Seed Info 32, January 2007

S E E D I N F O

Official Newsletter of the WANA Seed Network

No. 32, January 2007

PDF File ( 530 KB)
----------------------
Subscribe
----------------------
E-mail & Address
----------------------
Back Issues
----------------------
Seed Home
----------------------
ICARDA Home

LITERATURE_______________________________________________________________

Literature, books and journal articles of interest to readers are presented here. Please send information on seed publications on policy, regulation, and technology to the Editor for inclusion in Seed Info.

Books
Mazoyer, M. and L. Roudart. 2006. A history of world agriculture: from the Neolithic age to the current crisis. At the start of the 21st century, roughly half the human population lives in poverty. In a world where most of the world's hungry people are peasant farmers, the gap between those with the best and those with the most rudimentary agricultural technology is becoming wider. A history of world agriculture is both a challenge to the conventional global food system, and an interesting history of agriculture and agrarian culture. Eight chapters are dedicated to agrarian systems and heritage, from early slash-and-burn agriculture through the Inca agrarian system, to the mechanization and monocropping of the 20th century. Each system is considered in its wider social and political context. The authors argue that the world continues to be made up of agrarian systems with different inherited characteristics, which cannot be regulated by the current homogenous and competitive global system.

In explaining the origins, transformation and role of agriculture in the evolution of humanity, the authors arrive at a key message, that the 'international agricultural price war' must stop. They propose a new organization of international agricultural trade, with objectives such as agrarian reform, and international agreements on the average price of agricultural produce. Trade distortions created by low international market prices for agricultural produce are, they argue, the root cause of income inequality, pushing peasants further into poverty. The concluding chapter places the current crisis of developing countries within a more general agrarian crisis: protecting peasant agriculture is seen as key to solving the current poverty crisis. According to the authors, "Agricultural and food products are not commodities like others. Their price is that of life, and, below a certain threshold, death." The book offers a challenging and stimulating analysis that will be of primary interest to an academic audience. Published by Monthly Review Press (www.monthlyreview.org). 480pp; ISSN 1-58367-121-8; Price: USD 35.

Halberg, N., H.F. Alroe, M.T. Knudsen and E.S. Kristensen (eds.) 2006. Global development of organic agriculture: challenges and prospects. In the North, conversion from conventional to organic farming is increasingly being undertaken for economic as much as ethical or ecological reasons. Premium prices for organic produce, the rising cost of fuel and other inputs, and ongoing changes in subsidy regimes are just some of the factors that are making many conventional farmers take a careful look at organic alternatives. In the South, however, premium prices and environmental subsidies are seldom part of the economic picture. And in this context, an initial fall in yields, often attributed to organic conversion, is commonly cited as a critical objection to the spread of organic farming.

So what is the global potential of organic agriculture? Focusing primarily on the developing world, and covering both certified and non-certified organic production, this recent publication offers a wide ranging and in-depth study. The opening chapters take on some of the big, background issues, including the place of organic farming in the context of ecological economics and ecological justice - a concept developed contrary to globalization and sustainable development. Then follows a reappraisal of what organic farming offers to developing country farmers, which makes the point that for the majority, who generally convert from a low-yielding conventional approach, adopting organic practices brings an increase in productivity. Other chapters focus on the role of organic farming in the context of soil fertility depletion in sub-Saharan Africa, the impact of organic farming on food security from a regional and global perspective, and possibilities for closing urban-rural nutrient cycles. Published by CABI (www.cabi-publishing.org/bookshop). 384pp; ISBN 1-84593-078-9; Price: £55 (USD100).

Marange, T., M. Mukute and J. Woodend (eds.) 2006. Beyond participatory tools: field guide. The tools of participatory development can be applied too rigidly, so that the effectiveness - and indeed the essence - of the approach may be lost. Beyond participatory tools addresses this potential problem, by examining and explaining the principles behind participatory techniques. The hope is that practitioners, armed with this understanding, can adopt a more flexible approach, developing and adapting the tools to their situation and needs. Rather than a detailed 'how to' guide, it offers a framework within which participatory research can be developed and implemented.

Mainly based on experiences in Africa, the book is loosely structured around 'participation as a journey' and each step, and the links between them, are explored. Community organization receives additional focus as a neglected area, and gender is also given high priority. This will be a useful book for anyone working directly with communities, to use alongside more traditional guides to participatory techniques. Published by Sound Age Management Consultancy Services/Crop Post-Harvest Program. 76pp, ISBN 0-7974-3119-5. A pdf version can be obtained from Tafadzwa Marange (E-mail tafadzwa@ecoweb.co.zw).

ISF. 2006. Patent protection of plant-related innovations: facts and issues. Proceedings of the International Seminar (CD ROM). The seminar examined the role of patents in relation to plant-related innovations such as enabling technologies, breeding techniques and genetic traits, and the impact of extending such protection to plants and plant varieties. Presentations by experts stimulated an in-depth discussion on patents and their application to plant-related innovations. For more details visit www.worldseed.org/bookshop.html

Useful Internet Websites
Database of agricultural researchers
An information database on agricultural researchers in the Western Asia subregion (Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey) has been released online. This is useful in facilitating information exchange among researchers in the subregion. Scientists can still fill out forms at www.aarinena.org/database/form.htm or access the database at www.aarinena.org/database/index.htm.

CGIAR Virtual Library
The CGIAR Information Managers and ICT/KM Program announce the new CGIAR Virtual Library, available at http://vlibrary.cgiar.org. The Virtual Library offers instant access to research on agriculture, hunger, poverty, and the environment. Users can tap into leading agricultural information databases, including the online libraries of all 15 CGIAR Centers. Use the Virtual Library to discover resources, go directly to the full text of thousands of publications, and stay current on CGIAR research. For more information visit http://vlibrary.cgiar.org or contact CGVlibrary@cgiar.org.

FAO research and extension portal
This portal offers free access to publications and databases covering topics related to policies, capacity building, human development, and methodologies. It also integrates material from different databases on technology; funding for research and extension; and on contacts in research institutions worldwide. Visit the website at www.fao.org/sd/sdrr/portal/ (available in English, French and Spanish). Send your comments and suggestions to: sdrr-portal@fao.org.