News 05/2015

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www.iamb.it N° 5 - 2015 - settembre/ottobre

The magazine of the month News pag. 1 - 5

Sommario

Reviews “Organic Agriculture” pag. 6 - 13 Reviews “Feeding Knowledge” pag. 14 - 22 Reviews “Miscellaneous” pag. 23 Reviews “Sustainable Agriculture” pag. 24 - 25

Full Journal Title: Ecosystems Ecosystems. - New York : Springer, 1998-. - v. ; 30 cm. - Titolo della coperta. - Bimestrale. Descrizione basata su: vol. 4, n. 1 (jan./feb.

2001). - ISSN 1432-9840 Editors-in-Chief: M.G. Turner; S.R. Carpenter ISSN: 1432-9840 (print version) 1435-0629 (electronic version) Availabile in the Organic Agriculture Library: 2001Issues/Year: 1 Volumes with 8 issues per year Publisher: Springer Subject Categories: Ecology Related subjects: Animal Sciences - Ecology Environmental Management - Hydrology and Water Resources - Paleoenvironmental Sciences - Plant Sciences Language: Multi Language Journal Metrics 2014 Journal Ranking

Speed

Usage

26 Journal Rank in Category

23 days from acceptance to online first publication

173,319 No. of downloads

3.943 Impact Factor – 2014

145 Total Journals in Category

270.0 Usage Factor 2013/2014

Q1 Quartile in Category

484 Mentions and articles discussed via Social Media platforms

1.825 SNIP – 2014 Source Normalized Impact per Paper (SNIP) 37 h5 Index h5 Index is a metric based on the articles published by a journal over the previous 5 calendar years with a minimum of 100 articles in this period 100% Journal Author Satisfaction, likelihood to publish with Springer again

Responsabile: Luigi Sisto A cura di: Giuseppe Inchingolo Wanda Occhialini Progetto grafico ed impaginazione: Fabio La Notte

Impact

Description: The study and management of ecosystems represents the most dynamic field of contemporary ecology. Ecosystem research bridges fundamental ecology, environmental ecology and environmental problem-solving.

The scope of ecosystem science extends from

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bounded systems such as watersheds to spatially complex landscapes, to the Earth itself, and crosses temporal scales from seconds to millennia. Ecosystem science has strong links to other disciplines including l a n d s c a p e e c o l o g y, g l o b a l e c o l o g y, biogeochemistry, aquatic ecology, soil science, hydrology, ecological economics and conservation biology. Studies of ecosystems employ diverse approaches, including theory and modeling, long-term investigations, comparative research and large experiments.

The journal Ecosystems features a distinguished team of editors-in-chief and an outstanding international editorial board, and is recognized worldwide as a home for significant research, editorials, mini-reviews and special features.

Latest articles from Volume 18, Issue 7, November 2015 ISSN: 1432-9840 (Print) 1435-0629 (Online)

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community attributes … [read more]

(also available in pdf format: ask to inchingolog@iamb.it) Sequential Disturbance Effects of Hailstorm and Fire on Vegetation in a Mediterranean-Type Ecosystem K. Gower, J.B. Fontaine, C. Birnbaum, N.J. Enright Frequency and intensity of disturbance is projected to increase for many ecosystems globally, with uncertain consequences, particularly when disturbances occur in rapid succession. We quantified community response (52 shrub species and the tree Eucalyptus todtiana) to a severe hailstorm followed 2 months later by prescribed fire for a Mediterranean-type … [read more]

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Prolonged Absence of Disturbance Associated with Increased Environmental Stress May Lead to Reduced Seedbank Size in Picea mariana in Boreal Eastern North America

Soil Nitrogen Availability Affects Belowground Carbon Allocation and Soil Respiration in Northern Hardwood Forests of New Hampshire Kikang Bae, Timothy J. Fahey, Ruth D. Yanai, Melany Fisk Plant nutrient acquisition in forests requires respiration by roots and mycorrhizae. Belowground carbon allocation and soil respiration should thus reflect plant effort allocated to nutrient uptake, for example in conditions of different nutrient availabilities controlled by site quality or stand history.

Soil respiration, belowground C allocation, and fine root biomass were measured … [read more] Topography, Fuels, and Fire Exclusion Drive Fire Severity of the Rim Fire in an Old-Growth MixedConifer Forest, Yosemite National Park, USA

Rik Van Bogaert, Sylvie Gauthier, Igor Drobyshev, Karelle Jayen, David F. Greene, Yves Bergeron

Lucas Harris, Alan H. Taylor

Disturbance plays an important role in the distributional range of species by affecting their colonization potential and persistence. Short disturbance intervals have been linked to reduced seedbank sizes of some species, but the effects of long intervals are largely unknown. To explore the potential existence of seedbank sizes that may also be limited by long disturbance intervals, we studied an area … [read more]

The number of large, high-severity fires has increased in the western United States over the past 30 years due to climate change and increasing tree density from fire suppression. Fuel quantity, topography, and weather during a burn control fire severity, and the relative contributions of these controls in mixed-severity fires in mountainous terrain are poorly understood. In 2013, the Rim Fire burned a previously studied 2125 ha area of mixed-conifer forest in Yosemite National Park.

Data from 84 plots sampled in 2002 revealed increases in tree density … [read more]

How Might Cross-System Subsidies in Riverine Networks be Affected by Altered Flow Variability?

Darren P. Giling , Ralph Mac Nally, Ross M. Thompson The cross-system exchange of energy and nutrients (subsidies) is a core attribute of landscapes that controls productivity and community dynamics in recipient systems. Such exchanges are likely to be disrupted by human influences. Inland waters receive significant subsidies from inflows from the surrounding landscape. Hydrologic modifications by water extraction, damming … [read more] Tides, Salinity, and Biogeography Affect Fish Assemblage Structure and Function in Macrotidal Mangroves of the Neotropics G.A. Castellanos-Galindo, U. Krumme Identifying the drivers that explain the distribution of tropical coastal fishes remains a central goal in biogeography. However, a lack of comparisons with standardized data still prevents more robust generalizations. Here, we assess if general assembly rules apply in two intertidal mangrove fish assemblages from different biogeographical regions (Tropical Eastern Pacific and Western Atlantic). Using multivariate analyses on field data collected for about 1 year at each location, we examined if different

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Triple Nitrate Isotopes Indicate Differing Nitrate Source Contributions to Streams Across a Nitrogen Saturation Gradient Lucy A. Rose , Emily M. Elliott, Mary Beth Adams Nitrogen (N) deposition affects forest biogeochemical cycles worldwide, often contributing to N saturation.

Using long-term (>30-year) records of stream nitrate (NO3 −) concentrations at Fernow Experimental Forest (West Virginia, USA), we classified four watersheds into N saturation stages ranging from Stage 0 (N-limited) to Stage 3 (N-saturated). We quantified … [read more] Landscape Control on the Spatial and Temporal Variability of Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter and Dissolved Organic Carbon in Large African Rivers Thibault Lambert , François Darchambeau, Steven Bouillon, Bassirou Alhou, Jean-Daniel Mbega, Cristian R. Teodoru, Frank C. Nyoni, Philippe Massicotte, Alberto V. Borges

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The characteristics of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) as well as the concentrations and stable isotope composition (δ13C) of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were characterized in several large rivers of Africa including the Congo, Niger, Zambezi, and Ogooué basins. We compared the spatial and temporal patterns of dissolved organic matter (DOM) quantity and quality along with various environmental gradients, including hydrology, river size, catchment vegetation, and connectivity to land. The optical proxies used include the absorption coefficient … [read more] Simulated Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition Alters Decomposition of Ephemeral Roots

N° 5 - 2015 - settembre/ottobre

Plant traits covary with soil fertility, but determining whether this is the outcome of environmental filtering or plant feedback is not straightforward, especially in long-lived plant communities such as rain forests.

Without explicitly accounting for the potential of plant litter to influence soil properties, it is difficult to interpret with confidence that covariation between soil nutrients and plant traits is the outcome of environmental filtering. We estimated abundanceweighted mean leaf dry … [read more] The Interaction Between Insect Outbreaks and Debris Slides in a Glacial Valley of the Eastern Canadian Shield Martin Simard , Patrick Lajeunesse

Roots concentrated on the smallest distal branching orders have short life spans and thus dominate root mortality, and may contribute predominately to plant carbon and nutrient transfer into soil. Yet the effects of nitrogen (N) enrichment on decomposition of the finest root branching orders have not yet been examined. Resolving such N effects is critical for predicting the ecosystem consequences of increased anthropogenic N deposition. The first four root orders were separated into two classes: first- and secondorder roots; third- and fourth-order roots. We studied the effects of N addition on decomposition of different root order classes in four temperate … [read more] Potential Shift in Plant Communities with Climate Change: Outcome on Litter Decomposition and Nutrient Release in a Mediterranean Oak Forest Mathieu Santonja , Virginie Baldy, Catherine Fernandez, Jérôme Balesdent, Thierry Gauquelin The ongoing decline in biodiversity has fuelled concerns about its impact on ecosystem functioning.

Mediterranean oak forests may prove very sensitive to global change, which could strongly influence the species composition of plant communities and thereby affect ecosystem processes. To determine the potential outcome of shifts in species composition on litter decomposition dynamics, we conducted a fullfactorial decomposition experiment over a gradient of litter species diversity in a Mediterranean Downy oak … [read more]

Disturbance interactions, including compound and linked disturbances, are increasingly recognized to have important effects on landscape structure and function. Most research on linked disturbances has focused on the interaction between insect outbreaks and fire, and between fire or forest harvesting and other physical processes such as soil erosion and landslides, but to our knowledge, none have explored the possible interaction between insect outbreaks and landslides.

We tested the hypothesis that severe outbreaks of the spruce budworm … [read more] Exotic Mammals and Invasive Plants Alter FireRelated Thresholds in Southern Temperate Forested Landscapes George L. W. Perry , Janet M. Wilmshurst, John Ogden, Neal J. Enright Human activity has resulted in the emergence of fireinduced forest-shrubland mosaics in many southern temperate forest landscapes. In New Zealand (NZ), this transformation was caused by the introduction of fire to previously very low fire-frequency ecosystems.

High levels of seed and seedling predation by exotic mammals and the reduction of avian pollination and seed dispersal further influence vegetation change and can cause successions to become completely arrested.

Analogous dynamics occur in many other Southern Hemisphere forest landscapes where changes in fire regimes and the introduction of mammalian herbivores and predators have resulted in forestshrubland mosaics. We developed a spatially … [read more]

Environmental Filtering and Positive Plant Litter Feedback Simultaneously Explain Correlations Between Leaf Traits and Soil Fertility Daniel C. Laughlin , Sarah J. Richardson, Elaine F. Wright, Peter J. Bellingham

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Tao Sun, Lili Dong, Zijun Mao

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Statement: Social Media, Children and Young Adults @ the Library - Safety, Privacy and Online Behavior

The statement has a message for the children: how to enjoy online resources safely and responsibly, and how to deal with possible unpleasant situations. The statement also provides tips for the parents and library professionals on how to support children and young people utilize the possibilities of learning, entertainment and communication online safely.

