PROPOSAL OPPORTUNITY : PLUG & PLAY DAY at FIN4AG International Conference on "Revolutionizing Finanace for Agriculture" in Nairobi Kenya

Plug and Play Day at Fin4Ag Conference

With experiences from the first ever successful Plug & Play Day held at the ICT4Ag Conference in Kigali 2013, the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) is proud to repeat the event at this years' International Conference on "Revolutionizing Finance for Agriculture" taking place in Nairobi, Kenya.

BACKGROUND

The conference is being organized in collaboration with AFRACA and other partners from July 14 – 18 2014. The "Plug and Play Day" is scheduled for Monday 14 July with lots of interesting activities. Participants will be offered valuable and very practical insight into the latest technological developments in the field of ICTs for agricultural finance. This is a true hands-on experience with demonstrations and in-depth sessions by prestigious application providers and experienced practitioners. Participants are expected to test-drive latest mobile applications, Web 2.0 and social media tools; and discover how they can make these tools work for them in value chain finance. Topics to be covered in these Plug and Play Day sessions will closely parallel the broader conference themes and will be tailored to the needs of our stakeholder groups such as farmers and farmer organizations, bankers, financial regulators, agricultural researchers, policy and decision makers in the governments, intermediary organizations, private sector organizations, and civil society organizations.

PROPOSALS FOR DEMONSTRATION

Proposals are being solicited from interested application developers, innovators, as well as “techies” to demonstrate systems/applications/innovations that fall within the conference theme. The sessions will be designed to allow demonstrators to share their skills and expertise in an interactive format, learn with participants who may be interested in these tools, and enable hands-on experience from participants. (Note: This could also be a platform for systems/applications/innovations developers to showcase the value of their innovations to potential investors).

POTENTIAL AREAS TO BE COVERED – DIGITAL/MOBILE FINANCIAL SERVICES FOR AGRICULTURE

Recent years have seen impressive improvements in technologies for mobile payments, remote management of commodity flows, mobile delivery mechanisms for insurance, electronic warehouse receipt systems, etc. These new technologies not only reduce the transaction costs of agricultural finance, they also enable entirely new financing modalities. In the wake of these developments, there still appears to be some innovation gap. We are therefore looking for proposals globally that go beyond the traditional mobile money/mobile payment services to more innovative approaches to the use of mobile technologies/ICTs for agricultural value chain finance. 

LANGUAGE

Proposal should be submitted in English or French.

IMPORTANT DATES

Submission opens: 14th March 2014

Submission closes: 7th April 2014

Notification of acceptance: Successful submissions will be notified approximately

2-3 weeks after the closing date, the latest by 25th April)

Accepted demonstrators will be required to submit a revised synopsis by 30th

May to be included in the conference programme book.

The Plug & Play Day takes place on Monday 14th July 2014

CONTACT INFORMATION

Please submit your proposals here. Please note that at this point in time, we are not able to cover travel costs and daily allowance.

For further information and future updates about the Fin4Ag Conference please visit: http://www.fin4ag.org/

JOB VACANCY :Knowledge Management Assistant -- Africa Rice Center Benin Republic

Knowledge Management Assistant -- Africa  Rice  Center

Deadline:  30 Mar 2014

The  Africa  Rice  Center (AfricaRice)  is seeking  a  highly  qualified  Knowledge Management Assistant to be based at AfricaRice, Cotonou. AfricaRice is one of the 15 international agricultural research Centers that are members of the CGIAR  Consortium.

Under the Supervision of the Head of Knowledge Management and Capacity Strengthening,the  Knowledge  Management  Assistant  will  assist  in  the  content  development  and management of rice knowledge products intended for the rice e‐hubs.

Qualifications/Selection Criteria

MSc in communications or agriculture sciences specializing in information sharing and dissemination.

 At least three (03) years’ experience in  content management of similar virtual platforms for Africa; Experience in working in a multi‐cultural environment.

knowledge of agricultural research and development in Africa, and proven skills in use of web2/3 tools. Proven ability to produce knowledge products in English and French will be an advantage.

