ACT NOW !

ACT NOW! AND HELP AFRICA GROW!

EDITOR'S NOTE
One or a few spanners in the works this month! Fortunately we seem to have fended off all the viruses and worms (which we seem to receive daily at the moment) and the 'breaking news' will 'break' in time for the August issue! We are as always in need of African correspondents, and urge all of you out there to share your experiences and news of relevant events through us, and thereby HELP AFRICA GROW!

CO-ORDINATOR'S CORNER
The African Conservation Tillage Study Tour brought the participants face-to-face with the realities of farming, in general, and in particular, conservation farming in Africa. Over fifty participants from least thirteen countries interacted and shared their diverse experiences. Field visits and discussions in the three countries visited exposed the challenges Africa faces in the development and promotion of sustainable farming practices critical to the economic development of the continent. The main report is available from the tour coordinator at [email protected], and other reports as they become available from the ACT Secretariat at [email protected].
Martin Bwalya [email protected]

FROM THE SECRETARY'S DESK
Our congratulations and best wishes to all those involved in organising the first Conservation Tillage Conference in Tanzania, as also to the organisers of a seemingly most succesful West African Study Tour.
We continue to be concerned at the reluctance of certain nations to honour their Kyoto commitments, but believe all is not yet lost. It is up to us in Africa, however, to take control of our future, and we hope ACT Steering Committee deliberations later this month and early in August will make ACT a more effective and efficient tool of the African renaissance.
Richard Fowler [email protected]

STEPS TOWARD GREATER CIVIL SOCIETY INFLUENCE ON AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH - AN NGOC PERSPECTIVE ON THE CGIAR MTM, DURBAN
ACT's Regional Co-ordinator and Secretary attended the May Consultative Group for International Research (CGIAR) and associated NGO Committee (NGOC) Mid Term Meeting (MTM) in Durban. The NGOC Chair and Co-chairperson elect, Ann Waters-Bayer and Monica Kapiriri, have issued a statement entitled 'Getting there – steps toward greater influence of civil society on agricultural research: an NGOC perspective on the CGIAR Mid-Term Meeting in Durban', which concludes:
"It will be extremely important that Civil Society Organisations concerned with agricultural research and development follow the process of decision-making during this critical interim phase and demonstrate through their arguments and actions that the CGIAR will benefit from opening up further to civil-society involvement in the Executive Council, in the Science (and Development Policy) Council and in definition and governance of the Challenge Programs. If we keep taking small steps, unrelentingly, towards making publicly funded research accountable to the constituencies it is supposed to serve, then not only the intermediate organisations such as NGOs and universities but also the farmers will gradually get there."
The full text of this report can be obtained from ACT NOW! by e-mailing [email protected] with the Subject: NGOC PERSPECTIVE ON MTM. The official end of meeting report from the CGIAR can be accessed via the CGIAR website: http://www.cgiar.org. Further information about the NGOC, its activities and papers can be found on the NGOC webpage: http://infoperu.org/ngoc-cgiar (soon to be transferred to an independent site: http://www.ngoc-cgiar.org)

CONSERVATION TILLAGE IN AFRICA
AREAS UNDER CONSERVATION TILLAGE
Rolf Derpsch of GTZ Paraguay urgently needs information on the numbers of farmers (and hectares) applying Conservation Tillage in Africa for a keynote paper to be presented at the Madrid Conference. Please e-mail figures (for No Till separate from other forms of Conservation Tillage) to him at [email protected], copy to [email protected].

KENYA & TANZANIA
Kurt Steiner recently participated in a field day in Kenya, and was impressed by the great interest in conservation tillage being shown by women, the formation of women's groups, and the training in group management. Constraints such as the absence of soil cover, high run-off and problems with weed control, however, limited the adoption of conservation tillage practices in dry regions such as Machakos.
In the higher rainfall areas of northern Tanzania, however, there is a good mix between different farming systems using animal traction or tractor services. Sub-soiling and cover crops (Mucuna, Dolichos) give good responses. Farmers interest is high, and a number of farmers are being reached through field days and farmer training courses organised by SARI's Wilfred Mariki.

TUNISIA
Dr Rachid Mrabet of Morocco recently spent 3 days in Tunisia. COTUGRAIN, with the assistance of SEMEATO and CIRAD, have 140 hectares of no-tillage. Next year, more lands will be converted to no-
till in several parts of the country.

