Obese Teenagers Face Higher Metabolic Syndrome Risk In South America Than Europe

Obese teenagers are much more likely to suffer from metabolic syndrome - which can lead to heart disease - if they live in Brazil than Italy, according to a study in the October issue of IJCP, the International Journal of Clinical Practice. Researchers from the two countries looked at more than 500 obese teenage boys and girls to see if there was any difference in metabolic syndrome, an increasing worldwide problem where fat deposits lead to thickening and hardening of artery walls, increasing the risk of heart disease. They found that 35 per cent of the Brazilian boys suffered from metabolic syndrome, compared with 24 per cent of the Italian boys. They also discovered that boys were twice as likely as girls to suffer from metabolic syndrome, recording levels of 16 per cent for Brazilian girls and 12.5 per cent for Italian girls. "We found that the prevalence of metabolic syndrome risk factors varied considerably between the two countries and that insulin resistance appears to be a major factor" says lead author Danielle Caranti, who carried out the study with Professor Ana Dâmaso from the Federal University of Sao Paulo and Professor Alessandro Sartorio from the Italian Institute for Auxology in Milan. "It is likely that this reflects differences in genetic, environmental, social, economic and dietary factors between the two countries." Of the 509 teenagers who took part in the study, 110 were from Brazil (64 girls and 46 boys) and 399 were from Italy (255 girls and 144 boys). Their average age was 16 and their body mass index ranged from 35.1 to 37.3, which is over the 97th centile for their age and sex and indicates a severe level of obesity. The researchers discovered a number of variations in the detailed blood tests they carried out.

They discovered that the Brazilian teenagers showed significantly higher levels of:

- Insulin resistance, which can cause problems such as Type 2 Diabetes, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels and heart disease. Brazilian boys averaged 4.8 (Italian boys 2.7) and Brazilian girls averaged 3.5 (Italian girls 2.3).

- Fasting plasma glucose (blood sugar levels after an overnight fast). Brazilian boys averaged 92.5 mg/dl (Italian boys 76.3) and Brazilian girls 90.7 (Italian girls 73.9).

- Triglycerides, the chemical form in which most fat exists. Brazilian boys averaged 130.9 mg/dl (Italian boys 105.6) and Brazilian girls 109.9 (Italian girls 90.4).

However, Italian teenagers showed significantly higher levels of:

- LDL cholesterol, which helps to form deposits that can narrow arteries and make them less flexible. Italian boys averaged 106.9 mg/dl (Brazilian boys 94.2) and Italian girls averaged 102.8 (Brazilian girls 90.0).

- Systolic blood pressure, which measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart contracts and pushes blood out into the body. Italian boys averaged 129.3 (Brazilian boys 125.2) and Italian girls 122.8 (120.3).

40 per cent in obese teenagers in different countries, mainly because of the different criteria used to define metabolic syndrome" says Danielle Caranti. "But few studies have made direct comparisons between two groups in this way. "Our findings suggest that insulin resistance, together with the level of obesity, is a critical component in measuring metabolic syndrome risk in adolescence. It stood out in our study as the most frequently altered parameter when it came to the development of metabolic syndrome in Brazilian and Italian teenagers. "We hope that our study will provide valuable information on why metabolic syndrome is more prevalent in some societies than others. "Identifying the causes of metabolic syndrome is an important step towards developing effective long-term strategies to combat this worldwide emerging health problem." Links: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com or http://www.interscience.wiley.com 13 October 2008 (Source: Wiley-Blackwell; Rachel Leach - HOPE network and network Co-Ordinators)

Discovery Of Fat-Regenerating 'Stem Cells' In Mice

Researchers have identified stem cells with the capacity to build fat, according to a report in the October 17th issue of the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication. Although they have yet to show that the cells can renew themselves, transplants of the progenitor cells isolated from the fat tissue of normal mice can restore normal fat tissue in animals that are otherwise lacking it. The findings may yield insight into the causes of obesity, a condition characterized by an increase in both the size and number of fat cells. "In obesity, there is an increase in fat cell number," said Matthew Rodeheffer of The Rockefeller University. "The question is: what are the events that lead to that increase? You need to know how fat cell number is normally regulated to know what goes wrong in obesity. Identifying fat cell precursors is a first step toward understanding this process" Earlier studies identified cells with the capacity to differentiate into fat in lab dishes. However, those cells proved unable or extremely limited in their ability to form fat in living animals. In the new study, the research team led by Jeffrey Friedman first removed fat tissue from mice and treated the tissue with an enzyme that broke it down into individual cells. Separating the mature fat cells from the rest is a simple proposition, Rodeheffer said, because the lipid-loaded cells float. They then sorted the remaining cells based on the expression of proteins found at their surfaces, isolating those cells bearing proteins that are known to identify other types of stem cells. Two of the cell populations they isolated could produce fat in lab dishes, they found. Just one of these two populations had the capacity to re-grow a normal fat pad in mice, they report. The researchers made that discovery by injecting the progenitor cells into the residual fat tissue of mice with a condition known as lipodystrophy. Those animals are unable to produce fat normally and they also have diabetes. Injection with the newly discovered fat cell progenitors reversed the animals' diabetes and restored their fat levels within two weeks, they report. Rodeheffer said that there are likely to be analogous cells in humans. If so, those cells might be used in a similar manner to treat people with lipodystrophy. The cells left over when you remove fat cells from fat tissue are also being explored for use in regenerating heart and other tissues, he noted. " Fat is an attractive source for adult stem cells because it is readily available and easy to obtain via liposuction," Rodeheffer said. "You can imagine plenty of people would be willing donors." The researchers also found that the specific precursor cells that were isolated in the new study, when placed under the proper experimental conditions, can also form bone, muscle, and cartilage in addition to fat. The cell therefore might also prove useful for a variety of other tissue-regenerating applications. But the real key, according to Rodeheffer, comes back to fat biology. "We need to understand what controls the proliferation of fat cell precursors as a prelude to understanding how the number of fat cells increases during the development of obesity." Source: Cathleen Genova, Cell Press 13 Oct 2008 Article adapted by from original press release. (Source: Medical News Today; Rachel Leach - HOPE network and network Co-Ordinators)

Experts Say Insufficient Exercise Recommended For Children

Researchers from the Peninsula Medical School in Plymouth, UK, have carried out research that suggests the one hour of moderate exercise a day recommended to children from health experts may not be enough to tackle the rising problem of childhood obesity. Their research has been published in the most recent issue of the journal Archives of Diseases in Childhood. The results come from the EarlyBird study, which has followed the development of over 200 children in Plymouth born in 1995 and 1996. Researchers found that when these children were aged between five and eight, 42 per cent of boys and only 11 per cent of girls met the government recommended daily exercise level of one hour of moderate exercise. The study also found that exercise alone had no positive effect on weight control over time, although the research team were keen to stress that this does not mean that exercise has no health benefits for children. Indeed, when compared with peers who took less exercise, children who met the recommended activity levels fared better for blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides and insulin resistance, which is a recognised precursor to type 2 diabetes later in life. However the researchers did believe that improving children's diets, which they claim to have "changed markedly" over the last two decades, would be likely to have a greater impact on their overall health and weight. Dr. Brad Metcalf, researcher in the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism at the Peninsula Medical School, commented: " We are keen to stress that children should be encouraged to be active, because our study showed that regular exercise improved metabolic health even without improving BMI." The research team worked with 212 children from 54 schools in Plymouth and followed them for four years. Once a year the children were tested by wearing small monitors that recorded their exercise levels. The amount of physical activity achieved by children each day varied considerably - some only managed 10 minutes of moderate exercise, while others went over 90 minutes. Said Dr. Metcalf: "The results for girls are in line with past research that shows that young girls do not exercise as much as boys. To some degree any child's activity level can be affected by biology - some children are more naturally active than others and this might explain why there is such a marked difference between boys and girls. At present it is unclear whether exercise guidelines should be adjusted for this difference, or whether girls should be encouraged to exercise more." Source: Andrew Gould, The Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry 13 Oct 2008 Article adapted from original press release (Source: Medical News Today; Rachel Leach - HOPE network and network Co-Ordinators)Rachel Leach - HOPE network and network Co-Ordinators)

Parents Foster Significant Misperceptions Of Children's Weight

Results of a survey presented at the American College of Gastroenterology's 73rd Annual Scientific Meeting in Orlando revealed that many parents do not accurately perceive their children as overweight or at risk for adulthood obesity. Obesity in the United States is often accompanied by an increased risk of gastrointestinal diseases and has emerged as a major health concern, particularly the issue of obesity among children and adolescents. Researcher Rona L. Levy, Ph.D. and her colleagues at the University of Washington in Seattle and the University of Minnesota measured parental perceptions of their children's current weight and perceived risk for developing obesity as an adult. Forty-six parents of children ages 5 to 9 with a body mass index (BMI) in the 70th percentile or higher were recruited for the study. Child height and weight were measured during a routine pediatric clinic visit. Parents were mailed a series of questionnaires, which included questions on their perception of their child's current weight, and whether they perceived that their child was at risk for developing obesity as an adult. Dr. Levy and her research team found that even though all of the children had elevated BMI, less than 13 percent of the parents of overweight kids reported their child as currently overweight. Fewer than one-third perceived that their child's risk for adult obesity was above average or very high. "Clearly there is a significant misperception by parents of their child's weight and risk for obesity,' said Dr. Levy. "If we are going to address the growing epidemic of childhood obesity, parents' description and awareness of their children's overweight will have to be much more accurate," said Dr. Levy. 13 October 2008 Adapted from materials provided by American College of Gastroenterology, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS. (Source: ScienceDaily; Rachel Leach - HOPE network and network Co-Ordinators)

Many Britons fattist bullies, survey shows

Fat-related jibes are "endemic" among Britons with nine out of 10 overweight people experiencing name-calling because of their excess pounds, researchers said today. The old adage that bullies are often bullied themselves applied, with many of those hurling insults emerging as overweight or obese. The paradox was revealed in a survey of 1000 adults which also calculated the respondents' body mass indexes (BMIs). Almost half of people (46 per cent) surveyed admitted to having referred to or thought of an overweight person by a derogatory name. This negative attitude was shared by many of those who had felt the brunt of insults, with a third (33 per cent) of obese or very obese respondents among the name-callers. The top four most hateful names were identified as the unimaginative "fatty", "fat", "lard arse" and "fat b*****d", while other common jibes included "porker", "thunder thighs", "Mr Blobby" and "Ten Ton Tess". Researchers found that despite the rise of political correctness, such weight-related name-calling was most widespread amongst the young. The numbers calling names fell the older people were, from more than half of 16 to 24-year-olds surveyed (56 per cent) to just over a third (35 per cent) of 55 to 64-year-olds. Misguided banter could be why men were readier to insult friends and relatives in this way, with nearly a third (28 per cent) doing so, in comparison to just 11 per cent of women. And overweight people in London faced a harder time than their Scottish counterparts, with twice as many Londoners (30 per cent) prepared to call a friend or relative a nasty name compared to Scots (15 per cent). Mandy Cassidy, a psychotherapist with the weight loss specialist LighterLife, which commissioned the survey, said: "It's sad that adults now find such behaviour acceptable, and particularly so among the younger age groups, as they could well carry through these views as they get older, thus increasing the problem even further. "Just because someone is overweight, it doesn't mean it's acceptable to insult them. This type of prejudice isn't tolerated in any other walk of life - so we shouldn't allow it here." Dr Ian W Campbell, of the charity Weight Concern, said: "These findings are very concerning. People who have a weight problem need support and encouragement, not ridicule. "Few people want to be very overweight and most would love to be able to change. That process needs support, not criticism; it needs incentive, not punishment." 13 October 2008 (Source:the independent uk; Rachel Leach - HOPE network and network Co-Ordinators)