The statement is meant to be read at the library, together with the young patrons and their parents. The document has been prepared in IFLA Section Libraries for Children and Young Adults working group.

Impact beyond the impact factor Gunther K. H. Zupanc J Comp Physiol A (2014) 200:113–116 DOI 10.1007/s00359-013-0863-1 Abstract The journal impact factor is an annually calculated number for each scientific journal, based on the average number of times its articles published in the two preceding years have been cited. It was originally devised as a tool for librarians and publishers to provide information about the citation performance of a journal as a whole, but over the last few decades it has increasingly been used to assess the quality of specific articles and the research performance of individual investigators, institutions, and countries. In addition to this clear abuse of the journal impact factor, several conceptual and technical issues limit its usability as a measure of journal reputation, especially when journals are compared across different fields. An author's decision regarding the suitability of a scholarly journal for publication should, therefore, be based on the impact that this journal makes in the field of research, rather than on the journal impact factor. https://pages.wustl.edu/files/pages/imce/carlson/zupa nc_2014.pdf

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Research assessment in the UK and Italy: Costly and difficult, but probably worth it (at least for a while) Aldo Geuna, Matteo Piolatto Research Policy: Policy, management and economic studies of science, technology and innovation, 45 (2016) 260–271 Abstract This paper provides a comparative analysis of the development of the UK and Italian university research funding systems with a special focus on Peer ReviewBased Research Assessment (PRBRA) and its cost.

Much of the debate surrounding the value of performance-based allocation systems hinges on the disadvantages versus the benefits of their implementation, and there is very little evidence on either their absolute cost or their cost relative to other allocation systems. Our objective is to fill this gap, collating the best possible estimates of the costs of alternative research funding methods to inform the ongoing policy debate. First, we compare funding in the UK and Italy during the period 2005–2012 and analyze the development of performance-based allocation in the two systems. Second, based on public reports and documents collected from universities, we discuss the public agency and university costs of RAE2008 and REF2014 and provide some estimates for VQR2012. We find that RAE2008 costs accounted for less than 1% of the total performance allocation in the related period while the VQR2012 efficiency ratio is estimated at around 2.5%. Finally, we compare the costs and efficiency ratios of PRBRA with metricsbased assessment and Research Council allocations and show that costs increase going from metrics to PRBRA to Research Council allocation. http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0048733315001420/1-s2.0S0048733315001420-main.pdf?_tid=d26a8950814e-11e5-af9400000aab0f6c&acdnat=1446461304_f0bc81ee009f6 6b8b726f59d4ef3eb23

C'è un luogo del Giappone in cui producono la carta con la stessa ricetta di 800 anni fa http://bit.ly/1W1KUJS Come nasce la carta, a mano, da 800 anni: un video che emoziona Il fascino della carta fatta a mano: un video ci porta in un suggestivo luogo del Giappone, dove producono la carta con la stessa ricetta di 800 anni fa... [fonte pagina fb “Redazione Il Libraio”]

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Dai libri negli alberi alle biblio-cabine, passando per la bici "porta-libri", per fare bookcrossing serve soprattutto fantasia. Ecco qualche esempio: http://bit.ly/1BPRAuC [fonte pagina fb “Redazione Il Libraio”]

A Milano hanno aperto una biblioteca di condominio e il rapporto tra i vicini di casa è nettamente migliorato. In fondo, lo scopo era proprio quello… http://bit.ly/1KhpLVc [fonte pagina fb “Il Libraio”] «Con l'apertura della biblioteca il rapporto tra i condomini è nettamente migliorato, in fondo, lo scopo era proprio quello...". Scopri la storia del palazzo di via Rembrandt 12, alla periferia di Milano, in cui è stata collocata una biblioteca nell'ex portineria. Si tratta del "primo esempio di biblioteca aperta al pubblico in un condominio privato"Possono i libri migliorare il rapporto tra condomini, spesso conflittuale? E può la condivisione della passione per la lettura favorire il dialogo (visto che, in molti casi, spesso neppure si conosce il nome degli altri condomini)?La risposta a queste domande, stando all'esperienza della biblioteca condominiale di via Rembrandt 12, a Milano (zona Lorenteggio), collocata nell'ex portineria del palazzo, è sì in entrambi i casi.

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BookCrossing, giro del mondo alla ricerca dei “modi” più sorprendenti

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Organic Agriculture

Organic Agriculture

The world of organic agriculture : statistics and emerging trends 2015 / edited by Helga Willer, Julia Lernoud ; supported by : International Trade Centre ; Swiss Confederation ; BioFach. - Bonn : IFOAM & FiBL, 2015. - 303 p. ; 24 cm. - ISBN 978-3-944372-11-2 (IFOAM). - ISBN 978-3-03736-270-9 (FiBL) The 16th edition of The World of Organic Agriculture documents recent developments in global organic agriculture. It includes contributions from representatives of the organic sector from throughout the world and provides comprehensive organic farming statistics that cover surface area under organic management, specific information about land use in organic systems, numbers of farms and other operator types as well as selected market data. The book also contains information on the global market for organic food, the latest developments in organic certification, information on standards and regulations as well as insights into current and emerging trends for organic agriculture in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America and Oceania.

Mitigating the impact of agriculture on air quality and climate change : solutions for improved nirogen management / edited by Beatrice Steinemann … [et al.]. - Brussels : IFOAM EU Group, 2015. - 36 p. : ill.

Ambitious targets for ammonia and methane need to be established under the European Union's National Emissions Ceilings (NEC) Directive, on a progressive basis between 2020, 2025 and 2030, and made legally binding as part of Member States' Emissions Reduction Commitments (ERCs). Targets under the NEC Directive should contribute to the EU's climate and energy policies. A new Effort Sharing Decision (ESD) under the EU's 2030 framework for climate and Energy policies must target more ambitious non-CO2 emission reductions for the agriculture sector - in particular for nitrous oxide emissions. The European Commission and Member States need to ensure that the introduction of voluntary coupled support under CAP - especially for the livestock sector - does not cause negative impacts on emission objectives. Organic farming and agrienvironment-climate measures under EU Rural Development Programmes can help to improve soil management, nutrient availability and nutrient use efficiency, and should be prioritised. This includes agroecological practices such as the recycling and application of organic fertilisers, reduced tillage, optimised crop rotations and the cultivation of nitrogen-fixing leguminous crops. Rural development advisory services and knowledge transfer measures that stimulate the uptake of advanced agroecological approaches must be prioritised. Capital investments are needed to implement practices such as improved manure management and storage as well as better utilisation and recycling of nutrients from safe sources such as household and urban organic waste. Such practices contribute to closing nutrient cycles. Sustainable biogas production should be promoted to reduce methane and ammonia emissions.

Preventing GMO contamination : an overview of National “coexistence” measures in the EU / edited by Eric Gall, Alejandro Gil Carrrasco ; Pauline Verrière. - Brussels : IFOAM EU Group, 2015. - 30 p. : ill.

Organic farming in Europe is on the up. In 2012, organic farms covered 11.2 million hectares in Europe, of which almost 10 million hectares was in the 28 EU Member States (EU-28). Among the 'old' Member States, the so-called EU-15, Spain, Italy, Germany and France were the countries with the biggest organic farming sectors, while Poland, the Czech Republic and Romania were the biggest among the 'new' Member States or EU-13. Per capita spending on organic products in Europe in 2012 was €34.7, while total retail sales were around €22.7 billion.

And the future continues to look bright: experts estimate that the market will double by 2020 (Meredith, S., Willer, H., 2012). But there are still a number of factors that could hold back this expected growth, not the least of which is the threat of contamination. In the EU, conventional food and feed containing GMOs have to be labelled, although Regulation 1829/2003 does allow for the adventitious and technically unavoidable presence of a GMO in a given ingredient, provided it remains below 0.9%.

By definition, organic products are free from genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The EU regulation for organic food and farming specifically states that “GMOs and products produced from or by GMOs shall not be used as food, feed, processing aids, plant protection products, fertilisers, soil conditioners, seeds, vegetative propagating material, micro-

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organisms and animals in organic production” (European Community, 2007; article 9). There is no specific threshold for organic products established by EU legislation, because in organic farming it is the production process which is certified, not the end product. Nonetheless, all organic operators strive to ensure that their products are free from contamination by GMOs, below the detection level. Certifying bodies apply their own standards, but the general rule is that any organic product found to be contaminated with GMOs would be decertified. Such contamination would of course be devastating for organic farmers and processors, but in reality the risk is also shared by conventional food producers, given the overwhelming distrust of GMOs by European consumers. As a result, few if any food processors have been brave enough to risk marketing GM foods in the European market. The 0.9% labelling threshold is sometimes used as a basis for the modelling of costs associated with GMO presence in products, but this does not reflect industry practice, and in reality most farmers and processors strive to ensure a far lower presence. For organic food processors, this is around 0.01-0.1% of GMOs in raw materials, while for the conventional food industry, the figure is slightly higher at 0.1-0.3% but still well below the labelling threshold. In reality, the European food industry prefers to source its raw materials from regions with no GMO cultivation at all in order to minimise both costs and risks. Once contamination is found in a product, a farmer risks permanent loss of market share. In Europe, 66% of consumers are worried about GMOs in food (European Commission, 2010) and most consumers who buy organic products cite the understanding that these foods are “free from GMOs” as one of the most important reasons why they buy them. And yet there is a clear cost to ensuring that food is guaranteed to be GMO-free, as raw materials have to be stored separately and traced throughout the entire food chain. The International Food & Agricultural Trade Policy Council estimates that sourcing non-GM soybean and maize means an additional annual cost to consumers in Japan and Europe of around $100 million (Kalaitzandonakes, N., 2004). The problem of increased costs and loss of market share is also a risk for non-GM conventional farmers. For example, Spanish farmers cultivating conventional maize for the gluten market lost up to €18 per tonne when their crop and/or harvest was contaminated by GM maize, forcing them to sell it for conventional animal feedstuffs rather than for human consumption (Greenpeace, 2009). In the province of Aragon (Spain) between 2003 and 2007, crops from 16 farms were contaminated

by GM products, and each one of them lost their organic certification, in turn forcing the livestock farmers they supplied to source their non-GM maize feed from other regions, at an increased cost (Greenpeace, 2009).

EU Rules for Organic Wine Production : Background, Evaluation and Further Sector Development / Andrzej Szeremeta … [et al.]. - Brussels : IFOAM EU Group, 2015. - 47 p. : ill.

