Tropentag 2019 - Student blog - Videos

The Multiple Collapse of Lake Naivasha - Approaching the Complexity in Social-Ecological Systems

De-Registered User — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 18:34:35 +0000

"As I thought I understood it, then a new alien species would arrive and the whole thing would start again." David M. Harper, from the Department of Biology at the University of Leicester, is doing research at Lake Naivasha in Kenya for 30 years now. As an ecologist, he tried to understand the straight forward limnology of the lake. "And then I realised after about three or four years that the reason that the lake was functioning unpredictably was because it was full of alien species." What he learnt during this time reveals a lot what science is about. Simple explanations may be right for simple problems. But when it comes to ecological dynamics being influenced by humans and the other way around there is no such thing as simplicity. Therefore a more comprehensive approach is needed than a single discipline can offer. That is why Mr. Harper's work is an invaluable contribution to the understanding of the endogenous functioning of the system. But how to deal with external shocks, changes in governing institutions or the drastic increase in population? What are the consequences for the demand towards the lake? Can illegal water abstraction be prohibited by the existing institutions?

"Increase production on all levels" and let the mass develop working solutions. Keynote Discussion Part 3/3

De-Registered User — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 08:51:58 +0000

Part 1: Rattan Lal, Sir Gordon Conway and Paul Richards on how to include small holders into carbon trade Part 2"What you're calling marginal is political opposition"

"What you're calling marginal is political opposition" Keynote Discussion Part 2/3

De-Registered User — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 07:06:35 +0000

This is part 2 of a series of 3 videos. Part 1: Rattan Lal, Sir Gordon Conway and Paul Richards on how to include small holders into carbon trade Part 3: Solutions to help people improve their situation, Rattan Lal, Sir Gordon Conway and Paul Richards discuss

Rattan Lal, Sir Gordon Conway and Paul Richards on how to include small holders into carbon trade. Keynote Discussion Part 1/3

De-Registered User — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 15:18:02 +0000

Worldbank sets a minimum amount of 2 Mio. € for carbon trade. That avoids small scale farmers from taking advantage of this trading scheme. Hear about the ideas of Rattan Lal, Sir Gordon Brown and Paul Richards! This is part 1 of a series of videos. Part 2: "What you're calling marginal is political opposition" Keynote Discussion Part 3: Solutions to help people improve their situation, Rattan Lal, Sir Gordon Conway and Paul Richards discuss

What is Stiftung fiat panis offering to young scientists? Dr. Andrea Fadani answers.

De-Registered User — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 21:53:34 +0000

Stiftung fiat panis does help to make Tropentag 2011 reality. Dr. Andrea Fadani tells us what else the foundation is doing and which opportunities it is offering to young scientists.

Prof. Asch stresses the opportunities for young scientists at Tropentag

De-Registered User — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 12:47:42 +0000

Just one day before the Tropentag 2011 conference in Bonn, Prof. Dr. Asch of the University of Hohenheim and Chair of ATSAF, pointed out his main ambitions for this year's conference. He encourages especially the opportunities for young scientists to get in touch with colleagues, get feedback on their research and find out about jobs.

Rushing for land

De-Registered User — Tue, 03 May 2011 07:09:19 +0000

Food prices are 36% above the levels of a year ago and remain close to the 2008 peak, driven in part by higher fuel costs connected to instability in the Middle East and North Africa. With current double digit food price inflation in crisis-striken Egypt and Syria, a major World Bank report shows wheat, maize and soya costs have soared, requiring a relaxation of grain export controls and a rethink on biofuels. "Already 44 million people have fallen into poverty since June 2010. If the food price index rises by just another 10% we estimate another 10 million people that fall into extreme poverty. And a 30% increase would add 34 million more people to the world's poor, who now number 1,2 billion" said World Bank President Robert Zoellick while presenting the World Bank's Food Price Watch last month. Eager to capitalise on rising food and energy prices or shore-up their own country's food security, foreign investors are pouring in to lease or buy huge tracts of cheap land that governments have cleared of people in the developing world. This high-stakes global land rush is essentialy a third wave of outsourcing and is taking place in the largest recipient countries of humanitarian food and development assistance. From Ethiopia's lowlands to the hilltops of Madagascar, vast tracts of farmland and forests are being gobbled up by foreign investors creating super-sized farms.

Tropentag contribution receives distinction by international Journal

De-Registered User — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 16:18:23 +0000

A contribution to the Tropentag 2010 received the best article prize, awarded by the editorial board of the Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension . Drawing conclusions from case studies in local seed managemnet systems in Bangladesh, the authors critically examined two major styles of participatory video production. The prize recognised the contribution of the authors in the advancement of innovation in rural communication and extension, by providing a solid basis for the effective use of video in innovation and extension processes. Principal author and Student Reporter Team member Ataharul Chowdhury, from Bangladesh, said to the Tropentag blog: "I am looking forward to getting ways and opportunities to further this research along cultural, ethical, and political dimensions that have enormous influence to shape participatory and second generation media”. The article can be openly accessed: Chowdhury, Ataharul Huq , Hambly Odame, Helen and Hauser, Michael (2010) 'With or Without a Script? Comparing Two Styles of Participatory Video on Enhancing Local Seed Innovation System in Bangladesh', The Journal of Agricultural Education and Extension, 16: 4, 355 — 371.

Where was your bread last night?

De-Registered User — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 07:54:51 +0000

Agriculture science for most people has this name of being bad, of being about pollution, about large-scale, about the destruction of the environment. That is not necessary. We need more science and not less. And we need good science. But there is something we must do. It's not enough to say "Let's get more bold science into agriculture." We ourselves must go back, and think about our own food chain. We need to think differently about our science as a whole. Every meal we eat contains ingredients from all across the world. Everything makes us so privileged, that we can eat this food, that we don't struggle every day. And that, evolutionarily-speaking, is unique. We've never had that before. This is why it's time for agricutural scientists to stand for responsible agriculture and food consumption, as they are crucial to world stability. Enjoy the talk of Louise Fresco, a powerful thinker and sustainability advisor, on feeding the whole world. She says environmentally sound mass production will feed the world, yet leaving a role for small scalers and traditional methods.

Tropentag gives IAASTD a legacy

De-Registered User — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 12:32:34 +0000

On his reactions to the Tropentag, Jack Heinemann, Professor for Genetics and Gene Ecology at the University of Canterbury, NZ, and author of the book “Hope not Hype: The Future of Agriculture”, commented that this event gives a legacy to the milestone report “International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development” known as IAASTD. This international documents is in danger of being forgotten. When different stakeholders discuss and reflect on the report it helps to keep the message into the head, and keep pressures on the policy makers. Read summaries of the presentation and discussion on the report on our blog post, Final Address: Agriculture at the Crossroads or missing K,