EU to dish out free fruit and vegetables to children

EU proposals to offer free fruit and vegetables to millions of schoolchildren would cost the state €1 million a year, according to the Department of Agriculture. EU agriculture ministers, including Ireland’s Brendan Smith, have given broad support to the scheme, which aims to start next year to promote healthy eating and to tackle child obesity. The optional scheme, proposed by EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel, would see €90 million a year earmarked from EU funds, with each country matching the amount of cash that it receives from Brussels. A spokeswoman for the Department of Agriculture said Ireland had 1.1 per cent of the children in the target age group and would be al located €990,000.That figure would be matched by national funds. An estimated 22 million children in the EU are overweight. More than five million of those are obese, and that figure is expected to rise by 400,000 every year. ‘‘This will help to reverse the decline in consumption of fruit and vegetables and contribute to fighting the problem with child obesity, which can be described as an epidemic,” Fischer Boel said last week. Figures from Eurostat, the EU statistics agency, show a wide divergence in the availability of fruit and vegetables in the EU. Retail prices of fruit and vegetables also varied considerably between member states. In 2006, prices in Bulgaria were about half the EU average, while Irish prices were about a third above the average. Source: Susan Mitchell 12 October 2008 (Source: thepost.ie; Rachel Leach - HOPE network and network Co-Ordinators)

Obesity-cancer link unknown to many women

Many women don't know that obesity increases their risk of several types of cancer, a new survey published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology shows. Women's lack of knowledge about excess weight and the most common gynecologic malignancy, endometrial cancer, is particularly worrying, Dr. Pamela T. Soliman of M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and her colleagues say. "We need to be doing a better job of educating our patients," Soliman told Reuters Health. Women who were overweight we four times more likely to develop cancer of the uterine lining, Soliman and her team note in their report, while obesity boosts the risk by six-fold. Obese women also are at greater risk of breast and colon cancer. Excess weight also increases mortality from many cancers, with the strongest association seen for endometrial cancer; heavy women are 6.25 times more likely to die from the disease. To investigate awareness of the obesity-cancer link, Soliman and her colleagues surveyed 1,545 women, 28 percent of whom were normal weight. Another 24 percent were overweight, while 45 percent were obese. Ninety-one percent of the study participants had health insurance. Just 42 percent knew that obesity increased their risk of endometrial cancer, while 53 percent knew that colon cancer is associated with obesity and 54 percent were aware that excess weight increases breast cancer risk. The women in the current study were fairly well educated, with most having a college or professional degree, Soliman noted, and the great majority had health insurance. "Even patients who are routinely seeing their physician weren't aware that obesity increases their risk," she said. Vaginal bleeding is a key symptom of endometrial cancer in post-menopausal women, while bleeding between periods can be a sign of the disease in women who are still menstruating, Soliman said. Seventy-five percent of endometrial cancer cases are caught early, and early-stage disease can typically be cured with surgery, she added. "It's a relatively curable disease and that's why it's so important if women have symptoms to seek care." Source: Anne Harding 10 October 2008 (Source: Obstetrics & Gynecology, October 2008; Rachel Leach - HOPE network and network Co-Ordinators)

Call to ban junk food from NHS

Hospitals and GP surgeries should follow the lead of schools and ban sugary drinks and snacks, say experts. The British Dental Health Foundation (BDHF) called on the NHS to fill its vending machines with water, fruit juices and healthy snacks. They also called for hospital canteens to follow suit, saying it was essential for teeth and general health. The government said the NHS and the rest of the public sector should "lead by example" and promote healthy food. The BDHF says many schools have already banned junk food from their vending machines and canteens. In comparison, however, the NHS has been much slower to act. One exception is NHS Tayside in Scotland which has recently banned sugary drinks in vending machines at some of its hospitals. Chief executive Nigel Carter said: "The foundation not only backs the NHS Tayside decision, but calls for a UK-side ban on sugar drinks and snacks in hospitals, surgeries and health centres. "Sugary products taken between meals are the main cause of tooth decay, which can lead to fillings and extractions."

Conditions

He said banning unhealthy food and drink was important in protecting against a range of other health conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes. The Scottish Government has already backed NHS Tayside's move and urged others to follow suit, while the Department of Health also said it wanted similar moves. A Department of Health spokesman said : "We have stated in the new obesity strategy that we expect the public sector to lead by example. "The NHS is responsible for promoting and procuring healthy and nutritious food for staff, patients and visitors." The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, which produces guidance for the health service in England and Wales, has also recommended the promotion of healthier food in surgeries and hospitals. 10 October 2008 (Source: BBC News; Rachel Leach - HOPE network and network Co-Ordinators)

Obesity tied to early heart attack

Heart attacks occur earlier in people who are overweight or obese, compared with normal-weight people, new research indicates. "Obesity has overtaken smoking as the leading cause of premature heart attacks," senior investigator Dr. Peter A. McCullough told Reuters Health. "Since two thirds of Americans have excess body fat we expect an explosion in the rates of heart attacks among women in their 40s and 50s." "The implications for these Americans who are in their peak earning years," he continued, "include the need for hospitalization, cardiac procedures, the development of heart failure, medical disability, and premature death." McCullough of William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Michigan and colleagues took a look back at more than 111,000 patients who suffered a heart attack. They found that the average age at first heart attack was 74.6 years in the leanest patients and 58.7 years in the most obese. "Women were predominant in both the leanest and most obese groups," the investigators found. After accounting for factors that might influence the results, the researchers determined that compared to study subjects with a normal body mass index (BMI between 18.6 and 25.0), subjects who were overweight (BMI between 25.1 and 30.0) had a first heart attack some 3.5 years earlier. Obese individuals (BMI between 30.1 and 35.0) had a first heart attack 6.8 years earlier than normal-weight subjects and for severely obese individuals (BMI greater than 40) it was 12.0 years. This study, McCullough concluded, "should be a wake-up call to all individuals who have gained weight since age 18 to re-evaluate their lifestyles and take immediate action to bring body weight down into the normal range." 9 October 2008 (Source: Journal of the American College of Cardiology, September 16, 2008; Rachel Leach - HOPE network and network Co-Ordinators)

Encouraging children to finish their meals 'could fuel obesity crisis'

Telling children to clean their plates could be unwittingly fuelling the obesity crisis, a new study suggests. Researchers have found that the more food that youngsters are given, the more that they are likely to eat. Parents should ensure that their offspring are offered only child-size portions, they warn. Official figures show that a quarter of five-year-olds and more than a third of 10-year-olds in Britain are either overweight or obese. It is estimated that more than 1 million children could be obese by 2010. The researchers behind the study believe that placing larger portions in front of children tells them that it is socially acceptable to overeat. "Seeing a large amount of food in front of you can lead you to believe that someone decided this portion was the right amount to eat," said Professor Jennifer Fisher, from the Centre for Obesity Research and Education at Temple University, in Philadelphia, who lead the team which carried out the study. "These results suggest that children take cues from their eating environments when deciding how much is enough." Prof Fisher and her team studied 61 children aged between five and six years old offered a normal child-sized portion, weighing 275g, and "super-sized" meals, weighing 550g. The findings, to be presented today at The Obesity Society's Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, show that the children ate more food when larger portions were available to them. The goal is to identify ways to ensure that children make healthy choices about what they eat from an early age, Prof Fisher said. "We want children to grow up with good eating habits, and without having to struggle with food issues into adulthood." Tam Fry, from the National Obesity Forum, warned that many parents had lost sight of how much their children should be eating. He said: "Part of the problem is that parents these days do not know what a child's portion looks like. We find that some of them are giving their children too much to eat on a regular basis. "Studies have also shown that few parents recognise that their children are fat, meaning that they have no reason to reduce how much they are eating, because they do not see a problem." Doctors warn that obesity can lead to a number of major health problems including heart disease, diabetes and at least six different types of cancer. Obesity is assessed by a measurement called the Body Mass Index (BMI), which calculates weight in relation to height. A BMI of between 18.5 and 25 is considered healthy, of more than 25 is overweight and of more than 30 is clinically obese. Source: Kate Devlin, Medical Correspondent 08 October 2008 (Source: telegraph.co.uk; Rachel Leach - HOPE network and network Co-Ordinators)

Diabetes costs NHS £1m an hour, charity says

• Incidence of disease spiralling despite treatment advances

• GPs often miss telltale symptoms

The NHS is spending £1m an hour, 10% of its yearly budget, treating diabetes and its complications, according to a new report. Despite advances in detection and treatment, incidence of the disease - which causes heart attacks, stokes and blindness - is spiralling. GPs are still missing telltale symptoms which mean the disease may remain undetected for many years until irreversible damage has been done, said campaigning charity Diabetes UK. Some 2.3million people in the UK are already diagnosed but the charity estimated the number of diagnosed and "hidden" diabetics will top 4million by 2025. The report also revealed one in 10 people in hospital in the UK have diabetes and 60% of inpatients with diabetes have been admitted as emergencies. The total cost to the NHS equates to £9bn-a-year. Incidence of Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease, is linked to obesity and lack of exercise. It is also more common in some Asian communities. Rising rates of obesity in the UK, associated with poor diet, deprivation and a sedentary lifestyle mean the disease, usually associated with middle age, is now being seen in teenagers and young adults. Diabetes UK's new report, Silent Assassin, spells out the seriousness of the disease and the importance of timely detection. But it also emphasises that simple changes to diet and increased activity can help prevent the Type 2 or reduce complications for those who already have it. A Silent Assassin advertising campaign in newspapers, consumer magazines and on hoardings will follow later this month. Diabetes UK's chief executive, Douglas Smallwood, said: "Diabetes leads to heart disease, stroke, amputations, kidney failure and blindness and causes more deaths than breast and prostate cancer combined. "Type 2 diabetes can remain undetected for 10 years or more before someone is diagnosed. It really is a silent assassin – more than 500,000 people have the condition but do not even know it and by the time they are diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes 50% of people are found to have started developing complications." The campaign aims to encourage people at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes to make urgent changes in their lifestyle. Diabetes UK also wants to ensure people with Type 1 diabetes or with Type 2 diabetes have access to appropriate care, support and education to help them manage their condition effectively and avoid developing the life-shattering complications of diabetes. The charity said while the government produced a "national service framework" – a template for gold standard detection, care and treatment in 2003 – it is still not in general use. It said not enough GPs are recognising symptoms and just 57% of primary care trusts have any sort of programme in place to raise awareness of diabetes or pick up risk factors associated with it. It can go undetected for years. While people with diabetes often need to take medication and monitor their diet, around 10% told a Healthcare Commission survey published last year that while they were in hospital they could not take their medication in the way they wanted and the food on offer was often unsuitable. And despite the fact some 80% of people with diabetes will die from "cardiovascular complications" such as heart attack of stroke, the underlying cause is often unacknowledged. Smallwood continued: "In many cases the number of deaths caused by diabetes is still under-reported: the death certificate will say heart attack but it was really diabetes. "We want to prevent millions of people from facing a future of ill-health and reduced life expectancy. "There is still a worrying lack of awareness about diabetes, its risk factors and the simple steps people can take to reduce their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and manage the condition." 8 October 2008 (Source: Society Guardian; Rachel Leach - HOPE network and network Co-Ordinators)

Vaasan & Vaasan Group’s Panevezys bakery in Lithuania revamped

Vaasan & Vaasan has extended and modernised its Panevezys bakery in Lithuania. The plant now benefits from leading-edge baking technology in every aspect from dough making to packaging, and came on-stream on 11th June 2008. Vaasan & Vaasan Group is the largest bakery business in Finland and the Baltic region, and the second largest Nordic operator in bake-off products. The Group’s Lithuanian company UAB Vilniaus Duona now runs one of the most modern and efficient bakery operations in the Baltics.

Building bigger and better in the Baltics

“The development of our Lithuanian production set-up is proceeding to plan. We now have an even stronger platform for success in the Lithuanian and Baltic markets,” says Kalle Tanhuanpää, Vaasan Managing Director and CEO. UAB Vilniaus Duona is a market leader in Lithuania with bakeries in Panevezys and the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, where a new plant is scheduled for completion in autumn 2008. Vilniaus Duona net sales for 2007 stood at MEUR 27.6 (MLTL 95.3) employing 650 people.