The launch of EU rules for organic winemaking is not the end of the process. Member states are now introducing and implementing the new legislation at national level and the European Commission is working on the inclusion of organic wines in equivalency agreements with third countries. It is obviously essential that the certification scope of control bodies operating in third countries and certifying for import to the EU includes organic wine. The new legislation will support progressive improvement since it provides the option for review in 2015 of the use of some substances and techniques in organic wine production. This means that organic wine producers have time to test the new rules in practice and gain experience so that they can provide well informed input to this review process. Research and development projects will also be essential. This dossier provides an explanation of the regulation and the legal framework and gives inspiration for existing and future producers of organic wine. I am sure that it will help us all to promote organic wine production and consumption.

The european innovation partnership: opportunities for innovation in organic farming and agroecology / edited by Bram Moeskops. - Brussels : IFOAM EU Group, 2014. - 34 p. : ill.

Innovation is a driver for change and a way to turn challenges into opportunities and concrete improvements on the ground. This is also the case in the agricultural sector which is faced with a number of growing challenges – not only economic, but also environmental and social. We need to boost innovation throughout European agriculture and this is the reason why we launched a European Innovation Partnership for Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (EIP-AGRI) last year. The EIP-AGRI is fundamentally about bringing expertise from the worlds of farming and science together to learn from each other and develop ideas, knowledge and innovative actions together. It aims to build bridges between science and practice, in particular through practical innovation projects, bottom-up approaches, partnerships and networking activities. It is about growing an innovation culture in European farming that embraces the sector in all its diversity and which is not blind to the prospects that lie in

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Organic Agriculture

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traditional and practical knowledge. By integrating a wide range of competencies from farmers, researchers, advisors, NGOs and other innovation actors, this new kind of partnership can help generate new insights and co-ownership. It mobilises scientific and practical knowledge to foster innovation, improves speed of uptake of solutions by practitioners and helps to better target the research agenda towards practice needs. The organic sector is in many ways an agricultural frontrunner. Organic farming is a sector from which all farmers can learn, but it is certainly also in need of innovation and development. I am very pleased with the strong support we have received for the development of the EIP-AGRI, including from IFOAM EU, ARC 2020 and TP Organics. We are pleased with the strong commitment taken by the representatives of IFOAM EU and ARC 2020 in the High Level Steering Board, as well as their involvement in the Focus Groups of the EIPAGRI. I also welcome the recent recognition of TP Organics as one of the European Technology Platforms. The platform has an important role to play in bringing practitioners and researchers together and identifying innovation goals for organic.

With funding coming on tap in 2014 for operational groups under Rural Development and for multi-actor projects and thematic networks under Horizon 2020, I hope that the organic sector will continue its strong involvement in the EIP-AGRI and help make it a success.

Organic Youth Guide: March 2014 / Asta Donielaite ‌ [et al.]. - Brussels : IFOAM EU Group, 2014. - 34 p. : ill.

Organic food in the European Union is food that has been grown and processed according to the EU regulations on organic food and farming. It is also lot more than that. It is food that has been grown with the highest regard for the environment, for animal welfare, for food safety and for food quality. It is also food that is controlled by a unique certification system to make sure that it meets these requirements. The organic regulations in the EU restrict the fertilisers and pesticides that farmers can use. Only those that have least effect on the environment and are the safest for wildlife, farm animals and humans are allowed. The regulations also set strict rules for the ways that animals must be cared for to minimise suffering. The regulations also restrict the additives and processing aids that food manufacturers can use, for example by prohibiting food colourings.

This ensures that the true quality of the food is not hidden or changed during processing. It is also important to repeat that not only the products officially labelled by the EU organic logo and certified by authorised bodies are organic. There is probably many farmers in the world who respect these standards even not knowing what organic exactly is. However, the concept is nowadays widely familiar, well recognised and the demand for organic products currently exceeds the offer in Europe.

Organic Aquaculture, EU Regulations (EC) 834/2007, (EC) 889/2008, (EC) 710/2009: background, assessment, interpretation / edited by Andrzej Szeremeta. - Brussels : IFOAM EU Group, 2010. - 36 p. : ill.

The IFOAM EU Group, in co-operation with IAMB - Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari, has prepared this publication to introduce and evaluate the fi rst European regulation on organic aquaculture. The IFOAM EU Group welcomes this move to regulate the organic aquaculture sector in Europe. Legislation relevant to the sector now includes general provisions set out in the new Organic Regulation (EC) No 834/2007 and implementing rules in Regulation (EC) No 889/2008, in particular the most recent addition to the latter: organic aquaculture implementing rules, Regulation (EC) No 710/2009. Together, the regulations represent an important starting point for the extensive further work that is required to achieve a comprehensive and fair legislative framework, paving the way for the development of organic aquaculture in Europe; and, since Europe is a major importer, organic aquaculture worldwide.

Organic aquaculture aims to provide fish and other products that are ecologically, economically and socially sound. These new regulations will support the sector's ability to provide an alternative to unsustainable practices of fi sheries and aquaculture worldwide. Tough negotiations amongst stakeholders contributed to the creation of the new Organic Regulation and the organic aquaculture implementing rules. Previously, organic aquaculture was not regulated in EU law; private organisations developed independent standards and national laws were created in some Member States, but these efforts were fragmented and few international initiatives existed. We hope that new regulations which establish EU minimum standards will harmonise the EU organic aquaculture sector, while supplementary efforts by private initiatives with their own standards continue to drive innovation and improvement. The organic sector expects this evolution to facilitate the expansion and development of the market for organic aquaculture products. If preparation of European-level legislation was tough, implementation will be equally so. The IFOAM EU Group will use the time up to the revision to prepare a thorough review and produce concrete suggestions for further legislative developments.

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Changing climate patterns have already begun to have considerable impact on agricultural production in many regions. In the near future, shifts in local climatic conditions and the frequency of extreme weather events such as droughts and floods are expected to occur even more frequently, with potentially devastating effects for agricultural yields. Strategies need to be developed to make our food and farming systems more resilient to the effects of climate change.

This dossier presents the latest scientific findings to show how organic farming as a holistic sustainable production system can contribute to effective climate change adaptation strategies for the farm sector.

Economic impacts of labelling thresholds for the adventitious presence of genetically engineered organisms in conventional and organic seed : seed purity : costs, benefits and risk management strategies for maintaining markets free from genetically engineered plants / edited by Christoph Then, Matthias Stolze. - Brussels : IFOAM EU Group, 2015. 57 p. : ill.

Food production starts with seed. Therefore, the seed sector has set high standards to guarantee quality and purity. With the introduction of genetically engineered (GE) plants in agriculture, seed purity acquired a new meaning. Because the majority of consumers demand non-GE food, producers need to continue delivering foods free from GE plants and their components; for this, seed that is free from GE fractions is no less than essential. In this way, GE-free seed is the basis of economic viability for the organic and conventional non-GE food sector. Within the EU, the option of establishing labelling thresholds for the adventitious presence (AP) of GE organisms in conventional and organic seed has been under discussion for several years. It can be expected that the new Commission starting itswork in early 2010 will come up with a legal proposal for a labelling regime between 2010 and 2014. The level of the labelling threshold will have profound impacts on the future of farming with respect to the possibility of co-existence and consumer choice. Coexistence costs for farmers and the entire food chain will be influenced by the level of seed purity. This study presents data enriched by detailed case studies affording an overview of the costs associated with avoiding GE components in seed and food production. It concludes that it is feasible to produce seed free from GE components and that high labelling thresholds in seed would cause tremendous costs for the co-existence throughout the food chain, even threatening food operators' ability to deliver to non-GE food markets at all.

Finally, the study develops recommendations for an appropriate labelling threshold whereby consumer needs are served, and economic interests are balanced among operators throughout the production chain from the seed to the final product.

The future of organic farming in Europe : how do European rural development programmes support organic farming? / edited by Alexandra Pohl. - Brussels : IFOAM EU Group, 2009. - 36 p. : ill.

In June 2004, the European Commission published the European Action Plan for Organic Food and Farming. The plan sets out a range of policy measure to support the development of the organic sector in order to meet consumer demands in a market-oriented way and to deliver public goods such as environmental protection and animal welfare. The plan proposes 21 actions in different policy fields. In Action 6, the Commission recommends Member States to make full use within their Rural Development Programmes of the instruments available to support organic farming, giving eight examples. The present study evaluates the implementation of Action 6 in different member states and presents best practice examples. The study concludes with “The organic model - The perfect implementation of Action 6”, a comprehensive recommendation for policy makers on how to make the best use of Rural Development Programmes for the promotion of organic agriculture.

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Organic Agriculture

Organic agriculture : a Strategy for Climate Change Adaptation / edited by Antje Kölling, Teresa Elola-Calderón. - Brussels : IFOAM EU Group, 2015. - 23 p. : ill.

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Organic Agriculture

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Shaping Agriculture and Food Systems to Future Challenges : the Strategic Role of Organic Food and Farming : how the EU can profit from organic systems to achieve multiple policy goals / edited by Marco Schlüter, Louisa Winkler, Antje Kölling. - Brussels : IFOAM EU Group, 2010. - 40 p. : ill. - Recommendations to the new European Commission and the European Parliament for a coherent framework of policies to support organic food and farming.

Today's policymakers face severe challenges, and the food production system is at the heart of many of them. Perhaps the most serious is the global ecological crisis: we see the earth's ecosystems becoming unstable, with the risk of triggering non-linear, abrupt environmental change on a vast scale, even on a planetary scale. There is now evidence that the ecosystem parameters of climate, biodiversity and the global nitrogen cycle have moved out of their safe ranges.These areas are strongly impacted by food production. The environmental deterioration occurring in the wake of modern agricultural practices is well-documented by a series of highprofile international reports and the need to develop truly sustainable food systems is starkly evident. Organic food production systems could be a powerful tool for policymakers and society. They can be thought of as a multi-targeted approach to food production, since they deliver simultaneous benefits to multiple stakeholders. Organic production is the only production system clearly defined and legislated by Regulation (EC) 834/2007 at EU level aiming to "establish a sustainable management system for agriculture” that “respects nature's systems and cycles,” producing high quality foods in ways that “do not harm the environment, human health, plant health or animal health and welfare.”

The New EU Regulation for Organic Food and Farming: (EC) No 834/2007 : background, assessment, interpretation / edited by Camilla Mikkelsen, Marco Schlüter. - Brussels : IFOAM EU Group, 2009. - 68 p. : ill.

