Archive for the ‘Farming’ Category
Why tomatoes taste of Holland again, and other useful info…
Posted by Gavin on February 16, 2010 in Farming, Food & health, Global issues
Actually they don’t, and probably never did. This wonderful question is the result of a German to English Google translation of an article posted at presseportal.de. The story is of Dutch tomato growers who claim their tomatoes taste more like tomatoes when they are grown with biological methods - favouring natural predators to combat pests, over the use of pesticides. The original article can be read here, and the Google translation can be braved here.
Staying with ‘biological’ pest management, an Israeli researcher is developing what is described as an ‘ecologically sound pesticide’ by modifying the venom of scorpions. It is claimed that certain neurotoxins present in the venom have the chemical properties to manage crop damaging pests, while posing no threats to useful pests such as bees, or mammals like you and I.
Pesticides are like medicines, they are used to treat ’sick’ plants, and prevent ’sickness’ in plants. As with medicines, you should always read the label. A well timed news story ‘Pesticides cause impotency if not properly handled‘ (posted on St. Valentines Day), reports on the potential dangers of failing to follow safety instructions. It seems that some farmers in Ghana have taken to tasting pesticides before use in order to reassure themselves of its potency! Without doubt, a practice entirely incompatible with the safe and sustainable use of pesticides. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and CropLife Africa Middle East made these revelations during a recent programme of workshops to train farmers and encourage the safe use of plant protection products.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) offers a wealth of information on good agricultural practices, including information on the sustainable and safe use of pesticides. Always read the label, and if in doubt, seek expert advice.
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Comments(2)Radiation a viable alternative to pesticides?
Posted by Gavin on November 30, 2009 in Environment, Farming
Scientists from the IAEA and the UN´s Food and Agriculture Organisation are working on a project to control agricultural pests using the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT), which uses radiation to sterilise pests, as reported by the Nuclear Power Industry News Blog.
Focusing on the Olive Fruit Fly (Bactrocera oleae) a project is underway to investigate the success of using nuclear technologies to render male flies sterile through exposure to radiation. Radiated male flies are released into the wild, theoretically reducing the number of successfully fertilised fly eggs.
This is a form of pest control known as Sterile Insect Technique (SIT), which also includes the production of genetically modified insects.
It would be interesting to compare the efficiency and environmental impacts of releasing sterile radiated pests for crop protection and the use of pesticides with active ingredients such as endocrine disruptors.
PesticideInformation will follow developments. If you have an opinion on this, or would like to share a useful link, please leave us a comment below…
More on Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) from around the web
Posted by Gavin on November 18, 2009 in Environment, Farming, Food & health, Global issues
Another round-up of online press and research covering the debate on Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), the name given to an apparent global decline in the pollinating bee population. Comments and link contributions are welcomed - look for the ‘Comments’ link at the base of this post.
Press
Trying to Diagnose the Disappearing Bees (Voice of Sandiego.org)
10 Possible Causes of Colony Collapse Disorder (About.com)
Scientists Untangle Multiple Causes of Bee Colony Disorder (Environment News Service)
Habitat loss and disease are bees’ bane, not pesticides (Farmers Weekly Interactive)
Pesticides blamed for killing bees (Telegraph.co.uk)
Global Honey Bee Population Increasing, Despite Local Losses (ecoworldly.com)
Mysterious decline in bee population creates worry (WorldFocusOnline via YouTube)
General reference
Colony collapse disorder (Wikipedia)
Colony collapse disorder - Possible causes and research (Wikipedia)
Research
Colony Collapse Disorder: A Descriptive Study
(van Engelsdorp et al. plosone.org)
Honeybee colony collapse due to Nosema ceranae in professional apiaries
(Higes et al. Environmental Microbiology Reports, via Wiley InterScience)
Distribution and decline of British bumblebees
(Williams / Natural History Museum UK)
Recent press on pesticides
Posted by Phil on November 06, 2009 in Environment, European Regulation, Farming, Food & health, Global issues
Some articles on pesticides and related topics from the last two weeks. Feel free to recommend more articles by selecting “Recommend a page or site” above or access a more comprehensive list of articles by using the Delicious cloud in the right-hand column.