Investing in new technology

Vaasan & Vaasan has invested some MEUR 10 in Panevezys adding new production lines and equipment, leveraging Finnish expertise to bring the most modern technology to Lithuania. The plant also has new distribution facilities. The modernisation and extension has significantly increased productivity and production volumes at Panevezys. The plant produces both traditional rye and wheat items as well as innovative novelties to meet new consumer needs, baking ever tastier and fresher foods. 25.06.2008 (Source: Vaasan&Vaasan)

Summertime and the barbecuing’s easy with Mildola’s flavoured rapeseed oils!

Flavoured rapeseed oils produced by Finnish specialists Mildola Oy are the easy way to bring a whole new range of tastes to barbecue marinades. Mildola rapeseed oils come in lemon, lime-chili, herb, and butter flavours, making a great base to experiment with new combinations of summer tastes. “Our flavoured rapeseed oils have a deliciously distinctive taste that makes them ideal for barbecue marinades and does away with the need for other seasonings,” says Aarne Poutiainen, Sales Manager at Mildola Oy, which offers a wide range of oils for consumers and the food service industry.

Flavour first and last

Food can be flavoured prior to grilling by drizzling the oil on the ingredients just before taking the food off the grill. But your meals will benefit most from using the oil in a marinade. Mildola lime-chili oil is perfect for meat, fish and vegetables. Mix a wonderful barbeque sauce with Mildola’s Neito lime-chili oil, pineapple juice, soy, honey, garlic and white pepper to add real flavour to your barbecued food.

Convenient outdoor cooking

Rapeseed oil keeps well outdoors and can be stored near the barbecue. Ideal for all summer cooking and salad buffets, rapeseed oils are high in unsaturated fats and should form part of a healthy diet. 25.06.2008 (Source: Finfood)

Valio invests in increasing lactose free product production

As demand for e.g. Valio’s lactose free milk drinks continues to rise, the company is investing around 14 million euro in the expansion and automation of warehousing facilities to be completed in autumn 2009 at its Jyväskylä dairy. The dairy manufactures Valio’s special milks pasteurised using ESL (Extended Shelf Life) technology and production volumes may increase significantly beyond the current 80 million litres.

A fresher taste and a longer life

“Milks produced using ESL technology taste just like fresh milk, whereas the completely sterile ultra-high temperature (UHT) products have a boiled milk taste,” explains Matti Harju, Vice President, Valio Product Development. “Lactose free milk drinks are clearly the main product application for ESL technology at Valio. Normal milks will not be changed.” ESL technology is based on heating the product quickly to a temperature slightly in excess of normal pasteurisation, which improves shelf life as milk will keep for 16 days rather than seven. Valio employs ESL technology to produce lactose free milk drinks as well as other ESL technology based milks for export to e.g. Russia.

Valio Development Team receives Finnish Engineering Award

Valio expertise received further recognition in May as Dr Harju and his team were honoured for their development of the lactose free milk production process on which Valio holds an international patent. The team developed a leading-edge enzyme technology for the more complete degradation of lactose, as well as a new kind of membrane separation technology. “Our patented method returns the minerals to the milk after the filtration process in order to restore the fresh milk taste. Overcoming the challenge of getting the taste just right was a significant achievement and one which our competitors have yet to manage,” Dr Harju states.

Lactose free milk drink sales rising rapidly

Valio launched its lactose free milk drinks in 2001. Sales have exceeded expectations and quadrupled in 2004–2007, moving beyond Finland to Sweden, the Baltic States and Russia. Sales volumes are expected to increase by more than 10% in 2008, and the lactose free product range is expanding rapidly with nearly 40 items now available. Further information: Valio 11.06.2008 (Source: Finfood news / Valio)

Raisio Elovena oat flakes come with a CO2 emissions label

Raisio Group has added a label to its Elovena oat flake packages describing the product’s carbon footprint. The company has developed an indicator based on research conducted by MTT Agrifood Research Finland to calculate carbon dioxide emissions. “Raisio’s Elovena oat flakes and English Walkers crisps are the first consumer products in the world to carry information about the carbon dioxide emissions resulting from their manufacture,” says Heidi Hirvonen, Communications Manager at Raisio.

The real plus is a negative CO2 balance

Around 100 grams of oat flakes is equivalent to almost 300 grams of biomass, i.e. grain plus plant, which binds approximately 500 grams of carbon dioxide. According to a modified version of the balance calculation model used by the forest industry, the CO2 balance of 100 grams of oat flakes is about minus 460 grams, which means that the biomass binds more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than the processing phase produces. “The result clearly demonstrates that plant-based and locally produced food is the most environmentally sound option as we search for solutions to address the global climate challenge,” states Matti Rihko, CEO of Raisio.

Consumers demanding more information

Food packages of the future will carry information not only describing nutritional content as they do today but also about the product’s CO2 emissions. “I believe that in 2008 the effects of climate change will increasingly influence consumers’ buying decisions and people will vote with their feet. Consumers are with good reason interested in food products’ CO2 emissions, as food accounts for approximately one third of Finns’ carbon dioxide emissions, while living and traffic are responsible another third each,” Mr Rihko states.

Raisio adding more CO2 emissions labels later this year

Other grain-based products along with Elovena will carry a carbon footprint label, and product lifecycle research to achieve this has already begun, linked to MTT’s Foodchain study, calculating figures for cultivation through processing to retailer warehousing, commented Ms Hirvonen. Further information: Raisio 11.06.2008 (Source: Finfood news)

Healthier snacks gaining ground

New types of snack with health promoting properties are finding their market niche, launched in Finland as an alternative to potato crisps and salt sticks.

Rye snacks challenge crisps

Linkosuo launched its Ruisnappi chili-lemon and onion-garlic rye snacks in December 2007. The company’s Marketing Director, Timo Jänne, hopes the new products will find their way from the shops’ crispbread section to the snack shelves. Initial sales have already been good. “I just returned from the Private Label (PLMA) trade show in Amsterdam, and large retail chains showed intense interest in Ruisnappi. We received a substantial number of orders, have high expectations for the product, and will introduce new flavours at the turn of the year,” says Mr Jänne.

Less fat, more fibre

Ruisnappi rye snacks contain 12% dietary fibre, 72% rye by total weight, with a fat content of just 9.4%, and are produced using vegetable oil. In short, Ruisnappi contain less fat and more fibre than regular crisps. “Rye is a healthy and now fashionable ingredient,” Mr Jänne points out.

Real Snacks – When beetroot becomes a delicacy

Real Snacks, located in Pyhäntä in Finland’s Northern Ostrobothnia region, has expanded its product range with beetroot crisps and apple crisps. “Beetroot crisps are a delicacy first tailored with Finnish tastebuds in mind, the flavour given an edge with vinegar, garlic and pepper extract. The colour is just as attractive a shade of beetroot red as if the beetroot itself hadn’t even been dried,” says Mikko Tahkola, Managing Director of Real Snacks Oy. The method used to dry the crisps ensures that the vitamins, minerals and fibre are all retained. And Vitamin C has been added to the apple crisps. Real Snacks now produces snacks under its own brand and still manufactures private label products, such as Pirkka potato crisps.

SunSpelt cereal hailed Organic Product of the Year

“SunSpelt tomato garlic cereal is a snack product suitable for consumers of all ages. And its considerably lower fat and salt content makes it a healthy alternative to crisps. The product can be used for example as croutons in soups or as a savoury breakfast cereal,” commented the Finnish Union for Organic Farming at the award ceremony. SunSpelt’s tomato garlic cereal snack is made from spelt, a special species of wheat. Contact information: Linkosuo Real Snacks SunSpelt 11.06.2008 (Source: Finfood news)

Finnish Product of the Year chosen

The Star Product of the Year award bestowed by the Finnish Food and Drink Industries’ Federation (FFDIF) recognises the year’s leading Finnish food innovations, promoting product development and publicising the whole Finnish food industry. The winners were announced on 6th May 2008 at the Helsinki Fair Centre during the Finnish Food Congress, the largest professional training event for the food sector in Finland.

Retail and Food Service sectors

This year’s Retail category award went to HK Ruokatalo for its Via brand ready-to-eat foods. The Food Service category winner was Kasvis Galleria Oy with its Gourmet Bavaroise Stick. The jury gave honourable mentions to Kalaneuvos Uunilohifileet (baked salmon fillets) produced by Kalajalostetehdas V. Hukkanen Oy (Retail), and the range of fresh soups (Food Service) produced by Ruoka-Saarioinen Ltd, following their strong showing in the competition.

Innovation and commercial potential

The jury focuses on innovation and commercial potential. It placed special emphasis this year on products that ease cooking both at home and in the Food Service sector, products that take health issues properly into consideration, and that can be used in a variety of ways. Tastiness is also considered a key criterion. A total of 35 products or product ranges, 71 items in all, were entered into the competition. The jury scrutinised detailed product information, brochures and other materials submitted by the producers, and conducted sensory analyses in the form of e.g. product tastings. Twelve products made it to the final round and the members of the jury tested those products in their own kitchen before determining the winners. Further information about the competition: Finnish Food and Drink Industries’ Federation, Seppo Heiskanen, Director, R&D, Food Legislation, Tel. +358 9 1488 7230 Finnish Food and Drink Industries’ Federation, Sirpa Rinne, Communications Director, Tel. +358 9 1488 7238 The Finnish Food and Drink Industries’ Federation (FFDIF) represents and promotes the interests of the Finnish food and drink industry. The Federation has some 300 member companies and two member associations, who together cover more than 90% of food industry production in Finland. The food industry is the largest industry sector in Europe, and in Finland the biggest manufacturer of consumer goods and fourth largest industry employing 35,300 people. The entire grocery chain employs 12% of the Finnish labour force. 30.05.2008 (Source: ELINTARVIKETEOLLISUUSLIITTO ry, Finnish Food and Drink Industries’ Federation, www.etl.fi)

Finnish teas attracting aficionados abroad

Two tea companies in Finland have for three decades been acquiring an international reputation built solely on the merit of offering high quality teas and blends.

Growing demand by word of mouth

Suomen Elintarviketuonti Oy Nordqvist has yet to start exporting but demand for the company’s products, elegantly packaged in the Nordic style, has spread as far as Japan and the United States. “The look of the packages and our exclusive flavours appeal to the Japanese. Nordic design is fashionable in Japan and they have a preference there for the same types of flavoured teas as we do in Finland,” says Sales Manager Kristiina Nordqvist. Although green tea is perhaps Japan’s national drink, Nordqvist’s black-tea based Keisarin Morsian (“Emperor’s bride”) blend sells well there. And consumer surveys show that it has long been the most popular flavoured tea in Finland. In the US, Nordqvist products are mostly requested by coffee shops, whereas in the Baltic States they are sold in retail outlets.

Forsman export investment in the 1980s

Aaro Forsman Oy started exporting twenty years ago, first to Canada in 1989, recounts Managing Director Ari Santamäki. Our products had at that point already made their way to the USSR with Stockmann as the retailer expanded there. Forsman was then the first Finnish company to open a section in the revamped Kaubamaja department store in Tallinn at the turn of 1991/1992. Exports now account for 70–80 per cent of Forsman’s production. The company offers a total assortment of 400 items.

Reinvention in Russia

Our Russian export business grew to 700,000 kilos per year but was then hit by the country’s economic crisis in 1998. Forsman had however built a well-known and highly-valued brand by then, and after a couple of years, at the beginning of the millennium, the company returned to Russia with new ideas. Forsman started making direct contact with retailers and today the company’s warehouses in St. Petersburg and Moscow serve over 2,000 shops around the country. “There is a saying in Russia that a business must be ‘re-earned’ every seven years. We’re once again an established small operator and even though we’ve earned our spurs, the export environment remains challenging,” Mr Santamäki says. The Ukraine is another important export destination for Forsman, and the company’s tea products are also sold in the Baltic States, Belgium and most recently in Sweden, where Forsman sells five of its Fair Trade products to the Coop chain and a total of eight products are sold through ICA. Forsman has also tested the affluent Norwegian market.

