Official Newsletter of the WANA Seed Network
No. 34, January 2008
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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
Louwaars, N. 2007. Seeds of Confusion: The Impact of Policies on Seed Systems, Wageningen University, The Netherlands. This volume, the text of which is freely available on the internet (http://library.wur.nl/wda/ dissertations/dis4307.pdf) gives credit to the importance of seed in agriculture and food, but also in the debate on innovation, biodiversity and traditional knowledge. It starts out identifying the roles of the farmers' and formal seed systems and stresses the need for multiple linkages in order to make optimal use of the complementary knowledge of farmers' and scientists and the value of local and introduced plant resources.
Making such linkages may be difficult taking into account the prevailing seed regulations that are designed to regulate the formal system only without taking into account the value of integrating different systems. An analysis is made of 40 national laws, which yields some interesting examples of how such laws can be optimally designed.
The next chapter deals with the impact of biodiversity regulations. Based on three regional approaches for access and benefit sharing, the main issues of these rules in relation to seed system development are discussed. Chapter 5 then deals with yet another set of rules, this time based on economic development and trade agendas. The impact of Plant Breeder's Rights and patent laws on such diversified seed systems is analyzed, based on the literature and on large numbers of interviews with stakeholders in five countries.
Finally, Louwaars analyzes why the different regulatory systems are so poorly connected; why international agreements may be consistent in legal terms, but totally incoherent at policy level, creating significant problems for national policy makers and legislators to implement these unambiguously. One explanation is the poor coordination between ministries within a country. Agriculture (seed laws and ITPGRFA), environment (CBD), commerce (WTO) all have their own ideas and may not even realize that their decisions impact the ways that farmers may handle their seed. Secondly, policy making within a dossier is a complex process with different stakeholders influencing different Ministries.
Finally, a disconnection between different levels may be to blame: policy makers in international fora are poorly connected to their counterparts at national ministries and they are in turn at long distance from the farmers' reality.
The result of this is confusion, juridification and finally hyperownership, since national rights (CBD), group rights (ITPGRFA), community rights (WIPO-IGC) and private rights (WTO) may at the same time rest on the same seeds. It is a good thing that the book finally mentions a number of options to reduce negative effects of this confusion: slight adaptations of seed laws, plant breeders' rights systems and access laws can yield a significant improvement.
The complex issues that this book deals with are not always easy reading. For seedsmen who have a good foundation in seed supply systems, reading this is definitely rewarding.
Yadav, S.S., D. McNeil and P.C. Stevenson (eds) 2007. Lentil: An Ancient Crop for Modern Times. This book covers all aspects of diversity, breeding and production technologies and the contents include: (i) Origin, adaptation, ecology and diversity; (ii) Utilization, nutrition, and production technologies; (iii) Genetic enhancements, mutation, and wild relatives; (iv) Breeding methods and lensomics achievements; (v) Productivity, profitability and world trade. The book presents the most comprehensive and up to date review of research on lentil production systems, biotic and abiotic stress management, quality seed production, storage techniques, and lentil growing around the world.. It is useful o legume breeders, scientists, nutritionists, academic researchers, graduate students, farmers, traders, and consumers in the developed and developing world. Chapter 21 by Zewdie Bishaw, Abdoul Aziz Niane and Yantai Gan deals with quality seed production of lentil. Published by Springer; Hardback 978-1-4020-6312-1; Price: €174.02; 461 pp.
Brescianti, F. and A. Valdes (eds) 2007. Beyond Food Production: The Role of Agriculture in Poverty Reduction. Most incidences of poverty are concentrated in rural areas and farming is a major source of income to the rural poor. Therefore, the argument goes, agricultural growth is a good way to reduce poverty. In reality, however, things are not quite so clear-cut. Produced by FAO, Beyond Food Production takes a closer, statistic-led look at some of the issues affecting rural agricultural communities en route to development. The results from studies on three continents are intriguing, if divergent, but the analysis is aimed at readers with a firm grounding in econometrics. Edward Elgar Publishing; ISBN 978 92 5 105534 2(Hb); Price: £59.95; 240pp; Website: www.earthprint.com/fao, www.fao.org/icatalog/inter-e.htm 2007.
