Event Begins: Thursday, November 14, 2024 11:30am
Location: Lorch Hall
Organized By: Department of Economics

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and background of the case:

The Complainant filed an RTI application dated 12.07.2023 seeking information on following points:-

"1. Total number of employees whose Pension Payment Orders (PPOs) were issued between 01.01.2018 to 30.6.2023 from the office of the PAO, PP&M, Faridabad. 2. Total number of employees whose Pension Payment Orders (PPOs) were issued after the date of their retirement or delayed due to any reason. Information may be provided from 01.01.2018 to 30.6.2023 only. 3. Photocopy of note sheet in respect of my (Devendra Singh, Applicant) pension file maintained in your office to date. 4. Photocopies of the dispatch register maintained in your office for the dates 14.3.2023 to 17.3.2023 and 20.3.2023 to 22.3.2023."

(EMAILWIRE.COM, November 03, 2024 ) Aliphatic Amines Market are substances created through displacement reaction within an ammonia molecule. Monovalent hydrocarbon radicals replaced the hydrogen atoms in ammonia in Aliphatic Amines. The analysis in the report examines how the COVID-19 pandemic...

(EMAILWIRE.COM, November 11, 2024 ) The agriculture drones market is estimated at USD 2.00 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 8.03 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 32.0% from 2024 to 2029. The global agriculture drone market is growing substantially due to rapid technological advancements...

The European Union on Tuesday took the debate about genetically modified crops to the public with a survey asking citizens to share their thoughts on organic farming, reports Phys.org in a recent article titled EU asks citizens to join debate on GM food Image credit: americanoverkill.com The article continues ... The bloc's 500 million consumers are invited to complete an anonymous online questionnaire on the European Commission's Agriculture and Rural Development website (ec.europa.eu/agriculture/consultations/organic/2013_en.htm). The consultation, which ends on April 10, is part of a review of European policy on organic agriculture. The survey is available in all official EU languages. English is the one linked here, but other languages are available from a drop-down menu at the top of the page. The Phys.org article, putting emphasis on the GM angle, goes on to say......

Farmscape for October 31, 2024

Saskatchewan Agriculture reports the province's farmers are disappointed with this year's crops but relieved that things weren't worse.
Saskatchewan Agriculture released its final crop report of the season yesterday.
Tyce Masich, a Crops Extension Specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture, says producers were able to get their crops off well before the heavy frosts set in.

Quote-Tyce Masich-Saskatchewan Agriculture:
Starting in May when producers were seeing it was very cool and wet so there were some seeding delays and also the early season cool temperatures specifically delayed crop development in the first two months of the growing season, which wasn't great for crops but the moisture did allow them to be well established for the lack of moisture in July and August that we saw.
In July and August there were hot and dry conditions throughout most of Saskatchewan which really hurt the early season yield potential that producers were expecting.
Early season, with all of the moisture that we had, there were more reports of early season root rot in crops which hurt crop establishment early in the season and then, as the season progressed and things got warmer and drier, that's when the grasshoppers really came out and started to feed on crops.
I know in the west and southwest producers were spraying for grasshoppers specifically and in areas of the province that would have gotten rainfall in the beginning July when canola was full canopy there were a lot of producers spraying for sclerotinia stem rot and there were some reports of sclerotinia stem rot in Saskatchewan but I think overall it had a pretty minimal impact on yields this year.
The biggest thing was the hot conditions in July really heat blasted a lot of canola which would have resulted in most of the yield loss for canola and other crops as well.

Masich says yields for most crops in Saskatchewan were slightly above average with the exceptions of crops like canola and mustard that were slightly below average but, given the dry years we've had the past couple of years, growers are happy with that.
For more visit Farmscape.Ca.
Bruce Cochrane.

       *Farmscape is produced on behalf of North America’s pork producers

Farmscape for November 13, 2024

A professor with Dalhousie University suggests Canada will need to work with the United States under the new Donald Trump administration to ensure benefits to Canadian agriculture.
“Navigating the Maze: Agri-Food Trends and their Impact on the Pork Industry” was among the topics discussed last week in Saskatoon as part of Saskatchewan pork Industry Symposium 2024.
Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, a professor with Dalhousie University, says Canada followed the United States in terms of food inflation but Canada is now higher, the result of Canada's own food policies.

