IRRI boss advocates inter-operability portals for databases

NaijaAgroNet:

The Director General, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Robert Zeigler, has urged every gene bank in the world to re-design their databases to match some international standard, saying that what is needed is inter-operability, to create portals where everyone's databases can talk to another, NaijaAgroNet reports.  

Genome sequences of more than 3,000 rice varieties have been placed with the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) by the world's leading rice research institute in a move boosting plans to set up a global data exchange system for crop genetic resources.

The Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the Treaty (ITPGRFA) NaijaAgroNet informs, made the announcement at the 6^th session of the Governing Body of the FAO-based 136-member nation plant treaty that is being held in Rome this week.

Around the world governments and organizations are storing genetic material in seed banks, but without one single gateway to genetic resource data, it is very difficult for researchers and plant breeders to know what is held where and what genetic resources are contained in the seeds.

The Secretary of the International Treaty, Shakeel Bhatti, said, "The genetic information that IRRI is making available to us, and the public at large, is a hugely generous and significant show of support to our endeavours to make all relevant information on genetic resources on plant crops available for future food security."

"To have so much information on rice, which after all is the basic food for half the world's population, placed at the fingertips of everyone is a major step in securing food security for future generations," he added.

The Rome meeting will discuss how to enhance the current multi-lateral system through the creation of one Global Information System on Plant Genetic Resources. This system containing information including on how to access genetic material and seed samples from existing gene banks would be developed and overseen by the Treaty's host, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), NaijaAgroNet learnt

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Africa CSOs canvass for more openness, inclusiveness in STC

NaijaAgroNet:

The African Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) has canvassed for more openness and inclusiveness in the activities of the Specialised Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment (STC-ARDWE), reports NaijaAgroNet.

Arising from the meeting of the African CSOs Working Group (AWG) at the on-going inaugural conference of the STC on Rule of Procedure held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, NaijaAgroNet gathered that the group called for a review of the Rule 14 on “Open and Closed Sessions.”

According to the chairman of the group, Mr. Martin Tsoukeu, in a working group report, said that Rule 14 should better be put the other way round by stating that all sessions are open but a decision could be made whether any of these shall be closed.

They also expected that STC-ARDWE recommends to the Ministerial Meeting to reconsider the idea of alleged abolishing of existing Ministerial conferences, in addition to the long-standing request submitted by the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN), with regards to their relationship with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

The African Working Group urged that the STC on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment should be designed in a spirit that could make it an effective coordinating body, rather than a political representation organ.

In addition, AWG, Tsoukeu said, should be made to compliment the functionalities of the existing Ministerial conferences to be renamed or reconstituted, because Ministerial conferences have shown obvious effectiveness.

These, AWG emphasized should be maintained and fully capitalized on in the new STC operating format.

+Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia +NEPAD CAADP CAADP 
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Bissi highlights essence of media on CAADP strategies

NaijaAgroNet:

The essence of media participatory roles in scaling up the strategies of Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) has been highlighted, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The CAADP coordinator, Mr. Komla Bissi shared some insights with NaijaAgroNet on the importance of media in achieving CAADP strategies, saying that farmers and related actors both states and non-states should be regularly kept informed of CAADP initiatives, especially developments projects capable of assisting them to improve on whatever is on the ground at any particular time.

This, he said, gave AU and CAADP precisely, the impetus to support the on-going first meeting of the Specialised Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment in Addis Ababa.

He also said that his office would continue to work very closely with the communication units within the African Union organs to ensure that media participate in most of the meetings where initiatives are structured so as to carry the media industry along thereby encouraging them to disseminate right and knowledgeable information for the African people.

In addition, this will assist development partners to keep a tap on African efforts in increasing agricultural productivity and fight against hunger as well as enlightenment of citizens and most essentially the farmers and farmers-based organizations adequately.

Equally, Bissi said, CAADP would continue to seek better ways of collaboration to make media practitioners’ job easier and CAADP initiatives based on AU policies easily adopted by the stakeholders like on issue of climate change among others.

He urged journalists, precisely those in CAADP Journalist Network to see their role as essential to bridging the gap between African farmers and government policies.

NaijaAgroNet recollects that CAADP is a programme of the African Union in the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) established in July 2003 with focus on improving and promoting agriculture across the African continent as part of efforts aimed at eliminating hunger and reducing poverty through agriculture.

+Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

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Financing agriculture tops new AU’s funding initiative – Bissi

NaijaAgroNet:

The Coordinator of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), Mr. Komla Bissi disclosed that financing agriculture and related sectors like water and environment are likely to top the initiatives to benefit from the new financial scheme of African Union Commission (AUC), reports NaijaAgroNet.

Mr. Bissi made this disclosure in an interview with NaijaAgroNet in Addis Ababa at the ongoing inaugural Conference of African Union Specialized Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment (STC-ARDWE) with respect to the new funding facilities of the Commission.

Though he noted that financing may not have been an easy task, especially for developing countries, but AU alongside development partners are working closely to ensure viable projects on the continent receive relevant financial supports.

He pointed out to NaijaAgroNet that the Malabo Declaration was very clear on where Africa as a continent should be headed to in order to achieved the set goals for the sustenance of the region.

He expressed optimism on the expected recommendations of STC-ARDWE to be submitted to the Council of Ministers for onward exploration in the next two days of the conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

 
Bissi further said, they are currently consulting on which element of their programmes this facility will be channeled to in line with AU and development partners’ guidelines.

+Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia +CAADP NEPAD 
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Pix: Coordinator, Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme, CAADP, Komla Bissi,