The candidate should communicate fluently (orally and in writing) in English or French with a good working knowledge of the other language.

Candidates should send an application (including a cover letter and a detailed CV with the following information: Name, surname, gender, nationality, certificates obtained, professional experience (stating clearly beginning and end dates of each experience: day, month, year), language skills (French/English), and the names and addresses (including telephone / fax / email) of three referees.

How to apply

To apply for this position, please send your applications:

To: H.Zok@cgiar.org with the vacancy reference in subject: GSS/02/PC/2014/03

Or to the following address: Head, Human Resources Unit, AfricaRice, 01 B.P. 2031, Cotonou,Benin Republic

Deadline for submission of application is Sunday, March 30, 2014

MORE Information on the Africa Rice Center can be found Here :http://www.africarice.org/

GRANT OPPORTUNITY : Kurita Water and Environment Foundation – Water Research Grants 2014

Kurita Water and Environment Foundation – Water Research Grants 2014

Deadline:  15 May 2014

The KWEF makes grants in Asian countries for water research at universities, colleges, and research institutes. Any research subject in field of water resources is acceptable, provided that the water area studied is located in the researcher's home country. Examples of appropriate research subjects are

Physical and chemical properties of water

New technologies for conservation and restoration of water resources.

(River, Lake, Pond, Discharge etc.)

New technologies for water measurement and assessment

Grants are up to 500 thousand yen per project per year. Applicants are preferably under age 40. Each applicant should have a Japanese adviser in Japan or in the researcher’s home country.

The application period is 01 April through 15 May 2014.

More Information about The Kurita Water and Environment Foundation can be found HERE :http://www.kwef.or.jp/en/en_grant.html

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY : PhD opportunity in Monitoring tropical Forests with CIFOR & The University of Wageningen

PhD opportunity in Monitoring tropical Forests with CIFOR and The University of Wageningen

Deadline:  15 Mar 2014

Duties and Responsibilities

The candidate is expected to work in component 3 and focus on studying terrestrial laser scanning for assessing tropical forest characteristics such as height, volume, foliage and biomass and related changes due to human activities. Terrestrial laser scanning has received increasing attention for its capacity to allow retrieving forest structural parameters and better linking ground and remote sensing data for quantitative forest monitoring. Although there are some experiences of exploring this technology in sub-tropical and tropical forest environments, systematic studies in tropical forests are largely missing. Research would involve evaluating different data acquisition strategies in terms of sampling and scanning density in different forest densities and understory characteristics, assessing the accuracy of t-LIDAR estimates to determine key forest parameters such as height, volume, and biomass, studying the role of the full-waveform t-LIDAR signals and different processing schemes and process and using the LIDAR data for collaborative research with the other project partners.

Function Requirements

Education, experience, technical skills and competencies:

A motivated researcher with MSc degree

Related experiences in Forestry, Remote Sensing, Terrestrial surveying, Ecology, Environmental Science, or Geography or a related field.

A background in terrestrial laser scanning and related data analysis and processing is an asset.

Knowledge about tropical forests and the REDD process is appreciated. Experiences and willingness to work with and in developing tropical countries, and organizing and conducting field work in tropical forests is important.

Excellent written and spoken English

Personal attributes and competencies:

Be self motivated, outgoing and welcome the opportunity to work with significant autonomy

Be a team player and have excellent interpersonal communications skills

Terms and Conditions:

The PhD position is supported by CIFOR with a monthly stipend of €1700 for up to 4 years. The PhD research is conducted mainly at the Centre for Geo-Information at Wageningen University (NL) and the related Graduate School (www.pe-rc.nl) under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Martin Herold in close collaboration with CIFOR partners.

The successful candidate is  expected to spend some time at CIFOR’s headquarter in Bogor, Indonesia, and to spend a significant amount of time with field work in different locations. He/she is also required to engage in international exchange and meetings.

Application process can be found HERE : http://www.cifor.org/about-us/careers-with-cifor.html

The application deadline is 15 March 2014.