Quote-Dr. Sylvain Charlebois-Dalhousie University:
Dairy, meat are pushing food inflation higher and they're all pretty domestic.
That's why, during my talk I really focused a lot on the concept of competitiveness, because I don't think that right now that we're helping agriculture.
We're just making agriculture more expensive so farmers are struggling.
Right now, things are good for the pork industry but they're not going to remain the same so we've got to be ready for that and, with America becoming even more competitive under a Trump regime, we're going to have to follow.
I know there's a lot of rhetoric around tariffs and things like that.
I don't pay a whole lot of attention to that.
I think what's most important is the fact that we do have an American administration looking at deals, looking for deals.
Donald Trump is very transactional.
He's very predictable and so I think we need to capitalize on that as much as possible.
But I do think that the world is likely going to get more interesting as a result of what we're seeing in Washington and that's going to probably benefit Canada over time.
But we've got to be in lock step with the Americans.
We can't just be at odds with them.
We're at odds with India, with China.
The last thing we want is to be at odds with the Americans.

To access Dr. Charlebois's work google "Agri-Food Analytics Lab, Dalhousie University."
He notes all of the reports are available in both French and English at no charge.
For more visit Farmscape.Ca.
Bruce Cochrane.

       *Farmscape is produced on behalf of North America’s pork producers

Aim/Purpose: This research aims to evaluate models from meta-learning techniques, such as Riemannian Model Agnostic Meta-Learning (RMAML), Model-Agnostic Meta-Learning (MAML), and Reptile meta-learning, to obtain high-quality metadata. The goal is to utilize this metadata to increase accuracy and efficiency in identifying chili varieties in smart agriculture. Background: The identification of chili varieties in smart agriculture is a complex process that requires a multi-faceted approach. One challenge in chili variety identification is the lack of a large and diverse dataset. This can be addressed using meta-learning techniques, which allow the model to leverage knowledge learned from other related tasks or artificially expand the dataset by applying transformations to existing data. Another challenge is the variation in growing conditions, which can affect the appearance of chili varieties. Meta-learning techniques can help address this challenge by allowing the model to adapt to variations in growing conditions with task-specific embeddings and optimizations. With the help of meta-learning techniques, such as data augmentation, data characterization, selection of datasets, and performance estimation, quality metadata for accurate identification of chili varieties can be achieved even in the presence of limited data and variations in growing conditions. Furthermore, the use of meta-learning techniques in chili variety identification can also assist in addressing challenges related to the computational complexity of the task. Methodology: The research approach employed is quantitative, specifically comparing three models from meta-learning techniques to determine which model is most suitable for our dataset. Data was collected from the variety assembly garden in the form of images of chili leaves using a mobile device. The research successfully gathered 1,974 images of chili leaves, with 697 images of large red chilies, 649 images of curly red chilies, and 628 images of cayenne peppers. These chili leaf images were then processed using augmentation techniques. The results of image data augmentation were categorized based on leaf characteristics (such as oval, lancet, elliptical, serrated leaf edges, and flat leaf edges). Subsequently, training and validation utilized three models from meta-learning techniques. The final stage involved model evaluation using 2-way and 3-way classification, as well as 5-shot and 10-shot learning scenarios to select the dataset with the best performance. Contribution: Improving classification accuracy, with a focus on ensuring high-quality data, allows for more precise identification and classification of chili varieties. Enhancing model training through an emphasis on data quality ensures that the models receive reliable and representative input, leading to improved generalization and performance in identifying chili varieties. Findings: With small collections of datasets, the authors have used data augmentation and meta-learning techniques to overcome the challenges of limited data and variations in growing conditions. Recommendations for Practitioners: By leveraging the knowledge and adaptability gained from meta-learning, accurate identification of chili varieties can be achieved even with limited data and variations in growing conditions. The use of meta-learning techniques in chili variety identification can greatly improve the accuracy and reliability of the identification process. Recommendation for Researchers: Using meta-learning techniques, such as transfer learning and parameter optimization, researchers can overcome challenges related to limited data and variations in growing conditions in chili variety identification. Impact on Society: The findings from this research can help identify superior chili seeds, thereby motivating farmers to cultivate high-quality chilies and achieve bountiful harvests. Future Research: We intend to verify our approach on a more extensive array of datasets and explore the implementation of more resilient regularization techniques, going beyond image augmentation, within the meta-learning techniques. Furthermore, our goal is to expand our research to encompass the automatic learning of parameters during training and tackle issues associated with noisy labels. Building on the insights gained from our observed outcomes, a future objective is to enhance the refinement of model-agnostic meta-learning techniques that can effectively adapt to intricate task distributions with substantial domain gaps between tasks. To realize this aim, our proposal involves devising model-agnostic meta-learning techniques specifically designed for multi-modal scenarios.

