News brief

Subsidies for sugar begin to dissolve

As a result of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruling declaring sugar subsidies illegal, the European Union has begun to dismantle its sugar policy. Sugar prices are to be cut by as much as 39 per cent by 2008, saving over US$2.5bn in subsidies to farmers. The EU currently pays its producers three times the world average and exports surpluses very cheaply, making it very hard for non-subsidised farmers to compete. However, under current EU regulations, 18 countries in the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group benefit from preferential terms, sending over one million tonnes of raw sugar at fixed prices to EU countries every year. 17 per cent of Guyana's budget, for example, is derived from the sale of its sugar to the EU. Debt relief agreed by the G8 would save Guyana $8m but, said Guyanese President Jagdeo, the sugar reform will result in annual losses of over $40m. In future, ACP countries can continue to export to the EU at the same levels but will be severely affected by the price reduction. The Jamaican Gleaner, however, has reported that "Countries, including Jamaica, are barking up the wrong tree if they expect continuation of preferential treatment in a time of increased competition among states. Our response must be to diversity our industry to one that is less labour-intensive and less dependent on the generosity of European governments."

Cutting and burning in Brazil and Siberia

Despite strong laws that set aside the majority of Brazil's rainforest as a nature reserve, figures published by the Brazilian government in May this year indicate the rate of Amazonian deforestation is actually accelerating. The deforested area increased by 6 per cent in 2004, equivalent to the second largest annual rise since satellite surveys began. A booming economy has increased demand for construction timber in the wealthier southern states of the country, and led to continued growth in farming and ranching. Large areas of the forest's southern fringe have been felled to make way for soya cultivation, with the crop now earning more for Brazil than either coffee or sugar. Plans to widen the trans-Amazonian BR-163 highway reflect the government's commitment to poverty reduction over conservation. Recent years have seen a proliferation of sustainable forestry initiatives that seek to combine the two goals, but according to a report in the Economist, the total impact of these has so far been disappointing.

Russian scientists have warned that fires in the Siberian forests - the world's largest forested area - have increased tenfold in the last 20 years. According to an article in the UK's Guardian newspaper, many of the fires in the far east of the country are set deliberately by rogue logging companies, who can get cheap logging licences to clear areas of forest damaged by fire. In 2003, 22 million hectares of forest were either damaged or destroyed by the fires, which the country's forestry services have neither the funding or the equipment to control.

Wild potatoes stop the rot

credit: CIP

Researchers from CIP, the International Potato Center in Peru, have identified seven genotypes from two wild, Andean potato species that have high levels of resistance to bacterial wilt. The discovery, said to be the first real proof of bacterial wilt resistance in nature, is the result of a four-year, large-scale screening exercise. Plants exposed to the pathogen were tested for their resistance both to the wilting of stems and leaves, and for latent infection in tubers. Further studies to identify the genetic basis of the resistance are continuing.

Bacterial wilt (caused by Ralstonia [Pseudomonas] solanacearum), the cause of brown rot in potato tubers, is second only to late blight (caused by Phytophthora infestans), in terms of crop loss. It particularly affects potatoes grown in warmer climates, making it a major problem for potato farmers in developing countries. Currently it can only be controlled by a combination of rigorous cultural practices. Researchers are confident that resistance can be transferred from the wild genotypes to commercially produced varieties, potentially enabling potato productivity on a global scale to be increased by up to 10 per cent, with substantially greater benefits in the worst affected regions.
See www.cipotato.org

Foot and mouth in China

China has reported a further outbreak of foot-and-mouth (FMD) disease, which follows confirmation of the Asian-I type of the disease in the eastern provinces of Shandong and Jiangsu in early April and in suburban Beijing, and the provinces of Hebei and Xinjiang in May. The latest outbreak in cattle, reported to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), was discovered in central Xinjiang region. Over 4000 cattle have been culled since the outbreaks in April. Chinese officials first reported the disease in mid May, China's first ever acknowledgement of the disease within its borders.

An outbreak of FMD has also been reported by Russian Channel One television in the village of Busse near the border with China in the eastern Amar region of Russia. Russian officials have isolated the village whilst livestock are culled. Mass vaccination of cattle in the region has been undertaken to curb the spread of the disease.

WHO caution or concern over avian flu?

