CABI Blogs: hand picked... and carefully sorted

CABI board member Professor Dame Anne Glover explains how CABI is delivering on SDG12: Responsible Consumption and Production

 

In future, farmers will need to produce more food from fewer resources. They will also need to significantly reduce crops losses. But without the right information, farmers cannot easily introduce new, highly productive and sustainable ways of farming.

Sustainable production is central to CABI's work. We promote resource efficient farming and help farmers access the tools and training they need to lose less produce and grow more. We believe this approach leads to better livelihoods for farmers and safer, more sustainably grown produce.

Irrigation facilities to enhance all year seed supply by farmers in central Uganda

Lack of access to quality seed, particularly of traditional crops that are not well integrated into the formal sector, remains a key challenge for increased productivity of these crops in African farming systems.

CABI, working with national and regional partners, aims to strengthen seed systems in Africa through developing farmer seed enterprises and linkages to markets. Focus has been on traditional varieties that are farmer-preferred for their nutrition, food security, income and environmental sustainability. This is aimed at enhancing access to quality seed of farmer-preferred varieties locally, nationally and regionally.

CABI board member Akhter Mateen explains how CABI is delivering on SDG1: No Poverty

 

One in five people in developing regions still live on less than $1.25 a day and many of these are the 500 million smallholder farmers around the world.

But CABI is working hard to help small-scale farmers lift themselves out of poverty. We collaborate with people and organizations working across the supply chain that brings food from 'field to fork', helping farmers receive a fairer share of the value they create.

CABI board member Roger Horton explains how CABI is delivering on SDG4: Quality Education

 

Sharing scientific agricultural and environmental information helps people tackle global challenges like food security.

CABI creates resources that give access to science-based information on agriculture and the environment. Our mission is to improve people's lives worldwide by sharing knowledge. As a scientific publisher we produce materials for academics and researchers that make education easier and lifelong learning a reality.

World Soil Day 2017 - “Caring for the Planet from the Ground”

                                                                                                                [Image credit: FAO]

“Caring for the Planet from the Ground” is the theme of this year’s World Soil Day (#worldsoilday).  World Soil Day (WSD) is an annual campaign aimed at raising awareness of the critical importance of healthy soils and advocating for the sustainable management of global soil resources.  In June 2013, the FAO Conference endorsed WSD and requested for it to be officially adopted at the 68^th UN General Assembly.  As a result, 5 December 2014 was designated as the first official WSD.  So why is soil so important and why should we care about the health of it?

Clear water ahead

Last month the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) reported that an international measure that aims to prevent the spread of invasive aquatic species had come into force (see the full article on the IISD website).

The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments (BWM Convention) addresses aquatic invasive species by requiring ships to implement a ballast water management plan, among other actions. 

CABI Books on Livestock Breeds and Breeding Are Essential Resource for Education, Research and Policy Influencing

By M Djuric, DVM

This article focuses on the following books:

1. “Mason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breeding: 2 volume pack”, edited by V Porter, L Alderson, S Hall, D P Sponenberg, March 2016, Hardback, ISBN 9781845934668. Volume 1: Asses, camelids, cattle, goats, horses and pigs, Volume 2: Sheep, water buffalo, yak and other livestock.

2. “Mason's World Dictionary of Livestock Breeds, Types and Varieties,” published in August 2002; DOI: 10.1046/j.1439-0388.2002.00353.

3. “A World Dictionary of Livestock Breeds, Types and Varieties” by Ian Lauder Mason, 1996 (ISBN 0851991024); [previous editions: 1988, 1969 1957 (reissued with Supplement), first published in 1951].

 

In March 2016, CABI published “Mason's World Encyclopedia of Livestock Breeds and Breeding”, which was written by co-authors (Porter, Hall and Sponenberg). This is a major international and much expanded reference book based on Ian Mason's original book, which includes breeds of domestic livestock. This version covers conservation of animal genetic resources, and, as previous versions, includes both wild and domestic animals and is equally important to both developed and to low and middle income countries.

Prior to publication of this book, Ian Mason compiled and edited four editions of his authoritative book “A World Dictionary of Livestock Breeds, Types and Varieties” since the first edition in 1951.

The fifth edition of this book was revised by Valerie Porter in 2002, and in this edition the original author’s name was moved to the title, “Mason's World Dictionary of Livestock Breeds, Types and Varieties”, an honour which was well deserved.  

World Environment Day 2017 - "Connecting People to Nature"

First held in 1974, World Environment Day (WED) is considered to be the largest global event for positive environmental action, with participation from over 143 countries.  It takes place on 5th June each year and is a flagship campaign for driving change and raising awareness on emerging environmental issues, from climate change and wildlife crime, to resource consumption and marine pollution.  This year's host country is Canada and the chosen theme is 'Connecting People to Nature – in the city and on the land, from the poles to the equator' which encourages us to consider our role within nature and how closely we depend on it. 

World Biodiversity Day focuses on Sustainable Tourism

The United Nations has proclaimed May 22 the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. This year, to coincide with the observance of 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development as proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly, sustainable tourism has been chosen as the theme for Biodiversity Day. The theme reflects both the value of biodiversity for tourism, and the role of well-managed tourism in helping to protect wildlife and biodiversity values.

According to the Convention for Biological Diversity: “Biodiversity, at the level of species and ecosystems, provides an important foundation for many aspects of tourism. Recognition of the great importance to tourism economies of attractive landscapes and a rich biodiversity underpins the political and economic case for biodiversity conservation. Many issues addressed under the Convention on Biological Diversity directly affect the tourism sector. A well-managed tourist sector can contribute significantly to reducing threats to, and maintain or increase, key wildlife populations and biodiversity values through tourism revenue.”

Rainforest biodiversity – provider of services and hope against climate change

 

Multiple climate records were broken in 2016, according to a report published by the World Meteorological Organization this morning. Hearing about record high global temperature, exceptionally low sea ice, and persistent sea level rise was admittedly not the best start for celebrating the fifth International Day of Forests. Yet we need to be reminded about the vital and fragile links between atmospheric processes and forest functioning. As climate change rages on, we can expect hydrological cycles to become increasingly imbalanced around the globe. Especially tropical rainforests will consequently suffer. On the more hopeful side, scientists have now discovered that maintaining as high as possible forest complexity in tropical rainforests could buffer the negative impacts of climate change.