Unmanned aerial vehicles ā Agricultureās āgame of dronesā
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVās), more commonly referred to as drones, are not new technology. They have been used commercially since the early 1980ās, but in recent yearās practical application of this technology has grown rapidly across a number of industries, with agriculture playing a key role in this expansion. With the global population expected to…
Agro-tourism on agenda at Mekong Agriculture Ministers Meeting
Planting rice at Siem Reap At the second Greater Mekong Subregion Agriculture Ministers Meeting, which opened yesterday in Siem Reap province in Cambodia, ministers from the six GMS countries ā Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam ā are discussing the most important issues in agricultural sectors of the sub-region. The main topics in the…
CABI participates in a regional forum on Enhancing Global Food Security through Science, Technology and Innovation
I recently attended a one-day regional forum organised by the Human Life Advancement Foundation (HLAF) in Thailand. The meeting, held on 17th May 2017, sought to identify ways in which HLAF and other organisations, like CABI, can contribute to achieving food security especially through science, technology and innovation.
Building a climate-smart value chain: The role of research, development and technology
This is the second of a two-part blog series following my visit to Africa supported by CABIās development bursary The first blog in this series described the Africa Cassava Agronomy Initiative (ACAI) and how it aims to improve cassava agronomy to increase production and productivity, as well as how ACAI partnerships could build a climate-smart…
Tourism and sustainable development in Africa
People who are aware of CABI through our work in agriculture, the environment, plant protection, or invasive species management, are sometimes surprised to find that we are also engaged in tourism, primarily through publishing books and database products. With tourism in overcrowded Western cities such as Barcelona and Venice increasingly seen as a problem rather…
Building a climate-smart cassava value chain: The role of partnerships
This is one of a two-part blog series following my visit to Africa supported by CABIās development bursary In June 2017, I visited Zanzibar, Tanzania, to attend a 5-day planning meeting organised by the Africa Cassava Agronomy Initiative (ACAI). The purpose of this planning meeting was to bring together all project partners to identify project…
CABI Books on Livestock Breeds and Breeding Are Essential Resource for Education, Research and Policy Influencing
This article focuses on the following three books 1. āMason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breeding: 2 volume packā, edited by V Porter, L Alderson, S Hall, D P Sponenberg, March 2016, Hardback, 9781845934668. Volume 1: Asses, camelids, cattle, goats, horses and pigs, Volume 2: Sheep, water buffalo, yak and other livestock 2. āMason's World Dictionary of Livestock Breeds, Types and Varieties,ā published in August 2002; DOI: 10.1046/j.1439-0388.2002.00353. 3. āA World Dictionary of Livestock Breeds, Types and Varietiesā by Ian Lauder Mason, 1996 (ISBN 0851991024) [previous editions: 1988, 1969 1957 (reissued with Supplement), first published in 1951) In March 2016, CABI published āMason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breedingā, which was written by co-authors (Porter, Hall and Sponenberg). This is a major international and much expanded reference book based on Ian Mason's original book, which includes breeds of domestic livestock. This version covers conservation of animal genetic resources,…
Taking the power back
How apple growers are regaining control of the supply chain from retailers Apples are one of the worldās most popular fruits. In 2013 world production reached almost 82 million tonnes and the export value broke US$8 billion (FAO STAT, 2017). The fruit comes in all shapes, sizes, flavours and colours; yet what we see in…
6 lessons learned on organising a stand at an āinternational developmentā event
Public events are a great opportunity to make CABI more visible and enlighten others on how our work is improving livelihoods all over the world. As a regular on the conference circuit, I know the value and challenges of organising a stand at an event. Most recently I attended the 1st All Africa Post Harvest…
Author of the Month – Global Urban Agriculture, A.M.G.A. WinklerPrins
Urban Agriculture and its Role in Community Building A.M.G.A. WinklerPrins Urban agriculture (UA) is about much more than producing food, it is about growing communities and empowering people. The social interactions needed to grow food in urban settings, whether in organised community gardens or allotments, in abandoned lots, sacks, balconies, or berms, brings people together…