The rising cost of healthy foods

On Friday the Preventative Health Taskforce released a major discussion paper putting forward strategies to prevent and reverse the rise in overweight and obesity. Obesity and other diet-related diseases such as heart disease and dental caries account for a large percentage of the health cost in Australia and are hitting those with the least financial and social resources the hardest. These preventable diseases will continue to plague our most vulnerable while the cost of healthy foods remains out of their reach. Why do poor people eat poorly? Inevitably the answer has been "because they do not know any better". This supposed ignorance has been the justification for the last 20 to 30 years of nutrition education. Health authorities have used dietary guidelines and exhortations to teach people about how to eat a healthy diet. However, while consumers do need to have nutrition knowledge and food skills, and indeed many young Australians may not have either, knowledge is not the only ingredient for a healthy diet. The cost and taste of food are the strongest determinant of food purchase. As people's income drops, cost becomes the primary driver of what they put in their trolleys. "Getting the most food for the least cost" becomes the modus operandi in the supermarket.

Price movements

Our research at Deakin University confirms what many consumers know and academics have suspected: the cost of food is rising and the cost of healthy foods is rising more quickly than the cost of unhealthy food. We measured the cost of 15 healthy foods and 11 unhealthy foods using Consumer Price Index (CPI) data from 1989 to 2007 and found that overall healthy foods have risen in cost slightly higher than unhealthy foods relative to inflation. Specific healthy staples - milk, bread, eggs and some meats - have risen in cost 20 per cent above inflation, while in comparison soft drinks, edible fats and oils and cakes and biscuits have dropped below inflation - soft drinks by 20 per cent, edible oils and cakes and biscuits by 10 per cent. These price differences are seen at the supermarket check-out for example 1.25 litres of soft drink costs less than a dollar (99c) while a litre of milk is $1.59. Why are healthy foods becoming more expensive? There are several reasons. The Australian food supply is part of a global food market. The increase in the middle class in China and India has created an increased demand for dairy products and meat. This pushes up local costs. The use of grains for biofuels also increases the cost of grain and in turn products of meat and dairy industries which use grain for feed. The ingredients for many unhealthy options such as soft drinks, edible fats (such as margarine) and biscuits (basically sugar and edible oils) have remained relatively cheap. In Australia there has been ongoing drought which further exacerbates the situation. There has also been the deregulation of the dairy industry. Healthy foods (milk, bread, meat, fruits and vegetables) invariably have short shelf life and require retail logistics which items like soft drink do not. This pushes up the cost. Lastly and ironically, the cost of soft drink actually dropped with the imposition of the GST because the 10 per cent GST was lower than the previous whole sale tax on soft drinks. This situation is not likely to change and in fact with climate change it could get a whole lot worse.

'Food stress'

The cost differences between milk and soft drink are reflected in supermarket sales figures and dietary surveys. Soft drinks are in the top 10 purchases in Australian supermarkets. Recent nutrition surveys indicate that while all Australian children drink milk, most girls do not drink enough milk for health (two to three glasses per day) and many teenage boys drink more soft drink than milk. There are other factors at play, for example values and family habits, but cost is key to these patterns of consumption. It is consumers on low income and pensioners that are feeling the squeeze and experiencing "food stress". Consider a single mother with a nine-year-old son living on the Newstart allowance. She gets roughly $243 per week. To meet her protein and calcium requirements and those of her son the household needs to purchase 2 litres of milk per day. This will cost about $22 per week buying generic milk. Government health authorities have drawn a line in the sand about how much healthy food we all need to be eating. It is inequitable and shameful that some people in the community cannot afford to eat enough healthy food.

Taxes and subsidies

What can be done? Several options need to be explored and there are probably multiple strategies required. The most obvious is to give pensioners more money. If income support is adjusted annually by CPI, our research indicates that there is at least a 20 per cent gap between inflation and the cost of staple foods. Pensions and allowances need to be independently adjusted to allow for the rising cost of healthy food. Another alternative would be a "junk food" tax on unhealthy foods. This will inevitably be regressive and impact the poor much more than the rich. What might work is a "junk food" tax in combination with subsidising healthy foods such as milk. While the ACCC inquiry into the cost of groceries found no indication that the retailers are inflating the cost of groceries, supermarkets do use some products such as soft drinks as "loss leaders", that is, selling energy dense, nutrient poor foods cheaply to encourage custom. One only has to look at the supermarket catalogues over a period of time to realise that this is common practice. The cost of healthy food is a serious issue for consumers and for the government. If we are going to encourage Australians to eat a healthy diet, we must ensure that they can all afford it. In these uncharted economic times this situation will be even more precarious for many. Source: Cate Burns 15 October 2008 (Source: ABC News; Rachel Leach - HOPE network and network Co-Ordinators)

Two sugars rule after school ban

A college modifies a sugar ban to restrict students to two spoonfuls A ban on pupils having sugar in their cups of tea in a school canteen has been lifted, and replaced with a two spoonfuls-only rule. Sixth-formers at Tonypandy Community College had protested at the ban and were supported by their head teacher. Now pupils have been told they can take sugar - providing it is not more than two spoonfuls. Earlier, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council said it was following guidance, but pupils could add their own sweeteners. This is the latest issue over healthy food guidance to come to light at Welsh schools in recent weeks. Bought-in tomato ketchup is off the menu at Vale of Glamorgan primary schools while Marmite is banned from Ceredigion's school breakfast clubs due to worries over salt content. Students at the secondary school in Tonypandy, Rhondda, had spoken of being "amazed" at being told they couldn't have any sugar in tea. "If you were told that at a local cafe you would walk out in disgust," said one. Pupils had threatened to boycott the canteen and go to local cafes instead. Head teacher Stephen Parry said there had already been a sharp decline in pupils having school meals since healthier food was introduced. Emma-Jayne Morgan, 16, chair of the student council, wrote to the Rhondda Leader on behalf of a group of sixth-formers to raise students' concerns and is supported by the school's head teacher. "I know of several parents whose children refuse to stay in school for lunch, and many of these parents will not let their children eat school meals," she wrote. "This is not the way to tackle obesity and health problems. "Prohibiting certain foods and drinks to young people will only make them more determined to buy them through some other means." Head teacher Mr Parry had said he was concerned about increasing restrictions on what can be served in school canteens under the assembly government's healthy schools agenda. Mr Parry said banning sugar in tea had not been his decision and meals were provided by a catering company through Rhondda Cynon Taf council. A spokesman for the council said earlier: "We can confirm that the council is complying with Welsh assembly government regulations on nutrition and healthy eating. "Whilst the regulations are not currently legislature, like many other Welsh councils, Rhondda Cynon Taf is endeavouring to comply with what has been set out. One of the aims outlined is to reduce salt, sugar and increase fibre. "As a consequence the council no longer adds sugar to the drinks served, however this does not stop an individual adding sweeteners or sugar at a later stage if they require it." A Welsh Assembly Government spokesperson said: "In our appetite for life action plan we recommend no sugar in tea and coffee. "This is currently guidance and not compulsory and the practicalities of adhering to this, and other recommendations will be tested through our action research project. "Local authorities and schools may decide to introduce the recommendations as part of their whole-school approach to improving their pupils health and well being. "However, introducing any change effectively requires schools to work closely with all their key stakeholders which includes pupils." 14 October 2008 (Source: BBC News; Rachel Leach - HOPE network and network Co-Ordinators)

Obesity Drives Rising Hypertension Rates in U.S., Study Finds

Obesity is driving rising rates of hypertension in the U.S., with the stroke-causing condition affecting almost three in 10 Americans, researchers found. A 1999-2004 survey found 28.9 percent of U.S. adults had high blood pressure when measured on an age-standardized basis, the most ever recorded, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. The number increased from 24.4 percent in 1988- 1994, according to the study reported today in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association. High blood pressure increases the risk of developing heart disease, stroke and other serious conditions, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. The researchers said being overweight or obese accounted for part of the increase in high blood pressure among different age and race/ethnicity groups. Two-thirds of Americans are considered overweight or obese, the CDC has said. ``We see that much of the magnitude in men is accounted for by obesity, but less so in women, possibly because of some unexplored changes in risk factors for hypertension,'' Paul D. Sorlie, co-author of the study and epidemiology branch chief in the institute's division of prevention and population sciences, said in a statement. The rates increased in all age groups starting at age 40 in women and 60 in men, Sorlie and colleagues said in a statement today. During 1999-2004, 72 percent of Americans with hypertension were aware they had the disorder, 61 percent were undergoing treatment, and 35 percent had their blood pressure under control. `Far From Ideal' ``Our success with hypertension treatment and control, while considerable, is far from ideal,'' said Jeffrey A. Cutler, lead author of the study and a consultant to the institute's divisions of prevention and population sciences and cardiovascular diseases. ``Most importantly, we have to do a better job of prevention,'' he said in the statement. The percentage of people at risk of developing hypertension increased to 36.1 percent from 32.3 percent, the study found. The global market for branded medicines to lower blood pressure and treat angina was worth $36.7 billion in 2007, Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. said in a report last year. Sales of Novartis AG's Diovan pill climbed 22 percent to $1.51 billion in the second quarter, making it the best seller, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Researchers compared the hypertension findings of the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which ran from 1988-1994, with data from the first six years of the current survey, which collects information continuously in two-year blocks. They examined data from 16,351 respondents in the previous survey and 14,430 surveyed during 1999-2004, all 18 years or older. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, based in Bethesda, Maryland, and the National Center for Health Statistics in Hyattsville, Maryland, funded the study. They are part of the National Institutes of Health. To contact the reporter on this story: Jason Gale in Singapore at j.gale@bloomberg.net Source: Jason Gale 14 October 2008 (Source: Bloomberg; Rachel Leach - HOPE network and network Co-Ordinators)

Pharmaceutical Society worried over obesity rate in Ghana

The Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana has expressed concern about the health of the nation and what it termed the acquired dangerous health habits of Ghanaians which have become the major cause of obesity, diabetes and heart diseases. This came up at a media encounter in Accra on lifestyle diseases in Ghana and how to live healthy. In a presentation the President of the Pharmaceutical society, Dr. Alex Dodoo said Diabetes prevalence studies in southern Ghana show that the disease has recorded a sturdy increase. He said the percentage of medical admission on diabetes at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital has increased to almost two fold from three point five in the mid 1970s to six point four percent in the mid 1980s. On Obesity Dr. Dodoo said childhood cases have increased. The data also indicates that obesity rates in the southern regions are higher as compared to that of the North. At the national level, Dr. Dodoo said Greater Accra had the highest overweight and obesity problems saying women constitute the high risk group. Dr. Dodoo noted that global reports on obesity identified that the increasing rate in Ghana are linked to urbanization and modernization, affluence and changing lifestyles. A representative of a pharmaceutical company Johnnie Allotey also identified some long term complications of diabetes as heart attacks and stroke and asked people to be cautious of their health. 14, October, 2008 (Source: GBC NEWS; Rachel Leach - HOPE network and network Co-Ordinators)

