector to participate in all aspects of development, including the creation, implementation and monitoring of national development strategies, programmes and projects. “There is now a clear understanding that creating the conditions under which partner countries have the capacity to manage aid is an intrinsic part of country-level ownership,” says Båge. For aid to do what it is supposed to do and make a lasting difference, developing countries must take the lead. “Countries must have the will and the leadership to take responsibility for their own development, and donors must support them with better systems and incentives,” Båge says. As ministers, heads of international agencies and organizations gather in Accra, the IFAD President warns it will take more than words for aid to be as effective as it should be. Weak institutions and limited participation by stakeholders are among the factors that can interfere with effective country ownership. “Changing organizational behaviour – within donors and partner countries – is an essential element in improving development effectiveness,” says Båge. Press release No.: IFAD/39/08, Rome, 3 September 2008 (Source IFAD)

IFAD’s President calls for increased investment in agricultural research and market access for smallholders at African Green Revolution Conference

“Smallholder farmers in Africa need to be empowered to become rural entrepreneurs who can build productive and profitable partnerships with the private sector,” said Lennart Båge, IFAD’s president, at the start of the second day of the African Green Revolution Conference. “Too often agriculture is seen as an unproductive and unprofitable sector,” said Båge. “But the truth is that agriculture and those tilling the land –men and women smallholder farmers – have the capacity to feed the world while managing and protecting some of the key assets of our global environment.” “Smallholder farmers do not need hand-outs or short-term fixes. They need effective, innovative and sustained investment,” Båge said. In 2003, the United Nations called for agricultural development to be placed at the forefront of the fight against extreme hunger and poverty. Half a decade later, the world is still debating how best to bring agricultural development to Africa. “The world urgently needs a green revolution in Africa. And the African continent has the potential to deliver,” Båge said. “But we are still failing, collectively, to give Africa the level of co-ordinated and cohesive support that it needs to do so.” The AGR Conference is bringing together world leaders, representatives of the private sector and development practitioners in a two-day debate to find sustainable ways of boosting agricultural productivity in Africa. In light of today’s food security crisis and current estimates that the global demand for food will increase by one-half in the next 20 years, greater investment in agricultural productivity is crucial for poverty reduction and future economic stability. Agriculture has been shown time and again to have a powerful impact on poverty reduction. Growth in agriculture has driven wider economic growth throughout history – from 18th century England, to 19th century Japan, to 20th century India. And growth in agriculture really delivers: according to the 2008 World Development Report, GDP growth generated by agriculture is up to four times more effective in reducing poverty than growth in other sectors. Almost two billion people depend on the world’s 450 million smallholder farms for food and livelihoods; if supported by the appropriate mix of policy and investment measures, these farmers can lift themselves out of poverty and contribute to their country’s economic growth. Agricultural research is essential in order for a sustainable and inclusive African Green Revolution to take place. To be effective in reducing poverty, this research must focus on varieties that meet the needs of poor rural farmers and respond to the challenges they face from pests, droughts and salinity. Investment in agricultural research, which so successfully drove the Green Revolution in Asia, has been shown to deliver rates of return in excess of 40 per cent. IFAD is one of the major financial supporters of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) system and is now helping to review the system and reorient it to the new research agenda of today. Press release No.: IFAD/38/08, Oslo and Rome, 29 August 2008 (Source IFAD)

US$27.2 million loan to Nigeria to bolster rural finance institutions

A US$27 million loan to the Federal Republic of Nigeria from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) will strengthen microfinance institutions and establish linkages between these and formal financial institutions in 12 Nigerian states. The total cost of the Rural Finance Institution-building Programme (RUFIN) is US$40 million. IFAD is funding the programme with a loan of US$27 million and a US$400 000 grant. The programme is co-financed with the Ford Foundation and will run for seven years. The agreement was signed today in Rome by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Eheneden Erediauwa, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Italy and IFAD Vice President Kanayo Nwanze. The new IFAD-funded programme will lay the foundation for the long-term development of a sustainable rural financial system in Nigeria. The RUFIN programme will help develop and transform target-group organizations into rural finance institutions that improve poor rural people’s access to low-cost credit. As such, it will allow marginalized groups such as women and young people to access financial services and invest in agriculture and small businesses. The programme will develop new alternative financial products, which facilitate cash-flow and lending based on character reference rather than assets to overcome poor people’s obstacles to borrowing. It will also promote an improved legal, policy and regulatory framework. The Ford Foundation will contribute to the programme with a grant worth US$500,000 to provide part of the guarantee fund under the microfinance development fund established by the Central Bank of Nigeria. Since 1985, IFAD has made loans of US$187.5 million to the Federal Republic of Nigeria to finance nine rural development and poverty reduction programmes and projects valued at US$639.9 million overall. Press release No.: IFAD/37/08, Rome, 26 August 2008 (Source IFAD)