With the latest death to avian flu reported in Vietnam, the total death toll across Asia has risen to 55. Preliminary findings from an international team of experts sent to Vietnam on behalf of WHO, announced that there was no 'laboratory evidence' that the 'virus was spreading more readily among humans'. Claims reported in Science in May 2005 that "new strains of the virus may be emerging in northern Vietnam" have been viewed with caution by WHO, who emphasised that the current pandemic alert, which has been in effect since January 2004, remains unchanged. In an attempt to prevent the further spread of bird flu, Vietnam announced it would begin national vaccinations of poultry in August.

A WHO team visiting China's northwestern Qinghai Province has announced that it has discovered 5,000 migratory birds killed by the H5N1 virus, five times the number government officials had reported. Chinese authorities have cordoned off a 50km radius around Lake Qinghai. However, the WHO says a cull of the birds, a common practice with infected domesticated flocks, has not occurred because they are a rare and protected species, but urged Chinese authorities to step up testing of the birds and humans who may have come into contact with them. In Japan, tests on chickens from five farms have found antibodies to avian flu. Officials suspect that the incidence is related to an earlier outbreak of H5N2, which is considered less dangerous than H5N1 and not a threat to humans.
www.who.int

Cotesia for control of diamondback moth

credit: ICIPE

Following the successful release of a parasitic wasp for controlling diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella) in the Kenyan highlands, farmers have managed to cut back on the amount of pesticide used to control the pest by more than 80%. The extensive use of pesticides to protect cabbage and kale from DBM attack had led to increasing pesticide-resistance in the pest. Diadegma semiclausum was first released in 2002 in four selected pilot sites in Kenya and Tanzania (see DBM: biocontrol and a preference for peas). Monitoring surveys have since shown that the wasp has become well established and is providing good control in highland areas.

More recently, the International Centre for Insect Ecology and Physiology (ICIPE) has released a second parasitoid, which is better suited to controlling DBM in semi-arid areas. Cotesia plutellae was released for the first time into farmers' fields in Machakos in eastern Kenya. Further releases are planned for later in 2005. C. plutellae was imported from South Africa and is more heat tolerant than D. semiclausum. To support release of the parasitoids, ICIPE has trained extension workers from the national programmes in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda to work with farmers to maintain parasitoid populations. Technicians from all three countries have also been provided with training on mass rearing and techniques for release.

Biofuel turns a corner?

In parts of America's maize belt, a combined ethanol/petrol fuel is currently selling for up to 10 cents less per gallon than conventional petrol. With high costs for transporting ethanol, the lower price is limited to areas that actually grow maize for ethanol production, but the phenomenon suggests that biofuels may have turned a corner in their capacity to compete with oil as a source of transportation fuel in the United States. Last year the top four ethanol producers, Brazil, US, China and India, produced roughly 9 billion gallons of ethanol, and total world production was enough to displace roughly 2 per cent of world petrol consumption. However, a recent 'Eco Economy update' from the Earth Policy Institute warns that increasing the area planted to fuel crops will heighten the pressure on food supplies, potentially pitting the energy demands of wealthier countries against the food requirements of the poor. The update recommends increasing the energy-producing capacity of land planted to fuel crops, for example by use of sugar rather than grain crops - as is done in Brazil, where 40 per cent of auto fuel is derived from sugarcane. But, according to the Institute's Danielle Murray, it would be even more efficient for farmers sell a proportion of their crop residues to the biofuel industry and cultivate energy crops, such as hardy grasses and fast growing trees.

Plant-derived vaccine for SARS

Medical scientists at the Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, USA, have made an important first step in developing a plant-generated vaccine for the virus associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The team, led by Dr Hilary Koprowski, genetically-engineered tomato and tobacco plants to produce a fragment of the SARS-CoV protein. Mice fed with the tomato-borne protein developed antibodies to the virus. An injected form of the tobacco-derived protein produced the same result. Producing an antibody response in the mice does not equate to conferring immunity to the virus, but is an important step in the research process and an encouraging development. While there has been no repeat of the SARS outbreak of 2003 (which killed nearly 800 people and infected more than 8,000), the virus is known to persist in animal reservoirs, and therefore remains a threat. Developing a plant-derived vaccine would have several advantages, including a safe and relatively low-cost production process, and the potential to make a vaccine that can be orally administered rather than injected.