Taking Meals Together By Family Members Can Save Children From Obesity

Obesity was declared an epidemic by World Health Organization. The number of obese children is increasing at an alarming rate. Obesity can multiply the risk of various aliments. Lack of physical exercise along unhealthy eating habits is leading children to obesity. Recent research has shown an easy way to protect children from obesity. Study author claims that a traditional family dinner is more than enough to fight obesity in case of kids. University of Newcastle health school associate professor Clare Collins did a two-year health survey of 165 obese children aged five to nine. Analysis of data collected from these children showed that parents were still the biggest influence on child nutritional health. She said that the most important thing parents can do for kids is to sit down at the table as a family. She added that parents and children who start a healthy food program lose more weight than those who focused solely on exercise. The result of the recent research echo the views present by child health experts in a recent Brisbane health conference that family that eats together has better nutrition levels than those who miss out on the lovely experience. Researcher added that further research is required to find why dinner-table meals worked best. Submitted by Piyush Diwan 14 October 2008 (Source: topnews; Rachel Leach - HOPE network and network Co-Ordinators)

All-Ireland Obesity Observatory planned

The Health Research Board (HRB) is planning to establish an All-Ireland Obesity Observatory, it has emerged. Plans to establish the Observatory, with links to some new research centres in Ireland and Northern Ireland, and the English Obesity Observatory, are currently being developed, Dr Kevin Balanda, who leads the Public Health Nutrition Cluster of the new HRB Centre for Health and Diet Research, has stated. Already, the HRB and the Research and Development Office (RDO) have established an all-Ireland group to plan all-Ireland reference studies to update diabetes population prevalence estimates. The HRB Centre for Health and Diet Research, led by Prof Ivan Perry, along with another new research facility – the Centre of Excellence for Public Health (Northern Ireland), led by Prof Frank Kee – have agreed to participate in this group Source: Lloyd Mudiwa 14 October 2008 (Source: irishmedicalnews; Rachel Leach - HOPE network and network Co-Ordinators)

Junk food ads shifting from television to wider media

Cartoon characters such as Tony the Tiger that promote foods high in salt, fat and sugar are disappearing from TV but appearing more frequently in press, radio and the internet, prompting the government to warn it will "keep an eye" on advertising. Companies targeting children with "junk food" ads have significantly cleaned up their act over the past five years, according to a government report by the Department of Health, revealed exclusively today by MediaGuardian.co.uk. Child-themed food advertising across all media fell 41% between 2003 and 2007. The government said the report will be of critical importance in measuring the impact of advertising as its battles against childhood obesity. In 2003, companies spent £103m on food advertising to children, which included using licensed characters, film tie-ups, free toys or a link to a children's TV programme, the report found. By 2007, that figure had fallen by 41% to £61m. The drop was most notable in TV advertising, as companies cleaned up their marketing policies and Ofcom moved to introduce regulations last year to protect children from junk food ads. The report showed a 46% decrease in junk food TV ads targeting kids in the last five years, from nearly £100m in 2003 to about £55m last year. However, advertisers increased child-themed press adverts by 42%. And food adverts aimed at children across radio, the internet and cinema advertising rose 11% over the same period. "I am pleased that there are now fewer ads on TV that are tempting our children into bad eating habits," said the public health minister, Dawn Primarolo. "But we must keep our eye on other types of media. I hope the industry will continue to play its part in reducing the exposure that children have to the promotion of food which is high in fat, salt or sugar". Between 2003 and 2007, according to the study, there had been 71% decrease in fast food promotion, a 62% decrease for confectionery ads, a 52% drop for non-alcoholic drinks and a 37% drop for cereal. The report, which comes as Ofcom conducts a review of junk food TV advertising rules, forms part of a wider governmental strategy, under the banner "healthy weight, healthy lives" including a three-year, £75m anti-obesity campaign due to start in January. The governmental findings will provide the industry with ammunition following two reports put out in recent weeks by consumer body Which? criticising Ofcom's advertising restrictions and the tactics of advertisers. Source: Mark Sweney 13 October 2008 (Source: guardian.co.uk; Rachel Leach - HOPE network and network Co-Ordinators)

Changes in food and drink advertising and promotion to children: a report outlining the changes in the nature and balance of food and drink advertising and promotion to children, from January 2003 to December 2007

Introduction

Choosing Health: making healthy choices easier, published in November 2004 set out Government’s commitment to change the nature and balance of food and drink advertising to children. This commitment was reaffirmed in Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives, published by the Government in January 2008. Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives lays out a commitment to work with industry leaders on a Healthy Food Code of Good Practice that includes seven elements. One of those is to: ’Rebalance marketing, promotion, advertising and point of sale placement so that we reduce the exposure of children to the promotion of foods that are high in fat, salt or sugar, and increase their exposure to healthy options.’ In 2003, the then Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport asked Ofcom to consider whether there was a case for additional restrictions on advertising food and drink to children and Choosing Health included a commitment for Ofcom to consult on additional restrictions. These restrictions were announced in February 2007 and began to be phased in from April 2007. In July 2005, DH established the Food and Drink Advertising and Promotion Forum to review, supplement, strengthen and bring together existing voluntary codes for nonbroadcast media. The Forum was created to review, supplement, strengthen and bring together existing provisions for advertising in non-broadcast media. In order to monitor progress and establish clear evidence of activity in this area, the Department of Health (DH) contracted media monitoring agency Thomson Intermedia, to collect and analyse advertising data across a range of different media. This included a retrospective analysis of advertising going back to January 2003, when public concern about food promotion came to the fore. This report sets out the current restrictions for broadcast and non-broadcast media; the findings of the Thomson Intermedia research on overall food and drink advertising spend across a range of media, child-themed ad-spend and TV viewing figures; and the output of the Food and Drink Advertising and Promotion Forum.

Child-themed ad spend

Annual spend for overall food and drink advertisements across all media increased by 19% between 2003 and 2007. In comparison, annual spend for child-themed food and drink advertisements (adverts using licensed characters, children’s media connection, free gifts or novelty food design) across all media decreased by almost half in this same period, falling 41% from £103m in 2003 to £61m in 2007. Annual child-themed adspend across all media has fallen every year since 2003, with the sharpest year-on-year decrease in 2007 of 19%. This decrease in child-themed ad-spend was not consistent across all media. TV is the only media to have seen consistent annual reductions in child-themed ad-spend since 2003, and this decrease has driven the overall drop in child-themed ad-spend. Annual child-themed ad-spend in press was 42% greater in 2007 than in 2003. On TV, annual child-themed ad-spend in all product categories was lower in 2007 compared to 2003 except for dairy which grew 4%. The biggest decreases have been in confectionery, fast food restaurants, non-alcoholic drinks and cereals. Annual child-themed ad-spend increased year-on-year in 2004 for cinema, radio and internet, in 2005 for press, cinema and internet and in 2006 for press and radio. All media except press experienced a year-on-year decrease in annual child-themed adspend in 2007. The combined annual child-themed ad-spend for radio, cinema and internet increased by 11% from £2.03m to £2.26m from 2003 to 2007, while the annual child-themed adspend for press increased 42% from £4.7m to £6.7m in this same period.

Child-themed press ad-spend

In press, the largest increases in annual ad-spend since 2003 have been in dairy, cereals and supermarkets. Though child-themed annual ad-spend in press has increased by 42% since 2003, this is comparatively slower than overall food and drink annual ad-spend in press, which grew 155% in the same period.

Child-themed TV viewing

On average, children saw 32% less overall food and drink advertising and two-thirds less child-themed food and drink advertising in 2007 than in 2003. This equates to 4.7 billion fewer impacts amongst children aged 4-15 years for child-themed food and drink advertisements in 2007 compared to 2003. This decrease was equal amongst younger and older children and fell fastest in 2005 and 2007. On average, housewives with children also saw 46% less child-themed food and drink advertising in 2007 compared to 2003, which equates to 1.8 billion fewer impacts. Housewives with children were exposed to 2% less overall food and drink advertising over this same period.

Other forms of marketing to children

There has also been some limited progress in food promotion in non-broadcast media not covered by the CAP code. Reports from the Food and Drink Advertising and Promotion Forum show that work has been on going to draw up best-practice principles and voluntary guidelines for other marketing techniques, most notably sponsorship in schools and best practice principles for advertiser-owned websites. Work on in store promotions and packaging has progressed at a slower rate as these marketing techniques need different consideration to more traditional forms of advertising.

Next steps

Moving forward, the Healthy Food Code of Good Practice as set out in Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives clearly states that Government’s objective is to rebalance marketing, promotion, advertising and point of sale placement so that there is a reduction in the exposure of children to the promotion of food and drink that is high in fat, salt and sugar, and an increase in their exposure to the promotion of healthier options. This is one of seven commitments set out in the Code, which builds upon the good work that industry has already taken, while challenging them to take further action to promote healthy eating. Ofcom is to conduct a full review of whether restrictions in broadcast media are working as intended. They started their review in July and expect to report by the end of 2008. The FSA are reviewing the effectiveness of the nutrient profile model at differentiating HFSS foods from non-HFSS foods in the context of Ofcom’s restrictions, one year from the date of use, and launched a public consulation on proposed changes to the model in July 2008. Further details of the Ofcom and the FSA reviews are available on their respective websites. The Department of Health is working closely with Ofcom and the FSA as they conduct their reviews. For non-broadcast media, the Food and Drink Advertising and Promotion Forum was set up to review, strengthen, supplement and bring together existing codes. Whilst progress was made on reviewing and strengthening the CAP Code, not all the Forum’s objectives were achieved. The Government will therefore review the mechanisms for stakeholder engagement and actions in this area. We plan to hold a stakeholder event in autumn 2008 to discuss the findings on non-broadcast media and discussion will inform arrangements for future stakeholder engagement and action. The Department of Health will continue to monitor changes in the nature, balance and trends of food and drink advertising and promotion to children, and will report annually. The data collected for this report establishes a solid baseline for certain media against which to measure future changes in marketing practices. 13 October 2008 (Source: Department of Health; Rachel Leach - HOPE network and network Co-Ordinators)

Rise in hip and knee problems linked to obesity

An increase in the rate of knee and hip replacements has been linked to Australia's obesity epidemic. The Australian Orthopaedic Association says obese people are more likely to need replacement joints and more likely to suffer complications after surgery. The association says the number of knee and hip replacements has been increasing by 7 per cent a year over the past five years. Dr Steven MacDonald from Canada's University of Western Ontario, who is in Hobart for the association's annual conference, says obese patients also tend to have replacements earlier in life, making them more likely to need another replacement in the future. "Any hip or knee replacement is sort of a wear-and-tear machine and so given enough years the probability of it wearing out is there," he said. "And so if you have to have it at a younger age then the chances are potentially greater that it may wear out." Dr Peter Choong, from Melbourne's St Vincent's Hospital, says the impact of obesity on the profession is only going to increase. "Unless we can get control of the problem of obesity, we as orthopaedic surgeons and the community will have to face a far higher workload in terms of resources spend, not only on treating our patients with obesity but also treating the complications," he said. 13 October 2008 (Source: ABC News; Rachel Leach - HOPE network and network Co-Ordinators)

Honey is a good preservative

Freezing berries with honey helps preserve the berries themselves, and honey also softens the flavour of for instance strong-tasting currants. As well as a variety of sugars, honey contains many essential minerals and trace elements. Freshly harvested liquid honey can be frozen just as it is. The sugar composition of nectar varies according to the plants from which it is taken, and different honeys crystallise at different rates. Freezing arrests the crystallisation process and honey frozen as liquid returns to its liquid state on defrosting.