We will acknowledge all applications, but we will contact only short-listed candidates.

To apply, please visit our career page and submit your application materials (including a CV and a motivation letter) at the Wageningen University vacancy page

University of Wageningen Website for more information is HERE :

https://www.connexys.nl/wageningenursite/page.html?p_sfw_id=652&adv_pub_id=1&adv_taal=2&p_taal=2

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES for YOUTH in AGRICULTURE :Master's Studies in Renewable Energy & Agricultural Research Fellowships

International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) -- Masters Studies in Renewable Energy 2014-2016

Deadline:  31 May 2014

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) offers up to 20 scholarships annually for masters studies in renewable energy at the MASDAR Institute of Science and Technology in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.  IRENA offers a high-level lecture programme for its Scholars, dedicated to highlighting the latest developments in renewable energy technology, policies, and market trends. Tap into the knowledge of internationally recognised personalities, and become part of the growing international network of renewable energy experts. IRENA provides full financial support for two years. Instruction is in English, and applicants must meet academic and language requirements.  The deadline for applications is 31 May 2014.

  More Information on The IRENA Scholarship Programme HERE:http://www.irena.org/menu/index.aspx?mnu=Subcat&PriMenuID=35&CatID=110&SubcatID=156&RefID=156&SubID=162&MenuType=Q

Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences -- Research Fellowships 2014

Deadline:  21 Apr 2014

 JIRCAS provides fellowships to researchers in developing countries to collaborate with Japanese counterparts for research in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries.  This fellowship program has two types namely, ‘Tsukuba-Okinawa’ and ‘Project Site’. Under the former type, the fellowship research is carried out either in Okinawa or Tsukuba.  This year, however, all the proposed research themes will be carried out at the JIRCAS Headquarters in Tsukuba.  On the other hand, fellowship research under the ‘Project Site’ type is conducted at research institutes in developing countries where JIRCAS is currently implementing collaborative research projects.  This year, only one research theme is submitted for this fellowship.

For application  copies of publication along with application form should be submitted to the following postal address:

Mr. Takahiro Sato

Head, Research Coordination Section

Research Support Office

Research Planning and Coordination Division

Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS)

1-1, Ohwashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8686, JAPAN

  The deadline for applications in both programs is 21 April 2014.

More information is available on JIRCAS website Here:http://www.jircas.affrc.go.jp/english/public_relations/jircasfellow/jircas_fellow.html

Cancer Fighting Research into Corilla to be done in Guyana

New research into the cancer fighting properties of Corilla will be undertaken in Guyana to extract a chemical the plant makes. In a new study being lead by Dr Emmanuel Cummings a senior lecturer at The University of Guyana and the research will be undertaken in the UK at The University of Central Lancashire where interactions between different cancer cells and the extracted Corilla property will be tested.

Over the next two years two other professors Mr Jaipaul Singh and Ms. Kareshma Jeeboo will work on the USD$49,000 anti cancer project along with Dr Cummings.He indicated that Corilla already has some anti cancer properties and now " We just need to isolate it ,purify it and test it". Dr Cummings is one of 8 grant awardees by the World Bank & University of Guyana who have been awarded a total of USD$329,000 to use for projects to strengthen science and technology research contributing to low carbon development  in Guyana

See Below a picture of Dr Cummings signing the research agreement for his team to conduct their research into Corilla as a cancer fighting agent  with the Guyana Minister of Education Ms Priya Manickchand and Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana Professor Jacob Opadeyi:

PHOTO CREDITS : Carib News Desk Online & Vauldine at www.Allvoices.Com

More information on the grants can be found here :http://www.uog.edu.gy/?q=newsletter/research-grants-awarded-staffers

MANGO : The MOVIE !!

Mango, the Movie from coleacp on Vimeo.