On January 1st, 2009 the new EU Regulation for organic food and farming (no. 834/2007) replaced the former EEC Regulation 2092/91 (with parts of the labeling regime/mandatory logo from July 1st, 2010). It represents a milestone in the development of organic production. This chapter provides an historical overview of the creation of the new organic regulation, starting with the old regulation, and then focusing on the political process that shake and directed the new regulation. The major part of the revision of the EU regulatory framework for organic farming is now finished. The agreement reached in the Council in 2007 led to the publication of Council Regulation (EC ) No 834/20071 in the Official Journal of July 20, 2007. Since then, it has been completed with two sets of implementing rules in 2008: Commission Regulation (EC ) No 889/20082 on detailed production rules for plants, livestock and processed products including yeast, and their labelling and control, and Commission Regulation (EC ) No 1235/20083 on detailed rules for imports. These new Regulations replace the previous organic rules known as the Regulation (EEC ) No 2092/914 as from January 2009 onwards.

Guideline for Pesticide Residue Contamination for International Trade in Organic. Brussels : IFOAM EU Group, 2012. - iv, 20 p. : ill.

Organic farming is a production system where, instead of using chemical inputs, organic operator relies on a broad range of activities which prevent problems from occurring. It is a system that limits the use of pesticides to a very small number of natural substances. However, organic products are produced in a world where pesticides and other chemical are commonly used. Hence the risk of contamination with pesticides is always there: in the field, during processing and during transport. As with any sector, the organic sector is vulnerable to fraud. So, beside the risk of contaminations, residues in organic certified crops might also be an indication of fraud. To secure the integrity and quality of organic certified agriculture, crops, ingredients and processed food, residue analysis has become more important over the past 10 years. It is an increasing part of the quality assurance of private companies and certification and inspection bodies in organic agriculture, trade and food processing. Different monitoring programs, like the Öko monitoring from Baden Würtemberg, “BNN residuemonitoring” (Bundesverband Naturkost Naturwaren Herstellung und Handel e.V. Organic Processors and Traders Association) by BNN in Germany and BIOKAP residue monitoring by VBP (Vereniging van Biologische Productie en handelsbedrijven) in The Netherlands show the relevance of residue monitoring. Their monitoring programs of organic products show detections of prohibited substances in between 5%

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to 22% of samples tested. Most of these detections are below 10ppb. It must be noted that these percentage include a high proportion of results obtained through investigations of high risk products so these percentages are not representative of the level of contamination in the whole organic sector. Also in Belgium, Italy and France more intensive residue monitoring has been started by authorities and/or the private sector. More and more private companies in EU countries set their own private standards, including very variable levels from one system to another. Two years ago an unofficial Task Force within the Standing Committee on Organic Farming, (SCOF), the advisory committee to the Commission on organic issues, was formed to discuss individual residue cases. It seems time to really discuss the residue topic on EU level with all stakeholders and work towards a common approach. With the rising of the daily practice of residue analysis the organic sector in the EU faces new fundamental questions in regard to the residue topic. Before the issues are mentioned it is essential to keep in mind that organic legislation is structured as legislation for a process based agriculture and food processing system. In the discussion about the need for harmonization in the residue topic, we might make the mistake of transforming a more or less privately developed action level into a strict decertification level in the EU legislation. While states such as Belgium have operated this system effectively for several years much of the EU considers that this is not the ideal way to progress at present. If the action level were transformed to decertification level, residue issues could easily replace all other important aspects of organic agriculture as the arbiter of whether a product is organic, although this has not happened in Belgium.

Organic agriculture is a method, which cannot be replaced by the absence or presence of residues under or above a certain level! On the other hand, clear, harmonized guide lines in the EU on residue contaminations can help the organic sector to assure and develop organic quality where there is ignorance, and prevent the downfall of organic integrity where fraud is the case. A guidance document is urgently required for further harmonized development of the organic sector in EU.

European Organic Regulations (EC) No 834/2007, 889/2008 and 1235/2008 : an evaluation of the first three years looking for further development / edited by Andrzej Szeremeta ‌ [et al.]. - Brussels : IFOAM EU Group, 2012. - iv, 20 p. : ill.

The IFOAM EU Group is the European umbrella organisation of organic food and farming, uniting and representing the expertise and interests of around 300 affiliates. The members of the Group cover the whole organic production chain, producer organisations, certification bodies, consultants, trade and research organisations and processors as well as environmental and consumer organisations, companies and retailers. Through our office, located in the heart of Europe's policy-making capital Brussels, we have access to an extensive network covering the European Commission, Parliament, Council and civil society organisations. The IFOAM EU Group is recognised as the leading advocacy group for organic food and farming on the EU political scene. Within the regulation area the IFOAM EU Group works to improve and harmonise the interpretation of Organic Regulations (EC) No 834/2007, 889/2008 and 1235/2008. Therefore, we co-operate directly with EU institutions, especially, with the Organic Farming Unit, DG Agri, European Commission. In order to provide appropriate proposals to the EU institutions, we consult stakeholders who are experts in certain issues as well as our expert members. These expert members also form our representation in AGOF (Advisory Group on Organic Farming). Christopher Stopes, the IFOAM EU Group President currently chairs this important Commission stakeholder consultation group on the organic regulation.

Correlations between organic and conventional management, on-field biodiversity and landscape diversity, in olive groves in Apulia (Italy) / Omar Mohamed Abdellatif ; [sup. G. Calabrese, E. Perrino]. - Tesi datt. - Valenzano : IAMB, 2015. - 77 p. ; 30 cm.

Intensified land use, landscape changes and fragmentation of habitats are major factors in the global decline of biodiversity. Also current agricultural practices are regarded as one of the most significant drivers of biodiversity loss. Aim of the present research work was to investigate the correlation existing between the biodiversity at field level in the Mediterranean olive groves, the agricultural practices performed to achieve production and the landscape asset characterizing the agricultural systems around the fields. In this conceptual frame the following steps were performed: 1) Monitoring and assessment of the on-field biodiversity in organic and conventional olive groves; 2) Description (by using GIS tools) and analysis of the agroecosystem diversity (cropping system diversity) around the field areas (by using a set of indicators); 3) Investigation of the correlations between the on-field biodiversity of flora, the agro-biodiversity at landscape level and the agricultural practices, using statistical methods. Results of the statistical analysis showed that flora diversity is highly correlated to organic management options; agronomic practices to prevent pests and adversities are highly correlated to the level of flora diversity and the natural capital of the ecological focus areas; some correlation was found between the presence of water bodies in the landscape and biodiversity indexes.

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Organic Agriculture

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Organic Agriculture

Factors influencing farmers' decision to stay in organic farming. An exploratory analysis in Fayoum Governorate, Egypt / Mai Ahmed El Nady Kamel ; [sup. P. Pugliese, M. Nawar, C. Rota, C. Zanasi]. - Tesi datt. - Valenzano : IAMB, 2015. - 80 p. ; 30 cm.

The factors affecting the farmers' decision to stay in organic farming were investigated and compared with the factors which influenced the farmers' conversion to organic agriculture; this was the purpose of this study, carried out in Sakran village in Fayoum Governorate. A mixed research approach was adopted; qualitative data were obtained via semi-structured interviews involving the representatives of local farmers' associations; quantitative data were collected from 232 organic farmers in the study area, using structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics were performed to describe organic farmers and farms' characteristics. Factor analysis identified 8 factors affecting farmers' decision to stay in organic farming, namely: "environmental & human health protection", "association/buyer's services", "export market", "independence”, “knowledge, resources & farming conditions", "people around", "need to be different" and "domestic market". Thematic analysis was also used to go deeper into the matter for understanding and describing the foregoing factors. In addition, content analysis showed that the reasons to stay in organic production are not so different from the reasons that originally pushed farmers to convert to it. Awareness of factors affecting farmers' decision to stay under the organic certification scheme is useful to orient strategies and action of stakeholders operating for the development of the organic sector in Egypt. Specific recommendations in this regard are addressed to the government.

Unveiling the role of a liquid released over the fruit surface by ovipositing Drosophila suzukii females: a fruit-marking pheromone or a food source for larvae? / Hana Voca ; [sup.

G. Anfora, N. Baser]. - Tesi datt. - Valenzano : IAMB, 2015. - 51 p. ; 30 cm.

After its rapid invasion of both Europe and US in 2008, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) has caused huge economic damage worldwide. Thereafter, information on this pest has been based on its biology and management techniques. This study started from preliminary observations of the release of a liquid on the surface of fruits by females after oviposition. The released liquid was supposed to be either a pheromone (attractant or deterrent) or an additional source of food for developing larvae, since it probably contained nutritionally important gut microorganisms.

Therefore, laboratory experiments were performed to test the nature of the released liquid in D. suzukii oviposition behavior, thus one of the three hypotheses would be verified. Results suggested that females deposit a deterrent marking pheromone which would prevent repeated ovipositions in already infested fruits. Findings of this study may be useful in the development of environmentally friendly management methods by interfering with D. suzukii post-oviposition communication using the isolate of deterrent marking pheromone. Moreover, development of useful management method may eventually contribute to food safety by reducing the current and common practice of use of pesticides near harvest for this pest.

Bio-effectors from waste materials as growth promoters and quality enhancers for tomato plants: an agronomic and metabolomic study / Lara Abou Chehade ; [sup. Z. Al Chami, F.P. Fanizzi]. - Tesi datt. - Valenzano : IAMB, 2015. - 74 p. ; 30 cm.

Three agro-industrial wastes - Lemon Processing Residues (LPR), Fennel Processing Rresidues (FPR) and Brewer's Spent Grain (BSG) - were further investigated as sources of bio-effectors, following two previous trials in MAIB. Their corresponding aqueous extracts, applied individually or in association, were used to assess their single/synergistic effects on agronomic and quality performance of soil-grown pot tomatoes. Seven treatments (BSG, FPR, LPR, BSGFPR, BSG-LPR, FPR-LPR and BSG-FPR-LPR) were compared accordingly with both a control and humic acid applications. Metabolite profiling of tomato fruits via the Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy complemented fruit quality evaluation. Results proved the stimulating effect of FPR extract on vegetative growth (shoot length), and showed a significant increase in tomato yields and nutrient uptake under all treatments. Moreover, bioeffectors enhanced some tomato organoleptic (titratable acidity) and nutraceutical (vitamin C) properties, while did not affect lycopene and β-carotene contents. Single extracts were able to compete with combined treatments in stimulating production and quality attributes. The metabolomic profile of tomato juice showed an interesting tendency of FPR extract to increase fruit citric acid content. In conclusion, waste-derived bio-effectors could be demonstrated as potential candidates of plant growth, yield and fruit quality promoters.

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Comparison of three organic greenhouse production systems of Kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes) under Mediterranean conditions / Salaheddine Hafidi ; [sup. F.G. Ceglie, F. Tittarelli]. - Tesi datt. - Valenzano : IAMB, 2015. - 55 p. ; 30 cm.