AFRICAN CONSERVATION FOUNDATION
The Foundation aims to bring together all African conservation groups
and NGOs in one place on the internet, to exchange information and ideas; to provide aid and assistance to all the smaller African conservation groups - publicity, wider recognition, free websites (and website hosting) where necessary, and eventually financial aid - some of whom don't even have electricity, let alone internet access; to build up a Research resource on the internet. http://www.africanconservation.com/

CONSERVATION TILLAGE OVERSEAS
MADRID CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE CONGRESS, 1-5 OCTOBER
Please try to attend this most important initiative. The Second Announcement is available on http://www.ecaf.org/ or directly in http://www.ecaf.org/Congress/Latest_news.htm.=20. It is possible to register and book hotels through the congress website. Queries to the Congress Organisers at [email protected].

OTHER NEWS
INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT FORUM
NRI and CABI have decided that the IPM Forum should be co-ordinated by CABI as an international institute with a capability in information provision and IPM. CABI has established an e-mail contact [email protected] and is currently exploring ways of ensuring a useful and effective way of disseminating information. A questionnaire has been developed, and all those interested in IPM are urged to obtain a copy from Janny Vos at the above address, then complete it and return it.

HIV/AIDS AND FOOD SECURITY
Measures to address the potential effects of a reduced labour force
on the agricultural sector are described by the FAO Committee on World Food Security, 2000. http://www.ids.ac.uk/eldis/foosec.htm
Potential uses of food aid to support HIV/AIDS mitigation activities in Sub-Saharan Africa and reasons and criteria for intervention are addressed in the Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance Project (FANTA), USAID,
2000. http://www.ids.ac.uk/eldis/fanta.htm

AIDS AND AGRICULTURE IN AFRICA: CAN AGRICULTURAL
POLICY MAKE A DIFFERENCE. du Guerny, J., FAO/SD Dimensions.
Focussing on sub-Saharan Africa, this article highlights the effects of the pandemic on farm households and discusses some policy issues arising from it. http://www.fao.org/docrep/X4390e/X4390e02.htm

ICT UPDATE : AN AWARENESS BULLETIN FOR ACP AGRICULTURE
ICT Update can be viewed on the Web site of the CTA at the URL http://www.agricta.org/ictupdate/. To receive the free bulletin by e-mail, fill in the online subscription form on the Web site or send a message to [email protected] with the command in the body of your message:subscribe.

AGRI-POCKET, PC TOOL FOR ON-FIELD USE BY AGRICULTURISTS
Agri-pocket allows agriculturalists to record their operations in the field, to retrieve the steps in a technical process or to recall activities, all in addition to the features of the Pocket-PC. http://www.isagri.fr - in French, or contact: Anne-France Quentric, [email protected] [ex ICT-UPDATE].

DR JUMA RECEIVES HENRY SHAW MEDAL
Dr. Calestous Juma, former Executive Secretary of the United Nations
Convention on Biological Diversity, has received the prestigious Henry Shaw Medal for his dedication to protecting the environment while promoting sustainable development. "One of the world's leading authorities on protecting the environment while promoting ethical sustainable development in developing countries", Dr Juma is now Director, Science, Technology and Innovation Program at the Center for International Development, Harvard. http://www.cid.harvard.edu/cidtech/

TOP SEVEN AGROCHEMICAL COMPANIES IN 2000
In 2000, there were only seven companies with sales of more than US$1 billion dollars, compared to 11 in 1995 (including Ciba Geigy, Sandoz, AgrEvo, Rhone-Poulenc and Cyanamid, none of which now exist).
Syngenta (formerly Novartis and Zeneca) topped the list with sales approaching US$6 billion. The German multinational corporation BASF saw a 39% increase in sales, due almost entirely to the acquisition of Cyanamid. Monsanto (8%) and Bayer(13%) were the only two other corporations showing increased sales in 2000, Monsanto's increase due primarily to sales of Roundup (glyphosate), which accounted for 67% of Monsanto's total sales. Volumes of Roundup sold increased 20% in the U.S. and Argentina, and 16% worldwide -- due to higher sales of Roundup
Ready (glyphosate tolerant) crops and glyphosate-based no-till.