Diao, X., P. Hazell, D. Resnick and J. Thurlow. 2007. The Role of Agriculture in Development: Implications for Sub-Saharan Africa. Agro-pessimism has been a recent feature of development debates on Africa, with a growing chorus of voices denouncing the role of agriculture in poverty alleviation. This IFPRI report jettisons such claims, contending that agricultural development - particularly in the food staples subsector - is as vital as ever in the continent. Case studies from Ethiopia, Ghana, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia find that broad-based agricultural growth, especially in conjunction with growth in the non-agricultural sector, is critical to poverty reduction and an important precursor to industrialization. The report reaffirms the ongoing significance of agriculture in development and serves as a decisive touché to the skeptics. International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI); Price: US$10; 66pp; Website: www.ifpri.org/pubs/pubs.htm 2007.
Useful Websites
E-agriculture.org
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization announced the launch of a unique interactive web-based platform (http://www.e-agriculture.org, focusing on the role that Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) can have in supporting agriculture and rural development.
The online platform, will enable users to exchange opinions, experiences, good practices and resources related to e-agriculture, and to ensure that the knowledge created is effectively shared and used worldwide. Developed by global stakeholders in collaboration with FAO and partners, the platform is part of an e-agriculture Community of Expertise, a global initiative to enhance sustainable agricultural development and food security by improving the use of ICT in the sector.
The Community includes policy makers, rural service providers, development practitioners, farmers, researchers and information and communication specialists involved in agriculture and rural development.
Over 3400 stakeholders from 135 countries were involved in the development of the platform. They participated in an online survey, providing relevant content, and joining in virtual forums held during July and August 2007. To join the e-agriculture Community of Expertise, please visit http://www.e-agriculture.org
From gene to green
It took a century to go from Mendel's plant breeding experiments to the genetic code. The Molecular Genetics Explorer can help biology students make the same intellectual journey by connecting changes in an organism's DNA to alterations in its appearance.
The free virtual lab comes from Brian White and Ethan Bolker of the University of Massachussetts, Boston. Students begin by setting up plant crosses and gene mutations to decipher the inheritance of color in fictional flowers. They then move to the protein level, tinkering with amino acid sequences to see how changes alter a protein's shape and the flower color it produces. The final exercises let users determine the consequences of manipulating DNA. Visit the website: http://intro.bio.umb.edu/MGX/. Source: Science Vol 317:433
Biofuels
The Science Development Network (SciDev) a portal that disseminates news, views and information about science and technology captures the issues in the debate on biofuels, and looks at the reality of biofuels research and development in the developing world. For articles, visit: www.scidev.net/dossiers/ index.cfm
Program on Participatory Research and Gender Analysis
The CGIAR Systemwide Program on Participatory Research and Gender Analysis develops and promotes methods and organizational approaches for gender-sensitive participatory research on plant breeding and on management of crops and natural resources. Visit the website: http://www.prgaprogram.org.
New Journals
Journal of Applied Biosciences
This new open access peer reviewed journal is inviting manuscripts in biosciences research, particularly applied research cutting across agriculture (crops and livestock), health (animals and human), food processing, industrial and environment management biosciences.
Please visit the journal homepage http://www.biosciences.elewa.org/ for more information and submission instructions.
Journal of Lentil Research
The Lentil Research Association (LRA) and ICARDA, the world's lead centre of lentil research, has agreed to be a co-publisher of the Journal of Lentil Research. You are invited to contribute research articles as well as articles on extension, popularization, trade and utilization of lentils. Please also encourage other lentil workers to contribute articles. For more information please contact LRA at the following address: lentilresearch@rediffmail.com