 One of the fruits I have grown up enjoying since I was a child is Mango . They are grown all over Africa and the Caribbean and are very tasty indeed! . This short film made by COLEACP is all about Mango !. The film shows everyday mango farmers and producers from different countries including  West Africa and the Caribbean working in their orchards .  The film follows these farmers and they explain how family farming contributes to sustainable development and livelihoods  as well as depicting the challenges real farmers face associated with climate change ,fluctuating markets,soil degradation,soil toxicity,soil erosion etc.

The meaning of sustainable development is broken down and the three key components are looked at namely environmental impacts,social impacts and economic impacts. Apart from the obvious environmental impacts associated with agriculture the video highlights the need for the sustainable development approaches to be used throughout the value chain from farmers to exporters and consumers.

In the Caribbean and Africa farmers and companies are shipping their produce to lower their environmental impacts and also using solar panels and the sun as more sustainable alternatives. For many farmers economic stability is their most important concern and investing in organic agriculture has many social benefits  from creating jobs for youth and providing money .Family Farming and the impacts of agriculture are life changing for many poor families. The video highlights the social impact on women becoming employed in factories and becoming economically and educationally empowered which is fantastic.

 More and more corporate social responsibility and the concept of fair trade among companies and the public alike is becoming accepted in supermarkets promoting equal pay for agricultural workers and better conditions. We need all sectors to embrace this sustainable way of thinking for the future.  Sustainability is indeed here to stay ! Hope you enjoyed the film!

Happy World Water Day!

Today is World Water Day ! Water and Energy are of increasing importance to small island developing states like the Caribbean . In Guyana there are 200 identified sites that could be potential sources for hydroelectric power. With the further onset of global warming and climate change the debate around water resources is set the heat up over the next decade because as the world's population grows resources will become more scarce and put a strain on both developed and developing state economies. There are great possibilities for the Caribbean to further tap into hydroelectric and other sources of renewable energy such as solar and wind energy. The theme of this world water day is water & energy recognizing the strong link between the two.

The United Nations hopes to further address access to safe drinking water ,adequate sanitation  and improve the provision of food and energy services to impoverished populations all over the world. I believe that it is only with a holistic approach by all stakeholders including populations all over the world to realize the long term and short term goals to reach true energy security and a sustainable green economy .Politicians,religious leaders,NGO's and other civil society actors ,government ,youth and even you can play your part in contributing to building a sustainable green economy .According to the United Nations 768 million people are lacking access to improved water sources and 2.5 billion people have no improved sanitation .These are shocking statistics showing how water and energy are affecting impoverished individuals.

So What Can WE DO ?

• We MUST learn to conserve more water and energy in general 
• Switch OFF  lights and PLUG dripping sinks . Small actions count!
• We MUST press our leaders at all levels to improve sanitation and access to water for those who do not have it. Become an advocate today!
• ENCOURAGE our leaders to create relevant ,effective and informed policies that can be realistically implemented to help the worlds poor by reducing   inefficiencies,barriers and all forms of inequality 
• USE this  Very Cool Energy Consumption App here to help you conserve energy :https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=at.topfen.ecas
• PLAY & LEARN from these Creative UNAOC Winners Games highlighting water use and other relevant issues 
• USE energy saving light bulbs 

I leave you  with a collage of some of my favorite water pictures taken during my recent travels to the SIDS Countries of Grenada and Mauritius . I hope you enjoy them!

Check out these additional resources on World Water Day here : http://www.unwater.org/worldwaterday/campaign-materials/documents-and-information-resources/es/

Look out for The EU Africa Business Forum & EU Africa Summit In Brussels this April!

EU–Africa Business Forum back-to-back with EU–Africa Summit from coleacp on Vimeo.

The EU -Africa Summit will be taking place on the 2nd and 3rd of April this year in Brussels and just before it there will be EU -Africa Forum organized by the European Commission . The objectives of the forum are to connect both African and European business leaders to do business but also to develop impactful policy around the discussions they will have during the meetings.