Fruit and honey for the freezer

Berries and apples can be frozen, for example, as a ready-to-use purée sweetened with honey. Purées are ideal for breakfast and desserts and can also be served with poultry. Honey sweetened berry purée will keep for about two weeks in the fridge after defrosting. Honey tastes sweeter than sugar, so less is needed to produce the same degree of sweetness in food. One decilitre of honey to one litre of berries is enough, and if the berries are bitter simply add just a little more honey. The Finnish Beekeepers’ Association offers the tip that frozen purées made from currants, raspberries, lingonberries, blueberries, rowanberries or apples sweetened with honey are a delicious combination that is well worth trying out.

Purées and juices

Honey apple purée is made from three parts slightly sour apples and one part honey. Core and boil the apples, purée and mix with honey. Even crystallised honey will melt in a warm purée. For a fuller flavour rowanberry honey drink add a couple of apples. The juice can be made by mixing about two decilitres of rowanberries, two tablespoons of honey, and 1.5 decilitres of water in a blender. Serve the juice as it is, either cold or warm, and it can also be frozen.Further information: Hunajainen SAM 27.08.2008 (Source: Finfood News)

Fresh matsutake mushrooms for Japan

The Matsutake mushroom, now picked in Finland and named mushroom of the year 2007 by the Arctic Flavours Association, is attracting a great deal of interest in Japan from where the association has received a significant number of trade enquiries. Finnish exports will really take off once local buyers are in place, and pickers must also be encouraged to learn to identify and gather the mushrooms, which have solid flesh and can grow quite large. The Finnish Food Safety Authority (Evira) granted Matsutake (Tricholoma matsutake) commercial status as an edible mushroom in April 2007, although the mushroom is not well identified in Finland which makes the crop hard to gather at this point. Volume and geographical distribution remain unclear and are not as yet subject to long term reporting.

Tapping into huge demand

Matsutake is highly prized in Japan, particularly in its fresh form. In fact, Japan imports the mushroom from countries as far afield as China, North and South Korea, Turkey, Morocco, Ukraine, Russia, Thailand, Bhutan and Sweden, together with the pine mushroom, sometimes known as American matsutake (Tricholoma magnivelare), from Canada, the United States and Mexico. Imports amount to some two to three million kilos annually.

Mushroom tourism

The Arctic Flavours Association is planning a regional project to develop matsutake marketing and mushroom tourism for eastern and northern Finland, and companies interested are invited to contact the Association. While mushroom tourism is still in its infancy in Finland, there is real potential to attract Japanese enthusiasts to make picking matsutake and other mushrooms a part of a holiday in Finland. In a high rainfall summer, matsutake grow on dry, sandy pine-forested land, mostly in northern Finland. While not as common as pine boletes, matsutake are often found in similar locations.

Gathering information on picking

A new and abundantly illustrated brochure produced by the Arctic Flavours Association explains how to identify the mushrooms and provides information on picking, habitats and quality classification. The brochure can be ordered by consulting organisations, educational institutions, companies, advisers and instructors, and will also be distributed at fairs and at the Martha Organization’s mushroom event at the end of August. A combination of insufficient resources and great demand means the association looks to avoid sending single brochures directly to individual consumers. Further information: Arctic Flavours Association The Martha Organization www.matsutake.fi 06.08.2008 (Source: Finfood)

EU organic farming website launched

he European Commission (DG Agri) has set out to boost knowledge of organic food production in the European Union. As part of this initiative, the Agricultural, Forestry and Agri-food Fair of Libramont in Belgium 25th–28th July hosted the launch of a website focused on organic farming. Under the banner Good for nature, good for you, the Organic farming website and linked materials raise stakeholder and consumer awareness of organic food products, while improving recognition of the European logo representing organic farming. Key facts concerning organic production are presented in a compact form in the general information section. The website also offers details about EU policy. All the material on the website is freely available to stakeholders for use in any communications related to organic production. The principal target group is however consumers, who can find a variety of brochures describing the underlying concepts and impetus for organic farming as well as recipes for cooking with organic products. The website offers materials responding to the needs of a range of groups. Teachers can find memory games and comics especially designed for their pupils. Image and audio materials are directed at the mass media for use in enlivening news on organic topics. Organic product retailers can print out posters and product cards to present their organic assortment. New video material will be produced and the image bank supplemented at the end of this year and during 2009. Sections on organic aquaculture and the production of organic wine will be added to the website when the new EU Organic Farming Regulation comes into force from the beginning of 2009. The website is available in a total of 22 languages. The English version can be found at http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/organic/organic-farming_en 06.08.2008 (Source: Finfood)

East and West come together for food tourism in Finland

Finnish culinary skills create a fusion of tastes from East and West supported by top quality, natural ingredients. Provincial cuisine rich in tradition offers real variety throughout the country. Food has always played an important part in the pleasure of travel, and surveys indicate increasing worldwide interest in food tourism with more and more people choosing food themed destinations. This is a particularly positive development for small rural enterprises offering genuine local speciality products typical to each region. Culinary travel also brings together the food, Food Service and tourism industries. Finland’s National Tourism Strategy emphasises the need for co-operation between the tourism and food sectors, and to work together with restaurants to develop unforgettable culinary experiences for tourists to Finland, in the provinces as well as better known spots.

Culinary destinations all over Finland

Mirja Hellstedt, Finfood’s Education and Development Manager responsible for the Taste of Finland campaign offers tips for good food summer holiday destinations. “Let’s start in the Central Finland province of Häme, where the local Heila market acts as an excellent showcase for exactly the kind of top quality ingredients offered by small Finnish food enterprises,” Mirja suggests. You’ll find wonderful provisions for a weekend at a summer cottage or to take on a picnic. Sample the freshest of vegetables and delicious new potatoes, special fish products, a variety of sausages, cheeses from small creameries, freshly baked bread, and locally made beers and wines. There are also many beautiful manor hotels and restaurants in Häme and for instance the Kymenlaakso area, including the Manor Restaurant Lehmushovi, Katinen Manor, and the Moisio Art and Catering Manor. The old manors are simply dripping with food traditions, which offer inspiration for many contemporary Finnish delicacies, too.

Playing it cool

On a hot summer’s day it’s well worth setting out to sea to enjoy a cooling breeze. The Archipelago Sea and the coast of eastern Uusimaa boast a number of traditional residences and farms offering sea fishing tours and archipelago buffets. In Karelia, you may even get the opportunity to try your hand at local cooking skills. At the farmer’s market in Joensuu, representatives of the Martha Association, founded in 1899, demonstrate how to make traditional oval-shaped Karelian pies. 23.07.2008 (Source: Finfood)

Health claims warmly welcomed by consumers

The ACCLAIM research project coordinated by VTT Technical Research Centre Finland showed that Nordic consumers react positively to familiar health claims but are sometimes more critical when reading about them. Recently passed EU health claims legislation will increase the availability of products promising positive health benefits. The new regulations offer the food industry the opportunity to employ such claims more widely than at present, prior to which the EU will evaluate their scientific proof and compile a list of permitted claims. The ACCLAIM project aims to encourage a uniform interpretation of the health claims legislation in the Nordic countries and across Europe.

Familiarity and a healthy product image make for more convincing health claims

Consumers consider claims related to a familiar food component or health promoting effect to be the most credible. Those concerning comparatively well-known components such as omega-3 fatty acid were felt to be more convincing than those for e.g. bioactive peptides. The type of product carrying the health claim is another significant factor. Claims related to foods already generally regarded as healthy, such as bread and yoghurt, were more attractive than those related to say pork chops, where the claim actually lowered consumer perceptions of how natural the product is. This was less prevalent with bread and yoghurt for which consumers are more accustomed to seeing health claims.

Educating consumers about healthy eating

The ACCLAIM project experts have suggested that consumer awareness of what constitutes a healthy diet must be improved, so that the consumers themselves can be informed about the benefits of functional foods using a clear rather than fuzzy or misleading message. Information and education must focus on the full range of age groups as part of general guidance linked to health campaigns. The authorities will be responsible for providing training for food producers and retailers in the use of health claims. For the new legislation to work effectively, the authorities must have sufficient control over how the claims are used. A common consensus was reached by Nordic actors connected with the ACCLAIM project on how to promote the proper use of health claims in marketing functional food products.

