SA Grassroots Action (SAGA) A bi-weekly e-bulletin of the Asia-Japan Partnership Network for Poverty Reduction (AJPN) 30 May 2005 In this issue... * Battle over Neem patent successfully concluded * Thailand to cut chemical fertilizers usage by half * $2M organic farming project to start in India * EU sees organic potential in Cambodia * Cow by-products prove cheap but effective fertilizer * Farmers' income to increase with grain silos AJPN is a regional network committed to contribute to the reduction by half of the Asian people living in poverty by 2015 and improve their quality of life in support to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Battle over Neem patent successfully concluded The world's first legal victory over a biopiracy patent was won over by protestors defying the patenting of a fungicidal product from Neem tree prevalent in the Indian subcontinent. This was after the European Patent Office Technical Board of Appeals dismissed the petition of the United States and Thermo Trilogy on the patented product, ending the 10-year struggle. Protestors led by Indian environmentalist Vandana Shiva, former President of the Greens in the European Parliament Magda Aelvoet, and International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) Linda Bullard stated that fungicidal properties of Neem tree is a public knowledge. "This now becomes case law, but the historic precedent must be further developed and transposed into overall international legal frameworks so that this type of theft is no longer possible," Bullard said. For further information, contact Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology at vshiva@vsnl.com. Source - http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=vnkykibab.0.9mnwnibab.6ncfk6n6.739&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ifoam.org%2Fpress%2Fpress%2Fneem_patent_victory.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thailand to cut chemical fertilizers usage by half Thailand's Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry is targeting to reduce chemical fertilizers usage by 50% over the next 4-5 years through organic farming. Twenty-four provinces are now undertaking pilot testing for the country's organic farming promotion. Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan said during the Non-Toxic Agriculture for Land Festival that organic farming and reducing the use of chemical fertilizers are part of the national agenda of the prime minister. Knowledge and materials will be provided to farmers who are interested to be part of the program. The Land Development Department has been training farmers in the pilot provinces on organic fertilizers as an alternative to chemical fertilizers. Standard for agricultural produce would also be lifted for farmers to sell their organic products domestically and abroad. Link - http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=vnkykibab.0.6mnwnibab.6ncfk6n6.739&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.environmentalinvestors.com%2Fasp%2Fnewsletr2.asp%3Fid%3D39763 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ $2M organic farming project to start in India To improve soil conditions and reduce the use of chemical fertilizers, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) plans to fund a $2 million pilot test project that would promote organic farming methods in India. FAO also sets to create a self-help group or mutually-aided cooperatives to act as a certifying body which would make organic certification cost more economical for small farmers. The project, which will be undertaken in Andhra Pradesh, Uttaranchal, West Bengal, Sikkim and Mahrashtra, is expected to be completed in three years. Best practices show organic farming increase production and gives better marketability. Certified organic products will be exported to the US and European countries. Source - http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=vnkykibab.0.5mnwnibab.6ncfk6n6.739&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.financialexpress.com%2Ffe_full_story.php%3Fcontent_id%3D86035 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ EU sees organic potential in Cambodia Seeing the growing food industry of the country, the European Union (EU) plans to help Cambodia in promoting its organic farming potential. A European Commission reports showed that the food industry of Cambodia is best poised to prosper in the Southeast Asian region. EU's agro-industrial sector could help sell equipment, inputs and services to the Cambodian food production sector. Highlighted needs include cold storage, slaughterhouses, fish and seafood processing plant and packaging equipment, plus engineering, technical and quality certification services. More info - http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=vnkykibab.0.xaekk7aab.6ncfk6n6.739&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.organicmonitor.com%2F ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cow by-products prove cheap but effective fertilizer Cow by-products prove to be an excellent and economical fertilizer and bio-pesticide for plants to remain healthy and highly productive. Known as the Panchakavya, the technique is being utilized in AJPN's project site in Andra Pradesh, India. Use for medicinal purposes, the modified Panchakavya version has lots of beneficial effects on crops and livestock. A litre of Panchakavya costs around Rs.35 but if a farmer uses his own cow products, he can save much. Preparation of Panchakavya starts by securing 5 kgs of cow dung, mixing it with 4 liters of cow urine, 3 liters of milk, 2 liters of curd and ½ kg of ghee. Stir the solution and keep it in a 20-liter container. Add honey, jaggery and ripen banana and stir it daily for 21 days. On the 21st day, mix 1 liter of the Panchakavya solution to 10 liters of water, strain and then apply the solution in the soil. Selected seeds can be dipped in the solution for 30 minutes before sowing for best result. Read on - http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=vnkykibab.0.4mnwnibab.6ncfk6n6.739&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sakthifoundation.org%2Flinks_pancha%25+20kavya.htm. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Farmers' income to increase with grain silos Around 14 000 metallic silos, with grain storage capacities ranging from 120 to 1,800 kg, will be distributed to individual farmers, farmers' groups and cooperatives in nine provinces of Afghanistan to prevent post-harvest losses in grain production. The Food and Agriculture Organization project has also provided economic opportunities for local tinsmiths and technicians employed in making metallic silos. To help re-establish local grain markets in Afghanistan, the $2.4 million project will also rehabilitate or construct ten community storage warehouses in the country's major grain-producing areas this year. Silos help farmers sell grain during the off-season when prices are more favorable. Read on - http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=vnkykibab.0.annwnibab.6ncfk6n6.739&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fao.org%2Fnewsroom%2Fen%2Fnews%2F2005%2F102419%2Findex.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AJPN marks first year of project implementation AJPN Sustainable Agriculture celebrates its anniversary this May with accomplishments highlighting project implementations. Although in its first year, numerous SA on-ground and networking initiatives have already been undertaken regionally with the participation of Japan in providing technical assistance. To date, the following activities have been highlighted: * Launched its e-bulleting SAGA which circulates to key institutions and individuals engaged in agriculture and development work worldwide. * Establishment of project sites in India, Indonesia and the Philippines employing SA technologies. * Conduct of on-site trainings and exposure trips on SA practices in the participating communities. * Upcoming AJPN publications will soon be released detailing SA lessons learned and technologies. Profiles of Japanese SA experts containing their SA practices and experiences will also be part of these publications. * A Regional Resource Development Plan is currently being done documenting the regional context of poverty and agriculture. An NGO database is also being undertaken to create beneficial networking among institutions engaged in SA. * Supports were given in the drafting of the organic and muscovado industry profiles in the Philippines. AJPN looks forward in continuing the second phase of the project implementation in aid of poverty reduction efforts in Asia along the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Events/Annoucements Meeting on the potential impacts of Nanotechnology (8 June 2005;Geneva)/ Contact: Pat Mooney, ETC Group/ Email: etc@etcgroup.org/ Link (http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=vnkykibab.0.bnnwnibab.6ncfk6n6.739&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ngocongo.org%2Fngomeet%2F) UN General Assembly Hearings with Civil Society in preparation for Millennium+5 Summit (23- 24 June 2005; United Nations Headquarters in New York, USA)/ Contact: United Nations Headquarters / Email: gahearings@un.org/ Link</i > (http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=vnkykibab.0.cnnwnibab.6ncfk6n6.739&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ngocongo.org%2Fmdg.htm) The Haven of Natural and Organic Living (28-30 June 2005; Singapore Expo Hall)/ Contact: Natural Products Organic Asia 2005/ E-mail: hqlink@singnet.com.sg / Link (http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=vnkykibab.0.dnnwnibab.6ncfk6n6.739&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.npoasia.com%2F) The 9th Annual Meeting of the Agricultural Technical Cooperation Working Group among APEC Members (14-16 June 2005; Korea)/ Contact person: Dr Seik OH, Korea Rural Economic Institute/ E-mail: seikoh@krei.re.kr / Link (http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=vnkykibab.0.ennwnibab.6ncfk6n6.739&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.apec.org%2Fapec%2Fapec_groups%2Fworking_groups%2Fagricultural_technical.html) 2nd Annual Regional Integrated Pest Management Conference (14 June 2005; Oakland City Center Marriott Hotel, Oakland, CA)/ Contact: Naresh Duggal, Public Agencies and Counties of Northern California) Email: bsilva@ci.fremont.ca.us / Link (http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?t=vnkykibab.0.fnnwnibab.6ncfk6n6.739&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sarep.ucdavis.edu%2Fcgi-bin%2Fsarepcal.exe%2Flist_events) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Readers' comments "Thanks for sending. I'll read, note and record the same." -Gabriel, Asia Partnership for Human Development (APHD) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We would like to thank those who have sent their reactions and contributions. Your ideas are valuable to us. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ email: grsangoc@philonline.com phone: (63-2) 4337653-54 website: http://www.ajpn-sa.org ======== Asia Pacific Human Rights Education listserv ======== Send mail intended for the list to < >. If you have problems (un)subscribing, contact < >. **You are welcome to reprint, copy, archive, quote or re-post this item, but please retain the original and listserv source.
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