US$ 6.93 million IFAD-supported project will help increase incomes and market opportunities for 5,200 poor rural households in Guyana

IFAD will contribute a total amount of US$5.76 million: US$2.8 million with a highly concessional terms loan, and a non-reimbursable grant of the same amount. A new project in Guyana will help small producers diversify agricultural production and sell their produce at national and international markets. The US$6.93 million Rural Enterprise and Agricultural Development project will be supported by IFAD with a US$2.8 million loan, provided onhighly concessional terms and a non-reimbursable grant of the same amount. The Government of Guyana will contribute US$ 850,000 and the project participants themselves will provide an additional US$ 320,000. The agreement was signed today at IFAD headquarters by the Ambassador of Guyana in Brussels, Patrick Ignatius Gomes, and the President of IFAD, Lennart Båge. As Guyana’s ability to compete in the international markets with its traditional national crops has declined, like sugar and rice, the project will help small farmers find alternative sources of income in non-traditional agricultural products such as root crops, vegetables, tropical fruits and spices, and livestock products. Some 5,200 poor rural households from regions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 10 of the country will benefit from better access to financial and other capital services, as well as training in the areas of enterprise development, marketing, organizational and social development. With this project, IFAD will have financed three rural development and poverty eradication projects in Guyana for a total commitment of US$ 22.2 million. Press release No.: IFAD/36/08, Rome, 24 July 2008 (Source IFAD)

IFAD and Panama sign loan agreement for US$4.2 million to improve living conditions in the country’s poorest rural areas

The Government of Panama, IFAD, OPEC and the participating rural communities will provide the total project cost, worth US$12.3 million. The project will last for six years. The Government of Panama is to implement a modernising and participative rural development project in the central region of the country, backed by an IFAD US$4.2 million loan. The agreement was signed in Rome today by the Ambassador of Panama to IFAD, Eudoro Jaén Esquivel and the President of IFAD, Lennart Båge. The project aims to improve the social and economic conditions of 10,000 men and women – the majority smallholder farmers, landless labourers, unemployed youth and female heads of household – whose annual income is less than US$953. The project will cover the five poorest districts of Veraguas Province and will focus on promoting new income generating activities and identifying new national and international markets to sell the produce. The project will be tailored to the different needs and capabilities that already exist amongst the beneficiary farmers. The poorest will receive basic inputs and technical assistance to increase productivity, according to their specific requirements. Those who are already on a better footing can move onto programmes of micro-credit and improvement of their entrepreneurial capabilities. An innovative feature of the project is the “territorial development council” as the main decision-making body. Local government representatives, producers and organised groups from each community will take part in these “councils”. The long-term objective of these councils is to strengthen the rural social fabric to advance the process of administrative decentralisation in the country. With this project, IFAD will have financed eight rural development and poverty eradication projects in Panama for a total of commitment of over US$ 80 million. Press release No.: IFAD/35/08, Rome, 15 July 2008 (Source IFAD)

IFAD to provide additional US$4.2 million to Cape Verde to help poor rural people gain from economic growth

Supplementary loan will bring total IFAD funding to US$13.5 million for Cape Verde Rural Poverty Alleviation Programme that will run until 2012 at a total cost of US$36.1 million. A US$4.2 million supplementary loan to Cape Verde from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) will assist poor rural people to further integrate into the country’s fast-growing economy. The agreement was signed today in Rome by José Eduardo Barbosa, Cape Verde’s Ambassador to Italy and IFAD President Lennart Båge. The new IFAD financing will allow the existing Rural Poverty Alleviation Programme – costing a total of US$36.1 million – to be expanded to cover all rural areas of the West African islands. It will make use of legal, institutional and financial mechanisms that have already proved effective in reducing rural poverty during the first two stages of the programme. Food security and nutrition will be improved, incomes and market access will be improved and productivity in agriculture, fisheries and livestock will be increased. About 60,000 poor rural people, particularly women, will benefit. “This model programme is becoming a major national policy instrument to fight poverty in rural areas” said Mohamed Béavogui, Director, West and Central Africa Division, IFAD. “It will help implement Cape Verde’s Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy and serve as a laboratory to develop effective approaches to community-driven development in other countries in the region.” The programme is financed under IFAD’s Flexible Lending Mechanism which releases funds in three phases. The initial loan amounted to US$9.2 million over a ten-year period from 2000-2009 for a total cost of US$18.34 million. The Government of Cape Verde funded the rest of the loan and will provide approximately US$12 million for the third phase. Since 1978, IFAD has made loans of US$28.6 million to Cape Verde to finance four rural development and poverty reduction projects valued at US$66.9 million overall. Press release No.: IFAD/34/08, Rome, 26 June 2008 (Source IFAD)