Unique Finnish qualities

Finnish operators are unique in the tea industry, which is generally dominated by large international players. “We operate on an industrial scale so can supply goods to supermarkets, too,” says Mr Santamäki. We believe that what makes the types of tea packed and marketed by Finnish companies unique is that we do not conform to the European, Anglo-Saxon mainstream but use flavours from the Slavic world, as well as spices from the East. The Forsman ideology also involves tracking new trends. Direct contacts with raw material suppliers have enabled the launch of such novelties as rooibos, mate and hibiscus in the Finnish market. More information: Suomen Elintarviketuonti Oy Nordqvist Forsman 30.05.2008 (Source: Finfood news)

Finnish sweets in natural new flavours

Nordic berries and fruit with no additives put nature’s flavours into Malaco Truly sweets from Finnish confectioner Leaf, and together with new Tutti Frutti Naturals from Cloetta Fazer represent the best of new Finnish flavours in the confectionary industry.

Tutti Frutti Naturals from Cloetta Fazer

Tutti Frutti Naturals are flavoured with pure berry and fruit juices, and contain no preservatives, colouring agents or artificial sweeteners. “These products bring together wonderful flavours and natural ingredients,” says Laura Siltanen, Product Group Manager at Cloetta Fazer. The combination is the result of extensive product development. “We took the first steps down nature’s path last year with the launch of the Tastes of Nature bags containing dried fruit, nuts, and chocolate.” We believe the demand for natural products is no passing fad and have now launched two new flavours: Tropical Sunny Fruits, and closer to home Nordic Berries, naturally found in Nordic nature. While there is a clear trend towards natural products in the confectionary market, driven for instance by consumer interest in well-being, taste is still decisive in the purchasing decision. Tutti Frutti Naturals 120 gram bags mirror the fashion for small, high-quality, stylish packaging that is expected to attract adults in particular.

Malaco Truly from Leaf

Malaco Truly sweets launched by Leaf in 2007 and marketed to adults also come in small bags, and as well as using fruit juice to create fresh flavours, contain 30 per cent less sugar. Malaco Truly packages were designed in the distinctive style that international markets recognize as the hallmark of natural products. The white bags simply feature a picture of just a few sweets with no large text or other information that would spoil the aesthetic appeal. More information: Malaco Truly Cloetta Fazer 30.05.2008 (Source: Finfood news)

“CIFOR Japan Day”

I’m delighted to announce that CIFOR and Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute (FFPRI), Japan, will co-host the inaugural: “CIFOR Japan Day” Wed, 15 October 2008 Supported by the Embassy of Japan in Indonesia and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Indonesia Office. The purpose of the event is to provide momentum for a more flexible and multi-faceted relationship between Japanese experts and CIFOR scientists by introducing relevant Japanese activities in forest research and technical cooperation. A broad cross-section of expert speakers from FFPRI, JICA and academia climate change, illegal logging and biodiversity. They will include: - Prof. Masahiro Amano, Waseda University, a key advisor to the Japanese Government - Moriyoshi ISHIZUKA (Principal Research Coordinator, FFPRI) - Yasuhisa TANAKA (Chief Advisor, The Project for the support on Forest Resources Management through Leveraging Satellite Image Information, JICA) - Hiroyasu OKA (FFPRI) - Takeshi NABETA (Expert, Forest Fire Prevention Project by Initiative of People in Buffer Zone, JICA) - Kenji FUKUYAMA and Ken SUGIMURA (FFPRI) - Takeshi TOMA (Bureau of International Partnership, FFPRI) - Masayoshi TAKAHASHI (FFPRI) - Presenter tbc, (Gunung Halimun Salak National Park Management Plan, JICA) - Toshihisa HONMA and Mitsuru OSAKI (Hokkaido University) To facilitate constructive dialogue, presentations by the speakers will be followed by a poster session during which interested parties can learn more and discuss opportunities for potential collaboration. Discussions will be further lubricated with sushi and sake at the pool side in the evening! A tentative agenda is as follows, with a detailed agenda to follow. All interested parties are encouraged to attend! 19 September 2008 (Source: CGIAR, CIFOR)

XIIIth World Forestry Congress (WFC). 18- 25 October 2009. Buenos Aires - Argentina.

The XIIIth World Forestry Congress (WFC), which will be held in Buenos Aires (Argentina) from 18-25 October 2009, is being organized by the Government of Argentina in collaboration with the FAO Forestry Department. The main objective of the Congress is to provide a forum for the exchange of personal experiences and for discussions on topics related to forestry activities, involving professionals and other interested people from all over the world. Approximately 6,000 participants from more than 160 countries are expected. Activities at the congress will include conferences, round-table discussions, poster presentations, parallel events, exhibits, study and technical tours. All will focus on subjects related to the main subject theme of the WFC: “Forests in development – a vital balance”. Both the Congress and the related International Forestry Exhibition will take place in “La Rural” exhibition centre, one of the most important of its kind in all of Latin America. In the fortnight following the Congress, a wide range of tourist and technical tours will be offered in order to allow participants to visit the fascinating landscapes and natural environments of Argentina. The first call for voluntary papers and posters will be carried out in October 2007. You are cordially invited to visit the XIIIth World Forestry Congress 2009 official web page: www.wfc2009.org. Given the global relevance of this congress, we would be thankful for your collaboration in forwarding our webpage to your friends, peers or professional organizations, in order to alert as many interested people as possible to this important event. 13 September 2008 (Source: CGIAR, CIFOR)

IFPRI Receives $2.5 Million Grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to Support the World’s Leading Database on Agricultural Science and Technology

PRESS RELEASE

Improving Information, Increasing Agricultural Productivity: IFPRI Receives $2.5 Million Grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to Support the World's Leading Database on Agricultural Science and Technology The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) today announced it received a $2.5 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to expand and update the Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators (ASTI) database on investment and human capacity trends in agricultural research and development (R&D). The database will focus on Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where poverty and malnutrition are most acute. The ASTI is a global research and data gathering program spearheaded by IFPRI on behalf of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research. Agricultural science and technology indicators are scarce in developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, where South Africa is the only country to track national indicators in this field. To fill this gap, the ASTI initiative compiles internationally comparable data on investments in agricultural research and development worldwide, analyzes the information, and reports on trends. "Providing policymakers with better information can enhance decision-making and increase agricultural productivity, ultimately improving the lives of poor rural families and spurring national economic growth," explained Nienke Beintema, head of the ASTI initiative. "Information is critical for understanding the important contribution of agricultural science and technology in promoting agricultural growth, and sound science and technology policies require access to current and reliable data." Investment in agricultural R&D has stagnated in many developing countries, despite the fact that studies show that improvements in agricultural productivity largely result from new technologies and innovations, which in turn are dependent on investment in research and development. With the ever-increasing scarcity of land and water, and the diversion of land from food to biofuels production, productivity gains have become the main source of growth in agriculture and the primary means to satisfy the burgeoning demand for food. Such improvements in productivity are all the more important in the context of high food prices. "Well-funded, staffed, and managed agricultural research systems, and new and better-targeted technologies are important prerequisites for successful innovations in agriculture," said Kwadwo Asenso-Okyere, director of the International Service for National Agricultural Research division at IFPRI. "The foundation's support for the Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators initiative is welcome recognition of the critical role of agricultural science and technology in solving important global problems." The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's agricultural development initiative is working with a wide range of partners to provide millions of small farmers in the developing world—most of whom are women—with tools and opportunities to boost their productivity, increase their incomes and build better lives for themselves and their families. To date, the foundation has committed more than $800 million in efforts across the entire agricultural value chain—from seeds and soil to farm management and market access—as well as data collection, research and policy analysis. "Robust data is a critical component in the effort to help small farmers boost their yields and overcome poverty," said Prabhu Pingali, deputy director of policy and statistics for the foundation's agricultural development initiative. "The Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators initiative is one tool that will provide the data necessary to inform decisions on how to target future investments in agricultural research and development so that smallholder farmers can build better lives for themselves and their families." The grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will be supplemented by a $750,000 commitment from IFPRI and will fund a new phase of ASTI for three years, beginning in mid-2008. 5 September 2008 (Source: CGIAR)

International Scientific Congress on Climate Change, "Climate Change: Global Risks, Challenges and Decisions", 10-12 March 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark

The University of Copenhagen is hosting an international scientific congress on climate change under the heading "Climate Change: Global Risks, Challenges and Decisions", 10-12 March 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The congress is organised in cooperation with nine other universities in the International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU). The main aim of the congress is to provide a synthesis of existing and emerging scientific knowledge necessary in order to make intelligent societal decisions concerning application of mitigation and adaptation strategies in response to climate change. CIFOR is involved in organizing the parallel session “The role of forests in mitigating climate change.” The session will accommodate approximately 12 presenters, with additional poster presentations. We are now soliciting submission of abstracts for those interested in presenting at this session. Please send in your abstract by September 15th. Abstracts will be reviewed and you will be notified of your selection by the end of October. 2 September 2008 (Source: CGIAR, CIFOR)

Improving Information, Increasing Agricultural Productivity

IFPRI Receives $2.5 Million Grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to Support the World’s Leading Database on Agricultural Science and Technology. The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) today announced it received a $2.5 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to expand and update the Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators (ASTI) database on investment and human capacity trends in agricultural research and development (R&D). The database will focus on Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, where poverty and malnutrition are most acute. The ASTI is a global research and data gathering program spearheaded by IFPRI on behalf of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research. Agricultural science and technology indicators are scarce in developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, where South Africa is the only country to track national indicators in this field. To fill this gap, the ASTI initiative compiles internationally comparable data on investments in agricultural research and development worldwide, analyzes the information, and reports on trends. “Providing policymakers with better information can enhance decision-making and increase agricultural productivity, ultimately improving the lives of poor rural families and spurring national economic growth,” explained Nienke Beintema, head of the ASTI initiative. “Information is critical for understanding the important contribution of agricultural science and technology in promoting agricultural growth, and sound science and technology policies require access to current and reliable data.” Investment in agricultural R&D has stagnated in many developing countries, despite the fact that studies show that improvements in agricultural productivity largely result from new technologies and innovations, which in turn are dependent on investment in research and development. With the ever-increasing scarcity of land and water, and the diversion of land from food to biofuels production, productivity gains have become the main source of growth in agriculture and the primary means to satisfy the burgeoning demand for food. Such improvements in productivity are all the more important in the context of high food prices. “Well-funded, staffed, and managed agricultural research systems, and new and better-targeted technologies are important prerequisites for successful innovations in agriculture,” said Kwadwo Asenso-Okyere, director of the International Service for National Agricultural Research division at IFPRI. “The foundation’s support for the Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators initiative is welcome recognition of the critical role of agricultural science and technology in solving important global problems.” The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s agricultural development initiative is working with a wide range of partners to provide millions of small farmers in the developing world—most of whom are women—with tools and opportunities to boost their productivity, increase their incomes and build better lives for themselves and their families. To date, the foundation has committed more than $800 million in efforts across the entire agricultural value chain—from seeds and soil to farm management and market access—as well as data collection, research and policy analysis. “Robust data is a critical component in the effort to help small farmers boost their yields and overcome poverty,” said Prabhu Pingali, deputy director of policy and statistics for the foundation’s agricultural development initiative. “The Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators initiative is one tool that will provide the data necessary to inform decisions on how to target future investments in agricultural research and development so that smallholder farmers can build better lives for themselves and their families.” The grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will be supplemented by a $750,000 commitment from IFPRI and will fund a new phase of ASTI for three years, beginning in mid-2008. 3 September 2008 (Source: CGIAR, www.ifpri.org)

CIAT's New E-Newsletter

CIAT's new quarterly e-newsletter "Challenges & Innovations" was launched last 12 August in replacement of its previous bulletin, CIAT-News, and distributed to a vast audience of over 36,000 subscribers, including researchers, donors, NARS, and stakeholders of different countries. This e-newsletter, also published in Spanish, aims to become one of the Center's main communication channels to disseminate the advances and impact of its research in the tropics. Challenges & Innovations has two main sections: one contains stories highlighting CIAT's research and the other, news items on the Center's diverse activities. 29 August 2008 (Source: CGIAR)

US$72 million in loans and grants for rural poverty programmes and projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America

IFAD’s Executive Board concludes meeting at its headquarters IFAD’s Executive Board approved more than US$70 million in loans and US$1.6 million in grants for two programmes and three projects that will help poor rural people in developing countries overcome poverty. The 93rd session of the Board, which met in Rome from 24 to 25 April, approved an additional US$12.42 million in grants to support agricultural research and development activities in rural regions of poor countries

Western and Central Africa to receive US$4.25 million in loans

In Cape Verde, a loan of US$4.25 million will help strengthen and expand the work of the existing Rural Poverty Alleviation Programme. The additional funds will improve the lives of about 60,000 poor rural people, particularly women, by further integrating them into Cape Verde’s fast-growing economy. The programme will improve food security and nutrition, diversify incomes, improve market access, and raise production and productivity in agriculture, fisheries and livestock. The existing Rural Alleviation Programme will be expanded to cover all rural areas of Cape Verde, using legal, institutional and financial mechanisms that have already proved effective in reducing rural poverty during the first two stages of the programme.