Study highlights economic growth for poverty reduction

A new study, which provides insights into how to increase the impact of economic growth on poverty reduction, advises that policymakers should implement policies that enable their countries to achieve a higher rate of overall growth. The evidence presented by the 14 country case studies included in the report reveals a strong link between overall economic growth and the speed of poverty reduction. On average, a 1 per cent increase in GDP per capita (for the 11 countries that experienced significant growth during the 1990s) reduced poverty by 1.7 per cent. Vietnam showed particularly impressive results, with poverty falling by half (58 to 29 per cent) between 1993 and 2002. Other countries with impressive poverty reductions include El Salvador, Uganda, Ghana, India and Tunisia.

As well as providing evidence of pro-poor growth and where this is constrained, for example by poor infrastructure and institutional capacity in Africa, the report identifies several policies that could help poor households take advantage of growth opportunities. However, the authors acknowledge that growth processes will vary depending on a number of country specific factors, including income inequality and importance of agriculture in the economy.

Prize-winning soap for a cleaner environment

credit: KL Heong

A proposal for a new soap opera promoting environmental health in rice ecosystems has been awarded more than US$130,000 by the World Bank's Development Marketplace competition for 2005. 'Environment radio' builds on the success of Chuyen Que Minh (My homeland), a radio-based soap opera which, since July last year, has been promoting integrated pest management to rice farmers in the Mekong delta, and has gained considerable popularity - (see Agriculture comes clean with soap). This year's Development Marketplace competition attracted more than 2,700 entries, of which the Vietnamese soap opera is one of 34 winners. The prize money will help to fund 104 episodes, covering topics such as soil health, crop residue management and reduction of farm chemicals. The programmes are developed by a partnership of social scientists, ecologists and creative writers, and will be complemented by extension activities on the ground, including competitions, radio clubs, printed materials and video.
See Development Marketplace

Shifting sands of climate change

In the lead up to the discussions on climate change at the G8 summit at Gleneagles in the UK, new research published in Nature reveals that global warming could lead to the expansion of the Kalahari desert in Southern Africa. The research team from Oxford University, UK warns that shifting sands could engulf large areas of currently productive semi-arid land in Botswana, Angola, Zimbabwe and western Zambia as higher temperatures lead to a long-term decline in soil moisture, longer and more frequent droughts, and stronger winds.

Climate change, along with population growth, is also cited in a recent report on desertification published by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, which claims that environmental degradation is threatening the health and livelihoods of two billion people living in arid regions around the world. The authors state that half the world's poor live in drylands and suggest that 10-20 per cent of drylands are already degraded, with those in sub-Saharan Africa and Central Asia most vulnerable to further desertification. The UN's Food and Agriculture Group on Climate Change also warns that severe droughts could result in one in six countries facing food shortages this year. The worst affected countries are Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Eritrea and Zambia with the situation rapidly deteriorating in Niger, Djibouti and Sudan. (See also Focus On Climate Change)

DFID's priority setting appeal

credit: DFID website

Gordon Conway, chief scientific advisor for the UK's Department for International Development (DFID), has initiated a public consultation in drawing up the department's new science and innovation strategy. A recent addition to the DFID website - www.dfid.gov.uk/consultations/ - invites users to submit answers to one or more of 17 questions. These include: how science, engineering, technology and innovation can better help in meeting the Millennium Development Goals; increased engagement of the private sector, and enhancing the role that research plays in informing policy and practice, both in developing countries and within DFID. The deadline for contributions is 19th September, with the new strategy expected to be drawn up by the end of the year. As well as helping to establish DFID's own priorities, the strategy is also likely to contribute to the government's broader 10 year investment framework for science and development in Britain.

Conventional maize that resists GM pollen

Hoegemayer Hybrids, a Nebraska based seed company, has recently patented a variety of maize that is claimed to have resistance to pollen from other maize varieties, including GM plants. The company intends to have the fully licensed variety, called PuraMaize, on sale in America in time for next year's growing season. According to Tom Hoegemayer, a nationally recognised maize breeder, the new variety rejects pollen from all other strain of maize except its own, which could be highly significant for growers of non-GM maize in the US, since it would enable GM and conventional crops to be planted side-by-side with no risk of contamination.
Reported in the Star Tribune.

1^st July 2005