Sacramento, CA – Federal agency statistics vastly undercount the number of nonfatal injuries and illnesses in the agricultural industry, according to a new study from the University of California Davis School of Medicine.

Cincinnati – Rates of occupational injury and illness from pesticides are much higher among agricultural workers than workers in other industries, according to NIOSH research.

Washington – The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration will issue guidance intended to “ease the transition” to full implementation of its rule – set to go into effect Dec. 18 – on electronic logging devices in commercial motor vehicles, the agency announced Nov. 20.

Washington — Although work-related hearing loss in the agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting sector is lower overall than most other industries, three specific subsectors “would benefit from continued hearing conservation efforts,” according to researchers from NIOSH.

Prepared Foods explores the growing and dynamic topic of regenerative agriculture in a discussion with Ryan Slabaugh, founder of Think Regeneration.

The company has a broad and ambitious approach to expanding regenerative agriculture, working with partners spanning the value chain, connecting farmers to end customers, technology providers and technical experts.

QUINN announced its participation in the Soil Carbon Initiative (SCI). Since 2020, QUINN has worked with Nebraska sorghum grower Steve Tucker, an SCI farmer partner, as he transitions to regenerative practices. Sorghum, a nutrient-dense and inherently sustainable crop, has been a crucial ingredient for Quinn’s supply chain since the company debuted whole-grain, gluten-free pretzels in 2016.

As consumers become increasingly concerned about food safety, environmental sustainability, and animal welfare, organic products have seen a steady rise in demand. Organic September helps bridge the gap between consumers and the farming community by offering insights into the farming practices behind organic certification and providing access to organic products.

These partnerships aim to encourage wheat, corn and rice farmers in select regions of North America to implement regenerative agriculture practices, contributing to scope 3 carbon reductions.

Catawba County Assistant Planning Director, Mary George, has been named 2012 Outstanding Contributor to Agriculture by the Hickory Kiwanis Club

To ensure that U.S. agricultural policies are well-informed, data collection programs must be periodically revisited to reflect current realities of the agricultural sector, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

A range of ‘climate-smart’ farming practices have the potential to lower greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and help sequester carbon dioxide emitted by other parts of the economy. A recent webinar explored how to expand use of these practices.

Cheez-It, Club crackers to be sold with regenerative wheat.

An R&D expert from the sugar company shares insights on how the sustainable farming practice can benefit food producers, and the planet.

Mr. Dana L. Weaver led an accomplished career with GROWMARK Inc. for over 46 years

Dr. Edward B. Stoneham is noted for his success as the co-founder and chief technology officer at XtremeLUX Corporation

Jason D. Minard, Esq., is honored for his work as a premier attorney and expert in farming

James Zeeb is lauded for his extensive work in farming and conservation management

John Van Dusen Lewis, PhD, is lauded as a senior advisor at PHYLA earth

After distinguished military service, Felix N. Lopez used his knowledge of logistics to create hydroponic farms

Nicholas J. Troiano recognized as a senior weather analyst at Cargill Incorporated

Pat Bowe is a distinguished executive with over 40 years of experience as the Chairman and CEO of The Andersons Inc.

Indoor growers will have access to a highly engineered, inert, fully-compostable grow media, eliminating food waste, creating an efficient closed-loop agriculture system and alleviating climate-related risks from current industry grow media types.

The goal is to help farmer increase yields and profits.

Jiin Co.,Lted. is making 'AlphaGo' in agriculture through big data

Arianna Davis won the coveted title of National Future Little Miss United States Agriculture, earning her the platform to serve as one of the nation's youngest and leading voices in advocating for agriculture.

By Leaiman Yes! Magazine Affectionately called “Professor” by his neighbors, Josefino Martinez is a well-respected indigenous farmer and community organizer from the remote town of Chicahuaxtla, in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. He watched with patient attention as I showed … Continue reading →

Nov 21, 2024, 12pm EST

Sydney Giacalone, doctoral candidate in anthropology at Brown University, researches multigenerational farmers and ranchers across the U.S. who are transitioning away from conventional practices towards environmentally and social repairing approaches. This experience often involves questioning past education and internalized ideologies and learning to collaborate with nonhuman life to repair degraded ecologies. Join Giacaloneto learn more about her research.