Eastern and Southern Africa to receive US$5.6 million in loans and US$0.40 million in grants

A new programme in the Republic of Mauritius willsupport the government’s pro-poor reform agenda as the country undergoes a period of economic adjustment. The government has requested IFAD assistance in agriculture, rural development and pro-poor policy reform. The programme will help develop pro-poor policies and programmes within the framework of the Mauritius Reform Programme and contribute to the reform of marine resources policy. It will work to improve, on a sustainable basis, the livelihoods of coastal communities threatened by the over-exploitation of the marine environment. It will also help rural households diversify their on- and off-farm enterprises, and provide training to improve the job prospects of participants.

Asia and the Pacific to receive US$56.86 million in loans and US$1.161 million in grants

A loan of US$30.3 million and a grant of US$600,000 will increase agricultural production and boost employment prospects for 95,000 poor households in the Republic of India. The project will increase income generating activities primarily in the livestock, handicraft and tourism sectors. It will also improve watershed management and farming practices, promote self-employment as well as wage employment opportunities, and provide access to financial services and markets. Participants in the project are from the poorest households in Western Rajasthan, which suffers from a harsh arid climate and low and erratic rainfall. They include landless labourers, small and marginal farmers, owners of marginal land or wastelands, traditional artisans, women, and young people with no employable skill sets. In the Philippines, a US$26.56 million loan and US$561,000 grant will support the second phase of a project that successfully reduced poverty among indigenous peoples in the uplands of the Cordillera region in the northern Philippines. The project focuses on environmentally sustainable indigenous farming systems. Joint public/private ventures will help improve the links to high-value niche markets, allowing participants to receive premium prices for their products. About 34 per cent of the 190,000 inhabitants are expected to benefit from the project. Livelihoods will be improved and enhanced watershed management and conservation will lead to many environmental benefits, including greater protection of groundwater tables and reduced land degradation.

Latin America and the Caribbean to receive US$4.2 million in loans

Persistent poverty and limited access to financial services and markets in rural Panama will be tackled by a participatory development and rural modernization project, supported by a US$4.2 million loan. The project will empower poor rural people and their organizations by helping them become active participants in their own development. It will also improve income potential and job opportunities by helping producers identify dynamic markets and sell their products in these markets. About 10,000 people are expected to benefit from the project. The Executive Board approved two grants under the global/regional grants window to CGIAR-supported international centres for a total of US$3 million:

- International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), for the Programme Linking Livelihoods of Poor Smallholder Farmers to Emerging Environmentally Progressive Agro-industrial Markets

- World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), for the Programme on Rewards for Use of and Shared Investment in Pro-poor Environmental Services (RUPES-II)

The Executive Board approved seven grants under the global/regional window to non-CGIAR-supported international centres and organizations for a total of US$8.17 million:

- Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO): Regional Capacity-building and Knowledge Management for Gender Equality programme;

- FAO: Medium-term Cooperation Programme with Farmers’ Organizations in Asia and the Pacific Region

- Self Employed Women’s Association: Medium-term Cooperation Programme with Farmers’ Organizations in Asia and the Pacific Region

- West Africa Rural Foundation for the FIDAFRIQUE-IFAD AFRICA Network: Programme for Promoting Knowledge-sharing and Innovation for Rural Poverty Reduction in sub-Saharan Africa

- International Development Research Centre (IDRC): Regional Research and Dissemination Programme on Campesino Innovations

- International Network for Bamboo and Rattan: Programme for Enhanced Bamboo-based Smallholder Livelihood Opportunities –Phase II

- Traidcraft Exchange: Local Market Services Development Project

The Executive Board also approved a grant (under the global/regional window) to the Global Mechanism of the United Nations for US$1.25 million:

- Global Mechanism of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in those Countries Experiencing

Serious Droughts and/or Desertification, particularly in Africa: Programme for Designing Integrated Financing Strategies for UNCCD Implementation in Selected Countries of Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean IFAD’s Executive Board is the organization’s second main governing body, consisting of 18 elected members and 18 alternate members elected for a three-year term of office. The Board meets three times a year in April, September and December. It has full authority to decide on the programme of work, to approve projects, programmes and grants, and to adopt or recommend action, pending the final approval of the Governing Council, on matters related to policy, the annual administrative budget, applications for membership and staffing. Release number IFAD/26/08, Rome, 28 April 2008 (Source IFAD)

US$200 million from IFAD to help poor farmers boost food production in face of food crisis

IFAD President urges action now to ensure high yields from next harvest IFAD is making up to US$200 million available to support poor farmers preparing for the forthcoming cropping season. Lennart Båge, President of IFAD, speaking after the meeting of IFAD’s Executive Board, outlined how US$200 million of IFAD funds could be used to help boost agricultural production for the next cropping season and so respond to the immediate needs of poor rural farmers and the rest of the world: “Hundreds of millions of poor people face hunger and malnutrition because of rising food prices. The capacity of the world’s 450 million smallholder farmers to respond by growing more food is at risk because of spiralling energy and fertiliser prices,” Båge said. “Poor farmers are not reaping the benefits of higher food prices because they cannot afford the fertiliser or seeds to plant next season’s crops. “Poor rural farmers are central to any solution to today’s global food crisis and the long term problems of hunger and poverty.” Båge spoke of the need for a concerted, comprehensive and coordinated effort by the international community, without which millions of poor people would face the prospect of slipping back into abject poverty: “A three-pronged approach is needed: first, emergency food aid to feed the hungry today; secondly, immediate support in the short-term to allow smallholder farmers to plant next season’s crops; and thirdly, longer term investment in agriculture to guarantee food security, nutrition and rural development and to eliminate the root causes of hunger. “The world has under-invested in agriculture and rural development for far too long. It is high time to put this right,” Båge said. IFAD operates in the majority of the 37 countries identified by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) as most badly affected by today’s high food prices. IFAD is working with the FAO, the World Food Programme (WFP) and other partners, as well as with the government of these countries, to ensure an effective and efficient response to the global food crisis. Release number IFAD/25/08, Rome, 25 April 2008 (Source IFAD)

Saudi Arabia’s announcement of US$50 million contribution to the 8th Replenishment of IFAD’s Resources welcomed by IFAD President, Lennart Båge

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia today announced its contribution of US$50 million to the 8th Replenishment of IFAD’s resources. The Kingdom became the first IFAD Member State to pledge resources to this Replenishment. The announcement was made by Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Representative to IFAD, HE Bandar Bin Shalhoub, during a two-day Replenishment Consultation Session in Rome attended by representatives of IFAD Member States. This contribution is a five fold increase over Saudi Arabia’s US$10 million contribution to the 7th Replenishment of IFAD’s in 2005. Welcoming the announcement, IFAD President, Lennart Båge, expressed his “gratitude to His Majesty King Abdullah Bin AbdulAziz Al-Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, for this gesture of strong support to IFAD’s mission to increase food production through higher investment in agriculture in developing countries, particularly in the context of meeting the challenge of the present global food crisis.” In light of these new challenges and the need to meet the Millennium Development Goals, IFAD is reviewing its programme of work for the period 2010-12 and assessing its financial requirements in consultation with Member States. The Fund is proposing to increase its programme of work up to USD 3 billion to help meet new demands and increase its impact on food availability and the livelihoods of poor rural people. Båge expressed the “hope that Saudi Arabia’s increase of contribution will inspire IFAD’s Member States to consider increasing their contributions.” With its new contribution pledge, Saudi Arabia’s total pledged contributions to IFAD’s resource since the agency’s establishment in 1977, amounts to US$440 million. At the same Replenishment session, Bangladesh became the second IFAD Member State to announce its contribution, that of US$600,000. Release number IFAD/24/08, Rome, 23 April 2008 (Source IFAD)

IFAD-supported project will boost incomes of 126,000 households in Angola by improving agricultural productivity and revitalizing markets

A new project in Angola will increase incomes of rural smallholders in the provinces of Bié, Huambo and Malanje by improving agricultural productivity and revitalizing markets. The US$49.5 million Market-oriented Smallholder Agriculture Project will be partly financed by an IFAD loan ofUS$8.2 million. The loan agreement was signed today at IFAD headquarters by Angola’s Ambassador to Italy, Manuel Pedro Pacavira, and IFAD’s President, Lennart Båge. The World Bank will contribute US$30.1 million to the project and the Government of Japan an additional US$4 million. The Government of Angola will provide US$4.1 million and project participants, the equivalent of US$3 million. After almost three decades of war, peace in Angola has opened the way for reconstruction,yet the war left the country with one of the highest poverty levels in the world: 68 per cent of Angolans live below the poverty line; and 15 per cent of households live in extreme poverty. “Angola could be a rich agricultural country, but the war and lack of investment have severely held back the sector,” said Carla Ferreira, IFAD’s country programme manager for Angola. “However, we see a significant potential to increase agricultural production by expanding the average area that each farmer cultivates, increasing labour productivity and making markets more efficient,” she said. “That is what this project is going to tackle.” Some 126,000 households in the area are expected to directly benefit from the project. Most are smallholder farmers who cultivate on average 1-2 hectares of cropland. A large proportion of these households consist of recently returned persons who have taken up farming. The project activities will begin in the province of Bié, and will later be expanded to Malanje and Huambo. The project will establish community-driven participatory processes to identify local needs for small-scale agricultural investments, which will be funded through matching grants. It will build the capacity of private-sector service providers and improve links with other development organizations. The project has a gender-sensitive design, and includes budgeting for childcare to enable women to attend training courses. To improve farmers’ skills and knowledge, the project will set up Farmer Field Schools, hold workshops, exchange visits and study tours at both the municipal and provincial levels to share lessons in project implementation in the different target areas. The project will also provide the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and other relevant institutions with skills and equipment to improve their capacity, and will help develop an appropriate policy framework for agricultural intensification and marketing. Experience gained during implementation will inform the capacity-building activities of the policy and strategic planning units of the Ministry of Agriculture. IFAD’s primary objective in post-conflict Angola is to ensure food security and help increase incomes, particularly for people living in the poorest areas of the central highlands. IFAD’s programmes and projects address vulnerable groups such as women and households headed by women, as well as young people, demobilized soldiers and displaced persons. With this project, IFAD has provided a total US$44.3 million for five projects, directly benefiting 311,800 households. Release number IFAD/23/08, Rome, 16 April 2008 (Source IFAD)

Urgent measures required to reduce impact of high food prices on the poor

UN Agency chiefs highlight role of agro-industries

Urgent measures are needed to ensure that short-term adverse effects of higher food prices do not impact even more alarmingly on the very poor, FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf said today. Addressing the first Global Agro-Industries Forum in New Delhi, along with the heads of UNIDO and IFAD, Dr Diouf highlighted the important role that agro-industry had to play in overcoming these problems. “World food prices have risen 45 percent in the last nine months and there are serious shortages of rice, wheat and maize,” Dr Diouf said. A combination of factors, including reduced production due to climate change, historically low levels of stocks, higher consumption of meat and dairy products in emerging economies, increased demand for biofuels production and the higher cost of energy and transport have led to surges in food prices. UNIDO’s Director-General, Kandeh K. Yumkella, said: “Climate change will impose great stresses on the world’s ability to feed ever growing populations. This challenge brings new threats to arable land areas, livestock rearing and fisheries through droughts, water shortages and pollution of land, air and sea. It is, after all, agricultural and livestock production that provide the raw materials that are basic to human existence – especially food.” The President of IFAD, Lennart Båge, told the conference that in recent years, a number of developing countries have become net importers of food. In countries from Bangladesh to Zambia, nearly 40 per cent of the population was undernourished. “The explosive and rapid rise of food prices is worsening their situation,” Båge said. “With greater investment in agriculture and rural development, the world’s 400 million smallholders could mobilize their under-utilized potential, not only to improve their own nutrition and incomes but to enhance national food security and overall economic growth,” the IFAD President said.