COLEACP will be co organizing two roundtable events the first is on the role of the private sector with the directorate general for agriculture and rural development of the European commission and the second roundtable will be on Innovation in Agriculture . The second rountable will be done in collaboration with the directorate general for research and innovation of the European Commission. This will take place on the eve of the EU-Africa Summit and will see discussions on (PPP'S ) Private /Public Partnerships regarding how innovation and research can influence and contribute to improving food security and nutrition in Africa.

The roundtables will be co -chaired by some amazing experts as mentioned in the video about the activities above . The co chairs are Akiinwumi Adesina - Federal Minister of Agriculture of Nigeria,Jezy Plewa DG of the directorate general for agriculture and rural development and Guy Stinglhamber General Delegate of COLEACP.

If you haven't already watched the video its a great way to get a feel for the events and also for a bit of fun see if you can spot me in the video!! :)

For Further Information on the EU-Africa Summit & EU-Africa Business Forum as well as the round tables COLEACP is co -organizing check out the links below :

(http://www.africa-eu-partnership.org) Read the concept note of the Agribusiness roundtable Read the concept note of the Innovation roundtable  http://euafrica-businessforum.eu

YOUTH OPPORTUNITY :The Idlelo6 ICT Conference on Free and Open Source Software in Nairobi

The Idlelo6 ICT Conference on Free and Open Source Software 

Date :Friday March 28th  2014

Time :12:00 PM (EAT)

Country : Nairobi, Kenya 

Venue : Strathmore University Auditorium onday, March 24, 2014 at 9:00 AM –

The Organizers have an exciting programme prepared that includes technical training sessions that were requested  by the open source community from all over Africa. Following this there will be some great presentations and discussions by those who responded to the their earlier call for papers and also some case studies on practical implementations of Free and Open Source software.  More information is also available at the website www.idlelo.net 

Registration is available online, secure your seat by signing up. There are limited spaces especially for the training sessions, it is advisable to register as soon as possible at this site: http://idlelo.net/content/idlelo-6-conference-registration orwww.idlelo6.eventbrite.com The GE Innovations in Healthcare challenge will also be launched at the Idlelo6 event. 

WEB 2.0 & SOCIAL MEDIA LEARNING OPPORTUNITY IN SWAZILAND

Venue: Mananga Centre for Regional Integration and Management Development, Ezulwini Campus, Lobamba,Swaziland

Dates: 19-23 May, 2014 (9:00 – 17:30)

Technological innovation is taking place at a breath-taking pace. Simple, open source internet-based applications and services designed to enhance on-line collaboration are now available to the wider public at little or no cost at all. These new online technologies known as Web 2.0 and Social Media applications enable people to collaborate to create, share and publish information.

The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation EU-ACP (CTA) has a mandate to facilitate access to and dissemination of information in the fields of agriculture and rural development in 78 countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP). Supporting the adoption of Web 2.0 applications and Social Media represents a great opportunity for meeting it.

The Mananga Centre for Regional Integration and Management Development (Mananga) in collaboration with CTA will host a 5-day Web 2.0 and Social Media Learning Opportunity on 19-23 May 2014. Participants will be introduced to selected web 2.0 applications including social media and will learn how to use them hands-on.

The Learning Opportunity will cover advanced online searching, getting information served via alerts and RSS, collaborating remotely using wikis and Google Docs, using VoIP, online mapping and social networking. Participants will get a chance to see what others have done, get hands-on experience on how to use innovative applications, and assess how they could adopt these innovations within the context of their work and organisation.

This Learning Opportunity forms part of CTA initiatives that support development partners in networking, accessing and disseminating information more effectively.

Programme of the Learning Opportunity

·         Introduction to the participatory World Wide Web (Web 2.0) and to social media;

·         Search Magic: How to conduct advanced multilingual online searches;

·         Information Self Service: How to get selected information served to you via alerts and RSS feeds;

·         Online content curation: Tagging and Social Bookmarking;

·         Remote collaboration: How to develop content remotely using wikis and Google Docs;

·         Online mapping: How to locate your organisation and your projects on an online map;

·         How to communicate voice over the internet at no cost;

·         Online publishing (micro-blogging and blogging);

·         Professional / corporate social networking (LinkedIn and Facebook);

·         Web 2.0 and Social Media for Agri-business marketing;

·         Web 2.0 self-instruction (introduction to IMARK).