Nordic organisations test consumer opinion

Consumer perceptions concerning a variety of health claims were mapped in an extensive questionnaire-based survey among 4,612 people in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. A total of seven research institutes, two representatives of the authorities, and eleven companies from the Nordic countries participated in the two-year project. Finland was in addition to VTT represented by the National Consumer Research Centre, the Finnish Food Safety Authority (Evira), Fazer Bakeries division, Sinebrychoff, Vaasan & Vaasan Group and Valio Group. 23.07.2008 (Source: Finfood)

Prisma open for business in St. Petersburg

SOK’s first ever Prisma Superstore opened on Tuesday evening 24th June in St. Petersburg city-centre. Linked to the Moskva hotel shopping centre, the Superstore focuses on fast moving consumer goods and employs around 60 people. “We’ve got off to a good start and the city-centre location is excellent as there are no other food stores of note in the vicinity,” says Vesa Punnonen, Managing Director of SOK Retail Int. Oy. SOK will open three to five Prisma stores in St. Petersburg during this year and next, aiming in the long-term at a 15–20 store presence. New centrally located hotels for 2008 SOK is also completing three hotel projects in St. Petersburg this year. The five-star Holiday Club St. Petersburg on Vasili Island opened in January followed by Sokos Hotel Olympic Garden (Moskovskii prospect) at the beginning of June. Also on Vasili Island, Sokos Hotel Vasilievsky will open its doors this autumn and SOK purchased the real estate from Manutent OÜ towards the end of June. “This real estate deal supports our overall local strategy of acquiring part of any appropriate place of business,” says Janne Rytkönen, SOK Real Estate Manager. Sokos Hotel Vasilievsky is located near St. Petersburg’s main attractions and the LenExpo exhibition centre. The hotel was designed in harmony with the island’s historical setting, integrating a pair of 19th century houses into its façade. 08.07.2008 (Source: Finfood)

Saarioinen set to build new ready-to-eat foods plant in Estonia

Saarioinen Group will soon begin construction of a new ready-to-eat foods production plant in Rapla south-west of Tallinn. The company’s current plant run by AS Meleco in Tallinn no longer has sufficient capacity to meet demand. Saarioinen is looking to create the same kind of market for ready-to-eat foods in the Baltic States as exists in Finland. Aside from salads and snacks, the ready-to-eat food products available in Estonian stores at this point are largely prepared by in-store kitchens. “Ready-to-eat foods make a hectic lifestyle easier and Estonian consumers are taking the idea on board,” says Märt Vilbaum, Managing Director of Saarioinen Eesti OÜ, which owns AS Meleco.

Gearing up to local markets

Product recipes will be adjusted to suit local Baltic tastes. The new plant will be able to serve customers in the entire Baltic and Baltic Sea region by efficiently running both large and small series batches producing a range of ready-to-eat meals, salads and snacks. The Estonian operation will also manufacture some of the Saarioinen products already sold to Sweden. The new plant will be Saarioinen’s most modern, stretching over an area of 6,000 square metres plus a 1,000 square metre cold storage warehouse. Total project costs are estimated at MEUR 14 and construction will commence this autumn due for completion in autumn 2009. The new plant will employ approximately one hundred people, as does the Tallinn plant whose staff will be given the opportunity to transfer to Rapla in central Estonia. Efficient new production lines will raise capacity to an anticipated nine million kilos by 2012. 08.07.2008 (Source: Finfood)

Rapeseed oil adds taste and benefits health

The level of harmful fats in the blood can be reduced by consuming cold-pressed rapeseed oil. Adding just a small amount to our daily diet in place of butter can have a significant impact on health. The cold-pressed oil requires high-quality rapeseed as there is no distillation process to remove unwanted flavours. A six-month study conducted on 37 Finnish men with metabolic syndrome caused by obesity was led by Chief Physician Ari Palomäki, and the results presented to the scientific community at the Nordic Congress on Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation, held in Hämeenlinna, Finland from 12–14th June 2008.

A little oil has a significant effect

During the first research period, the subjects spread butter on their bread while following their normal diet throughout the study, and then replaced the butter with a 35 ml portion of cold-pressed Virgino rapeseed oil (Kankaisten Öljykasvit Ltd) during the second period. “The diet may not need to be changed completely but incrementally to improve health. A key recommendation is that polyunsaturated fatty acids should constitute at least three per cent of total energy intake. An adult employee doing light work needs 1–2 tablespoons of rapeseed oil daily while the recommended daily dose for children is 1–2 teaspoons,” says Dr Palomäki, Chairman of the Congress Organising Committee.

Rapeseed oil inhibits oxidisation of LDL cholesterol

Used instead of butter, cold-pressed rapeseed oil lowered total cholesterol and particularly LDL cholesterol levels. “The total cholesterol level decreased by 8 per cent and that of harmful LDL cholesterol by 11 per cent in the patients studied. Oxidised LDL particles worsen coronary artery disease and their number decreased to an even greater extent, by as much as 16 per cent,” reported Dr Palomäki.

Cold pressing preserves protective compounds

Cold pressing retains flavonoids and other positive protective compounds such as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, as well as fat-soluble vitamins. Analyses show that cold-pressed rapeseed oil contains approximately 60 per cent monounsaturated fatty acids beneficial to health. 25.06.2008 (Source: Finfood)

International Public Goods developed by ICRISAT improve agricultural productivity

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), a public-funded advanced agricultural research institute, has generated research products that have a significant impact on improving agricultural productivity in the semi-arid tropics in the developing countries of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. These research products – improved crop varieties and hybrids, technologies and research tools – have been designated as International Public Goods (IPGs), and are available without patent protection for the benefit of mankind across the globe. According to Dr William Dar, Director General of ICRISAT, the IPGs generated by the Institute have strengthened agricultural productivity and livelihood security of the poor farmers. They have contributed to the strengthening of conventional and modern crop improvement technologies, natural resource management, genebank management, village level studies, improvement of seed systems and development of markets for agricultural produce.

Biotechnology and crop improvement

In the past five years ICRISAT has made breakthroughs in genomics with the development of protocols and information/analysis systems for the molecular characterization and gene mining of mandate crops, and their pests, diseases and bio-control agents. ICRISAT developed transgenic lines containing genes for resistance to insects (Helicoverpa armigera) in chickpea and pigeonpea; resistance to peanut clump, bud necrosis and rosette virus in groundnut; resistance to Aspergillus flavus and aflatoxin contamination in groundnut; elevated levels of beta-carotene in groundnut and pigeonpea; sulfur-containing amino acids in pigeonpea and improved drought tolerance in groundnut. These lines are at different stages of development.

Rich and diverse germplasm collection

ICRISAT draws its strength for crop improvement research from its rich and diverse germplasm collection. The genebank at ICRISAT has 118,882 accessions from 144 countries) o f its mandate crops and small millets. A total of 94,390 germplasm and improved breeding lines have been shared with cooperators in 144 countries. Out of this, the national agricultural research partners have released 609 varieties in 77 countries utilizing germplasm and breeding lines from ICRISAT. During the last 5-year period (2003-2007) alone, 21 national programs globally released 85 hybrid/varieties.

Agroecosystems development

ICRISAT initiated the development of agricultural ecosystems by involving a consortium of partners to improve the management of natural resources in micro-watersheds. The consortium’s watershed research began in a few pilot sites in Andhra Pradesh, India, and significantly expanded to several other states in India and to China, Vietnam and Thailand in Asia, and is now replicated in sub-Saharan Africa (eg, Rwanda). The concept of the African Market Garden based on low-pressure drip irrigation systems was tested first on-station and around Niamey, then in several Sahelian (adjacent to the Sahara) countries. To date, ICRISAT’s partners have replicated this model in eight countries, significantly adding to the intensity of work done worldwide. In the next three years, a generic strategy by which Sahelian farmers, with access to either river or groundwater can substantially enhance their livelihoods by producing heat-tolerant vegetables will be established. Other significant IPGs developed for the sub-Saharan region are: downscaling of short and medium term meteorological forecasts prediction work and analysis of its acceptance by farmers, management and monitoring of aflatoxin contamination in maize and groundnut, fertilizer micro-dosing (phosphorus in West Africa and nitrogen in southern Africa)

Social science research

ICRISAT’s Village Level Studies (VLS) conducted in Indian villages over three decades continues to provide better understanding of livelihood options, household economics and needs of poor farmers to help design suitable technology and formulate appropriate policy. The Village Level Studies is an IPG and has proved to be one of the most valuable contributions of ICRISAT to the knowledge base on rural household economies. The wealth of information provided by the VLS helps scientists identify and understand socio-economic, agro-biological, and institutional constraints to agricultural development in the semi-arid tropics. Along with partners, the Institute developed policy instruments for technology delivery, market development, and agricultural diversification in the drylands. In Africa, ICRISAT and partners also developed strategies for seed system development, directly linked with crop improvement activities, covering informal (seed village system) and formal quality seed production and distribution (including hybrid seed production methodologies) and institutional arrangements for seed certification and policy intervention. 25 September 2008 (Source: CGIAR, www.icrisat.org)

ICRISAT pigeonpea climbs the mountains of Uttarakhand

Pigeonpea (red gram, tuvar dal, arhar dal) varieties developed by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) are becoming popular over the hill slopes of Uttarakhand in North India, and providing an opportunity to the farmers to improve pulse production in the state. The program is being implemented by ICRISAT in collaboration with Vivekananda Parvathiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan (VPKAS), Almora, and the Uttarakhand Department of Agriculture, Dehradun. The annual demand for pulses in Uttarakhand is 0.3 million tons, but the present production is only 0.06 million tons, leading to a huge protein deficit among the poor of this state. According to Dr William Dar, Director General of ICRISAT, the successful effort of promoting the cultivation of pigeonpea in new niches such as Uttarakhand has once again highlighted the importance of the Institute’s research in improving the agricultural productivity and farmers’ incomes in tough terrains, where a large proportion of rich top soil has been washed away with heavy annual rains. Dr KB Saxena, ICRISAT’s Principal Pigeonpea Breeder and leader of the project, explained that the inspiration for promoting pigeonpea in Uttarakhand came from ICRISAT’s success in spreading the cultivation of pigeonpea in the sloping hills of southern China. In Uttarakhand, the first success was registered when the experiments conducted by the VPKAS rigorously tested ICRISAT’s short-duration pigeonpea ICPL 88039 in the hills, after which ICPL 88039 was released in 2007 under the popular name “VL Arhar 1”. Dr Vinay Mahajan, Principal Scientist at VPKAS, believes that VL Arhar 1 will suit cropping systems of the hills and farmers will have a good choice for protein-rich food. To undertake the promotion of this pigeonpea a special project was initiated in 2006. The first testing program was launched in the 2007 rainy season. A total of 375 on-farm demonstrations were conducted in 13 districts and 67,400 kg of seed was harvested from 112 ha. with mean productivity of 600 kg per hectare. In 2007-08 a total of 1183 farmers of 408 villages cultivated VL Arhar 1. Most farmers felt happy because they harvested encouraging yields and made good profits in the very first trial. The most interesting observation was that elevations up to and above 2200 m also recorded high yields. Amazingly, most pigeonpea areas in Uttarakhand are waste and rocky lands where no food crop could be grown earlier. It can also be grown as an intercrop with mango and litchi. The crop sown between 15 May to 10 June produced good yields and also allowed farmers to plant a second crop in the same land. With the farmers being satisfied with pigeonpea cultivation the total area in 2008 has increased 15-fold, from 112 ha to more than 2000 ha. Pigeonpea is a profitable crop with high yields and little inputs. However, the production constraints at different altitudes and important issues like seed availability, value addition and marketing need to be studied and addressed. Also elaborate programs have been made for large-scale quality seed production, training, and monitoring. 25 September 2008 (Source: CGIAR, www.icrisat.org)