Company 2000 sales (US$ millions) % change vs 1999
Syngenta 5,888 -2.6%
Monsanto 3,885 +8.3%
Aventis 3,701 -0.6%
DuPont 2,511 -3.1%
Dow 2,271 -0.1%
Bayer 2,252 +12.8%
BASF 2,228 +39.1%
(EX PANUPS. Sources: Agrow: World Crop Protection News, January 5, March 2 and April 13, 2001.)

COMMON GROUND, COMMON FUTURE
How Ecoagriculture Can Help Feed The World And Save Wild Biodiversity
outlines a new solution to the biodiversity extinction crisis based on a new understanding of wildlife biology and ecology and major scientific advances in genetics, remote sensing etc. Ecoagriculture seeks to
help farmers, most urgently those living in or near biodiversity hotspots,
to grow more food while conserving habitats critical to wildlife.
Further details: http://www.ids.ac.uk/eldis/comm.htm

POLITICAL WILL TO STOP SPREADING DESERTS IS MISSING
More than 100 countries in all climatic regions on all continents are
seriously affected by desertification, FAO said in a statement marking the UN's World Day to Combat Desertification. on Sunday.
http://ens-news.com/ens/jun2001/2001L-06-15-02.html

MORE HUNGER AND POVERTY MAY BE ENDURING IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE
Dr. Robert Watson, the World Bank's Chief Scientist and the Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), called on the international community to "keep the scientific warnings of the potential effects of climate change uppermost".
http://allafrica.com/stories/200106140533.html

SCIENCE IN AFRICA
Published since January 2001, this free online monthly magazine covers a
wide range of scientific issues concerning Africa. Each issue features a
number of short pieces written by scientists with a general audience in
mind. Science in Africa additionally includes information on upcoming
science events, jobs, funding opportunities, and science education
activities and opportunities. A free email newsletter is also available.
http://www.scienceinafrica.co.za/

WONDERFLAME
The Wonder Flame is a new environment friendly product developed
in South Africa. It is a natural substitute for wood, out-burns wood and coal, and reaches its full heating power in less than three minutes. Ideal for in-house cooking, and can be reused and reignited. Price approx R24/ 5 x 0.5kg "bricks" bag (approx US $3). Contact [email protected]

COMING EVENTS (* denotes first time in ACT NOW!)

1. COUNTRY (What's happening in YOUR country related to conservation tillage?)
July 23-25, 2001. 1st NATIONAL CONSERVATION TILLAGE WORKSHOP, Arusha, Tanzania. Theme: Conservation tillage for sustainable land management in agricultural production and poverty alleviation. Contact Mr. Wilfred Mariki, [email protected]

*September 6, 2001. NO TILL DAY, Cedara. Annual Conference, No Till Club, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Bill Russell [email protected]
* September 10-14, 2001. GOVERNANCE ASPECTS OF CBNRM, Cape Town, South Africa. Ursula Arends [email protected]

* September 11, 2001. Conservation Tillage Field Day, Simdlangentsha, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. [email protected]

* September 14, 2001. PELUM SA AGM, Marionhill, South Africa. Contact Country Representative Thembekile Kanise [email protected]

2. AFRICA
August 19-25, 2001. Southern & Eastern African Association of Farming Systems Research-Extension SEAAFSR-E-E Workshop, KARI Headquarters, Nairobi, Kenya. Contact [email protected]

October 15-18, 2001. PELUM BGM, Durban, South Africa. Contact Dr Mutizwa Mukute [email protected]

November 27-29, 2001. INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ADULT LEARNING AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION. ENQUIRIES: Mandy Deetlefs, Tel: (+27) (12) 323-3447 ext 140. //www.projectliteracy.org.za

December 03-09, 2001 2ND AFRICAN ACAROLOGY SYMPOSIUM, Nairobi, KENYA. Theme: "Novel Approaches to Tick and Mite Management in the New Millennium." Contact: M. Knapp. E-mail: [email protected] Fax: 254-2-860110. (IPMnet NEWS 85)

3. OVERSEAS
July 24-26, 2001. Conference & Sprayer / Planter Expo, Moree, New South Wales, Australia. More info from Michael Burgis, Conservation Farmers Inc. Fax: 07 4632 2689 / 07 4638 [email protected] ww.cfi.org.au

August 20 - 24, 2001. Association of Institutions for Tropical Veterinary Medicine. Copenhagen, Denmark. E-mail [email protected]
* August 28-31, 2001. African Regional Preparatory Committee for Earth Summit 2002. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Contact: www.un.org/rio+10/web_pages/regional_preparations_for_rio.htm