Since 2012, a long-term experiment has been performed at the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (South-Italy) to evaluate three different soil fertility management systems for organic vegetable production under unheated tunnel. One organic simplified system named SUBST (short-term fertilization strategy that substitutes mineral fertilizers with the organic ones authorized by the EU Regulation) and two organic agroecological systems named AGROCOM (cover crops mixture as green manure and green compost amendment) and AGROMAN (manure amendment and the same cover crops mixture of AGROCOM flattened by a roller crimper and used as dead mulch). The Master thesis objective was to compare the effects of these systems on kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea L. var. gongylodes) cultivation. Yield, nitrose and phosphorus budgets, water consumption and nitrate concentration below the root zone (35 cm) were taken into consideration to compare performances and potential impacts. The best kohlrabi yield was registered in SUBST (22.72 t ha¯š), which also required less water and showed neutral nutrient budgets. Agroecological systems (AGROMAN, AGROCOM) had a strong surplus in N-budget; AGROMAN showed the lowest nitrate leaching. In conclusion, the agroecological approach provides organic matter and nutrients for a long-term soil fertility improvement, while a simplified approach (SUBST) is mainly oriented towards yield enhancement in a short-term perspective.

Microeconomic analysis of organic olive farms in the North of West Bank-Palestine / Siham Abu Ikhmaish ; [sup. G. Cardone, F. Srouji]. - Tesi datt. - Valenzano : IAMB, 2015. - 66 p. ; 30 cm.

Organic olive cultivation as an emerging and promising system in Palestine lacks the relevant studies and evaluation, particularly in economic terms. This research was conducted with the aim of being the first microeconomic analysis of organic olive oil farms compared with conventional ones in the north of West-Bank. Following the case study approach, two groups of 16 organic and 16 conventional olive oil farms were economically evaluated through the cost-benefit analysis by measuring the gross margin and other economic indicators. Results showed that the group of conventional olive oil farms had a higher gross margin per ha and per unit of production whereas the group of organic olive oil farms had higher labor and variable costs and revenues per ha.

Moreover, the second part of this research was done to assess the organic olive oil sector through the SWOT analysis. Data was collected using bibliographic sources and feedback results of the preliminary SWOT list from 39 stakeholders of the olive oil sector. The results obtained highlighted that, although the Palestinian organic olive oil sector is affected by several shortages and problems, many good strengths and opportunities are available and can be maximized, which indicates that the sector might be improved, especially in its economic and marketing aspects.

Mediterranean organic prickly pear (Opuntia ficus indica (L.) Mill.): Characterization of plant associated microbiota and their exploitation through lactic acid fermentation / Nadia Thligene ; [sup. I. Cavoski, R. Di Cagno]. - Tesi datt. - Valenzano : IAMB, 2015. - 79 p. ; 30 cm.

Organic prickly pear production in the Mediterranean basin is constantly increasing, due to its high ecological adaptability to extreme conditions, and the growing demand for its food and nonfood products. Fruits are characterized by pronounced flavor and high nutritional properties, whereas cladodes are less exploited for human consumption. The present study aimed at exploring the endophytic and epiphytic cladodes and fruits associated microbiota and to evaluate the capacity of selected lactic acid bacteria to enhance the functional properties of cladodes pulp.

Fruits and cladodes of 12 cultivars were collected from Italy and Tunisia. The structure of the microbiota was characterized through culture-dependent and independent methods. Young cladode's pulp was fermented with lactic acid bacteria previously isolated from plant materials.

The antioxidant activity was evaluated through in vitro assays, further confirmed through ex vivo analysis on intestinal human Caco-2/TC7 cells, and the profile of flavonoids was characterized. Microbial diversity and community structure showed variability in fruits versus cladodes, and cultivars versus locations; whereas functional properties were more in relation to the plant part and cultivars. The use of selected functional lactic acid bacteria, through enhancing health-promoting features of cladodes, may contribute to exploit the cultivation of prickly pear with the perspective of producing a functional ingredient or dietary supplement.

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CENTRO DOCUMENTALE - ISTITUTO AGRONOMICO MEDITERRANEO DI BARI

Feeding knowledge Feeding Knowledge is the Expo 2015 Program for cooperation on research and innovation on Food Security. The Program will contribute to building up the Legacy of Expo, whose claim is: "Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life".

Feeding Knowledge

The Best Sustainable Development Practices for Food Security (BSDP) of Expo Milano 2015 The Call of Best Practices on Food Security, launched by Expo Milano 2015, collected 749 initiatives: a significant heritage throwing lights on scientific solutions, services and products.The Best Practices of Expo represent an important opportunity to share information on how International Organizations, Local Governments, Civil Society, Enterprises, Institutions and Academia, both in developed and developing Countries, face future challenges. 18 selected Best Sustainable Development Practices on Food Security: 5 BSDPs won a movie which will be produced by Expo 2015 | 13 BSDPs won a photo story which will be produced by Expo 2015.

Food bank : food is a resource to secure tangible assistance and inclusion to the deprived. Realized in Italy and implemented by the NGO Food Bank Foundation and the European Federation of Food Banks. - Feeding Knowledge Programme, jointly developed and implemented by the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (CIHEAM/IAMB) and Politecnico di Milano.

The world's first Food Bank was founded in 1967 in Phoenix, Arizona. John van Hengel, usually known as the “Father of Food Banking”, was volunteering in a soup kitchen, when a mother with 10 children gave him the idea of a place where surplus food could be stored and made available to the poor. Then Food Banks developed in Canada and Europe and today they operate worldwide.

The Fondazione Banco Alimentare Onlus was established in Italy in 1989 and since 1990 it has been a member of the European Federation of Food Banks. With the help of a network of 21 Food Banks across the country, we recover and distribute surplus food from the food chain to 8,898 charitable organizations that help almost 2 million poor every year, work to raise awareness about food waste and food poverty, and advocate for policies that sustain food poverty. Our daily activity contributes to food security but also improves the sustainability of food systems and reduces the impact of food waste on the environment.

PARTNERS: Fondazione Banco Alimentare Onlus - Italy, Intesa Sanpaolo - Italy, National Federation of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul - Italy, Milano Ristorazione - Italy, METRO Cash and Carry - Italy, Finmeccanica - Italy, Alliance Against Hunger and Malnutrition - Italy, National Union of producer organisations - Italy, Sacro Cuore Catholic University - Italy, Nestlé Italiana - Italy, Barilla G&R - Italy, University of Milan-Bicocca - Italy, Politecnico di Milano - Italy, The Global FoodBanking Network - United States, European Federation of Food Banks - France.

Cooperative agro-input shops : intensification of agriculture by strengthening cooperative agro-input shops. - Developed by IARBIC, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and the Union of Federations of Producers of Niger. - Feeding Knowledge Programme, jointly developed and implemented by the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (CIHEAM/IAMB) and Politecnico di Milano.

In a context of food insecurity and poverty of soils, the Government of the Niger initiated in 2008 the project “Intensification of agriculture by strengthening cooperative agro-input shops” (IARBIC). This project aims to improve agricultural production by ensuring availability of inputs and improving agricultural practices through strengthened farmers' organisations. The strategy is based on building capacity and empowerment of all men and women producers through their organisations. The project promotes umbrella organisations to be the driving forces and directors of all the activities conducted by the successive projects in Niger. In addition, many development partner organisations in Niger, including NGOs, development agencies and projects, supported the creation of input shops. Thanks to this collaborative effort, there are 786 operating agro-inputs shops in Niger (survey results 2013).

PARTNERS: Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (IARBIC) - Italy, Union of Niger's Producer Federations UFPN Gatanci - Niger, Ministry of Agriculture of Niger - Niger, European Community, Belgium, Luxembourg and Spain.

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Cafèycaffè : regional network to support small producers of coffee. - Realized in Guatemala and created by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy and by the National Coffee Association of Guatemala. - Feeding Knowledge Programme, jointly developed and implemented by the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (CIHEAM/IAMB) and Politecnico di Milano.

This regional initiative active in 6 Central American and Caribbean countries aims to improve the living standard of small producers of quality coffee by reducing their socio-economic vulnerability and strengthening the sustainability and profitability of their work. The intervention involves respect for traditional systems and the introduction of cultivation practices with a low environmental impact, and its aims are the following: to improve coffee productivity, quality and homogeneity; to consolidate, expand and make sustainable the Regional Network; to strengthen promotion of the production system in the pilot areas; to valorise the role of women. The Guatemala project has pursued all of these aims, and has particularly encouraged the inclusion of women in production and marketing processes complementary to coffee production - miniroasting, plant nurseries, mushroom and compost production - thus encouraging recognition of their role and their participation in the decision-making processes.

PARTNERS: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation – Directorate General for Development Cooperation - Italia, Italo-American Institute - Italia, National Coffee Association of Guatemala - Guatemala, Overseas Agronomic Institute - Italy.

Africa milk project : love your land, fight poverty, drink your milk. - Developed in Tanzania by the Tanzanian Farmer Association NjoLIFA, the NGO CEFA and the Granarolo Group.

- Feeding Knowledge Programme, jointly developed and implemented by the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (CIHEAM/IAMB) and Politecnico di Milano.

While in the beginning, the aim of this project was to improve life in rural communities and develop the district's economy, today it is a business that is making a profit. Every day, the company receives 3200 litres of milk from 800 local farmers (5000 people) who own a maximum of 2 or 3 dairy cows. Once brought “by hand” or collected with a truck, the milk is pasteurised.

Once a week, a certain amount is distributed at a low price to 58 schools in the district, covering a catchment area that, until 2013, numbered 25,000 schoolchildren. The calcium in the milk is fundamental in children's diets. Part of the milk is sold and a small amount is donated to hospitals and orphanages locally. The rest becomes yogurt, sold in local markets, and various kinds of cheese. Caciotta, provolone and especially mozzarella are sold in the most important cities and on the island of Zanzibar. Proceeds from sales have made AMP sustainable.

PARTNERS: Granarolo Group - Italy, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation - Italy, Directorate General for Development Cooperation - Italy, CEFA - The European Committee for Education and Agriculture - Italy, NjoLIFA (Njombe Livestock Farmers Association - Tanzania).

Green gold : pasture user groups for sustainable rangeland management in Mongolia. Organized by the Mongolian Ministry of Industry and Agriculture. - Feeding Knowledge Programme, jointly developed and implemented by the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (CIHEAM/IAMB) and Politecnico di Milano.

Nomadic pastoralism is the backbone of food security in Mongolia. More than 150 000 rural households (1/3 of the total population) are keeping around 40 million livestock comprising sheep, goats, cattle, yak, horses and camels. Degradation of Mongolian rangeland is increasing and affects 70% of the territory. Overgrazing and the lack of a regulatory framework are the main causes of rangeland degradation. Since 2006, the Green Gold Project facilitated collective actions among nomadic herders organizing pasture user groups to implement measures preventing rangeland degradation. Rotational grazing, resting practices, rangeland use agreement, hay making and feeding during the winter are among the introduced measures. The results are an increased productivity and an adaptation of the herd size to the carrying capacity of the rangelands. In 2013, a total of 3.4 million hectares of degraded rangeland have been rehabilitated through 1000 pasture user groups representing more than 40,000 herder households.