Enhancing food security and reducing rural poverty in the North-west of Azerbaijan

A new US$32.3 million IFAD-supported project in Azerbaijan will help 22,300 rural poor households increase their incomes, achieve food security and contribute to boosting the country’s economy. The Rural Development Project for the North-West will endeavour to reduce malnutrition in a sustainable manner by improving the olivewoods of small farmers and pastoralists in four districts of north-west Azerbaijan, namely Agstafa, Gazakh, Shamkir and Tovuz. IFAD will provide a loan of US$17.2 million on highly concessional terms to finance the project under an agreement signed at IFAD’s headquarters in Rome today. Lennart Båge, President of IFAD, and His Excellency Emil Karimov, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Italy, signed the agreement. Most rural people living in north-west Azerbaijan depend heavily on irrigated agriculture; but, the irrigation system in this part of the country has long been in serious decline due to neglect, lack of maintenance and resource constraints. The proposed project will rehabilitate the deteriorating irrigation infrastructure and introduce participatory irrigation management (PIM) practices to ensure efficient and sustainable system management. It will also assist small farmers in improving crop and livestock productivity and diversifying their incomes through improved access to appropriate technology, rural finance, small enterprise development services, market chains and other support services. “The project will enhance the capability and self-reliance of communities to look after their own affairs and plan and implement their own development initiatives more effectively,” said Abdallah Rahman, IFAD’s country programme Manager for Azerbaijan. “It will help improve smallholder production, productivity and competitiveness, introducing PIM and improving marketing arrangements and links.” The project will strengthen the local institutions responsible for the main irrigation infrastructure and for water delivery to the farm gate. Service providers will be engaged to provide specialist inputs in technology transfer, business development services and micro credit. Water User Associations and rural producer groups will identify, supervise, and assume operation and management responsibility for community and group investments. At farm level, it is foreseen that project activities will generate increased crop and livestock yields as a result of better agricultural and veterinary services and the adoption of modern technical practices. At the off-farm level, household income is expected to increase through trading and value addition activities; promotion and support of group formation; and improved supply chain management, including forward contracting. As a result of the project, annual household income is estimated to increase by 35-41 per cent, or between US$3,020 and US$3,204. With this project, IFAD will have financed four projects in Azerbaijan for a total of commitment of over US$ 47 million. Press release No.: IFAD/33/08, Rome, 17 June 2008 (Source IFAD)

IPS, Italy: Q&A: "I Smell A Fantastic Aroma"

...Hartmann, Director General of the influential global research group, International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) spoke with IPS reporter Busani Bafana on the sidelines of the Pan-African Banana Conference on partnerships to increase research impact, held in Mombasa, Kenya from Oct. 5-10. 17 October 2008 (source IITA)

The Vanguard Online: Nigeria's agricultural assets more powerful than oil - IITA

Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer has agricultural assets that are more powerful than oil, says Dr. Peter Hartmann, Director-General of the Ibadan-based International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in his message on the occasion of World Food Day on Thursday, 6 October.He also called on Nigeria and other African nations to tap the opportunities presented by the current world food crisis. 17 October 2008 (source IITA)

Africa Science News: Africa challenged to make use of food crisis, develop own food system

...According to Hartman, Director General, International Institute for Tropical Agriculture, IITA, while the global food crisis hurt millions, but it also presents opportunities for an agricultural and economic turnaround for Africa. 16 October 2008 (source IITA)

Business Daily, Kenya: Scientists aim at turning fruit into cash cow for growers

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture has been selected by scientists who recently took part in a banana conference in Mombasa to draw a strategic plan for commercialising the crop’s production in Africa. 16 October 2008 (source IITA)

Monitor Online, Uganda: Experts advise on banana market

...The experts at the just concluded first ever Africa International Banana Conference held in Mombasa - Kenya last week, added that this move will boost production and incomes of the poor. The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) organised the conference which was sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 15 October 2008 (source IITA)