Bias against drylands will affect food security

Correcting the policy bias against dryland agriculture can help solve the current global food crisis and enhance the livelihoods of poor farmers. This was revealed in a policy paper on dryland agriculture issued by Dr William Dar, Director General of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). Dr Dar stated that less than 10% of public spending in developing countries goes to agriculture, even though this sector commonly accounts for about half of their Gross Domestic Product. Moreover, less than 1% of public spending goes to agricultural research, which is vital to the innovation that is the engine for new livelihood opportunities. Of that only a small proportion is invested in dryland agriculture. Dryland agriculture is struggling against a headwind of policies that are biased in favor of the “favored lands” (those with plenty of water). They also favor the influential urban populations that are concentrated in coastal mega-cities, and the familiar cereal grains that they consume: rice, wheat and maize, Dr Dar said. The bias is expressed in grain price supports for the heavily traded commodities, export subsidies by many nations, preferential research and development investments, and others. By artificially reducing the prices of the major grains, these policies inadvertently hobble poor dryland farmers in their struggle to compete in the local and regional marketplace by growing the drought-hardy grains: sorghum, millet, and food legumes. According to Dr Dar, a lesson of 2008 is that dependence on just a few globally traded crops can expose developing countries to risks that originate far from their shores. Skyrocketing maize and rice prices caused food shortages and high prices in poor, import-dependent countries. Over-dependence on a few crops also creates agro-ecological risks, such as vulnerability to climate change (which may increase drought frequency) and crop disease epidemics (such as the new Ug99 strain of stem rust currently threatening wheat). “We suspect that the world may come to regret its under-investment in dryland grain crops as climate change kicks in, increasing the need for more robust, drought-hardy crops and crop traits for plant breeding”, Dr Dar added.

Planting high-value crops

ICRISAT’s studies have shown that crop diversification has been helping dryland farmers. Demand for fruit, vegetable, livestock and fish products by urban dwellers are increasing as their incomes rise. By selling into these markets, dryland farmers are beginning to tap a portion of this growing wealth for themselves. High-value crop culture also earns more “income per drop” of water used, an important consideration in water scarce areas. It is also more labor-intensive, increasing employment opportunities for the poor. There have also been successful development models that can be replicated in other areas to help dryland farmers. Some examples are:

- Industry-driven models. Rewarding connections have been built between central highland farmers in Kenya and urban markets in Nairobi and worldwide. Traditional cultivation of maize as well as industrial crops (tea, coffee) since the 1970s has been supplemented with horticultural fresh-produce crops and dairy products. Investments in roads and other infrastructure were key to success. Farmer incomes are now substantially higher than in neighboring countries within the same agro-ecosystems. Industrial contracts from food processing and marketing enterprises, and contract farming are becoming increasingly successful in many developing countries.

- Marketing boards and cooperatives. In recent decades, governments have launched marketing boards and farmer cooperatives to advance farmer interests. A few were resounding successes, such as the ‘White Revolution’ in India sparked by dairy farmers in Gujarat State and expanded nationally by India’s National Dairy Development Board (NDDB); and the growth of the Kenya Cooperative Creamery (KCC). Both initiatives have been remarkable in overcoming the challenges of collecting mass quantities of highly perishable products over enormous rural areas, adding value and increasing sales through disciplined logistics and cooperation, impressive marketing, and major technical innovations. However, even these successes have evolved over time to ensure more involvement by smallholders.

- Producer marketing groups (PMGs). These groups are owned and run by the farmers or jointly with private-sector partners, often with assistance from NGOs, research partners, government agencies and others. ICRISAT has engaged closely with PMGs to study their potential and constraints. “We’ve worked with partners to stimulate ten PMGs in Kenya since 2003/04, and in Asia we are closely engaged in consortia to develop sweet sorghum bioethanol and for the integrated management of watersheds,” observed Dr Dar. Research on PMGs has found that they hold high promise, for example increasing farmer incomes by 23% in Kenya. To fully reach their potential, supportive steps are urgently needed in areas such as legal status, crop insurance, credit access, infrastructure, management skills, and market intelligence gathering capabilities.

Working with farmers to drive change

ICRISAT will continue to draw attention to the policy challenges facing these dryland poor, Dr Dar concluded. “We consider it a privilege and an honor to work side-by-side with them to overcome these challenges. “ The combination of innovative farmers and a supportive policy framework can help correct the bias against dryland farmers. 25 September 2008 (Source: CGIAR, www.icrisat.org)

IFAD and Guatemala sign loan agreement to promote rural development in the country’s central and eastern regions

The total project cost is US$38 million. IFAD will contribute 45 per cent, or US$17 million. The project will be implemented over the next six years. The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) will lend US$17 million to Guatemala to carry out a national rural development programme in five departments in the country’s central and eastern regions. The programme — with a total cost of US$38 million — will be implemented over the next six years in the poorest communities and municipalities of El Progreso, Zacapa, Jalapa, Jutiapa and Santa Rosa departments. The agreement was signed today in Rome by IFAD President Lennart Båge and Guatemala’s Ambassador to IFAD, Francisco Eduardo Bonifaz Rodríguez. The programme will upgrade basic infrastructure and improve socio-economic conditions for some 30,000 smallholders, microentrepreneurs, artisans and landless peasants, mainly women and young people. Lack of access to production resources such as land, water, technology and farm credit is the major cause of poverty in the area, in addition to the lack of marketing and training opportunities available to the poorest. The programme will offer courses in business management and marketing, and will facilitate access by smallholders and artisans to the credit and technical assistance they need to improve their productive endeavours. The programme will also strengthen the social fabric in communities, mainly people of mixed Mayan and Ladino origin, by promoting participatory decision-making on local development. Since 1986, IFAD has made loans of US$80 million to Guatemala to finance six rural development and poverty reduction projects valued at US$120.8 million overall. Press release No.: IFAD/32/08 , Rome, 12 June 2008 (Source IFAD)

US$27 million IFAD loan to improve living conditions for indigenous communities in the Philippines

A US$26.56 million IFAD loan and a US$561.000 grant will help finance the Second Cordillera Highland Agricultural Resource Management Project in northern Philippines. The project will capitalize on lessons from the first Cordillera Highland Agricultural Resource Management Project that was effective in reducing poverty among indigenous peoples in the uplands of the Cordillera Administrative Region. It aims to improve the livelihoods of indigenous farming communities in approximately 37 municipalities and 170 villages (barangays) in six provinces of the Cordillera Administrative Region The financing agreement for the CHARMP-2 was signed today in Rome by Kanayo Nwanze, Vice-President of IFAD and Philippe J. Lhuillier, Philippines Ambassador to Italy, in the presence of Arthur C. Yap, Secretary of Agriculture of the Republic of the Philippines. The project aims to increase the value added of agricultural products that are both organic and environmentally sustainable. The IFAD loan and grant represents 41% of the total project cost of US$66.44 million. The rest of the financing is made up of loans from the Asian Development Bank (AsDB) and the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), together totaling US$20.0 million (30%) and a Government contribution of US$5.43 million (8%). Contributions from concerned Local Government Units of US$8.85 million represent 13% of the total costs and an in-kind beneficiary contribution equivalent to US$5.03 million represents 8%. “Programmes and projects financed by IFAD promote innovative approaches to some of the issues that perpetuate rural poverty" said Sana Jatta, IFAD’s Country Programme Manager for Philippines. "Key innovative features of IFAD operations in the Philippines focus on securing access to land in ancestral domains for indigenous peoples and on helping indigenous cultural communities achieve better management of the natural resources while being rewarded for such services they render to the larger community” he said. The project will benefit more than 12,500 households or 34% of the local population. The communities will build grass-roots organizations to improve sustainable livelihoods. The participatory barangay development plans (BDPs) and ancestral domain sustainable development and protection plans (ADSDPPs) include land use and watershed management schemes which draw on indigenous knowledge systems and practices (IKSP). Target communities will apply for certificates for ancestral domain title and certificates of ancestral land title to obtain rights over their ancestral lands. Community groups will rehabilitate, construct and maintain rural infrastructure and facilities essential for promoting transportation, agricultural production and livelihood enterprises. The project will focus on increasing the household income of poor farmers through sustainable agricultural development; enhancing the quality of life of targeted communities by improving land tenure security, food security and watershed conservation. With this project, IFAD has supported 11 programmes and projects in the Philippines with loans and grants worth around US$153.0 million. Release number IFAD/31/08, Rome, 4 June 2008 (Source IFAD)

Boosting Food Production in Africa’s “Breadbasket Areas”