PARTNERS: Ministry of Food and Agriculture - Mongolia, Soum Association and Aimag Federation of Pasture Users' Groups - Mongolia, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation in Mongolia - Mongolia.

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Feeding Knowledge

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Seeds of knowledge, seeds of change : malawian women as agents of change for nutritional and agricultural development. - Realized in Malawi thanks to Save the Children Italy and Malawi and the Malawi Ministry of Agriculture. - Feeding Knowledge Programme, jointly developed and implemented by the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (CIHEAM/IAMB) and Politecnico di Milano.

This initiative is a three and half years project, initially co-funded by Barilla and then carried out

by Save the Children alone with donations from individuals. Its goal is to improve food and nutrition security for 11.000 under-five children hosted by 8.311 households in the Traditional Authority (TA) of Mpama and Likoswe in Malawi. This has been done working on three different areas: 1. enhancing nutrition status of 11.000 under-five children: at the end of the project there is an increased adoption of improved nutrition and complementary health behavior practices and an improved food utilization; 2. increasing the agricultural production for 8.311 households: at the end of the project the production of legumes and sweet potatoes and of livestock has significantly augmented; 3. enhancing and diversifying the income for 8.311 households: at the end of the project the access to markets has increased and well-functioning Village Savings and Loan Groups have been established.

PARTNERS: Save the Children Italy - Italy, Opportunity International Bank of Malawi - Malawi, Bunda College of Agriculture, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources - Malawi, Save the Children Malawi - Malawi.

Amaranto (kiwicha) in Argentina : kiwicha (amaranto) agriculture native to the human and social development as the only alternative to the battle against hunger in the Region-Salta Argentina. - Realized in Argentina with the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Argentine Agrarian Federation. - Feeding Knowledge Programme, jointly developed and implemented by the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (CIHEAM/IAMB) and Politecnico di Milano.

The project fully achieved the aim of raising awareness of amaranth and of spreading cultivation and consumption among the vulnerable families of Güemes. It amplified the impact significantly, including beneficiaries not initially contemplated, in particular the pupils of the rural schools and the area's small farmers.The plant actually proved more appreciated than expected for use in preparing daily meals. This pseudo-cereal was given maximum visibility using all means of communication to encourage its use in cooking, from local radio to periodicals and local television. It was brought to the attention of over two and a half million potential consumers. A centre was created for processing amaranth and other grains into food products with added value, and was completed with a new training centre.

PARTNERS: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation - Directorate General for Development Cooperation - Italy, Argentine Agrarian Federation - Argentina, Solidarity and cooperation CIPSI - Coordination of Popular Initiatives for International Solidarity - Italy.

Tsetse eradication : eradication of the tsetse fly glossina palpalis gambiensis from the niayes in Senegal. - Active in Senegal thanks to the Veterinary Services Senegal. - Feeding Knowledge Programme, jointly developed and implemented by the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (CIHEAM/IAMB) and Politecnico di Milano.

The aim of the project is to create a zone free of the tsetse fly Glossina palpalis gambiensis in the Niayes of western Senegal that would result in the sustainable removal of the debilitating livestock disease trypanosomosis. The removal of the tsetse fly and the disease would pave the way towards the development of more efficient livestock production systems. As the tsetse population of the Niayes proved completely isolated from the remainder of the tsetse belt in eastern Senegal, the Government of Senegal selected “sustainable eradication” as the strategic approach to reach that goal. The removal of the tsetse fly and the disease would greatly benefit the local farmer community as they would be able to replace their local unproductive cattle breeds by more productive exotic breeds. The benefits of the program for the local farmer community were estimated at Euro 2.8 million per year, concurrent to a 45% reduction of the cattle population and associated positive environmental impact.

PARTNERS: Directorate of Veterinary Services – Senegal, Senegal Institute for Agricutural Research – Senegal, French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development – France, Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Technique in Food and Agriculture (International Atomic Energy Agency and Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations) Austria.

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Sri Lanka small farmer's resilience : Sri Lanka, reconciliation happens through respect for environment, healthy organic food and joined marketing opportunities. - Realized in Sri Lanka by Oxfam Italy and the International Rescue of the Rainforest of Sri Lanka. Feeding Knowledge Programme, jointly developed and implemented by the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (CIHEAM/IAMB) and Politecnico di Milano.

The Program, developed in Northern Sri Lanka, theater of the long interethnic conflict which ended in 2009, can be considered a best practice of sustainable development in agricultural and environmental sectors. Main goal of the action is to enhance farmer resilience by introducing sustainable agricultural methods fighting climate change and (re)establishing crop diversification. The program involves 1.982 vulnerable small farmer's families from 22 remote agriculture-based villages. Through the action, it has been possible to create a network of Toxin Free Crop Producers in 22 villages, to replant 500 hectares of deteriorated forestry area, to increase water access with 12 water basins and 61 wells, to introduce organic production and crop diversification, to establish a seed bank and finally to set up 19 food processing centers thanks to which 1589 farmers could promote their products in the local and international market.

PARTNERS: Oxfam Italia - Italy, Autonomous Province of Bozen/Bolzano - Italy, Department of Presidency and Foreign Affairs, Office of Cabinet Affairs - Italy, Rainforest Rescue International - Sri Lanka.

Improving West African farming systems : farmer-researcher networks and north-south partnerships to transform West African agriculture and society towards sustainability, justice and wealth. - Realized in Mali and Burkina Faso thanks to the intervention of the Research Institute for Organic Agriculture of Switzerland and the Research Centres of Agriculture of Burkina-Faso, Benin and Mali. - Feeding Knowledge Programme, jointly developed and implemented by the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (CIHEAM/IAMB) and Politecnico di Milano.

Democratic and partnership-based cooperation between elected organic farmers and national agricultural researchers from the three countries of Mali, Burkina Faso and Benin test innovations that will and can contribute to food security and climate change adaptation.

Organized within a EuropeAid-funded research for development program organized by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FIBL), the tested results are spread through Bluetooth technology and mobile phones in order to reach at least 100'000 farmers with hardly any extra costs. The experience is a clear sign that willingness and knowledge are available in order to succeed in transforming unsustainable forms of farming and wealth creation into resilient and more just systems from local to global level.

PARTNERS: Fibl- Research Institute for Organic Agriculture – FRICK Switzerland - Switzerland, Malian Organic Movement - Mali, Union of village associations for the management of wildlife reserves - Benin, National union of cotton producers of Burkina - Burkina Faso, Institute of Rural Economy/ Regional Center for Agricultural Research - Mali, National Agricultural Research Institute of Benin - Benin, Institute of Environment and Agricultural Research - Burkina Faso, Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation - Switzerland.

New digital procedures : informatics tool for the competitiveness of local food productions from south mediterranean countries to european entry points (Italy). - Active in Egypt thanks to the realization of the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation of Egypt. Feeding Knowledge Programme, jointly developed and implemented by the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (CIHEAM/IAMB) and Politecnico di Milano.

New digital procedures were set up to facilitate trade relations between Egypt and Italy. Control Authorities make available on line and in real time data regarding products sent from Egypt to Italy, by a pilot process of electronic transmission of certificates for export of fruit and vegetables.

Egyptian quality control system was re-organized to increase its effectiveness, reducing risk of refusals and raising performance of export food chain. The project was funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI), Ministry of Economic Development (MISE) and Italian Regions within the “National Programme to support Decentralized Cooperation by Italian Regions toward Mediterranean Countries”, from 2009 to 2011. From 2011 the procedure was implemented by Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture-Plant Quarantine Service with support of GOEIC (General Organization for Import and Export Control of Ministry of Trade) and Regional Phytosanitary Service of Friuli Venezia Giulia.

PARTNERS: Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Egypt – Egypt, Ministry of Economic Development (MISE) – Italy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Directorate General for Development Cooperation – Italy, Regional Agency for the rural development – Italy, Apulia Region - Italy.

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Mediterranean ancient olive orchards : identification and conservation of the high nature value of ancient olive groves in the mediterranean region. - Implemented by the Region of Puglia. - Feeding Knowledge Programme, jointly developed and implemented by the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (CIHEAM/IAMB) and Politecnico di Milano.

Most of the olive production in the world is linked to the Mediterranean area because of tradition and of the climatic conditions. Olive growing sector is very important for Mediterranean Basin.

The whole Mediterranean landscape is characterized by the presence of olive groves, since olive trees are part of the ancient agricultural tradition of the Med area and of the social environment of the population living in those countries; oliviculture and the olive oil sector are among the most important agricultural value chains of the whole area. This is true for European Countries like Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal and France, and for Southern Mediterranean Countries like Tunisia, Lebanon, Morocco and others. The sector is important in terms of surface, production and market and it is strictly linked to many social aspects. Olive trees colonized our environment since centuries and show a rare ability to adapt to many severe environmental conditions.

PARTNERS: CIHEAM- Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari – Italy, Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania – Greece, Italian Ministry for the Environment and Protection of Land and Sea – Italy, Apulia Region - Italy.

The future of lampi's fishermen : conservation and management of lampi in Myanmar. Realized in Myanmar by the Oikos Institute and the Burma Association on Biodiversity and Nature Conservation. - Feeding Knowledge Programme, jointly developed and implemented by the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (CIHEAM/IAMB) and Politecnico di Milano.

The project aims at conserving the ecosystem of Myeik archipelago, Tanintharyi Region, southern Myanmar, and specifically at fostering innovative institutional and private frameworks to enable the sustainable management of Lampi Marine National Park for the benefit of local populations. To guarantee a sustainable future for the fishermen of the archipelago of Myeik, we must protect the environment where they live, involving civil society and local authorities for a proper land management. In order to protect the sea and the Myeik islands, while ensuring wellbeing of the communities who live there, it has been developed a management plan for the area to reduce poverty. The plan in particular protected area of the archipelago and marine national park of Myanmar.

PARTNERS: Biodiversity And Nature Conservation Association (BANCA) - Myanmar, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation –Directorate General for Development Cooperation (DGCS) - Italy.

No-till conservation agriculture : introducing no-till conservation agriculture to Lebanon. Developed in Lebanon by the American University of Beirut. - Feeding Knowledge Programme, jointly developed and implemented by the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (CIHEAM/IAMB) and Politecnico di Milano.

Food security relates to both availability and affordability of foods. Declining crop yield is therefore a prime concern from two perspectives: limitation in agricultural land size and soil fertility. The major factor causing soil degradation is intensive ploughing which exposes the field's top soil and reduces its moisture. Dry soil is thus lost to runoffs and wind erosion.