Potential of agro-industry

Dr Diouf said: “It is essential to increase agricultural investment in water control and infrastructure and to facilitate small farmer access to inputs, so they can raise their productivity.” He stressed the importance of effective marketing and processing systems for agricultural products. “Agro-industry helps preserve foodstuffs, add value and reduce post-harvest losses; it enables products to travel longer distances, including to the rapidly expanding cities,” he noted. “For its part, agro-industry generates demand for agricultural products and holds vast potential for off-farm rural employment. It also adds significant value to farm production, whether for domestic or export markets.” The Global Agro-Industries Forum, being held from April 8-11, has attracted over 500 participants from 120 countries. Both government and private sectors are represented and there are also participants from NGOs and farmer organizations.

Benefit sharing

The Agency Heads warned that the benefits of agro-industrial development might not be universally shared, as small agricultural enterprises are facing difficulties in some countries. Customs tariffs, non-tariff barriers, standards and certification requirements, and export volumes demanded constitute major impediments for many small exporters. Urbanization, rising incomes and women joining the labour market in many countries have boosted demand for convenience food. Worldwide, processed food and beverages now account for 80 percent of total food and drink sales, which rose 57 percent between 2001 and 2007. Partly in response to this trend, there has been a rapid expansion of supermarkets in many countries, notably in Latin America and Southeast Asia. FAO, in partnership with the other agencies and NGOs, is working to establish solid links between small farmers and buyers, by grouping and organizing farmers into producer associations and cooperatives. Dr Yumkella said that for the UN system and its development partners the challenge was to cooperate: to help agro-industrial enterprises to grow and flourish; to provide jobs and create wealth; and, thus to foster sustainable economic and human development. The New Delhi Forum is jointly organized by FAO, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), in close collaboration with the Government of India. FAO is also organizing a High-Level Conference on “World Food Security: the Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy” at its headquarters in Rome from 3 to 5 June 2008, thus offering a forum for Heads of State and Government to discuss the pressing challenges facing global food security and to adopt required actions to deal with the situation. Release number IFAD/22/08, 9 April 2008, New Delhi (Source IFAD)

IFAD Vice-President Kanayo Nwanze calls for increased resources to tackle the triple scourge of poverty, climate change and high food prices

IFAD Vice-President Kanayo Nwanze has called on African countries and international donors to step up their efforts to mobilize greater investment in agriculture and rural development. “Rapid agricultural and rural development holds the key to eliminating poverty in Africa,” Nwanze told a meeting of African Union and United Nations delegates. “A concerted, coordinated and collective effort is the most effective way to tackle the triple scourge of poverty, climate change and high food prices and to guarantee a sustainable future for women, marginalized groups and smallholder farmers in Africa.” Nwanze was addressing delegates at the first annual meeting of the African Union/United Nations Economic Commission for Africa Conference of Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, held this week in Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia. This meeting comes at an opportune moment, midway to the 2015 deadline for achieving the Millennium Development Goals, Nwanze said. Although the MDGs have galvanized unprecedented commitment to meet the needs of the world’s poorest, progress towards poverty reduction targets has been uneven, especially in the rural areas, and particularly in Africa. The situation in Africa, and particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, remains critical. Recent food price riots in some African countries are likely to expand in the coming months. “The escalation of social unrest we have seen in Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Senegal may become commonplace in other African countries,” Nwanze said. The proportion of people in sub-Saharan Africa living in extreme poverty remains above 40 per cent. Similarly, although the proportion of undernourished people in Africa decreased very slightly between 1990 and 2000, from 29 per cent to 27 per cent, the absolute number of undernourished people in Africa increased by about 20 per cent, from 174 million to 212 million during the same period. A disastrous combination of rising temperatures, climate variability, uncertain growing seasons, decreased water availability, new pests and diseases, and decreasing biodiversity has the potential to reverse recent progress in reducing poverty in many parts of the world. In Africa, at least 75 million people will be at risk of increased water stress, and the amount of arid land will increase. Investment in agriculture is key to boosting economic growth in poor countries, reducing rural poverty and enabling the world to achieve the first MDG of halving poverty and hunger by 2015, Nwanze said. IFAD has spent the past 30 years working in Africa to reduce rural poverty. Today, IFAD is one of the principal external financiers of agricultural development on the continent. Across the region, IFAD is working to assist governments and their national partners to develop and implement policies and their programmes for reducing rural poverty and enhancing the performance of the agricultural sector. IFAD is currently providing financial support to more than 120 programmes and projects in Africa. These projects are worth over $2.6 billion, just under half of which is provided by IFAD and the remaining amount from partners, including national governments. Release number IFAD/21/08, Addis-Ababa, 2 April 2008 (Source IFAD)

IFAD President Båge is received by His Highness the Emir of Qatar

IFAD’s President Lennart Båge yesterday concluded a visit to the State of Qatar during which he was received by His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar. The meeting was attended by His Excellency Sheikh Abdul Rahman Bin Khalifa Bin Abdul Azziz Al Thani, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture. Båge thanked His Highness the Emir for Qatar’s strong support and for the leadership role played by Qatar in helping to strengthen IFAD’s capacity to help tackle some of the challenges facing poor rural people in developing countries. He reiterated his gratitude for Qatar’s hosting of the fourth session of the 7th Replenishment of IFAD’s Resources in Doha, in October 2005, and its pledge of US$10 million towards that replenishment During the meeting, His Highness the Emir expressed concern about rising food prices and their impact on poor people in developing countries. The need for greater investment in agriculture and food production - in response to high and rising demand – by allocating a greater share of Official Development Assistance (ODA) to the agricultural sector was discussed during the meeting. ODA for this sector decreased from 18 percent in 1979 to 2.9 percent in 2006. His Highness the Emir highlighted his country’s efforts to help poor farmers, including support for farmers in Mauritania and the Sudan, and other countries. Initiatives such as long-term buying contracts between Qatari firms and farmer groups have been explored. Ways of tackling the issues more globally were discussed at the meeting, including through the work of IFAD as the only UN organization and international financial institution devoted exclusively to financing rural poverty reduction through agricultural and rural development. Given a successful outcome of the 8th replenishment, IFAD plans to invest US$3 billion in projects worth US$6 billion over the period 2010-2012. Higher aid to agricultural development is crucial, not only to achieving the first Millennium Development Goal of halving the proportion of people living in extreme poverty and hunger by 2015, but also to increasing productivity in order to meet the rising demand for agricultural commodities. Achieving higher investment will very much depend on the political will. In this context, President Båge praised Qatar's commitment to supporting development assistance and expressed the hope of seeing Qatar increase significantly its contribution to IFAD's 8th Replenishment. Issues to be discussed at the Follow-up Conference on Financing for Development to be held in Doha later this year (29 November - 2 December) were reviewed. It was agreed that more resources will need to be invested in agricultural and rural development. While reviewing bilateral issues, it was agreed to build on the positive experience of training Qatari nationals in agriculture management through IFAD-supported capacity building programmes. Båge thanked His Highness the Emir for Qatar’s sponsorship of library facilities at IFAD’s new headquarters building in Rome and extended an invitation to His Highness the Emir to visit the new headquarters when next in Rome.. Earlier in the day, Båge met with His Excellency Sheikh Abdul Rahman Bin Khalifa Bin Abdul Azziz Al Thani, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture. The two discussed cooperation between IFAD and Qatar including IFAD’s recent grant to Qatar’s Regional Centre for Plant Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, the training of Qatari nationals in the management of agricultural development projects (through IFAD-supported capacity building programmes) and the cofinancing of IFAD projects including those in member countries of the Organization of the Islamic Conference Organizations. The Minister spoke of the positive feedback received from ministry officials who took part in IFAD’s Management Training in Agriculture Programme (NENAMTA) in Jordan, Lebanon Syria and Yemen. It was agreed that more capacity building opportunities for Qatari nationals will be developed. During his visit, Båge also toured the second edition of the Qatar’s International Agricultural Exhibition. Release number IFAD/20/08, Rome, 28 March 2008 (Source IFAD)

First global forum on agro-industries - India will host FAO/UNIDO/IFAD conference in April

India will host the first global conference on agro-industries, to be held in New Delhi from 8-11 April 2008. The Global Agro-Industries Forum (GAIF) will promote the importance of agro-industries for economic development and poverty reduction. Around 500 senior representatives from the agro-industry, governments, technical and financing institutions, civil society and UN agencies will discuss the potential of agro-industries and the challenges they are facing. The conference is jointly organised by FAO, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), in close collaboration with the government of India. Rapid globalization, market liberalization, and urbanization have created new opportunities for countries to trade agricultural and food products; however, they have also created challenges and increased risks. Countries with inefficient agro-industries are likely to be left behind those with modern and efficient agro-industries. While high-income countries add, on average, US$180 of value by processing one tonne of agricultural products, developing countries generate only US$40 of value per tonne. Increasing the market opportunities particularly for small-scale producers in rural areas, by improving their production, processing and marketing capabilities, will be one of the main issues of the conference. Delivering better products at lower prices could be beneficial for poor consumers and could also create employment opportunities. The forum will also encourage dialogue between the private and public sector in order to foster partnerships for developing competitive agro-industries. The Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh will officially inaugurate the Forum, together with Jacques Diouf, Director General of FAO, Kandeh K. Yumkella, Director General of UNIDO and Lennart Bage, President of IFAD on April 9, 2008. Release number IFAD/19/08, 26 March 2008, Rome (Source IFAD)

IFAD intervenes to support recovery in aftermath of Madagascar cyclone

Cyclone Ivan struck the island of Madagascar destroying crops, livestock and buildings and leaving more than 150,000 people homeless. The eye of the cyclone passed over an IFAD-supported project on the east coast of the island. With a force equal to that of hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, and winds of over 200 km per hour, Ivan swept across the eastern and central parts of the country, causing widespread destruction. The cyclone has caused massive and lasting disruption in areas that were both poor and remote. In addition to the men, women and children who have been left homeless, many small farmers have lost their livelihoods. Basic infrastructure such as roads, bridges, schools and health centres has been damaged or destroyed. "The rice harvest was due to take place shortly," said IFAD country programme manager Benoît Thierry in a report broadcast on CNN. “About 50,000 hectares of rice and more than 100,000 hectares of other crops have been flooded. Fruit and spice trees have been uprooted, vegetable gardens and orchards destroyed, pigs and poultry have perished and fishing communities have lost boats and nets.” IFAD's Rural Income Promotion Project, launched in 2004, had advanced well and achieved results particularly in improving incomes for small farmers producing spices, fruits and vegetables in two regions of the east coast, from the island of Sainte Marie to the south of Tamatave. The project focuses on strengthening value chains for key agricultural products, with improved market access and linkages to the fair trade system. Now houses and livelihoods in the area have been destroyed. "It will take many months to rehabilitate the productive capacity of these families," said Thierry. The IFAD project has issued a preliminary report on the destruction caused by the cyclone and it is continuing to assess the damage. The infrastructure put in place by the IFAD project was fortunately cyclone-proof and survived the impact of Ivan. This will provide an important basis for the recovery effort. The Government of Madagascar through its Disaster Committee BNGRC has called for international assistance on 22nd February. On 3 March a flash appeal was launched by the United Nations. IFAD is lending its whole-hearted support to this international appeal, which is led by UNOCHA, UNICEF and WFP. As a rural development agency, IFAD does not deal with emergency humanitarian relief, but it is committed to help rebuild the productive capacity and livelihoods of the rural poor people in the area hit by cyclone Ivan. IFAD’s immediate post-cyclone intervention will focus on providing cereals and vegetable seeds, replanting fruit tree nurseries and repairing irrigation channels, so that farmers can replace lost crops - US$500,000 have been set aside for this objective. Cyclones are common in Madagascar, but in recent years they have grown in intensity and frequency. Seven cyclones hit the country in 2007 and cyclone Ivan was the worst since the 1980s. This latest disaster provides further proof of climate change and its devastating consequences for the world's poorest communities. IFAD is committed to the design of climate-proof projects and urges other development agencies to do the same. Release number IFAD/18/08, Rome, 4 March 2008 (Source IFAD)