New Collaboration among Rome-based UN Agencies and AGRA An unprecedented partnership among key players in agricultural development aims to significantly boost food production in Africa’s “breadbasket regions,” link local food production to food needs, and work across Africa’s major agricultural growing areas—or agro-ecological zones—to create opportunities for smallholder farmers. Today’s agreement marks a significant transformation in the way major global agencies work with smallholder farmers to assist them in solving Africa’s chronic hunger and food problems. The “Memorandum of Understanding” was signed today by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and the World Food Programme (WFP) at the FAO High-Level Conference on World Food Security. Among the challenges facing accelerated food production in Africa are poorly developed markets, lack of investment, and poor infrastructure in rural areas. Despite this, there exist opportunities that can be tapped to help end chronic hunger and food problems. This new partnership aims to make a difference now by optimizing food production in areas with relatively good rainfall, soils, infrastructure, and markets—or “breadbasket areas.” The new partnership announced today will work closely with other stakeholders in these breadbasket areas to rapidly improve food production, food security and rural incomes. Careful environmental monitoring, and conserving biodiversity, water and land will be given high priority. The agreement also calls for coordinating and sharing agricultural development innovations across diverse ecological zones and associated crops. At the country level, the partnership will support the efforts of governments and work with farmers and other stakeholders to rapidly boost agricultural productivity and farm incomes. Each agency will deliver unique expertise towards achieving an environmentally and economically sustainable green revolution that will end the continent’s perennial food crisis. “This collaborative initiative is part of AGRA’s strategic vision to build partnerships that pool the strengths and resources of the public and private sectors, civil society, farmers organizations, donors, scientists and entrepreneurs across the agricultural value chain,” said Mr. Kofi A. Annan, Chairman of the Board of AGRA. “We must implement immediate solutions for today’s crisis and do so in the context of a long-term concerted effort to transform smallholder agriculture, to increase productivity and sustainability, and to end poverty and hunger. Per capita food production has declined in Africa for the past 30 years and farm productivity in Africa is just one-quarter the global average. Today, more than 200 million people are chronically hungry in the region, and 33 million children under age five are malnourished. To turn things around, there is need for urgent focus on raising agricultural productivity. More investment is needed to improve soil and water management of rainfed and irrigation agriculture, more adaptable new crop varieties, improved access to seeds and fertilizers, environmentally sustainable integrated pest management practices, reduction in post-harvest losses, and improvement of rural infrastructure, especially roads and communication infrastructure. These will need to be bolstered by bold pro-poor policies to help transform smallholder agriculture. FAO Director-General Mr. Jacques Diouf said, "Unlocking the potential of agriculture in Africa is a huge challenge, but it can be done. This initiative is an important contribution to reduce the number of more than 200 million hungry people in sub-Saharan Africa by boosting food production and productivity, and improving the livelihoods of millions of people in rural areas. FAO will actively participate in this important initiative by assisting in stimulating local food production, providing technical input, and developing new agricultural investments.” AGRA will develop and promote higher yielding, locally adapted seeds, soil fertility options, water management systems, and market development to aid smallholder farmers and pro-poor policies that will catalyze farm productivity growth in the breadbasket zones. “We hope to spur a green revolution in Africa which respects biodiversity and the continent’s distinct regions and great variety of crops—from millet and sorghum in the Sahel, to the root and tuber belts that cut across humid West Africa, to maize in the high and lowland areas of Eastern and Southern Africa,” said Mr. Kofi A. Annan, Chairman of the Board of AGRA. IFAD President Mr. Lennart Båge said, “Smallholder producers constitute the largest group of economic actors but are often the poorest segment of the population in sub-Saharan Africa. IFAD, by working in collaboration with AGRA and the Rome-based UN agencies, will help lift the rural poor from poverty by expanding their production capacity, strengthening their institutions and voice, and improving their access to critical markets.” As a major buyer of food in Africa and the developing world, WFP will use its purchasing power to contribute to a green revolution in Africa and to market development—a powerful incentive for agricultural production. This agreement assures farmers a market, without which many well-meaning efforts to increase farm production have failed. Last year, WFP purchased a record amount of food—US$612 million in 69 developing countries—of which US$253 million was in Africa, most notably in Uganda, Sudan, Kenya, Zambia and Malawi. From 2001-2007, WFP purchased more than US$1.2 billion of food on domestic markets in Africa. This new partnership could result in millions more being spent in potential breadbasket areas where surpluses exist. "WFP is delighted to work with AGRA, a critical player who will help stimulate agriculture production," said Josette Sheeran, WFP's Executive Director. "Together with FAO and IFAD, we can bring major improvements to the lives of small-scale producers and food- insecure farmers all across Africa, and help reduce hunger and vulnerability." Today’s new partnership will help to advance the goal of the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) of the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) towards achieving at least 6 percent annual growth rate in agricultural production by 2015. ROME, 4 June 2008 (Source IFAD)

Press communique on the high-level working dinner co-hosted by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and Italy Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi on the World Food Crisis

The United Nations Secretary-General and H.E Prime Minister Berlusconi of Italy co-hosted a high-level working dinner with Heads of State, Heads of Government and Ministers on 3 June on the occasion of the High-Level Conference on World Food Security from 3 to 5 June 2008 in Rome. The dinner saw the participation of more than 44 Governments representing donor countries, food producing countries, and those affected by the current food crisis. In addition, eight heads of international organizations, participated in the event. Discussions focused on some of the most pressing policy issues related to the current world food security crisis and its underlying causes, namely agricultural productivity, bio-fuels, and trade restrictions, the three themes of the high-level dinner. The Secretary-General stressed the need for a collective and concerted effort of all concerned. He noted that all agree on the most important issues: the common challenge, the need to focus on the poorest and the insufficiency of food production. He pointed out that the High Level Task Force has presented recommendations that represent the collective thinking of the United Nations, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organization. He invited participants to discuss the themes of the high-level dinner: emergency needs; agricultural production; bio-fuels; and trade restrictions. Participants recognized that the recent dramatic escalation of food prices worldwide has multiple and complex structural causes, many of which are interconnected. It represents a challenge of global proportions and has affected millions of people. Women are particularly at risk, when pregnant and lactating: at the same time they are key to the response. The crisis threatens to undermine progress towards the Millennium Development Goal of eradicating hunger and towards other Millennium targets, and risks pushing over 100 million people back below the US$1 a day poverty line. They also recognized that the world food crisis threatens the stability of several countries. Participants noted that funding needs for emergency food assistance must be met fully and urgently to avert acute hunger and further unrest. They commended the generosity of those countries that responded swiftly to meet funding gaps of emergency assistance operations. Participants recognized that the world food crisis provides an opportunity to boost agricultural production in the developing countries, in particular in Africa. They reiterated the extreme urgency of increasing agricultural production particularly before the next planning season. At the same time there is a need for a long term increase in agricultural investments – especially for smallholder farmers and an increase in development assistance for agriculture (including support for agricultural research) Participants spoke of the need to initiate, quickly, dialogue and action on key aspects of food trade policy and practice. Participants recognized that the UN family, together with the Bretton Woods institutions, has a unique role to play in this regard. They stressed the need for close partnerships with the private sector, civil society and NGOs in addressing the crisis. The Secretary-General welcomed the pledge made by the participants to engage, actively and constructively, in the implementation of a comprehensive and coordinated strategy and action plan to address the current food security crisis and its underlying causes. In this context, The Secretary-General welcomed, in particular, the intention of PM Berlusconi to ensure that agriculture, food security and fight against poverty will remain high in the G8 agenda also during the Italian Presidency in 2009. The Secretary-General welcomed the Italian decision to dedicate Milan’s Expo 2015 to world food security as another sign of Italy’s commitment in achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals Both the Secretary-General and H.E Prime Minister Berlusconi of Italy expressed their hope that the momentum generated by the Rome Conference will be maintained in upcoming key events such as the G-8 Summit in July, the High-Level event on the Millennium Development Goals and the high-level segment of the United Nations General Assembly in September. Rome, 3 June 2008 (Source IFAD)

Ban Ki- moon lauds IFAD as having led some of the UN’s most successful development efforts

The Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon today visited the new headquarters of the International Fund for Agricultural Development. He praised IFAD and its leadership for the organisation’s long-standing work in eradicating rural poverty. “For more than three decades, IFAD has led some of the UN’s most successful development efforts aimed at the rural poor across the world” said Ban Ki-moon. “IFAD, in particular, represents a unique partnership between OECD, OPEC and other developing countries. You have expanded your investment in agriculture even as so many others have reduced their spending” he said. Ban Ki-moon was speaking at IFAD on the eve of a High-Level Conference on World Food Security, hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organisation with IFAD as one of the co-sponsors. The conference starts in Rome tomorrow and will be attended by a host of world leaders amid rising concern about the impact of high food prices. Ban Ki-moon said that high food prices were endangering development gains. “Food riots are breaking out. If not handled properly, this issue could trigger a cascade of other crises – affecting economic growth, social progress, and even political security around the world” he said. The Secretary General praised IFAD’s swift move to make available US$200 million to provide poor farmers the inputs they need to plant for the next season. “For years, falling food prices and rising production lulled the world into complacency. Governments put off hard decisions and overlooked the need to invest in agriculture. Today, we are literally paying the price” he said. Ban Ki-moon also praised the Government of Italy for hosting IFAD and the two other Rome-based UN agencies, the FAO and the World Food Programme. “In this very real sense, Italy works for the UN so that the UN may work for the world” he said. In welcoming Ban Ki-moon, Lennart Båge, President of IFAD said: “The challenges being addressed at this week’s High Level Conference make clear that the demands on us will continue to grow. IFAD will work closely with our partners here in Rome and elsewhere.” Båge thanked Italy’s Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Enzo Scotti and Mario Cutrofo, the Deputy Mayor of Rome, for the invaluable support extended to IFAD over the years. Båge added that he believed Rome would “continue to increase in importance as the agricultural hub of the world.” Release number IFAD/30/08, Rome, 2 June, 2008 (Source IFAD)

Family farms key to food security and poverty reduction in developing countries

Policies to help small family farms in developing countries must be at the heart of the global response to high food prices if food security in poor countries is to improve in the long-term, said the International Fund for Agricultural Development(IFAD). “We are seeing a tremendous new boost of planting in OECD and other advanced agricultural producing countries,” said IFAD President Lennart Båge. “Sooner or later, the supply response at the global level will ease the current crisis. But we cannot wish away the two billion people whose livelihoods depend on the 450 million smallholder farms across the world. With their families, they account for a third of the world’s population,” he said. “If we forget them, we actually may get a situation where, while meeting the world’s immediate supply targets, we wind up with an even greater imbalance in the global supply system and greater food insecurity”. Båge said that whilst emergency food assistance is required, as are seed and fertiliser inputs to ensure higher productive output for the coming harvests, “we must not forget medium and long-term investment in policies, institutions, productivity, irrigation and soil fertility”. “If you look only at the medium emergency, you undermine the long-term solution – and you get more food aid dependency” he said. Smallholder farmers in Africa, Asia and Latin America with just a few hectares of land have been largely unable to reap any benefit from high prices due to soaring seed, fertiliser and transport costs. Until recently, they were seen as a poverty problem. But in reality, smallholder farmers are a vital global asset, a key factor for increased food production, economic growth and development and for climate change,” Båge said in an interview with the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development. Three quarters of the world’s poorest people living on less than one US dollar a day live in rural areas in developing countries and 85% of the world’s farms are of less than two hectares in size. Heads of State or Government and Ministers dealing with agriculture, livestock, forestry, fisheries, water, energy and environment are gathering in Rome on June 3-5 for a UN High-Level Conference on World Food Security to be organised by IFAD’s UN sister agency the Food and Agriculture Organisation. IFAD recently announced it was making $US200 million available for seeds and fertilisers for farmers in those countries and regions most badly hit by high food prices so they can increase production for the next harvest. Release number IFAD/29/08, Rome, 21 May 2008 (Source IFAD)