Conservation Agriculture (CA) literally aims to conserve soil which is the foundation of this ecosystem, from loss and quality decline. No-Till is a CA method whereby sowing is alternatively done with minimal disturbance to surface soil. It qualifies for Best Practice because it focuses on the bases of Food Production in Arid Regions; soil health and water scarcity. Introduced in Academic settings, No-Till is now adopted by many farmers in Lebanon. Validated by field experiments, it is a promising Food Security practice.

PARTNERS: The American University of Beirut - Lebanon, Lebanese Agricultural Research Institution - Lebanon, Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) - Syria, GIZ - Germany.

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Sustainable community development: tradition and innovation: ensuring a more sustainable and equitable future for karakorum communities. - On-going project in Pakistan with the contribution of the National Park of Karakorum. - Feeding Knowledge Programme, jointly developed and implemented by the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (CIHEAM/IAMB) and Politecnico di Milano.

The project involved the communities of the Central Karakorum National Park through a series of integrated initiatives of technological innovation connected to agriculture, marketing and sustainable use of natural resources. These particularly remote and poor societies are often unable to access essential resources that affect the quality of life, resulting in malnutrition, no food security, no sources of drinking water, and impoverishment of natural resources. Moreover, cultural restrictions cause considerable inequality between genders. Through irrigation canals, plant nurseries, greenhouses, reforestation, high-efficiency stoves, training courses and a facility for marketing locally produced apricots, the project addressed the main needs of local communities in terms of food security and sustainable development, while also ensuring that biodiversity was protected.

PARTNERS: Associazione Riconosciuta Ev-K2-Cnr - Italia, University Of Torino - Department Of Veterinary Science Italia, Directorate Of Central Karakoram National Park - Pakistan, Aga Khan Rural Support Program - Pakistan, University Of Padua - Tesaf Dipartment – Italia.

Andean grains for empowering rural communities : Ecuador, ancestral grains fight poverty and malnutrition. - Realized in Ecuador by Oxfam Italy and by the Indigenous and Farmers' Organization of Ecuador. - Feeding Knowledge Programme, jointly developed and implemented by the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (CIHEAM/IAMB) and Politecnico di Milano.

Recovering lost crops and recipes, rescuing and valorizing ancestral cropping techniques, integrating them with modern agro-ecological knowledge, for enhancing food security , giving economic opportunities to indigenous small scale producers, especially women. This is the essence of Oxfam program in Ecuador, based on the recuperation of Amaranth and other Andean grains, realized Municipality of Cotacachi, Agricultural Ministry, National Centre for Germoplasm, Local communities. In Cotacachi currently a food sovereignty campaign is now permanently in place, recognizing the importance of agrobiodiversity for food security and the role of small holders in protecting it. Today small producers have spaces for selling their products in Cotacachi, as biological and Zero Km Fairs, and their income increased by 22%. The relevance of Local Autorities and the apretiation of consumers towards their ancestral crops, increased Indigenous communities' selfesteem, often marginalized and disciminated.

PARTNERS: Oxfam Italia – Italia, Cotacachi Organic Agricultural Producers Association “Mama Murucuna” – Ecuador, Union of Indigenous and Peasant Organization of Cotacachi – Ecuador, Decentralized Autonomous Municipal Government of Santa Ana de Cotacachi – Ecuador.

A new way of cultivating rice : nourishing the land, nourishing the people. - Implemented in Madagascar by IFAD - The International Fund for Agricultural Development and the Ministry of Agriculture of Madagascar. - Feeding Knowledge Programme, jointly developed and implemented by the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (CIHEAM/IAMB) and Politecnico di Milano.

Achieving More with Less: A New Way of Rice Cultivation. Rice is life. It is the staple food for more than half of the world's population. Moreover, almost a billion households in Asia, Africa and the Americas depend on rice systems for their main source of employment and livelihood.

About four-fifths of the world's rice is produced by small-scale farmers and consumed locally.

That is why increasing rice production is one of the most powerful pathways to improving household food security and reducing rural poverty. The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) allows smallholder farmers to embrace a new way of farming rice by using less seed, land and water, and have significant increase in yields. It is a set of 'good practices' easy enough to be taught to farmers. SRI was initiated in Madagascar in the early 80s and is spreading in Asia and Africa reaching millions of farmers. In 1997, after the food crisis in Madagascar, the IFAD-funded Upper Mandraré Basin Development Project (PHBM) introduced SRI to the Malagasy smallholder farmers.

PARTNERS: The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) – Italy, Ministry of agriculture livestock and fisheries of Madagascar – Madagascar, Cornell University - United States.

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Natural resources to improve agriculture in Syria : first phase: rationalisation of Ras el Ain irrigation systems : second phase: rational use of natural resources to improve agriculture production. - Realized in Syria with the support of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. - Feeding Knowledge Programme, jointly developed and implemented by the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (CIHEAM/IAMB) and Politecnico di Milano.

This initiative was aimed at improving food production of target areas and income of the beneficiaries. These results were achieved with an average increase of 45% of income, an increase of production (+10% +25%) and lower production costs (-20%,-45%). The project allowed a reduction of the use of ground waters; achieved with the savings of 30 mil. mc of water per year (foreseen 5 mil.). The introduction of a new, sustainable and economical irrigation system, namely the Improved Surface Irrigation System, installed on 11 000 Ha after the end of the project, permitted to save about 35% of the irrigation water used by traditional methods. The most tangible result is the replicability of this system in other Countries of the region (already used outside of Syria). Most important result for the territory is the introduction of new policies for water use and new farming methods, also replicable elsewhere. The project involved about 4 000 farmers and 400 technicians.

PARTNERS: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation - Directorate General for Development Cooperation - Italy, Ministry of Irrigation - Syria, General Commission for Scientific Agricultural Research - Syria, Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari - Italy.

Improving National Assessment and Monitoring Capacities for Integrated Environmental and Coastal ecosystem Management / [a cura di] Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari ; Politecnico di Milano.

INCAM project was funded by the EC under the FP7 ERA WIDE programme that intends to expand the positive European Research Area experience into the non-EU countries. One particular aspect of such scheme was that for the first time in EU funding history the project coordinator should be from a non-EU country. INCAM brought together 3 partners, with the National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS) of Lebanon as coordinator and then Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (IAMB) along with the Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD) CESBIO, Toulouse France as partners. INCAM contributed to increase Lebanon's capacity in important environmental concerns based on a regional approach that assessed the anthropological impacts on natural resources towards achieving the objectives of improving assessment and monitoring capacities in environmental protection and coastal zone management in Lebanon by strengthening and enforcing the role of the National Council for Scientific Researc.

CANA: a Mediterranean system to serve Communities and territory needs / [a cura di] Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari ; Politecnico di Milano.

Most of the Countries laying in South-East shores of the Mediterranean suffer from a lack of information collection, planning, decision making systems, that threaten sustainability and quality of marine resources made available to consumers. CANA project “Establishing monitoring and sustainable development of the Lebanese sea” was conceived to fill this gap, expanding the knowledge of the coastal marine environment as a whole, its physical and biological parameters and processes. This organic and multidisciplinary effort, made possible by the Italian donation of the RV CANA-CNRS, aims at establishing solid and scientifically reliable bases for protection and sustainable exploitation of Lebanese coastal area and, due to its geographical location, at setting a warning system on the composition of biocenosis that may lead to modification of the diet also in the rest of the Mediterranean. This package of information can be mirrored to the whole Mediterranean through Feeding Knowledge.

Social and economic support for the families of producers in olive growing marginal regions in Lebanon / [a cura di] Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari ; Politecnico di Milano.

Il progetto aveva l'obiettivo di migliorare le condizioni socio-economiche dei piccoli produttori olivicoli in regioni marginali del Libano attraverso azioni di sostegno per il settore orientate alla salvaguardia dell'ambiente, alla diffusione di corrette pratiche tecnico-agronomiche e alla protezione dalle malattie, al miglioramento della lavorazione delle olive, alla promozione ed allo sviluppo di tutta la filiera olivicola/olearia attraverso: Il sostegno agli olivicoltori per aumentare la quantità e qualità delle produzioni di olive e di olio; la riduzione dei costi di produzione; la riduzione dei problemi causati all'ambiente dalle acque reflue e dai sottoprodotti della lavorazione delle olive; il sostegno alla creazione di cooperative di giovani e donne per creare servizi e rafforzare il settore.

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NOWARA Observatory (National Observatory of Women in Agriculture and Rural Areas) / [a cura di] Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari ; Politecnico di Milano.

Creation of an Observatory having the aim to help rural women in developing their own activities and enterprises. The Observatory, depending directly from the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture, aims to: promotion of territorial development through valorization of women entrepreneurship; creation of innovative dynamics related to work and employment of women in agricultural, agro food and rural sectors; support women by spreading knowledge and good practices; further national recognition to women role in economy both in the formal and informal sectors; promote women role in rural policies and decision making; enhance partnership and networking.

Socio-economic development of the rural population of Southern Lebanon / [a cura di] Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari ; Politecnico di Milano.

Contribuire allo sviluppo della popolazione rurale del Sud del Libano attraverso assistenza tecnica e finanziaria a favore di donne imprenditrici rurali e responsabili di cooperative per il miglioramento delle condizioni sociali ed economiche della comunità e delle aree rurali. Le partecipanti hanno presentato un piano di sviluppo della propria attività socio-economica che è stato valutato dal progetto. Le migliori proposte hanno beneficiato di un supporto tecnico e finanziario, riuscendo a creare nuove opportunità a livello professionale e a migliorare il reddito e la condizione socio-economica delle donne e delle loro famiglie.

Activation of mechanisms to sustain rural territories & communities in Lebanon / [a cura di] Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari ; Politecnico di Milano.

General objective: to produce an “Atlas of traditional Lebanese products” as starting point for traditional products' valorisation policy. Beneficiaries: Producers, mostly women, individuals or organized into food processing cooperatives, Local Group of Action (LAG) created in Baalbek, Jbeil and Tyr, Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), farmers' markets, Universities, final consumers. Results: The principal result obtained is creation, editing and distribution of the first “Atlas of traditional Lebanese products” (1500 Copies Hard Copies 3000 CD) in both English and Arabic language on the same page setup. This was the first step of a national process of study to select and certify quality for food and manufacturing local productions.

Innovative practices to improve yields and quality of Tunisian artichoke / [a cura di] Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari ; Politecnico di Milano.

L'expérience, conduite dans le cadre du projet de coopération « Actions d'appui à la production des fruits et légumes en Tunisie » financé par le Ministère des Affaires Etrangers Italien, a abouti à une série des résultats intégrés concernant la promotion et la production de l'artichaut à conduite raisonnée en Tunisie. L'initiative a impliqué les secteurs de la recherche, les institutions publiques, les sociétés privées, les producteurs tunisiens, afin de démontrer la rentabilité et viabilité de la culture de l'artichaut en conduite raisonnée en Tunisie soit du point de vu technique que économique.

