Quality Seed = Better Yield-Watch how ethopian farmers increased their yield

Seed for Business (short version) – Ethiopian farmers as entrepreneurs

Posted by ISSD Ethiopia on YOUTUBE

Quality seed is vital for increasing agricultural production and productivity. The transformation of farmers into entrepreneurs, as facilitated by their organization into seed cooperatives, contributes to seed security and local economic development.

Comments : This video shows that in order to protect the seeds quality we need to educate the farmers make them entrepreneurs this will help in increasing the yield .

Monsanto , Bayer or Syngenta the chemical giants are not required to increase the yield but quality seed = better yield. These chemical companies are not a solution for helping us increase in production.  Stop poisoning food in the name of increasing yield. Encourage farming in traditional methods .

Transforming 120 acres Of Barren Land Into A Self-sufficient Organic Farm

Transforming 120 acres of barren land into a self-sufficient organic farm: The story of Rajesh Naik and Oddoor farms

By : Aarti Kelkar-Khambete  thebetterindia.com

A visit to Oddoor farms near Mangalore, Karnataka, provides an inspiring example of the efforts made by Rajesh Naik to transform 120 acres of barren land into a lush green farm through his persistent efforts of creating a 2 acre wide and 50 feet deep lake, which has not only transformed the surrounding area, but has also helped in improving the water table in the surrounding village, besides helping in the development of a self-sufficient organic farm and a dairy.

A view of the two acre lake at Oddoor farms, Mangalore

Oddoor farms, around 25 kilometres away from Mangalore city is a great example of a very successful effort made by Rajesh Naik who has transformed 120 acres of barren land into a self-sufficient organic farm by developing a 50 feet lake on two acres of land. The journey has been a long one and not without its share of challenges, but persistence and constant optimism and hard work to overcome challenges has reaped results in the last twenty years, informs Rajesh.

It took a lot of financial resources and time to create a lake that gradually started filling up with water and now it generates around 40,000 litres of water that is used for irrigating the whole farm. This has not only helped in creating and developing greenery in the area, but has also helped in increasing the water table in the surrounding areas of the farm. the area with areca nut plantations spread across ten acres of land besides growing coconut, mangoes, haldi, pepper, bananas, cashew nuts, fruits and vegetables.

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Comments : Another success of a farmer who has used natural techniques and brought life back into the land.

Today world-wide corporations like Monsanto, Syngenta , Bayer , BASF  promote to use harmful chemicals which not only poisons the land but also the food we have. Organic farming has to be encouraged all over the world so the water and food we have is toxic free.

Keep the food away from corporations they poison the population for their profits and control over food.

EU To Ban Pesticides In Order To Save Bees

EU To Ban Pesticides In Order To Save Bees

The next time you see a bee buzzing around, it’s worthwhile remembering that much of the food we eat depends significantly on pollination these insects provide. But bees and other pollinators are declining globally, particularly in North America and Europe, putting this essential role in doubt.The European Union on Tuesday restricted the use of the insecticide Fipronil, the latest move to protect honey bees after a May ban on three other insecticides.

Image taken from independent.co.uk

In the US, the loss of 30-40% of commercial honeybee colonies since 2006 has been linked to “colony collapse disorder”, a syndrome characterised by disappearing worker bees. Since 2004, losses of honeybee colonies have left North America with fewer managed pollinators than at any time in the last 50 years. In recent winters, bees colony mortality in Europe has averaged about 20% (but up to 53% for some countries).

Without insect pollination, about one-third of the crops we eat would either have to be pollinated by other means, or face considerably lower yields. In all, up to 75% of our crops would suffer some decrease in productivity. Undoubtedly, the most nutritious and interesting crops in our diet (including many key fruits and vegetables), together with some crops used as fodder in meat and dairy production, would be badly affected by a decline in insect pollinators. The most recent estimates value pollination services at €265bn.

And the problem could become even bigger as the world moves progressively towards growing more crops that are dependent on bee (and other insect) pollinators. So why are some policy-makers still trying to delay actions designed to save the farmer’s smartest natural allies?
Europe took a significant step in the right direction  the ban on the insecticide produced by Germany’s BASF was agreed by 23 of the 28 EU states, with only Spain and Romania voting against, EU sources said.

A scientific risk assessment carried out by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in May said seeds treated with pesticides containing Fipronil pose an acute risk to Europe’s honey bee population.

The restrictions, to apply from December 31, will ban the use of Fipronil on maize and sunflower seeds but may allow its use for the treatment of seeds that will only be sown in greenhouses.

Image taken from peaceproject.com

That exception will not apply to leeks, shallots, onions and vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, cauliflower or broccoli.

BASF criticised the decision, saying the EU executive, the European Commission, would do better to study the real reasons behind the decline in bees rather than limit the use of new technologies in farming.

In May the Commission banned for two years beginning in December three insecticides made by chemicals giants Bayer and Syngenta.

Bayer of Germany and Switzerland’s Syngenta insisted that their products were not to blame for a very sharp decline in the bee population which has stoked fears over future food security, made worse by the unpredictable impact of climate change.

Source : phys.org  , greenpeace.org

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