HORTIVAR... New on-line: FAO's Horticulture cultivars performance database (HORTIVAR), which includes data on the performance of some 750 varieties of fruits, vegetables, roots and tubers, ornamentals, mushrooms, herbs and condiments. HORTIVAR provides basic cropping and yield data and sources for seed and planting material. Test it now...
COAG 2003... FAO's Committee on Agriculture (COAG) has voiced general support for the Organization's work addressing a "food chain" approach to food safety. COAG's meeting in Rome (31 March to 4 April 2003) also considered FAO initiatives on good agricultural practices, sustainable livelihoods, biosecurity and agro-environmental information. Get the full COAG report...
Gene-based technologies... FAO and IAEA are sponsoring an international symposium for scientists, policymakers and donor agencies on the use of gene-based technologies for improving animal production and health in developing countries. To be held in Vienna in October 2003, the symposium will examine ethical, technological, policy and environmental issues. Full details...
AgriMarket update... FAO's popular AgriMarket software programme - used in analysing prices and other market data - has been updated to interface with databases running under MS Access 2000. AgriMarket is available on CD-ROM free of charge to public institutions and organizations in developing countries or countries-in-transition. How to order...
Soil profile database... The Multilingual soil profile database is a new FAO CD-ROM - in English, French, Spanish and German - that allows analysis of primary soils information at local, regional and national levels. The CD-ROM includes software for land evaluation and soil monitoring. Further details...
Artificial insemination... Meanwhile, the Joint FAO/IAEA Joint Division has released on CD-ROM a training package to help artificial insemination (AI) technicians to improve their skills and field assistance to cattle farmers. Topics covered include semen handling, optimal timing of AI, insemination techniques and non-pregnancy diagnosis. Click here...
Rural finance videos... Our Rural Finance Group has two training videos - in English and French - for financial institutions dealing with low-income clients. Little money, big vision features the experience of the People's Bank in Sri Lanka and the Caja Municipal de Cuzco in Peru, while Safeguarding deposits describes key concepts in saving. More...
Update your bookmarks... FAO's Animal Production and Health Division (AGA) has redesigned its web site to allow easier access to more than 1.8Gb of information on livestock genetics, health and nutrition, feed safety, poverty alleviation and production systems. The new site features fast links to key AGA resources, such as databases, on-line manuals and downloadable software. Starts here...
Biotechnology database... How many genetically modified crops are grown commercially in China? How many African countries are conducting field trials of herbicide-resistant cotton? The answers to those questions, and many more, can be found in FAO-BioDeC, a new online database of crop biotechnology products and techniques in the developing world. This way...
Regulating GMOs... Meanwhile, our Working Group on Biotechnology is hosting an email conference (28 April-25 May 2003) on the regulation of genetically modified organisms in the crop, fisheries, forestry and livestock sectors of developing countries and countries-in-transition. Join the discussion here, see also the conference's background document...
Marketing research... New from our Marketing and Rural Finance Service: Market research for agroprocessors, a guide for medium scale agro-industries planning to expand their product lines. It features a sample consumer questionnaire, a feasibility checklist, and strategies for promotion and distribution. The new guide will also be useful for extension workers and NGOs involved in small rural processing industries. Download the publication (PDF, 878K)...
Postharvest CD-ROM... Our Information Network for Post-harvest Operations (INPhO) has published its website on a CD-ROM. The disc includes a Postharvest Compendium on all major staple foods and edible crops, a searchable library containing 4,000 documents, plus an image bank and videos. For a copy, write to inpho@fao.org; this way to the INPhO web site...
COAG 2003... Delegates from more than 100 countries gathered in Rome from 31 March to 4 April 2003 for the biennial session of FAO's Committee on Agriculture (COAG). High on the agenda: a strategy for a "food chain" approach to food safety and quality. Get full COAG documentation. For other COAG news, read on...
Good agricultural practices... Along with the proposed food chain strategy, FAO is exploring a set of Good Agricultural Practices to cover the full range of on-farm operations - from soil and water management to crop protection, processing and waste disposal. The practices aim at adding value to farmers' produce, assuring food safety and protecting the environment. More...
Sustainable livelihoods... Rural poverty is one of the main causes of food insecurity and a major barrier to economic and social progress in developing countries. COAG considered ways of focusing FAO experience in programmes for enhancing sustainable rural livelihoods. More...
Agro-environmental information... A report to COAG says new information technology has improved the availability, analysis and sharing of data used in decision-making on agriculture and the environment. But many developing countries need assistance in harmonizing databases, linking them to regional and global data collectors, and standardizing decision-support tools. More...