IFAD provides US$4 million for poverty alleviation project in Nepal

Second phase of social exclusion project to target communities and rural women IFAD has announced a US$4 million grant to support the second phase of a project to fight social exclusion in Nepal. The Poverty Alleviation Fund is a community-driven project that focuses on groups that have been traditionally excluded, mainly for reasons of gender, ethnic origin, caste and location. The project uses incentives to encourage community organizations to include rural women, dalits (outcasts) and indigenous people as members and beneficiaries who can also hold positions of responsibility. The US$113 million project is partly funded by the US$4 million IFAD grant, under the organization’s debt sustainability framework. The International Development Association is contributing a grant of US$100 million. The Government of Nepal will contribute US$1 million and project participants the remaining US$8 million. The grant agreement was signed today in Rome by Lennart Båge, IFAD’s President, and Krishna Gyawali, Nepal’s Joint Secretary, Ministry of Finance. The pilot phase of the Poverty Alleviation Fund started in 2004 in six of the poorest and most remote districts of Nepal. Once the project was up and running, the pace of implementation accelerated rapidly in response to growing demand from rural communities and the fund subsequently expanded its activities to 25 districts. Following the 2006 peace process, there is a new commitment in Nepal to address inequality and poverty. Community-based development programmes are being used to reach out to the poorer remote areas of the country. “The Poverty Alleviation Fund is seen as a model because of its successful track record in effectively reaching poor communities and marginalized groups within them,” said Kati Manner, IFAD’s country programme manager for Nepal. The second phase of the project will continue the work carried out during the pilot phase, expanding to all 75 districts by the end of 2008. It will build roads and bridges and improve water supplies, sanitation, schools and health services, and develop community infrastructure such as small-scale irrigation. It will also help create opportunities for the poorest and most excluded people to earn an income. With this project, IFAD has supported 12 programmes and projects in Nepal with loans and grants worth US$130.9 million. Release number IFAD/28/08, Rome, 8 May 2008 (Source IFAD)

UN press statement: a unified United Nations response to the global food price challenge

We consider that the recent dramatic escalation in food prices worldwide has evolved into a unprecedented challenge of global proportions that has become a crisis for the world’s most vulnerable, including the urban poor. This crisis has multiple causes, including rapidly increasing energy prices, lack of investments in the agricultural sector, rapidly rising demand for food, trade distorting subsidies, recurrent bad weather and environmental degradation, subsidized production of bio-fuels that substitute food production, and the imposition of export restrictions leading to hoarding and panic buying. This challenge is having multiple effects with its most serious impact unfolding as a crisis for the most vulnerable. Mounting hunger and increasing evidence of severe malnutrition is evident and the capacities of humanitarian agencies to meet these needs is under severe strain, particularly as pledged funding remains undelivered. This situation is increasingly resulting in social tension as governments who find themselves powerless to address this global crisis come under mounting pressure. Inflationary pressures are rising and trade deficits are widening in a number of countries. The Executive Heads of the United Nations specialized agencies, Funds and Programmes and Bretton Woods institutions, meeting in Bern on 28 and 29 April 2008 under the chairmanship of the UN Secretary-General, agreed on a common strategy in support of developing country governance to confront the global food crisis and have decided the following:

1. First, we must FEED THE HUNGRY

The rapidly escalating price of food is severely impacting the poor in developing countries, resulting in heightened vulnerability, reduced levels of nutrition with serious health impacts, and rising social tensions. The CEB calls upon the international community to urgently and fully fund the emergency requirements of US$ 755 millions for the World Food Programme and deliver on its pledges and provide maximum flexibility to target the most urgent needs. This extraordinary appeal, together with WFP’s voluntary funded budget and newly assessed needs must be fully met. Without full funding of these emergency requirements, we risk again the spectre of widespread hunger, malnutrition and social unrest on an unprecedented scale.

2. Second, we must ensure FOOD FOR TOMORROW

Action must be taken to provide developing country farmers with the support required to ensure the next harvest. Escalating energy, fertilizer and input prices are leading farmers to plant less in the coming season and will lead to even more severe food shortages in the coming year. The FAO Emergency Initiative on soaring food prices has called for US$ 1.7 billion in funding to provide low income food deficit countries with seeds and inputs to boost production. IFAD is making available US$200 million to poor farmers in the most affected countries to boost food production by providing essential inputs. The World Bank is exploring with its Board the creation of a rapid financing facility for grant support to especially fragile, poor countries and quicker, more flexible financing for others. We need to address multi-faceted challenges in the short, medium and long terms.

The short to medium term

The UN system will co-operate together in crisis response, the development of emergency safety nets and social protection of the most vulnerable and rapid employment and income generation programmes. The UN system will fully deploy its capacity in the monitoring, quick assessment and analysis of the rapidly evolving food price trends and their impact on vulnerability to support the response of affected national governments. At the country level, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinators, Heads of the World Bank missions, and the UN country teams will urgently meet also with WFP and other humanitarian agencies in affected countries to draw up support strategies for national governments and vulnerable populations and seek international support for their implementation. The IMF will propose to its Executive Board additional financial support for countries facing serious balance of payment gaps as a result of higher food and oil prices. The CEB calls upon countries that have imposed export restrictions on food that have reduced supplies and contributed to price hikes to urgently reconsider those policies.

The medium to long term

The UN system will bring together its technical and analytical capabilities to fill research and knowledge gaps in order to support governments with the best information for agricultural decision-making to boost production and productivity. As assessment of the diverse impacts of the crisis, the development of sets of tailored policy instruments and implementation capacity is required to underpin an effective policy response. Domestic policy measures that correct distortions and do not jeopardize the supply response need to be put in place, together with budget support measures and balance of payments support for the most affected countries. The CEB calls for a rapid conclusion of the Doha Development Round resulting in scaling down trade distorting subsidies that have damaged developing countries production capacity.

The long-term

The CEB underscores the urgent necessity to address the structural and policy issues that have substantially contributed to this crisis and the challenge posed by climate change to productive systems. Further research must be undertaken on the impact of diversion of food crops to bio-fuel production and all subsidies to food-based bio-fuels should be reviewed. We must make special effort to address the specific needs of Africa as the most affected region, including through relevant African programmes such as CADEP. To this end, we must put in place the requirements to realize the promise of a Green Revolution in Africa for which the UN Africa MDG Steering Group has estimated will require US$8 to 10 billion annually. The World Bank, IMF, IFAD and Regional Development Banks and relevant agencies of the UN system will collaborate to develop a long-term strategy, including the required macro-economic measures for increasing productivity, production and marketing in agriculture and ensure availability of and access to food.

Immediate action

In order to create a prioritized plan of action and coordinate its implementation, the CEB has decided that a Task Force on the Global Food Crisis be established immediately under the leadership of the Secretary-General and bringing together the Heads of the United Nations specialized agencies, Funds and Programmes, Bretton Woods institutions and relevant parts of the UN Secretariat.

Forthcoming meetings

Forthcoming high-level gatherings, including the meetings of TICAD, of the Economic and Social Council, the G-8 Summit and the September High-Level Event of the General Assembly on MDGs, the ILO International Labour Conference on Rural Employment, all provide opportunities to strengthen political commitment to meet the challenge of this crisis. In this regard, the UN Secretary-General calls on World Leaders to make every effort to participate in the High-Level Conference on Food Security in Rome on 3 to 5 June 2008 Berne, 29 April 2008 (Source IFAD)

New network will improve knowledge sharing and innovation in sub-Saharan Africa

IFAD’s Executive Board has approved a grant that will help establish FIDAfrique-IFADAfrica, a new knowledge network in sub-Saharan Africa for IFAD-funded programmes and projects and for its development partners. The new network will build on existing initiatives, including FIDAfrique in Western and Central Africa and the four IFAD-supported thematic knowledge networks in Eastern and Southern Africa. These initiatives have until now been implemented separately. The network will connect people, organizations, development projects and programmes, and other networks working to reduce rural poverty across sub-Saharan Africa so they can share experiences, mutual learning and innovation for rural poverty reduction. It will also increase the development effectiveness of IFAD-financed programmes and projects and enhance policy dialogue. IFAD will contribute US$2 million towards the US$3,930,000 three-year programme. The West Africa Rural Foundation (WARF), an experienced foundation currently managing the Central and Western Africa knowledge network, FIDAfrique, will manage the grant. FIDAfrique was established in Western and Central Africa in 1999 to improve project management by increasing capacity to disseminate information and knowledge, best practices and lessons learned across all IFAD projects in the region. It has also fostered thematic networks on issues such as project management, monitoring and evaluation, innovation and cassava, and has hosted electronic discussions on key themes for agricultural and rural development in the region. Following a positive evaluation of its achievements in 2007, it was proposed that the network be expanded to cover all of sub-Saharan Africa in its future phase. In Eastern and Southern Africa, IFAD supports several thematic networks related to specific rural development themes, such as agricultural water management, rural finance, market access and monitoring and evaluation. Release number IFAD/27/08, Rome – 29 April, 2008 (Source IFAD)

Africa Science News: Science must prove to Africa farmers that banana is profitable

...For this to be realized, farmers must be shown growing banana is profitable. Hartmann, CEO, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, IITA, said in Mombasa at the first conference on banana and plantain in Africa that the continent needs to be doing things differently and need to realize the internal markets for banana and other crops---by itself huge. 14 October 2008 (source IITA)

AllAfrica.Com: Uganda - Banana Traders to Focus on Regional Markets

Experts have called on banana traders to take advantage of local and regional markets as European countries open their markets to imports from Latin America... IITA organised conference and sponsored by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 14 October 2008 (source IITA)

AllAfrica.Com: Nigeria: Northern Governors Should Get More Involved in Agriculture - Dansadau

...The International Institute for Tropical Agriculture Ibadan, IITA, has developed a new variety of maize that is drought tolerant, that means states in the arid zones like Yobe, Katsina, Sokoto can plant such maize. 14 October 2008 (source IITA)

The Punch, Nigeria: Ireland to support IITA in fight against hunger

In the face of rising food prices, the Irish government has said it will continue to support the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in carrying out researches to tackle global food insecurity. 14 October 2008 (source IITA)

Business Day, Nigeria: African banana farmers may lose access to European Markets

...IITA organized this first-ever pan-African conference in partnership with Bioversity International, the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS) and the Kenyan Agricultural Research Institute (KARI). 13 October 2008 (source IITA)

Inter-Press Service, Italy: Going Bananas to Fight Poverty and Hunger

...A five-day conference organised by the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and Biodiversity International, focussing on banana and plantain research throughout Africa, opened this week in Kenya’s second largest city Mombasa. Plantains are a kind of banana. 11 October 2008 (source IITA)

