Author Archives: Andreas Frangenberg

COUNTRYside

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CS153SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2014

Farmer: Top Job of the Future

How do we create and maintain jobs and employment in the countryside? With only 14% of Europe’s farmers under 40, and 95% of its farms structured as family holdings, there are serious questions to be asked about who will be the next generation of farmers and farm workers. The way forward is to make farming as modern, as efficient, and as green as possible; we have to show young people that a countryside career is not just spiritually rewarding, but that it come with a good salary and opportunities for growth. Read more…

Crop Protection through Integrated Pest Management (IPM): Requirements and Opportunities

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SA-IF-ICM-IPM-CubeIPM: Integrated Farming Topic Sheet no 2 / 2014

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is the careful consideration of all available plant protection methods and subsequent integration of appropriate measures that discourage the development of populations of harmful organisms and keep the use of plant protection products and other forms of intervention to levels that are economically and ecologically justified and reduce or minimise risks to human health and the environment (Sustainable Use Directive, SUD, 2009). IPM is one important element of the holistic Integrated Farming approach… Read more

‘EISA Family’ continues to grow

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SkylarkSustainability never ends – it is the direction you choose! (Skylark Foundation)

24 October 2014

Dutch Skylark Foundation joins EISA as ‘full member’

 

The European Initiative for Sustainable Development in Agriculture welcomes Skylark Foundation from the Netherlands (Stichting Feldleeuwerik) as new member. As other EISA members and EISA itself, Skylark Foundation is committed to Integrated Farming (IF) enabling further sustainable development in agriculture. Read more…

Sugar beet: Candy for biogas plants!

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TeaserfotoAlmost all crops which grow on the fields throughout Europe
can be fermented in digesters and then be transformed into
either electricity and heat or fuel. Besides maize as presently
most efficient energy crop, also sugar beets offer interesting
options for the biogas sector.
Since 2012 at the latest, and following the German Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz (EEG – Renewable Energy Act), which restricted the use of maize to a maximum of 60% of the total input in digesters, operators and owners of biogas plants increasingly opt for alternative energy crops. Read more…

SAI Platform Newsletter

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saiSeptember / October 2014

We are witnessing an undercurrent of excitement and renewed energy in the sustainable food and agriculture sector. For two decades we have seen many new and ambitious initiatives popping up, created with all the best intentions. The unwanted yet undeniable side effect of this is confusion, duplication and, quite possibly, lack of scale and impact. This fall we see a unique movement coming alive, bringing pieces together. SAI Platform is, and wants to be an active partner in these types of efforts. Read more…

Defining Resilience and Diversity in Agriculture – LEAF announces programme for annual President’s Event

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Overbury Combining Barley-small29 September 2014
LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming)’s annual President’s Event will this year focus on defining resilience and diversity in agriculture. It will take place on Tuesday 11th November, 9.30-15.40pm at the HSBC Headquarters, Canary Wharf, London, UK. Read more…

Managing Crop Pests and Diseases in a Changing Environment

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CD-small25 September 2014
Leading sustainable farming organisation LEAF(Linking Environment And Farming) and the Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) held an industry debate on 22 September to explore new thinking on managing crops and diseases in a changing economic, environment and social world. Read more…

(Caroline Drummond, LEAF Executive; photo: LEAF)

RUMA ISSUES WIDE RANGING POSITION PAPER ON ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE AND ANTIBIOTIC USE IN LIVESTOCK

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F10 September 2014
RUMA (UK) has published a wide ranging position paper on antibiotic resistance and antibiotic use in livestock
Announcing the publication, RUMA Secretary General, John FitzGerald, said that understandably there is much debate at present on antibiotic resistance in human medicine and antibiotic use in human and veterinary medicine.
(Read more…)
(Photo: FNL)

“Champions’ Yields” for Farmers in Germany

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Case IH MähdrescherAgricultural ‘prime locations’ indispensable backbone of global food security
About 50 million tonnes of cereals were harvested in Germany in 2014. That is a top result which almost equals the record harvest of 2008. In light of the difficult, i.e. unstable, weather conditions throughout the year, some people would not have expected  … Read more…

(Photo: © Case IH)

Good News for Beekeepers

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Varroa_Wabe_Werner Mühlen_LWK NRW-klein15.08.2014
Low colony losses throughout Europe after last winter
Increased losses of bee colonies during winter are a frequent matter of concern not only for German beekeepers. Losses of up to 10% are commonly regarded as agreeable in beekeeping. Higher losses, however, have to be assessed critically and quickly attract the attention of media and politics… Read more…
(photo: Werner Mühlen, LWK NRW)