Biosecurity... As part of its priority programme on biosecurity, FAO is calling for improved coordination among national bodies responsible for sanitary, phytosanitary and zoosanitary measures. Among the recommendations: creation of a web portal on food safety and animal and plant health. More...
Animal genetic resources... FAO briefed COAG delegates on preparation of the first State of the world's animal genetic resources. Following training workshops worldwide in 2002, researchers in some 119 countries are expected to submit reports on their domestic animal diversity. For background, see Spotlight: Domestic animal diversity at risk...
Water for the future... Increased water productivity in agriculture is the key to averting the threat of freshwater shortages in many developing countries. That is the message FAO will deliver to the Third World Water Forum to be held in Kyoto, Japan from 16 to 23 March 2003. Details; see also Spotlight: Water management: towards 2030, Raising water productivity, Improving irrigation technology and Modernizing irrigation management
Options for agriculture... The vision "that science would naturally lead to social progress" has been severely eroded, the Assistant Director-General of FAO's Agriculture Department, Louise O. Fresco, told a European Union forum on "Sustainable agriculture for developing countries". See FAO News, read the full speech here (PDF, 94K)...
Cactus pear... New from our Crop and Grasslands Service: Cactus as forage, presenting the latest scientific and agronomic information on the use of the cactus pear (Opuntia) as forage for livestock. Order the publication from Stephen.Reynolds@fao.org, see also Spotlight: New on the menu for livestock...
Rift Valley fever... Our EMPRES programme on transboundary animal diseases is mobilizing to block outbreaks of Rift Valley fever in livestock in Senegal, Mauritania and the Gambia. Through an ongoing FAO project for small farmers, EMPRES is mounting a public awareness campaign to promote rapid detection of infected animals. Details...
Farmers' schools... We have a new web portal on the use of farmer field schools to improve soil productivity in Africa. Designed for technicians involved in participatory land management and conservation, the portal features guidelines, manuals and training materials, and case studies on field schools in east and southern Africa. This way...
All about mango... Our Agricultural Support Systems Division has added a chapter about mango to its growing online compendium on post-harvest storage, processing and marketing of major food crops. It covers world trade in mango, primary and secondary products, quality controls and consumer preferences, and reveals that mango comes from the same plant family that gave us cashews, pistachio nuts - and poison ivy. Find out more about mango, or browse the full compendium...
Land and water terminology... What is "spate irrigation", exactly? An online glossary published by our Land and Water Development Division defines it as "floodwater harvesting", in which earthen banks divert water onto fields. The glossary explains more than 400 terms used by land and water specialists, ranging from "abstraction of fossil water" to "willingness to pay". This way...
Peach fly threat... Our joint FAO/IAEA Division has declared war on the peach fruit fly (Bactrocera zonata), an Asian insect that threatens fruit trees in countries around the Mediterranean basin. The division has drafted an action plan to eradicate the pest in collaboration with the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization.
Livestock toolbox... FAO's Livestock, Environment and Development (LEAD) initiative has an online toolbox to help planners evaluate the impact of livestock on the environment. The toolbox features an easy-to-use matrix covering a variety of production systems, from grazing on communal grasslands to large-scale peri-urban dairy units. Explore the toolbox, find out more about LEAD...
Roles of agriculture... FAO has completed a series of case studies on the roles of agriculture in 11 developing countries. Analysis of findings will help in preparation of tools and information for policymakers. More here...
Managing coconuts... FAO's Modern coconut management is considered a standard reference work on the subject. Now, Ecoport, a web-based "knowledge commons" co-founded by FAO, has posted the entire book on internet, and updated it with links to Ecoport's database of plant and pest entities. This way...
Rural watersheds... Just published: the French edition of Land-water linkages in rural watersheds, which presents complete documentation from an electronic conference on rural watersheds held in 2000. Download the publication here in French (pdf, 2.8MB) or English (pdf, 2.1MB); find out more about the e-conference...
Grasses and legumes... Our Crop and Grassland Service has updated its image gallery on tropical grasses and legumes. The gallery now contains 30MB on images and covers more than 200 species. Browse the Grassland gallery here, see also our Grassland index...
Cassava improvement... Thirty of the world's leading experts in cassava research have established a Global Partnership for Cassava Genetic Improvement. Details here, see also Spotlight: A new strategy for cassava...
Animal health... More than 20 animal health manuals are available now on the web site of our Animal Production and Health Division. They cover a range of topics including epidemiological intelligence, preparation of rinderpest contingency plans, recognizing African swine fever, setting up disease surveillance systems, and dealing with bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Get the complete list...