Food crisis, a chance to turn around agric fortunes in Africa - IITA

The current global food crisis presents an opportunity for African governments to turn around agriculture and boost their economies, the Director-General, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Dr. Peter Hartmann, has said. According to Hartmann, who spoke at the Banana Conference in Mombassa, Kenya that ended on Friday, this food crisis could be the wakeup call Africa needed, which could be its “big chance to turn its food and agricultural sectors around.” 10 October 2008 (source IITA)

Africa Science News: African banana farmers likely to lose access to lucrative EU markets, but experts say opportunities

...“The current (European) trade policy is clearly in favor of ACP countries, but this is likely to change. So, Africa must prepare itself to remain competitive,” said Thomas DuBois, a researcher at African based IITA, which is supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). 10 October 2008 (source IITA)

afrol News: Banana farmers urged to up local market production

...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." 10 October 2008 (source IITA)

Voice of America: Banana Conference Wraps Up In Mombassa, Kenya

...Dr. Stephan Abele is the director of research at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), one of the main sponsors of the conference. 10 October 2008 (source IITA)

Business Daily Africa: Researcher pushes for modern ways of growing bananas

...She was speaking at the conference organised by the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Bioversity, the Forum for Agricultural Research (FARA), the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS) and the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI). 09 October 2008 (source IITA)

Outbreak of 'peste des petits ruminants' in Morocco

FAO is helping Morocco deal with an outbreak of peste des petits ruminants (PPR) that threatens to kill millions of sheep and goats and could possibly spread to neighbouring countries. The outbreak has largely affected sheep, with 133 outbreaks in 29 provinces so far. 09/09/2008 (source FAO)

FAO Director-General in Swaziland amid food crisis

FAO will help cash-strapped farmers in Swaziland to purchase seeds in time for the next planting season, Director-General Jacques Diouf said today. Diouf was speaking to reporters while visiting a school-based farming project in Boyane, near the capital, Mbabane. 08/09/2008 (source FAO)

Better management for fishing's 'last frontier'

After two years of preparation and negotiation FAO Members have adopted international guidelines aimed at limiting the impact of fishing on fragile deep sea fish species and habitats. 03/09/2008 (source FAO)

Former Mali Minister to head FAO Agriculture Department

Mr Modibo Tiémoko Traoré, a former Minister for Rural Development with the Government of Mali,is FAO's new Assistant Director-General, Agriculture and Consumer Protection Department. 02/09/2008 (source FAO)

Fighting high food prices in Madagascar

A month-long series of plantings is coming to an end in eastern Madagascar, aimed at ensuring that the local food supply – of rice especially – is sufficient to avoid importing large quantities at high prices to meet the country’s food needs this year. 28/08/2008 (source FAO)

New bird flu strain detected in Nigeria

A strain of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza previously not recorded in sub-Saharan Africa has been detected in Nigeria for the first time. Nigeria has recently reported two new bird flu outbreaks in the states of Katsina and Kano. 11/08/2008 (source FAO)

Indigenous peoples threatened by climate change

Increasingly tough climatic conditions and limited rights to land and other basic resources risk jeopardizing the lives and livelihoods of many indigenous groups that hold the key to our long term survival, FAO noted on the eve of the International Day for the World’s Indigenous People. 08/08/2008 (source FAO)

Sowing seeds for hungry Haitians

In readiness for the new planting season, FAO has started distributing urgently-needed seeds and tools to Haiti’s most vulnerable farmers to help them cope with the rising cost of food, fuel and fertilizer. 04/08/2008 (source FAO)

FAO responds to “friaje” emergency in Peru

As part of an urgent relief effort FAO’s Peru office has provided 36 800 doses of antiparasitic medicines, antibiotics and vitamins to poor farmers in highland Peru whose livestock are suffering as a result of a severe unseasonable cold spell. 31/07/2008 (source FAO)

Improved seeds for Central Asia

A new Regional Seed Association has been established in Ankara and will soon make quality seeds available to millions of farmers in Cedntral Asia. 30/07/2008 (source FAO)

Med people shun Med Diet

The Mediterranean diet has followers all over the world – but is increasingly disregarded around the Mediterranean. 29/07/2008 (source FAO)

Cassava for food and energy security

At a global conference held in Gent, Belgium, cassava scientists called for a significant increase in investment in research and development needed to boost farmers’ yields and explore promising industrial uses of cassava, including production of biofuels. 25/07/2008 (source FAO)

Farmers urged to join “Greener” revolution

Some 100 experts from 36 countries meeting at FAO call on farmers to join the “Greener” revolution of Conservation Agriculture. 24/07/2008 (source FAO)

New global soil database

A new database on the world’s soils improves knowledge of the current and future land productivity as well as the present carbon storage and carbon sequestration potential of the world’s soils. It helps to identify land and water limitations, and assist in assessing the risks of land degradation, particularly soil erosion risks, said FAO today 21/07/2008 (source FAO)

Italy gives €14 million for food security

The Italian Development Cooperation will make an additional contribution of 14 million euros to the FAO Trust Fund for Food Security and Food Safety, Italian authorities have announced. 17/07/2008 (source FAO)

Urgent appeal for cyclone-hit communities in Myanmar

With the clock ticking on Myanmar’s main planting season, agricultural support is urgently needed to restore food production in the country’s cyclone-hit rice bowl. 17/07/2008 (source FAO)

Spotlight on forest monitoring

With global concern growing over deforestation, loss of carbon stored in forests and the role of forests in climate change, the spotlight has been turned on forest monitoring in a bid to safeguard forests and monitor emissions from deforestation. 16/07/2008 (source FAO)

FAO launches emergency rice programme in West Africa

When one imagines an African landscape, images of rice paddies are not normally the typical scenery one conjures up. But understanding the role of rice in the recent displays of public unrest in some of the continent’s poorest countries is key to developing a sustainable, long-term solution to the crisis of high food prices. 15/07/2008 (source FAO)

Planting Underway in Burkina Faso

FAO is moving into the final stages of an intensive month-long distribution of millet, sorghum, maize, cowpea and peanut seeds to 33 000 farmers in the regions of Burkina Faso that have been hardest-hit by a devastating combination of soaring food prices and severe weather. 11/07/2008 (source FAO)

Climate change will have strong impact on fisheries

Temperature and other variations resulting from climate change will have a strong impact on fisheries and aquaculture, with significant food security consequences for certain populations, FAO said this week. 10/07/2008 (source FAO)

Initiative on soaring food prices now covers 54 countries

FAO has just approved a series of projects in 48 countries for a total value of US$ 21 million to help small farmers and vulnerable households mitigate the negative effects of rising food and input prices. With six countries already benefiting for a total amount of nearly US$ 2.8 million, FAO’s own funding under the Initiative on soaring food prices now covers 54 countries. 09/07/2008 (source FAO)

IAEA 52nd General Conference of Member States Draws to a Close

The IAEA´s 52nd General Conference of Member States concluded in Vienna. 4 October 2008 (Source: iaea)

ICARDA’s Work in Afghanistan Acclaimed

ICARDA’s work in Afghanistan has been lauded by Governor of Laghman province, H.E. Lutfullah Mash-All, who visited some of the ICARDA activities in the province and greatly appreciated ICARDA’s successful interventions through funding from USAID-Alternative Development Program/ East (ADP/E). During the visit, the Governor met members of the ADP/E-ICARDA established Village Based Seed Enterprises (VBSEs) and took keen interest in ICARDA-introduced mobile seed cleaners. “ADP/E and ICARDA together are doing excellent work in Laghman and in other Eastern provinces enabling farmers to produce quality seed, which was previously not available to our farmers,” he observed. In a letter addressed to the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, the Governor congratulated ICARDA and VBSEs on their brilliant display during the Laghman Agricultural Fair organized by USAID-ADP/E, where VBSEs bagged the first prize for professionally exhibiting their practices and products. H.E Fazal Rahim, a member of the Provincial Assembly of Nangarhar, commended ICARDA and ADP/E for their excellent contribution to the development of the agricultural sector in the Eastern Region of Afghanistan. While inaugurating the first seed store constructed by Afghanistan Small and Medium Enterprise Development Program of USAID for Behsood- VBSE in Nangarhar province, he said: “Everywhere farmers are very happy with the support provided by ICARDA and ADP-E. We congratulate the team for their extremely useful work on introduction of high yielding improved varieties, organizing farmers for seed production, and on development of small agro-industries like processing and value addition of mint and other medicinal plants”. Dr Aziz Osmanzai, Director of Agricultural Research Institute of Afghanistan (ARIA), had a monitoring trip to ICARDA research activities on forage crops in Baghlan, and mint-project activities in Kunduz provinces. He appreciated ICARDA’s efforts. ICARDA in partnership with the International Potato Center (CIP) is implementing a project in Badakhshan province aiming to enable farmers to produce disease free quality seed potato. During the first fortnight of June, ICARDA organized three field days to train farmers in best practices of seed potato production. A total of 292 farmers, high ranking government officials and staff of other national and international NGOs attended these field days. In a message to Dr Javed Rizvi, Country Manager of IACRDA in Afghanistan; Deputy Chief of Party, PADCO (USAID’s primary contractor of Alternative Development Program for Northern Afghanistan, and donor of seed potato production project) has congratulated ICARDA team for organizing very useful and successful field days. 26 June 2008 (Source ICARDA)

ICARDA – Sudan Cooperation Agreements

Two agreements were signed between ICARDA and the Authority of Merowi Dam Area for Agricultural Development (AMDAAD) in Sudan for cooperation in research and training in the fields of biotechnology, plant protection, agronomy and soil, and seed production. Dr Mahmoud Solh, Director General, and Dr. Abdulilah H. Mohamed Saleh, Chief Executive Officer AMDAAD, signed the agreements in Damascus on 8 June. Under the terms of the agreements, ICARDA will provide technical assistance to AMDAAD in developing central research and training facilities in Biotechnology and tissue culture laboratory; Agronomy and soils laboratory; and Plant protection laboratory (including facilities for pathology, virology, entomology). All three laboratories are expected to serve the crop improvement and management activities of the Merowi Dam Area; service other scientific and research activities; and provide facilities for training. Also, ICARDA will provide technical assistance to AMDAAD in establishing a seed processing and conditioning facility to serve the needs of the Merowi Dam Area. ICARDA will take responsibility for training of personnel in seed production and the management and operation of the facility, either on-site or at ICARDA, and help in setting up a management system for the facility. 19 June 2008 (Source ICARDA)

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