September 4-6, 2001. SUSTAINABLE FOOD SECURITY FOR ALL BY 2020. Bonn, GERMANY. http://www.ifpri.org/2020conference

September 10-15, 2001. Participatory Technology Workshop. Ellen Radstake, ETC Ecoculture, PO Box 64, 3830 AB Leusden, The Netherlands [email protected]

September 17-21, 2001. 3rd INT CONF ON LAND DEGRADATION. IUSS Subcommission on Soil and Water Conservation,Rio de Janeiro. Further details on www.cnps.embrapa.br/ICLD or email: [email protected]

October 1-5, 2001. International Congress. Conservation Agriculture - a world-wide challenge. Madrid, Spain. Further information from www.ecaf.org or [email protected]

November 12, 2001. THE WORLD'S WORST WEEDS, Brighton, UK. One day symposium preceding WEEDS 2001 BCPC Conference.

November 13-14, 2001. PESTICIDE BEHAVIOUR IN SOILS AND WATER, Brighton,UK. Research symposium in conjunction with WEEDS 2001 BCPC Conference. Contact: . Fax: 44-171-924-1790. Website: www.BCPC.org (IPMnet NEWS 85)

* March 2002. Women and Environment Conference for RIO+10. Uganda. (http://www.kabissa.org/wougnet/projectnews.html#WEC2002)

April 20-25, 2002. 4th INTERNATIONAL COLLOQUIUM ON WORKING EQUINES Al-Ba'ath University, Syria. Registration only US $100. [email protected]

May 26-30, 2002. INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION CONFERENCE, Durban, South Africa. [email protected]

*June 24-28, 2002. 1ST LATIN-AMERICAN SHORT-COURSE ON BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF WEEDS, Montelimar, NICARAGUA. .

* July 21-26, 2002. Women's Worlds 2002: 8th International Interdisciplinary Congress on Women. http://www.kabissa.org/wougnet/projectnews.html#WW2002

August 14-21, 2002. 17th World Congress of Soil Science. Bangkok, Thailand. THEME Soil Science: Confronting New Realities in the 21st Century. Email: [email protected]

* October 26-28, 2002. 3rd Int Symposium:AGROENVIRON-2002 SUSTAINABLE AGRO-ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS. Cairo, Egypt.
Abstracts by November 30. Email: [email protected]

* June 19-25, 2004. 4TH INTERNATIONAL WEED SCIENCE CONGRESS, Durban, SOUTH AFRICA. .

TRAINING
ADVANCED FACILITATORS WORKSHOP. September 9-14, 2001. . Retreat setting outside Ottawa, Canada. [email protected].

* October 29 - Nov 2, 2001. REGIONAL COURSE IN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE, Western Kenya. [email protected]

COMMUNITY-BASED INTEGRATED WATERSHED MANAGEMENT
Nov 19 - Dec 7. IIRR, Phillipines.US $ 2500. Education&[email protected]

FARMER-LED EXTENSION November 12-29. IIRR, Phillipines.
US $ 2000. Education&[email protected]

FERTILIZER RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OPTIMUM CROP PRODUCTION. August 13-22, 2001. Lilongwe, Malawi. International Fertilizer Development Center, USA with Ministry of Agriculture & Irrigation, Malawi. US $1,100. E-mail: [email protected]

GENDER & DEVELOPMENT. November 19-23, 2001. Training Centre for Development Cooperation, Arusha, Tanzania. [email protected]

PARTICIPATORY DEVELOPMENT: Concepts, Tools and Application. July 16-21, 200. Ottawa, Canada. [email protected].

PARTICIPATORY MONITORING & EVALUATION. July 23-26, 2001 & September 3-8, 2001. Ottawa, Canada. [email protected].

PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT. September 24 – October 12, 2001. UPWARD Coordinating Office, Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines. US$1200. Contact [email protected] fax 63-49-5361662.