Participants - Eligibility and responsibilities

Participation in the Learning Opportunity is free of charge, but subject to acceptance by the organisers. 25 participants will be accepted for the event.

Eligibility criteria

·         be computer literate and conversant with browsing the Internet;

·         have regular access to a computer (ownership of a computer is an advantage);

·         be in a position to take along a WIFI-enabled laptop to the training;

·         be competent in the use of the English language;

·         have an active e-mail account;

·         be actively engaged in agriculture and rural development / natural resource management / biodiversity conservation in the domains of ICT for development (ICT4D), policies, markets; publishing, communication and media; and

·         be resident in Swaziland.

Responsibilities

Accepted participants will be responsible for all costs related to their travel to and from the venue at the Ezulwini Campus in Lobamba, accommodation, breakfast and supper, daily subsistence allowances, and for bringing their own WIFI-enabled laptop to the event.

Entitlements

During each event, the organisers will provide lunch and refreshments and distribute copies of CTA publications and instructional material.

How to apply

If you are interested in applying, please click on this link to complete the online form.

Deadline for applications: 22 April, 2014 (14:00 GMT)

Feedback

The organisers will inform successful applicants about the status of their application ~two week before the commencement of the course. Successful applicants will receive confirmation letters. Others will be duly informed about the results of their application.

Follow Web2forDev on Facebook, Twitter and join the community on DGroups and LinkedIn

JOIN ONLINE #AskAg Twitter Chat: Empowering Women at the Head of Family Farms

#AskAg Twitter Chat: Empowering Women at the Head of Family Farms

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DATE

March 20, 2014

11:00 am - 12:00 pm

EDT

Add to calendar

LOCATION

Online

Farming First is going to debate the issues. Uniting over 130 organisations from around the world, Farming First is one of the most diverse and active agricultural coalitions in the world. Farming First supporters represent the world’s farmers, scientists and engineers as well as agribusiness associations and non-governmental organisations.

Watch the video below to better understand what Agrilinks #AskAg Twitter chats are. Also, as part of their efforts to get everyone comfortable with using Twitter, Agrilinks produced 101/102 trainings that can be accessed by clicking here.

Guiding questions

1. What challenges do women in family farming face in the developing world, and what do they need to thrive?
2. How can we reach more women farmers worldwide with tools and skills they need?
3. What are the success stories that show the benefits of investing in rural women? How do we measure this success?
4. How do we identify and empower male allies in the quest to improve women-run family farms?
5. Women farmers are often both the breadwinners and the bread bakers. How do we improve the nutritional status of family farms?

The chat is organized around these five guiding questions. If you have additional questions you'd like to ask the experts, tweet @Agrilinks using the #AskAg hashtag!

Twitter accounts to follow

Experts	Organizations & featured contributors
Sylvia Cabus: @sylviacabus	Farming First: @farmingfirst
Stephanie Hanson: @HansonSteph	One Acre Fund: @OneAcreFund
Susan Carlson: @susanmcarlson	SPRING Project: @SPRINGProject2
Thembi Ndema: @FANRPAN	World Farmer's Organisation: @worldfarmersorg

 How to participate

• If you are new to Twitter, visit Twitter.com to sign up for an account. (For more tips on getting started, check out our Twitter training.)
• Explore the guiding questions that will be discussed during the chat.
• Join the discussion by using the hashtag #AskAg and following @Agrilinks.
• You can also follow on Twubs or through the livestream 

More information can be found here : http://agrilinks.org/events/askag-twitter-chat-empowering-women-head-family-farms

International Year Of Family Farming 2014 Series : Come Join The Shadehouse REVOLUTION with the First Lady of Guyana !!

