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Agenda
Farming crucial for threatened species in developing world A NUMBER OF threatened species in the developing world are entirely dependent on human agriculture for their survival, according to new research by the University of East Anglia (UEA). Published recently in the journal Conservation Letters, the study concludes that many species, rather than just using farmland to supplement their natural habitat, would actually be driven to extinction without it. Species such as the White-shouldered Ibis in Cambodia, the Sociable Lapwing in Kazakhstan and the Liben Lark in Ethiopia rely on local people and their agriculture. Greatest benefit comes from local communities practising traditional agriculture with low ecological impact. Valuable practices include grazing animals on land where rare species breed and feed, and growing cereal crops which provide a rich source of food. “Conservation efforts in the developing world focus a lot of attention on forest species and pristine habitats – so people have usually been seen as a problem. But there are a number of threatened species – particularly birds but probably a whole range of wildlife – which heavily depend on the farmed environment,” said lead author Hugh Wright of UEA’s School
of Environmental Sciences. “Many of the traditional farming systems that benefit these species are now under threat both from industrial, large-scale agriculture and from more local economic development. We need to identify valuable farmland landscapes and support local people so that they can continue their traditional farming methods and help maintain this unique biodiversity.”
Greatest benefit comes from local communities practising traditional agriculture with low ecological impact
Conserving biodiversity by supporting or mimicking traditional farming methods has long been a feature in Europe, but it has rarely been applied in developing countries. The UEA researchers found at least 30 threatened
New ISO standard on traceability of fish products THE USE OF a new ISO standard on the traceability of finfish products will help improve food safety by supplying stakeholders throughout the supply chain with accurate information about the origin and nature of these products. Finfish constitute an important part of the modern food industry. People consume more and more products coming from the four corners of the globe and fish, in particular, may be caught thousands of kilometers from their place of consumption. During the past decade, several food crises have seriously affected many countries. Following the outbreak, the concept of traceability of food products has become a matter of special interest to policy makers and scientists. ISO 12875:2011, Traceability of finfish products – Specification on the information to be recorded in captured finfish distribution chains, specifies the information to be recorded in marine-captured finfish supply chains in order to establish traceability. It specifies how traded fishery products are to be identified, and the information to be generated and held on those products by each of the food businesses that physically trade them through the distribution chains. The standard deals with the distribution for human consumption of marine-captured finfish and their products, from catch through to retailers or caterers. The ISO definition of traceability concerns the ability to trace the history, application and location of that which is under consideration, and for products this can include the origin of materials and parts, the processing history and the distribution and location of the product after delivery. Traceability includes not only the principal requirement to be able to physically trace products through the distribution chain, from origin to destination, but also to be able to provide information on what they are made of and what has happened to them.
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or near threatened species relying on farmland in the developing world, but further research is likely to find many more. Where local communities are threatened by industrial agriculture, which often results in people being thrown off their traditional lands, conservation may be able to provide a win-win solution, helping to safeguard farming livelihoods for local people and for wildlife. In other cases, local communities could receive economic or development benefits in return for continuing valuable farming practices that benefit wildlife. Conservation must not prevent development so any lost livelihood opportunities must be adequately compensated for. “We have seen some of the poorest villagers denied access to their traditional grassland grazing and fishing lands, once these have been allocated to large businesses for intensive rice production,” said co-author Dr Paul Dolman. “Although this helps produce food for export and helps the national economy, local people can suffer along with threatened birds which once nested in these grasslands. By identifying this link between people and threatened wildlife, we hope to help both.”
Revised guide to good dairy farming practice launched IN COLLABORATION WITH the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), IDF has produced a revised Guide to Good Dairy Farming Practice. The Guide advises dairy farmers on how to develop sustainable management systems. This has become a top priority as the social and environmental aspects of milk production are increasingly in the focus of consumers and producers. Commenting on the Guide, Helen Dornom, Chair of the IDF/FAO Project Group said: “This Guide has been written in a practical format for dairy farmers engaged in the production of milk from any dairy species all over the world. It covers key aspects such as animal health, milk hygiene, nutrition, welfare, the environment and socioeconomic management. These are essential tools to ensure that both the needs of the food industry and the expectations of consumers are met.” The revised FAO/IDF reference document comprises a comprehensive tool kit to improve quality assurance at farm level, thereby enabling dairy farmers to better respond to market incentives, to add value and to adopt new farming methods. IDF President Richard Doyle adds that: “It has always been a top priority for IDF to identify and disseminate best practice at international level, in order to guide and harmonize work on the many challenges and opportunities facing the dairy sector. This tangible result of our joint work with the FAO will support the production and marketing of safe, quality-assured milk and dairy products. I encourage every dairy farmer to adopt and use the Guide.”
FAR EASTERN AGRICULTURE Issue Six 2011