A new IFAD-supported project in Morocco will boost the local economy of the mountain zones of Errachidia Province

A new US$27 million project in Morocco will help about 140,000 poor rural people benefit from microfinance services and vocational training to start on- and off-farm microenterprises. The US$27 million Rural Development Project in the Mountain Zones of Errachidia Province will help boost agricultural production and the local economy. Errachidia, which is part of the Meknès-Tafilalet Region, is among the country’s poorest provinces. IFAD will provide a loan of US$18.3 million and a grant of US$500,000 to finance the project. The loan agreement was signed today at IFAD’s headquarters in Rome by Lennart Båge, President of IFAD, and Tajeddine Baddou, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to Italy. The Government of Morocco will contribute US$7.6 and participants will contribute US$700,000. “The project’s overall goal is to improve the living conditions and incomes among poor households in the mountain zones of Errachidia Province,” said Mounif Nourallah, IFAD’s country programme manager for Morocco. “It will help tackle the root causes of rural poverty in the region. These include a lack of financial infrustructure, inadequate social and economic services, poor roads, mismanagement of land and water resources, and high illiteracy rates, especially amoung women.” The small grant provided under the agreement will help women and young people develop microenterprises related to ecotourism, aromatic and medicinal plant cultivation, and crafts and other artisanal products. “This will further help tackle the marginalization of poor women and young people in this mountainous area and will make an overall impact in the region,” said Nourallah. The project will focus on three areas: strengthening participatory programming; building capacity of grassroots organizations and provincial and local public administrations; and training in participatory development. The project will also rehabilitate small-scale irrigation infrastructure, enhance market access and links, improve the supply of clean drinking water, promote soil and water conservation, and intensify and diversify agricultural production. The project has a strong financial component. It will promote income diversification by providing sustainable access to local financial services and business counseling services. It will also improve the delivery of microcredit and promote the development of new financial and non-financial products adapted to the needs of poor rural people. With this project, IFAD will have financed 10 projects in Morocco for a total of commitment of USD165.1 million. Release number IFAD/17/08, Rome, 15 February 2008 (Source IFAD)

Urgent investment in agriculture needed to produce affordable food for poor rural people in developing countries: IFAD Governing Council concludes

Food security bottom line says Indian scientist Swaminathan The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) ended its two-day Governing Council meeting today with wide agreement on the urgency of increased investment in agriculture in the face of rising food prices and climate change. Delegates from IFAD’s 164 member nations unanimously agreed to accept the Republic of the Bahamas’ application for non-original membership. IFAD is a specialized United Nations agency and an international financial institution. The Council marked the start of IFAD’s 30th anniversary year and the beginning of the consultation process for the eighth replenishment of IFAD’s resources. “We have entrusted part of the membership with reviewing the adequacy of our Fund’s resources with a view to strengthening its capacity to respond to the needs of the rural poor,” said Jörg Frieden, Vice-Chairperson of the Council in his concluding statement. “It is an onerous task and I wish the Consultation members every success.” The eighth replenishment of IFAD’s resources comes at a time of rising food prices, triggering concern that many poor rural people in developing countries will not be able to afford to eat. “We have seen price rises in the past, but we have rarely seen such an increase across so many commodities all at the same time,” said Suleiman Al-Herbish, Director General of the OPEC Fund for International Development at a roundtable on food prices held at the meeting. “Historically, smallholder producers have shown resilience in commodity price increases and their potential to increase production is significant,” the roundtable members concluded. The key is to ensure that smallholders reap the benefits of higher prices. Reducing transportation costs, creating safety nets for those who buy more food than they produce and boosting productivity through public research and microcredit schemes are all measures that should be taken, the roundtable recommended. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, poor countries could see their cereal import bill rise by more than a third this year, with Africa faring worst of all. International wheat prices have risen 83 per cent in the past 12 months. Increased global demand, low grain stocks, the rapid rise of biofuels and changing weather patterns were all factors contributing to the rise in prices. Delegates to a round table on climate change called on IFAD to be a voice for poor farmers in international discussions on climate change and to increase the transfer of knowledge and know-how to poor farmers in the developing world. In order to help poor rural farmers cope with climate change, Al-Herbish said the international research agenda had to be readjusted at the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, an alliance of 15 of the world’s top agricultural research centres. The biofuel round table called on the international community to examine setting up a mechanism to regulate and monitor the impact of biofuel policy and usage, and its social and cross-border impacts. There are concerns that forest clearance to make way for plantations and the switching of farmers to more lucrative biofuel crops could be detrimental to the climate, food security and land tenure of poor rural people. If well-managed, biofuels have potential to help rural development. “Food security must always be the bottom line,” eminent Indian plant geneticist M.S. Swaminathan told the roundtable. At a press conference earlier in the day, IFAD President Lennart Båge said that an increase in investment in agriculture would not only help improve global food security but was also a solution to other social ills. “The major donor countries have not yet fully realized that the root causes of many social ills – youth unemployment, migration, urban slums and immigration, stem from the lack of investment in the rural space,” said Båge at a press conference. “The problem is many people think agriculture is backwards and only the city is modern. Food is always key. It is something that is absolutely necessary and now with food prices going up it is something that produces large profits.” “There is an economic reason, as well as a development reason to invest and that is not recognized enough.” He said the key was for donor governments to urgently step up investments in agriculture to help the world’s poorest people, the vast majority of whom live in rural areas. Only around three per cent of international aid is currently directed at agriculture. Båge said IFAD would step up efforts to help poor rural people organize collectively. He gave the example of a woman farmer he met on a trip to Viet Nam last month. “The prices of inputs, seeds and fertilizers had gone up, prices had risen in the market but the wholesale purchaser was still paying the woman the same price, so she was being doubly squeezed when she should have been benefiting.” “If they are on their own and poor they have no influence, but if they come together then they can be strong.” The IFAD Council also agreed to strengthen the UN agency’s consultation mechanisms and support smallholder farmers’ organizations. It was preceded by the biennial meeting of the Farmers’ Forum where delegates from more than 70 global, regional and multinational farmers’ organizations, representing millions of farmers, discussed policy with IFAD. Release number IFAD/16/08, Rome, February 14, 2008 (Source IFAD)

The price of development has gone up says IFAD President

Ban Ki-moon calls for greater support for smallholder farmers and the rural poor in the face of a “development emergency” The 31st session of IFAD’s Governing Council opened this morning with the election of Abba Sayyadi Ruma, Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources, as the council’s chairperson for the next two years. Delegates from 164 Member States are attending the two-day session of IFAD’s highest decision-making authority. Addressing the Governing Council, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Managing Director of the World Bank, said: “Today the attention of the world’s policymakers is focused on the sub-prime woes, and on the financial crises. “But the real crisis is that of hunger and malnutrition for most of the two billion people in the world living on less than US$2 a day and the almost one billion living on US$1 a day or less. This is the real problem that should grab the world’s attention,” she said. “Agriculture is today, more than ever, a fundamental instrument for fighting hunger and malnutrition, and for supporting sustainable development and poverty reduction,” she added. Donald Kaberuka, President of the African Development Bank noted that it is evident that we are at a turning point. “We are all stimulated by the renewed attention to agriculture by international financial institutions and UN agencies, but also from foundations such as Bill and Melinda Gates,” he said. “Such initiatives do not only bring in additional resources but also novel approaches.” In his opening address, Lennart Båge, President of IFAD, said that climate change is pushing up the price of development. “Substantial and additional money will be needed to help poor countries adapt to climate change and make our investments ‘climate proof,’” he said. The UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, said in a message: “The work of IFAD has never been more important. We face a development emergency. The year 2008 must be the year of the ‘Bottom Billion’, the poorest, most disadvantaged segment of humanity.” “As the United Nations agency devoted to supporting smallholder farmers and other rural poor, IFAD has a major role to play,” he added. Massimo D’Alema, the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, praised IFAD’s reform, saying it was now a model for other organizations to follow. “The robust internal restructuring programme started three years ago has unanimously been considered a reform model, both for the UN and for international financial institutions,” he added. The Minister for Agriculture of Saudi Arabia, Dr Fahad bin Abdulrahman bin Sulaiman Balghunaim, addressed the meeting on behalf of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. “Saudi Arabia attaches great importance to the issues of climate change and urges IFAD to give importance to projects and programmes that help raise the efficiency of natural resource management, combat desertification and protect the environment from natural disasters,” he said. As one of IFAD’s founding Member States, Saudi Arabia played a critical role in the creation of IFAD 30 years ago, and has continued to champion its causes ever since. Saudi Arabia recently proposed the establishment of a fund for research focused on the causes of climate change, including oil. Alhaji Aliu Mahama, Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, speaking on behalf of President John Agyekum Kufuor, said Ghana has benefited from IFAD’s support over the years. While many smallholder farmers in Africa are caught in a vicious cycle of poverty, “It is my conviction, however, that rural poverty could be reduced if pragmatic and well-resourced policies are geared towards the development of the agricultural sector,” said Mahama. He also called for “more effective collaboration and partnership between the developed and developing world”. Jean Nkuete, Vice Prime Minister of Cameroon, in his statement said climate change today is a major concern. “Carbon gas emissions don’t respect borders,” he said, so all action to combat climate change must be global. The Deputy Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), James Butler, emphasized the importance of the increased cooperation between the three Rome-based UN agencies, FAO, IFAD and the World Food Programme (WFP) in the face of unprecedented hikes in food prices, the repercussions of climate change and growing demand for bioenergy. “These are new challenges for our organizations,” he added. The Executive Director of WFP, Josette Sheeran, reminded the conference that 80 per cent of food insecure people live in rural areas. “The partnership between WFP, IFAD and FAO is even more vital in an era of climate change,” she said. To commemorate IFAD’s thirtieth anniversary, the Italian Mint has issued 20,000 commemorative €5 silver coins. Release number IFAD/15/08, Rome, 13 February 2008 (Source IFAD)

The Tide Online: Experts want action on banana, plantain cultivation

...She listed the varieties of banana being cultivated in Nigeria to include “ paranta, omini, aponmode, olosun and olori; an improved variety from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan. 08 October 2008 (source IITA)

Nigerian Tribune: Bringing out potentials of students via social and academic programmes

...One such training was the cassava utilsation training which focused on the 25 ways of making use of cassava flour. It featured some resource persons from the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture(IITA), Ibadan. 08 October 2008 (source IITA)

Princeton University: Mayra Buvinic, World Bank gender and social development expert, to speak at WWS Oct.15

...She is past member of various Nonprofit Boards, such as the International Irrigation Management Institute (Sri Lanka) and the Board of Trustees of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (Nigeria). 08 October 2008 (source IITA)

AllAfrica.Com: Uganda - Country Takes Steps to Turn Bananas Into Cash Crop

...In a report from the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), the conference organisers said: "In the face of rising global food prices, this conference is particularly opportune and therefore intends to foster research and trade experiences from other commodities". 07 October 2008 (source IITA)

Daily Monitor: Uganda takes steps to turn bananas into cash crop

In a report from the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), the conference organisers said: “In the face of rising global food prices, this conference is particularly opportune and therefore intends to foster research and trade experiences from other commodities”. 07 October 2008 (source IITA)

Herald Tribune: Architect's work

...Later that decade, the elder Waehler played a lead role in the design and construction of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in Nigeria to help the African nation improve its crop production through advancements in scientific research. 07 October 2008 (source IITA)

SeedQuest: Global partnership protects Africa's maize from Striga, a deadly parasitic plant

...Meanwhile, CIMMYT is working with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), a leader in the effort to identify and breed maize strains that contain genetic resistance to Striga. The aim is to offer farmers yet another way of controlling this lovely but lethal pest. 06 October 2008 (source IITA)

Africa Science News: First Pan-African banana conference opens in Kenya

...“African farmers produce an incredible volume and variety of bananas, yet only a small percentage of the globally traded bananas come from Africa,” said Steffen Abele, an economist with the Nigeria-based International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), which has organized the conference along with Bioversity International, which is based in Rome. 03 October 2008 (source IITA)

Afrique en ligne: Kenya - First ever Pan African Banana conference opens in Kenya

...According to conference organisers International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), participants are intent on transforming smallholder banana production in Africa by linking farmers to regional and global markets, which represent billions of dollars each year in banana purchases. 03 October 2008 (source IITA)

Truth about Trade and Technology: Banana and Plantain in Africa Conference

...The Banana and Plantain in Africa Conference represents a first comprehensive attempt to create stronger global and local market links in the region for a crop valued at US$1.7 billion in East Africa alone. It has been organized by the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), in partnership with Bioversity International, the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS) and the Kenyan Agricultural Research Institute (KARI). 26 September 2008 (source IITA)

CoastWeek Kenya: Really... they're going 'bananas' in Mombasa!