Building: Curtis Hall
Campus Location: Medford/Somerville campus
City: Medford, MA 02155
Campus: Medford/Somerville campus
Location Details: Curtis Hall Multipurpose Room (474 Boston Ave., Medford, MA)
Wheelchair Accessible (for in-person events): Yes
Open to Public: Yes
Primary Audience(s): Alumni and Friends
Event Type: Academic Date/Deadline, Lecture/Presentation/Seminar/Talk
Event Sponsor Details: Environmental Studies Program
Event Contact Name: Sinet Kroch
Event Contact Email: sinet.kroch@tufts.edu
RSVP Information: RSVP only needed for virtual attendants
More info: tufts.zoom.us…

ETSI releases 3 new ontology specifications for Smart Cities, Industry 4.0 and Smart Agriculture

Sophia Antipolis, 24 June 2019

Following the first three SAREF (Smart Applications REFerence ontology) specifications for energy, environment and buildings, the ETSI SmartM2M Technical Committee has just released three new specifications for smart cities, industry and manufacturing, and smart agriculture and food chain domains.

Read More...

Recently I had the pleasure of engaging several events focusing on the intersection of food, nutrition, and health in China. First, I participated in the 3rd Belt & Road Initiative Global Health International Congress, held in Xi’an, which brought together stakeholders with a vision to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in health research for the Belt […]

Growing consensus in the scientific community indicates that higher temperatures and changing precipitation levels resulting from climate change will depress crop yields in many countries over the coming decades. This is particularly true in low-income countries, where adaptive capacity is low. Many African countries are particularly vulnerable to climate change because their economies largely depend on climate-sensitive agricultural production.

"Ethiopia's agricultural sector, which is dominated by smallscale, mixed-crop, and livestock farming, is the mainstay of the country's economy. It constitutes more than half of the country's gross domestic product, generates more than 85 percent of foreign exchange earnings, and employs about 80 percent of the population. Unfortunately, Ethiopia's dependence on agriculture makes the country particularly vulnerable to the adverse impactsof climate change on crop and livestock production.

Agricultural production remains the main source of livelihood for rural communities in Sub-Saharan Africa, providing employment to more than 60 percent of the population and contributing about 30 percent of gross domestic product. With likely long-term changes in rainfall patterns and shifting temperature zones, climate change is expected to significantly affect agricultural production, which could be detrimental to the region’s food security and economic growth.

The potential adverse effects of climate change on Ethiopia’s agricultural sector are a major concern, particularly given the country’s dependence on agricultural production. Securing Ethiopia’s economic and social well-being in the face of climate change requires that policymakers and stakeholders work together to integrate climate change adaptation into the country’s development process.

Numerous studies indicate that agricultural production is sensitive to climate variability, and lack of infrastructure in developing countries increases vulnerability to extreme climate events. In Ethiopia, the historical climate record indicates frequent droughts and floods, which can devastate agricultural production and existing infrastructure. Too much precipitation can flood crops, rot or suffocate roots, and wash out roads, creating similar economic conditions to those resulting from drought.

Ethiopia’s agricultural sector, which is dominated by smallscale, mixed crop, and livestock farming, is the mainstay of the country’s economy. It constitutes more than half the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP), generates more than 85 percent of the foreign exchange earnings, and employs about 80 percent of the population. Ethiopia’s dependence on agriculture makes the country particularly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change on crop and livestock production.

Metrics Matter: Assessing Progress towards Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture and Beyond

The Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), in partnership with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), will hold a public seminar featuring three studies on women empowerment on August 14, 2024, 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM (Asia/Manila) / August 13, 2024, 9:00 PM to 11:30 PM (US/Eastern) at the PIDS Conference Hall and via Zoom. […]

The post Metrics Matter: Assessing Progress towards Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture and Beyond appeared first on IFPRI.

Africa Agriculture Trade Monitor: Launch of the 7th edition – AATM 2024

AKADEMIYA2063 and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), in partnership with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), are convening a hybrid event to debate and promote the findings of the Africa Agriculture Trade Monitor (AATM) 2024. As in prior editions, the seventh AATM provides improved trade statistics, uses consistent indicators to […]

The post Africa Agriculture Trade Monitor: Launch of the 7th edition – AATM 2024 appeared first on IFPRI.

Integrating reforms with global goals.

Unpacking the 2023 Africa agriculture assessment report (CNBC Africa) 

CNBC Africa interviewed John Ulimwengu, IFPRI Senior Research Fellow and the technical editor and lead researcher of the Africa Agriculture Status Report 2023, launched on September 6 at the Africa Food Systems Forum (AGRF). .  The Report titled “Empowering Africa’s Food Systems for the Future” highlights the ways in which Africa is uniquely positioned to redefine its future and […]

The post Unpacking the 2023 Africa agriculture assessment report (CNBC Africa)  appeared first on IFPRI.