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Potato
04 09 2008 Potato has provided food security for millions of people over thousands of years. We look at the continuing potential of this much-loved staple and the challenges ahead. 03/09/08
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Climate change - can potato stand the heat?
04 09 2008 Climate change presents potato farmers and scientists with a range of challenges. Rising temperatures, changes in rainfall distribution and concentrations of greenhouse gases will affect where potato is grown in the future. But scientists are hopeful it will weather the storm. 04/09/08
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News brief
04 09 2008 The introduction of African baobab fruit in the EU, drought in Australia and the Horn of Africa, the UN's fear over fertiliser prices, the risk of African Swine Fever spreading beyond the Caucasus, and India's ambitious scheme to waive small farm debts. 03/09/08
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Searching for a new approach: pro-poor livestock policy and institutional change
04 09 2008 Launched in 2001, with funding from the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the FAO's Pro-Poor Livestock Policy Initiative (PPLPI) has focused on pro-poor policies and institutional change, drawing from the experience that technology-oriented livestock projects had failed to deliver significant improvements in the livelihoods. At a meeting convened by PPLPI, William Easterly, guest speaker, author of The White Man's burden and critic of the impact of development aid, acknowledged that the initiative appears to have found a more constructive way to facilitate pro-poor policy and institutional change. Videos of the case studies are available via Youtube. 03/09/08
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Planting for profit in Afghanistan
04 09 2008 After decades of conflict, agriculture in Afghanistan is improving year-on-year. A long-term wheat improvement and seed production programme is already helping farmers reap rewards. 03/09/08
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Reaping what you sow: developing a seed industry in Africa
04 09 2008 Josephine Okot has grown her company, Victoria Seeds, into a dependable seed house exporting to regional markets. Valued support in developing her business has been given by the Seeds of Development Program (SODP), which provides business development services in seven East and Southern African countries. 03/09/08
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In this issue...
04 09 2008 Potato is featured as an important livelihood crop in this edition of New Agriculturist. Providing an overview of the topics covered and reviewed in this issue, we bring you highlights of this edition. 03/09/08
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Coming clean on wastewater irrigation
04 09 2008 Wastewater is an invaluable asset for urban and peri-urban agriculture, but also carries health risks for farmers and consumers. At World Water Week 2008, experts in water management, health and agriculture offered their views on the importance of wastewater and ways of preventing disease transmission. 03/09/08
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Sharing knowledge - tell us a story
04 09 2008 Participatory plant breeding depends on good communication between farmers and researchers. Recent experience in Syria suggests that story-telling is an ideal way for farmers to share their knowledge and observations, both with their peers and with crop breeders. 03/09/08
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Senegal
04 09 2008 Agriculture in Senegal has been traditionally dominated by the production of groundnuts. Faced with rising world food prices, environmental degradation, and declining natural resources, the race is on to become food self-sufficient. 03/09/08
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Domino effect - from land rights to human rights
04 09 2008 By supporting district-level land survey teams and establishing village land registries, Concern Tanzania has been enabling rural communities to obtain legally recognised land titles. The security these provide is having a wide impact. 03/09/08
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Bakary Kante of UNEP
04 09 2008 Bakary Kante, director of the Division of Environmental Law and Conventions of the UNEP, gives his viewpoint on common resources, which as the backbone of sustainability need to be protected and shared at a global level for the benefit of all citizens. 03/09/08
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Cashing in on chips
04 09 2008 The demand for potato chips (French fries) is booming in East Africa. Policy and financial support for in-country, commercial processing of potatoes into chips, combined with improved supply of suitable potato varieties, could bring about a strong regional chip trade. 03/09/08
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Book reviews
04 09 2008 Reviews of some of the latest publications related to agriculture and rural development. The lead book in this edition is Eat Your Heart Out' by investigative journalist Felicity Lawrence. 03/09/08
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Popular revolution in potato production in North Korea
04 09 2008 North Korea has the potential to make substantial gains by restructuring its potato industry and introducing new technologies. And FAO-led project has been helping farmers get the access to improved varieties, clean seed and better storage facilities. 03/09/08
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Ever-present danger - late blight
04 09 2008 Late blight remains a formidable enemy of potato growers worldwide, able to wipe out entire crops in just a few weeks. Over 150 years since it triggered the Irish Potato Famine, scientists and farmers continue to fight the ever-mutating fungus. 02/09/08
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Rooting for tubers
04 09 2008 In the face of rising food prices, the potato is being promoted in Bangladesh and Peru as a nutritious alternative to more expensive staple foods such as rice and wheat. 02/09/08
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Africa's concerns over biosafety
04 09 2008 Prior to the next major meeting of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to be held in 2010 in Japan, African countries have raised concerns about their capacity to implement the Protocol guidelines and to meet reporting obligations. 02/09/08
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Developments
04 09 2008 02/09/08
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Going native: the sweet success of Bolivia's bitter potato
04 09 2008 An initiative to improve sales of a processed potato product in Bolivia has been a runaway success, transforming a traditional 'folk' food into a sophisticated, high-value product. 02/09/08
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Download
04 09 2008 Download the larger sections (Focus on, developments, news brief and book reviews) from this edition of the New Agriculturist as Rich Text Format (rtf) documents. 28/08/08
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Speciality coffee in Rwanda
04 09 2008 A focus on improving quality at every stage of the value chain has enabled Rwanda to successfully target the high value speciality coffee market, resulting in the average income from coffee production tripling in five years. 29/08/08
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Contents
04 09 2008 Full listing of the contents of this edition of the New Agriculturist. 28/08/08
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Protecting potato diversity in Peru
04 09 2008 A pioneering project to document indigenous potato varieties in the highlands of Peru has made some promising discoveries, as well as protecting against biodiversity loss and bio-piracy. 03/09/08
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A helping hand - tissue culture blooms in Kenya
04 09 2008 Plant tissue cultures are proving popular in Kenya. The technique allows farmers to select and plant crops with desirable characteristics and helps minimise the risk of disease. Ann Muli of Mimea International talks about the growth of her own tissue culture business. 27/08/08
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