Practical Experiences to improve table grapes production through integrated crop management in Tunisia / [a cura di] Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari ; Politecnico di Milano.

Expérience, conduite dans le cadre du projet de coopération “Actions d'appui à la production des fruits et légumes en Tunisie” financé par le Ministère des Affaires Etrangers Italien, a abouti à une série des résultats intégrés concernant la réduction des couts et la durabilité du raisin de table en conduite raisonnée. L'initiative a impliqué les secteurs de la recherche, les institutions publiques, les sociétés privées, les producteurs tunisiens, afin de démontrer la possibilité réelle de pratiquer la conduite raisonnée avec les avantages conséquentes à niveau économique, environnemental, social.

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New eco-sustainable communication forms for Extra-virgin Olive Oil (EVO) in Lebanon / [a cura di] Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari ; Politecnico di Milano.

Innovation is fundamental on market globalization. All olive oil operators have to follow this process, also using new methods for finding information. In this logic all the promotional material were designed and created, in order to stimulate operators to use new forms of communication with low environmental impact (less paper printed, fast info, recycling material, etc). Consumers, students and children were also involved through dedicated promotional actions (panel tests, theatre plays, etc.) and dissemination adapted material (brochures, bookmarks, comics, etc.). They were informed about food security with high quality of extra virgin olive oil. At the same time, they were stimulated on responsibility for conscious and environmentally correct use and reuse of project's promotional materials. This is important in the perspective of influencing new generations and future environment users.

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Innovative approaches for integrated planning in rural area of Bizerte Governorate / [a cura di] Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari ; Politecnico di Milano.

L'expérience, conduite dans le cadre du projet de coopération « Actions d'appui à la production des fruits et légumes en Tunisie » financé par le Ministère des Affaires Étrangers Italien, a abouti à une série des résultats intégrés, concernant la valorisation de la planification participative dans la conception d'un plan de développement régionale. L'initiative a impliqué les institutions publiques locales, les producteurs/acteurs locaux, afin de démontrer la possibilité réelle de pouvoir concevoir un plan de développement territoriale de façon participative en valorisant les points de force du territoire (le patrimoine local).

Evaluation of pre-crops and fertilization on organic vagetable production under Mediterranean conditions: case of Turkey / [a cura di] Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari ; Politecnico di Milano.

Soil fertility is fundamental in determining the productivity of all farming systems. Major tools utilized in organic farming to increase the fertility of the soil can be expressed as rotation, green manuring and allowed organic fertilizers and soil amendments. A field experiment was conducted at Ege University in Izmir, Turkey, to study the effects of pre-crops used as green manure - including vetch, faba bean, broccoli and spontaneous weeds - and fertilization (compost tea, commercial fertilizer) on four different main crops (as Tomato, Zucchini, Pepper, Eggplant) in the rotation program and on soil fertility. The main aim of the experiment was to identify the most suitable rotation program in organic farming for Turkey under prevailing conditions in order to be applied at farmers' conditions.

Adaptation to Climate Change of the Mediterranean Agricultural Systems - Jordan case / [a cura di] Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari ; Politecnico di Milano.

The overall objective is to contribute in a durable improvement of agricultural production and a broader economic development of the target area in Jordanthrough the adoption of the best land and water management practices (BMP) and abiotic stress resistant varieties of cereals and legumes by testing different varieties of wheat, barley and vetches, water harvesting practices, conservation tillage and timely sowing.The beneficiaries,located in the risky area,are: rural societies (farmers and growers), farmers' associations (including small scale breeding enterprises), NGOs, local governmental extension services (water managers and agricultural advisors) and governmental research institutions (policy makers).

Priority of green technology demonstrated the at bio vineyard DUKA in Albania / [a cura di] Istituto Agronomico Mediterraneo di Bari ; Politecnico di Milano.

The IOA has endorsed environmental friendly technologies in various vineyards in Albania helping farmers reduce costs by avoiding completely the use of insecticides for grape moth (Lobesia botrana Schiff) control as well as spider mite, and botrytis (Botrytis cinerea). The replacement of conventional insecticides with biotechnical products has enriched the beneficial fauna in the vineyard and beneficial microorganisms in the soil. Combination of biotechnical methods against grape moth (L. botrana) with friendly method in soil management and plant nutrition has resulted in the reduction of costs and improved environmental protection from the chemical residues. The method is quite simple to implement in the practice, especially when considering that vineyards are situated in hills where the implementation of spraying techniques is very difficult and with high costs.

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Miscellaneous

Erbe spontanee in Terra di Bari : guida al riconoscimento e all'utilizzo delle piante alimentari tradizionali / Rita Accogli, Piero Medagli, Enrico Vito Perrino. - Lecce : Grifo, 2015. - 186 p. : ill. ; 21 cm.

Questo manuale potrà essere un supporto ideale per tutti coloro che vorranno apprendere l'antica arte della raccolta delle “erbe” spontanee, affiancando le lezioni pratiche e le escursioni con un testo di riferimento affidabile ed esaustivo.

Available: F30-58

[Il *giardino mediterraneo : alla ricerca dell'armonia tra culture, musiche, paesaggi, giardini... per un mediterraneo popolo di giardinieri] [1] / [a cura di Anna Rita Somma] Bari : Adda, 2013 - 127 p., [12] c. di tav. : ill. ; 24 cm (( In testa al frontespizio: Consiglio regionale della Puglia; Biblioteca del Consiglio regionale della Puglia )) La Puglia racconta ecostorie. Storie di meraviglie verdi, come i suoi giardini, Verzieri e pergolati, piccole oasi floreali, spazi ombreggiati da eucalipti, siepi di oleandro e vialetti di ghiaia impreziosiscono edifici signorili, casine di campagna, ville in città e paesi.

Le parole d'ordine? Pianificazione, controllo e vigilanza, perché non ci sarà sviluppo e non potremo assecondare le vocazioni del territorio se non riusciremo a proteggerlo.

Available: ESS 85

[Il *giardino mediterraneo : alla ricerca dell'armonia tra culture, musiche, paesaggi, giardini... per un mediterraneo popolo di giardinieri] 2 / [a cura di Anna Rita Somma]. Bari : Adda, 2015 - 270 p., [14] c. di tav. : ill. ; 24 cm (( In testa al frontespizio: Consiglio regionale della Puglia; Biblioteca del Consiglio regionale della PugliaSul frontespizio: edizione 2015 )) Dedicato alla sostenibilità, alla salubrità, alla ric3rca del benessere, della felicità ecc. ecco il secondo volume de “Il giardino mediterraneo”. Il messaggio è di fiducia nello sviluppo sostenibile, dove protagonisti sono la conoscenza e la tutela della biodiversità, del paesaggio, la dieta mediterranea, le proprietà salutistiche di frutti e ortaggi, la diffusione della cultura del giardino come promotrice di gestione del territorio, la diffusione della cultura per la vita dove al centro vi è la riscoperta della natura.

Available: ESS 86

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Miscellaneous

Guida degli insetti d'Europa : atlante illustrato a colori / Michael Chinery. - Nuova ed. aggiornata. - Roma : F. Muzzio, c2010. - 431 p., [4] c. di tav. : ill. ; 19 cm. - ISBN 88-7413-2232 Una guida completa facile da usare e riccamente illustrata. Splendidi come le farfalle che volano nelle foreste del Brasile, anonimi come i minuscoli collemboli che popolano i meandri del suolo: gli insetti sono creature formidabili e non cessano di destare il nostro stupore. Ma meritano, del pari, una nostra attenzione più scientifica. Questa guida di M. Chinery può costituire una bussola utilissima per orientarsi nella torre di Babele, o forse meglio nella corte dei miracoli di questi esseri inprevedibili: acrobati, gicolieri, costruttori, fondatori di imperi, inventori di farmaci e veleni, capaci di linguaggi molecolari e gestuali, di messaggi visivi, sonori e perfino simbolici.

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Negotiation and mediation techniques for natural resource management / Antonia Engel, Benedikt Korf. - Roma : Fao, 2005. - IX, 219 p. ; 27 cm.

The guide is intended for practitioners working on participatory/collaborative natural resource management and rural livelihoods projects. It will be useful for extension workers, advisers of government organizations and NGOs, development agencies and private companies who want to learn how to assist people in the process of consensual negotiations. Trainers may use these materials as background for preparing courses in natural resource conflict management, while trainees may use them for background reading during their training and afterwards, when putting their learning into practice to manage conflict.

Available: S.AG. 162

Les techniques de négociation et de médiation appliquées à la gestion des ressources naturelles / par Antonia Engel, Benedikt Korf. - Rome : Fao, 2006. - IX, 237 p. ; 30 cm.

Available : S.AG. 163

Land tenure alternative conflict management / Adriana Herrera and Maria Guglielma da Passano. - Rome : Fao, 2006. - V, 130 p ; 30 cm.

With regard to the training manual, the present document is the result of SDAA's efforts to produce such a guide.In the framework of the Livelihood Support Programme (LSP), this training material has been elaborated to support the issue of land tenure included in the “Negoziation and Mediation Techniques for Natural Resource Management” published by the LSP on September 2005.

Available : S.AG. 164

Theory and practice of advisory work in a time of turbolences : 19. European Seminar on Extension Education : proceedings : Domus Pacis, Santa Maria degli Angeli - Assisi, 15 to 19 September 2009 / jointly organised by Faculty of Agriculture, University of Perugia and INEA ; edited by Chiara Paffarini and Fabio Maria Santucci. - Perugia : Ali&no, c2009. XII, 359 p. ; 30 cm.

The title of the seminarunderlines that the farmers, as well as the processors, the traders and the consumers, live in a difficult period, full of dourbts and anxieties, but the location, and the spirit of this beautiful place, invites us to believe that a better future is possible.

Available: S.A. 176

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Strategic communication for rural development / prepared by Fabio Maria Santucci ; in collaboration with DevComm-SDO Unit, Communication for Sustainable Development in Operation, The World Bank. - Washington ; Perugia : Ali&no, 2004. - XI, 81 p. ; 30 cm.

With this book, which deals with Communication for Rural Development, our Unit wishes to share with alla interested parties a small contribution towards the Millennium Goals “Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger” and “Ensure environmental sustainability”: These two goals are closely connected, especially in the more fragile ecosystems, where peasants struggle to give their families a chance to survive.

Available: S.AG. 207

Responsabile: A cura di:

Progetto grafico:

Luigi Sisto e-mail: l.sisto@iamb.it Tel. 080/4606265 Giuseppe Inchingolo e-mail: inchingolog@iamb.it Tel. 080/4606269 Wanda Occhialini e-mail: occhialini@iamb.it Tel. 080/4606266 Fabio La Notte e-mail: lanotte@iamb.it Tel.080/4606221

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