One of the first hydroponic shade houses constructed in 2012 was at the State House at the request of the First Lady of Guyana. She has started a campaign to have gardens in schools, as well as in ordinary households, and she wanted to show students the hydroponic system. See above the video footage from the Capitol news report showing the launching  of her  hydroponic shade house project where she speaks about the benefits of growing your own food and encourages persons to take up family farming.

Over the years hydroponic shade houses have slowly taken hold in Guyana .The 4 year Guyana Hydroponic Shade House USD $1.35M Inter American Development bank and Japanese Trust Fund project is being implemented by the Partners of the Americas Guyana Branch and  The Caribbean Self Reliance International .The objectives of the project are to improve the community economic welfare and growth of vulnerable and disadvantaged men,women and young people.

The training period lasted from July 2013 -March 2014 and succeeded in  training 551 people in hydroponics and established the same number of home based gardens. 32 additional shade houses have been constructed across Guyana according to the shade house production projects manager Mr Kelvin Craig said.He highlighted in his remarks that during the second phase of the project there would be further involvement of partners and beneficiaries in the project. Phase two will also take the project to other regions and  Communities in Guyana including Linden. 

The Guyana Minister of Culture Dr Leslie Ramsammy was pleased with the success of the project and "Pointed out that shade houses in Guyana are the best in the Caribbean and he urged farmers not to see farming as something poor people do but as an investment in the country's economy " He also called for record keeping by farmers to be improved so that their production can grow . He  encouraged farmers to register their farms to be eligible to produce for the export market and  spoke briefly about submitting a Tracibility and animal welfare bill  to the attorney generals office.These bills Will allow the government to be able to trace produce from farm to plate and to better govern how animals are kept and slaughtered. The minister further emphasized the need for the grow more food campaign to continue throughout Guyana to encourage more citizens to grow their own food.

 Suzy Wong, a beneficiary of the training, urged all to take advantage of the project. She said, it is a good initiative, since hydroponic farming utilizes a small space and less physical work. Juliet Munian, of Essequibo, who said she had been farming bananas for the past 30 years, said she started hydroponic farming out of a need for fresh vegetables for her family. And Gerond Roberts, Toshao of Bethany Mission on the Supenaam River, said the introduction of hydroponic farming has lit up that community. He said 25 persons have built shadehouses. “We want our community to diversify in agriculture,” Roberts said, before adding that land space is not an issue in his community. He said he started with containers but now he has expanded to boxes. (Taken from Stabroek News Article Online Shadehouse project aims to lift poor communities by Staff writer on March 13,2014).All the plants in the hydroponic project have been produced in substrate soil,coconut fiber,rice paddy ,charcoal ,sponge and styrofoam and are depicted in the photos below.They are even growing in an old sneaker!!

PHOTO CREDITS : Stabroek News Online , GINA and The Guyana Times 

Caribbean Climate Innovation Center (CCIC) $50,000 Grant Opportunity

Caribbean Climate Innovation Center launches in Trinidad

The business hub is now accepting applications for grants of up to $50,000

Originally posted on 28 January 2014 on the CCIC website

The Caribbean Climate Innovation Center (CCIC)—a hub designed to help clean technology ventures transform the region to a low-carbon economy and create green jobs—launched yesterday in Freeport, Trinidad & Tobago.

The CCIC will offer financing, training, mentorship, and other services to a growing network of innovators in the areas of solar power, energy efficiency, water management, resource use efficiency, and sustainable agribusiness.

By supporting local climate technology companies that make use of these natural resources, the CCIC is expected to cut 20,882 metric tons in carbon emissions in the first six years of operation - which is equivalent to the exhaust emissions from 4,500 passenger cars per year.

“We believe biodiesel could play an important role in the energy landscape of the Caribbean,” said Elliot Lincoln, founder of Themba Biofuels, based in Antigua. “We aim to replace ten percent of imported diesel fuel with biodiesel and create more than a hundred jobs. I look forward to the support of the CCIC as we scale our operations and develop new markets."

The CCIC is currently accepting applications for proof-of-concept grants of up to $50,000 to facilitate product development, prototyping, testing, or piloting a product or service. Caribbean green ventures are invited to apply by March 30.