- Climate map shows human impact (BBC)
- Climate change will devastate Africa, top UK scientist warns (Guardian)
- Low-carbon farms can raise food output, food agency says (STV News)
- Developed countries face threat of soaring prices and food shortages (Guardian)
- Developing Countries Paying More For Food, WFP Executive Director Says (Medical News Today)
- Brussels’ plans to slash CAP budget revealed (Farmers Guardian)
- Scientists urge respect on advice (BBC)
- UF research examines how common pesticide mixes may affect bee die-offs (University of Florida News)
- Pesticides non a serious threat to bees (Farmers Guardian)
- Can Bumble Bees Fill Pollination Void? (Innovations Report)
- 10 herbal teas found to contain pesticides (United Press International)
- Discovery of Pesticide Amitraz in Turkish Pears: EU Member States to Increase Controls on Imports (FlexNews)
- Depression link to processed food (BBC)
Recent articles on pesticides and related topics
Posted by Phil on September 25, 2009 in Environment, European Regulation, Farming, Food & health, Global issues
Please find below some articles on pesticides and related topics from the last two weeks. Do feel free to recommend more articles by selecting “Recommend a page or site” above or access a more comprehensive list of articles by using the Delicious cloud in the right-hand colmumn.
- So Much Food. So Much Hunger (The New York Times)
- Leading scientists call for a new approach to food security (Environmental Expert)
- World will need 70 percent more food in 2050: FAO (AFP)
- FSA attacks French organics study (The Ecologist)
- New Computing Tool Could Lead To Better Crops And Pesticides (ScienceDaily)
- Commission to name ‘chief scientific advisor’ (Euractiv)
- Commission says farmers need help to cut carbon (Euractiv)
- Climate change hails new era for agriculture (Farmers Guardian)
- Bee deaths set apiculture congress abuzz (AFP)
- Urban beekeeping in UK helps combat decline (AFP)
Recent articles on pesticides and related topics
Posted by Phil on July 27, 2009 in Environment, European Regulation, Farming, Food & health, Global issues
Please find below some recent articles on pesticides and related topics. Do feel free to recommend more articles by selecting “Recommend a page or site” above or access a more comprehensive list of articles by using the Delicious cloud in the right-hand colmumn.
- The Three A’s of Food Security (Sciencebase blog)
- Differing patterns in food price falls (BBC)
- French village goes organic one day a week (3News)
- EU survey reveals poor state of biodiversity (Euractiv)
- EU farm subsidies ‘inconsistent’ with global food security (Euractiv)
- Sweden introduces climate labelling for food (Euractiv)
- World food prices: Whatever happened to the food crisis? (The Economist)
- Agriculture Demand Outpacing Honeybee Increase, Researchers Say (Bloomberg)
- EFSA publishes report on pesticide residues in food (Food Production Daily)
- Forum on the Future of Agriculture goes on the road… (Blogactiv)
Recent posts on pesticides and related topics
Posted by Helen Dunnett on June 12, 2009 in Environment, Farming
Here are some articles on pesticides and related topics from the last two weeks:
- “Agriculture seen as ‘key’ to fighting climate change” (EurActiv)
- Mercabilbao in Spain starts a pioneer process of cleaning and desensitizing the boxes used to carry fruit and vegetables. “Mercabilbao pone en marcha un tren de lavado pionero en el Estado para envases reutilizables de frutas y hortalizas” (In spanish - Europapress)
- “Italian police seize counterfeit pesticides” (Fruinet)
- “Debate over quality of Italian fresh produce” (International Supermarket News)
- “Agriculture: A necessary complication in the climate negotiation” (Grist)
An expert opinion on African farming: future prospects
Posted by Helen Dunnett on April 06, 2009 in Farming, Global issues
Another interview from the Forum for the Future of Agriculture (see previous posts below), this time with James S. Shikwati, an expert in African agriculture and Managing Director of Inter Region Economic Network (IREN), a think-tank based in Kenya that aims to develop strategies to bring prosperity to the African continent.
We asked Mr Shikwati about the prospects for African farming, the role of technology, and the aftermath of the food prices crisis last year, and he gave us some very insightful answers which generally point to a degree of optimism for the future. Highly recommended.