Banana and plantain growers, scientists, entrepreneurs and policy makers from around the world will gather in the coastal Kenyan city of Mombasa early next month for a conference seeking to make banana the next cash crop. ...The five-day meeting has been organized by the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), in partnership with Bioversity International, the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), the Inter-national Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS) and Kenyan Agricultural Research Institute (KARI). 26 September 2008 (source IITA)

UN Rome-based Agencies call on G8 for decisive blow on hunger

The heads of the three Rome-based UN agencies call on G8 leaders to help feed the world by contributing to a new green revolution through much-increased public financing to agricultural development. 08/07/2008 (source FAO)

High food prices put World Food Day 2008 in the spotlight

Rarely has World Food Day assumed greater meaning than at the present time, as rapidly rising food prices risk increasing the number of hungry people, notes FAO’s Chief of World Food Day events, Sidaty Aidara. 07/07/2008 (source FAO)

About 50 million more hungry people in 2007

The number of hungry people increased by about 50 million in 2007 as a result of high food prices, FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf said addressing a conference at the European Parliament in Brussels. Poor countries are feeling the serious impact of soaring food and energy prices 03/07/2008 (source FAO)

Land degradation on the rise

Land degradation is intensifying in many parts of the world according to a study using data taken over a 20-year period, FAO announced this week. An estimated 1.5 billion people, or a quarter of the world’s population, depend directly on land that is being degraded. 02/07/2008 (source FAO)

Sichuan quake: $6bn damage to agriculture

The agricultural sector in China's Sichuan province has suffered enormous damage estimated at around $US6 billion as a result of last month’s devastating earthquake. 30/06/2008 (source FAO)

Inappropriate trade policy measures could limit agriculture's response to high prices

Soaring food prices could reverse the significant growth in agricultural production recorded by some of the poorest countries in Europe and Central Asia over the past 10 years, FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf said today. 26/06/2008 (source FAO)

More funding needed in fight against illegal fishing

FAO today appealed to donor countries for US$1 million to support a project designed to help developing countries deny port access to boats involved in illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. 24/06/2008 (source FAO)

Soaring food prices put further pressure on African agriculture

Food insecurity has been exacerbated in Africa by the current rapid rise in food prices together with challenges such as climate change, greater demand for food products in emerging economies, agricultural production used for biofuels, rapid population and urbanization as well as transboundary animal and plant diseases. 19/06/2008 (source FAO)

New steps toward sustainable trade in fish

Countries attending an FAO meeting on the global fish trade have endorsed a set of technical guidelines aimed at promoting responsible international trade in fish and fishery products. 17/06/2008 (source FAO)

FAO starts seed distribution in Mauritania

Trucks loaded with more than 500 tonnes of seed left the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott today for six regional capitals, marking the beginning of FAO-supported emergency measures in the country forming part of the Organization’s Initiative on Soaring Food Prices. 13/06/2008 (source FAO)

Animals delivered to war-affected farmers in Southern Lebanon

Farmers’ in Southern Lebanon are receiving the first batch of 200 cows and 1 600 goats to help them recover from losses of livestock during the war in July and August 2006. 12/06/2008 (source FAO)

Gates foundation grant for FAO

The quality of statistical information from 17 countries in sub-Saharan Africa will be dramatically increased with grant funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, reported FAO today. 11/06/2008 (source FAO)

New subregional office for Gulf states and Yemen

FAO and the Government of the United Arab Emirates have signed an agreement to establish a new Subregional Office for the Gulf Cooperation Council States and Yemen in Abu Dhabi. 11/06/2008 (source FAO)

Food Summit calls for more investment in agriculture

FAO's Summit on soaring food prices has concluded with the adoption by acclamation of a declaration calling on the international commmunity to increase assistance for developing countries, in particular the least developed countries and those that are most negatively affected by high food prices. 05/06/2008 (source FAO)

Renewed financial effort in fight on hunger

Delegates to the Rome Food Security Summit announced their increased commitment to the fight against hunger and for agricultural development. 05/06/2008 (source FAO)

FAO initiative helps small farmers increase food production

FAO has begun emergency activities worth US$ 17 million to respond to historically high food prices, which threaten to leave the globe’s 862 million people afflicted by hunger in an even worse situation, and push millions more people back into extreme poverty and hunger. 04/06/2008 (source FAO)

Boosting Food Production in Africa’s "Breadbasket Areas"

An unprecedented partnership among key players in agricultural development aims to significantly boost food production in Africa’s “breadbasket regions,” link local food production to food needs, and work across Africa’s major agricultural growing areas—or agro-ecological zones—to create opportunities for smallholder farmers. 03/06/2008 (source FAO)

The world only needs 30 billion dollars a year to eradicate the scourge of hunger

At the World Food Security Summit, FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf appeals to world leaders for US$30 billion a year to re-launch agriculture and de-fuse the current world food crisis and avert a looming threat of conflicts over food. 03/06/2008 (source FAO)

Half of world fish trade sourced from developing countries

Driven by rising consumption worldwide, the international trade in fish products is expanding at a rapid pace, according to an FAO paper presented today at an intergovernmental meeting. 02/06/2008 (source FAO)

Intelsat helps fight hunger

FAO’s World Food Security Summit in Rome on June 3-5 will be transmitted globally via the Intelsat satellite network, making Summit proceedings accessible in real time from almost any point around the globe. 02/06/2008 (source FAO)

Agricultural commodity prices expected to remain high

Agricultural commodity prices should ease from their recent record peaks but over the next 10 years they are expected to average well above their mean levels of the past decade, according to the latest Agricultural Outlook from OECD and FAO. 29/05/2008 (source FAO)

High food prices - supporting the poor and re-launching agriculture

The upcoming High-Level Conference on World Food Security, to take place next week in Rome (3-5 June), offers a historic chance to re-launch the fight against hunger and poverty and boost agricultural production in developing countries. 28/05/2008 (source FAO)

Raul prize money donated to FAO’s Telefood

Spanish soccer captain and FAO Goodwill Ambassador Raúl González was awarded the first edition Spanish prize for solidarity in sports for €30 000, which he has requested be donated to the FAO special projects fund known as TeleFood. 28/05/2008 (source FAO)

Maps and atlases on agriculture in Myanmar

FAO has launched a new website offering a wide range of data and information tools on agriculture in Myanmar. 26/05/2008 (source FAO)

Food prices remain high despite higher output

High food prices have particularly hit vulnerable populations in many countries that spend a substantial part of their income on food. FAO's latest Food Outlook indicates that the food import bill of the Low Income Food Deficit Countries is expected to reach US$169 billion in 2008, 40 percent more than in 2007. 22/05/2008 (source FAO)

Q&A: International trade in fish products expanding

In this Q&A interview FAO expert Grimur Valdimarsson talks about international trade in fish products, the global seafood industry, and what they mean for developing countries and the environment. 22/05/2008 (source FAO)

GC Displays Highlight Progress in Nuclear Technology

Countries from around the world showcased strides they are making in applying "atoms for peace" to their national and regional development. 4 October 2008 (Source: iaea)

India-ICARDA Collaboration has Great Potential

Dr Mangala Rai, Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), and Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), says that research collaboration between ICARDA and the Indian National Agricultural Research System can benefit many countries all over the world. "I see a vast scope of collaboration, a kind of partnership where India and ICARDA put together can help many countries, especially in the CWANA region and Africa. Indian technologies in conjunction with ICARDA can make the much needed dent to minimize the risk and optimize the benefits in agricultural production," Dr Rai said. Dr Rai, who heads one of the biggest NARS around the world, lauded ICARDA's research after visiting the field. "The lentil varieties that you have are mind boggling," he said adding that ICARDA has made remarkable progress in the field of lentils, chickpea, wheat and other food crops. "In chickpea ICARDA has been doing a remarkable job. Although India produces almost 70 per cent of the chickpea of the whole world, we have been lacking as far as kabuli chickpea is concerned. The very basic resistant materials, which you have and which grow enormously well with very little moisture, are all cold tolerant materials. These materials are certainly important not only for India but also for the world at large,'' said Dr Rai, pointing out that it could be one of the potential areas for collaborative research. According to Dr Rai collaborative research could be in the fields of crop improvement, natural resource management, livestock improvement and management, protected cultivation, multiple uses of water and enhancing its productivity. "There are many areas in which India is very advanced, like pulse crops and barley. Also we have an institute for research on sheep, an institute for research on goat, and we even have an institute working on camel. There is greater scope for collaboration in barley research too," he added. Giving details of India's progress in increasing food production, which has been result of intensive agricultural research and extension efforts, Dr Rai said that production was steadily increasing. Last year the total production of food grains in the country was about 217 million tons and this year it has reached 227 million tons. The procurement of wheat for the public distribution system has already notched over 21 million tons so far this year as compared to the total procurement of 20.6 million tons last year. "The food situation in India is really good, there is no food crisis in the country," Dr Rai said. The global food crisis, he emphasized, can only be overcome by more investment in agricultural research. "We need to spend and spend enormously as far as agricultural research and development is concerned. Water is limited, land is limited, so the only way left is to increase productivity per unit area, per unit input, per unit time and per unit energy. For this it is essential to invest in agricultural R& D efforts," Dr Rai said. 5 June 2008 (Source ICARDA)

Advanced Faba Bean Lines Identified with

Combined Resistance to Chocolate Spot and Ascochyta Blight Faba bean (Vicia faba) is adversely affected by numerous fungal diseases that vary in incidence and severity from region to region. Both Ascochyta blight (Ascochyta fabae) and chocolate spot (Botrytis fabae) limit faba bean productivity and production in countries in the Mediterranean regions, China, Latin America, China, Ethiopia, and Australia. ICARDA has a global mandate for faba bean, and it also houses the largest germplasm collection of faba bean. Breeding activities are conducted in cooperation with National Agricultural Research Systems and Advanced Research Institutes. Breeding for combined resistance to Ascochyta blight and chocolate spot is one of the main objectives of faba bean breeding at ICARDA. A total of 670 F6 lines originating from five different populations developed from 90 different crosses were planted with repeated checks at Tel Hadya in the 2007/08 cropping season. Last week a field visit was made to the disease screening nursery by Dr Maarten van Ginkel, DDG-Research of ICARDA with Drs Fouad Maalouf, Faba Bean Breeder, and Seid Kemal, Pulse Pathologist at Tel Hadya. During the visit, it was possible to identify promising lines resistant to Ascochyta blight and with good yielding ability. In addition to breeding for combined resistance, determinate type faba bean lines suitable for mechanization with tolerance to Ascochyta blight were also observed. 29 May 2008 (Source ICARDA)

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