IPS, Italy: A Better Banana For Africa

...The IITA together with Bioversity International hosted an international Banana Conference in Mombasa in October, focused on harnessing partnerships to increase research impact. Conference participants discussed new production techniques as well as inexpensive and environmentally-friendly management practices for protecting plants from diseases and pests. 14 October 2008 (source IITA)

The Ghanaian Times: Future of African Banana is Within

...Thomas DuBois, a researcher at African based IITA, which is supported by the CGIAR, noted that, “current (European) trade policy is clearly in favour of ACP countries, but this is likely to change. So, Africa must prepare itself to remain competitive.” 14 October 2008 (source IITA)

Melamine milk crisis

WHO and FAO are urging affected countries to ensure safe feeding of millions of infants following the ongoing melamine milk crisis in China. The two agencies also called on countries to be alert to the possible spread of melamine-contaminated dairy products. 26/09/2008 (source FAO)

Line fishers catching fewer ... birds

Safeguards introduced to protect seabirds from longline fishing activities are reducing the number of accidental bird kills, and similar measures are being urged in other forms of industrial fishing. 22/09/2008 (source FAO)

Hunger on the rise

Rising prices have plunged an additional 75 million people below the hunger threshold, bringing the estimated number of undernourished people worldwide to 923 million in 2007. 18/09/2008 (source FAO)

Raise farm production to end food crisis – Diouf

Increased farm production is the key to solving the world food crisis which plunged another 75 million people into poverty last year. 17/09/2008 (source FAO)

Battling a banana killer in East Africa

A joint FAO-government project in Uganda has helped over 3 000 farmers combat a pestilent disease that threatened to wipe out production of cooking banana, a staple crop upon which 14 million Ugandans depend for food and income. Not only has the spread of banana bacterial wilt been contained, but participating farmers have doubled or tripled their production of the fruit. 15/09/2008 (source FAO)

Urgent UN appeal for hurricane ravaged Haiti

With much of Haiti’s agricultural land under water following four major tropical storms, FAO today appealed for US$10.5 million to help rebuild the country's agriculture sector. 11/09/2008 (source FAO)

Lands of opportunity

Agricultural output is expected to increase significantly in the Russian Federation and Ukraine this year, as higher food prices have led to an expansion in area planted in cereals. 11/09/2008 (source FAO)

Board of Governors Elects New Officers

The IAEA Board of Governors has elected the Governor for Algeria, Mrs. Taous Feroukhi, as its Chairman for 2008-2009 (one year mandate) at a meeting held in Vienna. 6 October 2008 (Source: iaea)

ICARDA is "Outstanding"

ICARDA has once again been rated as "Outstanding" in the CGIAR Performance Measurement exercise for 2007. The CGIAR Performance Measurement exercise is carried out by the Science Council and independent assessors for all Centers, to benchmark performance among Centers and of a Center against itself overtime. It serves as a tool for demonstrating accountability and transparency to CGIAR stakeholders and also as a Monitoring and Evaluation instrument complementing the EPMRs and CCERs. This annual exercise highlights problems and weaknesses to allow rapid implementation of counter measures. The performance measurement indicators cover percentage MTP outputs, targets achieved, outcomes (the external use, adoption or influence of Centers' outputs, the impact in terms of larger social, environment and economic benefits), research publications per scientist, governance, and financial health of the Center. This is the second time that ICARDA has been rated as "Outstanding," the first being in 2005. The World Bank uses the results of this Performance Measurement exercise to determine the level of funding for the Centers. Consequently, the level of funding from the World Bank to ICARDA in 2008 will rise to US $ 1.81 million. The BOT Chair Dr. Guido Gryseels congratulated the DG and staff, "Thank you for sharing this fantastic news and please convey my congratulations to the staff and management of ICARDA for collectively achieving this magnificent result. Once again I am so proud to be part of the ICARDA family and I am grateful to all of you who worked so hard to make this possible! This will give further momentum and additional encouragement to our staff and partners to intensify efforts for success in reducing poverty in the dry areas of the developing world!" Dr Mahmoud Solh, Director General, has congratulated the staff of ICARDA for securing the "Outstanding" rating. "This is certainly the result of efforts of the ICARDA family. We all should be proud of this achievement. Special thanks are due to Dr Maarten van Ginkel, Program Directors, Dr Kamel Shideed and Dr Zaid Abdul-Hadi for following closely on the verification of our rating," he said in a message. 26 June 2008 (Source ICARDA)

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