The center will have facilities in Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago, as well as satellite hubs in other Caribbean islands. The center will be part of a global network of eight Climate Innovation Centers, the first of which—in Nairobi, Kenya—has supported over 75 businesses since it launched in September 2012. 

More Information can be found here : http://www.infodev.org/highlights/caribbean-climate-innovation-center-launches-trinidad

WEB 2.0 & SOCIAL MEDIA LEARNING OPPORTUNITY NEW BUSSA,NIGER STATE IN NIGERIA

Venue: National Institute for Freshwater Fisheries Research, New-Bussa, Niger State, Nigeria

Dates: 12-16 May, 2014

Technological innovation is taking place at a breath-taking pace. Simple, open source internet-based applications and services designed to enhance on-line collaboration are now available to the wider public at little or no cost at all. These new online technologies known as Web 2.0 and Social Media applications enable people to collaborate to create, share and publish information.

The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation EU-ACP (CTA) has a mandate to facilitate access to and dissemination of information in the fields of agriculture and rural development in 78 countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP). Supporting the adoption of Web 2.0 applications and Social Media represents a great opportunity for meeting it.

The National Institute for Freshwater Fisheries Research, New-Bussa, Niger State (NIFFR) in collaboration with CTA and the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) and the Federal College of Freshwater Fisheries Technology (FCFFT), will host a 5-day Web 2.0 and Social Media Learning Opportunity on 12-16 May 2014. Participants will be introduced to selected web 2.0 applications including social media and will learn how to use them hands-on.

The Learning Opportunity will cover advanced online searching, getting information served via alerts and RSS, collaborating remotely using wikis and Google Docs, using VoIP, online mapping and social networking. Participants will get a chance to see what others have done, get hands-on experience on how to use innovative applications, and assess how they could adopt these innovations within the context of their work and organisation.

This Learning Opportunity forms part of CTA initiatives that support development partners in networking, accessing and disseminating information more effectively.

Programme of the Learning Opportunity

·         Introduction to the participatory World Wide Web (Web 2.0) and to social media;

·         Search Magic: How to conduct advanced multilingual online searches;

·         Information Self Service: How to get selected information served to you via alerts and RSS feeds;

·         Online content curation: Tagging and Social Bookmarking;

·         Remote collaboration: How to develop content remotely using wikis and Google Docs;

·         Online mapping: How to locate your organisation and your projects on an online map;

·         How to communicate voice over the internet at no cost;

·         Online publishing (micro-blogging and blogging);

·         Professional / corporate social networking (LinkedIn and Facebook);

·         Web 2.0 and Social Media for Agri-business marketing;

·         Web 2.0 self-instruction (introduction to IMARK).

Participants - Eligibility and responsibilities

Participation in the Learning Opportunity is free of charge, but subject to acceptance by the organisers. 25 participants will be accepted for the event.

Eligibility criteria

·         be computer literate and conversant with browsing the Internet;

·         have regular access to a computer (ownership of a computer is an advantage);

·         be in a position to take along a WIFI-enabled laptop to the training;

·         be competent in the use of the English language;

·         have an active e-mail account;

·         be actively engaged in agriculture and rural development / natural resource management / biodiversity conservation in the domains of ICT for development (ICT4D), policies, markets; publishing, communication and media; and

·         be resident in Nigeria.

Responsibilities

Accepted participants will be responsible for all costs related to their travel to and from the venue at the NIFFR, accommodation, breakfast and supper, daily subsistence allowances, and for bringing their own WIFI-enabled laptop to the event.

Entitlements

During each event, the organisers will provide lunch and refreshments and distribute copies of CTA publications and instructional material.

How to apply

If you are interested in applying, please click on this link to complete the online form.

Deadline for applications: 14 April, 2014

Feedback

The organisers will inform successful applicants about the status of their application ~two week before the commencement of the course. Successful applicants will receive confirmation letters. Others will be duly informed about the results of their application.

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