PUBLICATIONS
CONQUEST OF THE LAND THROUGH 7000 YEARS
W.C. Lowdermilk, USDA Agric Info Bull No. 99, classic, first printed in
1953, is now online on the NRCS webpage.
http://www.nhq.nrcs.usda.gov/BCS/agecol/conquest.pdf [PDF]
or http://www.nhq.nrcs.usda.gov/BCS/culture/cultural.html

USDA BULLETINS ON SOIL-RELATED TOPICS
Soil Conservation, Organic Matter, Crop Rotations, Cover Crops and Green Manures, Soil Biology, Tillage Systems
http://ncatark.uark.edu/~steved/USDA-soil-bulletins.html

Langill, S. 1999. Indigenous Knowledge: A Resource Kit for Sustainable
Development Researchers in Dryland Africa. People, Land and Water Program Initiative, IDRC, Ottawa, Canada. Web site:
. E-mail:

EARLY SPRING WEEDS OF NO-TILL CROP PRODUCTION
A 24-page, full color practical reference for identifying common weeds found in no-till production, also includes a guide to herbicides
for the weed species mentioned. The focus of the softbound, 2000 publication (NCR614) is mid-western U.S., but the information has far wider utility. $3.00 plus $1.50 for S & H. [email protected]

LIST OF ALTERNATIVE CROPS & ENTERPRISES FOR SMALL FARM DIVERSIFICATION
http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/AFSIC_pubs/altlist.htm

SEED PROVISION AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT: THE INSTITUTIONS OF RURAL CHANGE. Rob Tripp.
'A detailed look at the strengths and weaknesses of seed management in traditional farming systems, the history of formal plant breeding and the origins of seed trade, and contemporary seed systems of industrialised and developing countries.... and ... describes the major types of aid interventions in developing country seed systems .. with .. examples drawn from original research in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
For more detail: www.odi.org.uk. To order: [email protected].
Price: 14.95 UK pounds + postage.

DIRECTORY OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS IN THE NEAR EAST & NORTH AFRICA 2000
Brief descriptions and baseline information on 224 research institutions in the region. FAO Rome, 2000, 284 pp.Job No. X8824/E, $12.00.

VITAL SIGNS 2001
10th anniversary edition of Worldwatch's review of the trends that are shaping our future shows that there is more and more evidence that the developed world's consumption-filled lifestyle choices are often as unhealthy for ourselves as for the planet we inhabit. However over one billion people still don't have access to safe water; natural disasters are taking a worsening toll; and we have yet to vanquish some of the world's biggest killers-diarrhea, malaria and AIDS.

Cost $13.95. Email [email protected]. Online (3 PDF files) at $4.00 each. To order online, go to:
http://secure.worldwatch.org/cgi-bin/wwinst/VS01P#download

WEB SITES

NGOC website www.ngoc-cgiar.clades.org

*** The Web site address for the World Summit on Sustainable Development has changed to: www.johannesburgsummit.org

Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET) http://www.kabissa.org/wougnet

The MELISSA Program linked 52 websites to its site //www.melissa.org
and requests emails to [email protected] with suggestions for additional links.

Partnership for African Environmental Sustainability: http://www.paes.org

Window for Africa. Latest research and news on Africa
http://www.ids.ac.uk/gdn/afrwindow.htm

SADC's Drought Monitoring Centre in Zimbabwe http://www.dmc.co.zw

AFRICAN ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION ONLINE
http://www.uz.ac.zw/ies

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Would you like to advertise a position? Looking for a job?

NOTE
ACT NOW! is compiled and forwarded on behalf of the African Conservation Tillage Network ACT with the aim of accelerating the adoption of conservation tillage practices in Africa. Views expressed, however, are not necessarily those of the Network or all or any of its members, and the Editor reserves the right to publish whatever he deems relevant and of interest, space permitting. Use may be made of any information or article published in ACT NOW! provided this newsletter is acknowledged. Individuals or organisations may request to be added to the e-mailing list by sending an e-mail to [email protected] headed, as Subject, SUBSCRIBE ACT NOW! and, in the body of the e-mail, the name of the subscriber, the country in which the subscriber is based, and the e-mail address to which subsequent editions of ACT NOW! should be sent. To unsubscribe, send the same information in an e-mail headed UNSUBSCRIBE ACT NOW! Subscribers are urged to send any information, news, views etc on conservation tillage to the same address headed AFRICA NOW! NEWS and then a brief caption, all in the Subject line.
The current Secretary of ACT is Richard Fowler, 5, Musson Mews, Hayfields, Pietermaritzburg 3201, SOUTH AFRICA - e-mail [email protected]
ACT Regional Co-ordinator is Martin Bwalya, ACT Secretariat, c/o IES, University of Zimbabwe, P.O.Box MP167, Harare, ZIMBABWE. Phone +263 4 334395. Fax 332853. [email protected]