farmers
See the following -
Open Data For Agriculture
Most of the research results published by agricultural researchers in academic journals are in English. As a result, the vast majority of farmers and extension workers in developing countries – who not speak English or often do not have access to libraries – cannot retrieve these research results. Read More »
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Open Source (Seeds) Under Threat
[...] Just as there is free software that anyone may use and share, there are free seeds - those that are part of the ancient seeds commons, created over thousands of years, available for use by anyone. And just as free software is threatened by software patents, so seeds are equally endangered by seed patents. Read More »
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Open Source Comes To Farms With Restriction-Free Seeds
There are now 29 kinds of plant varieties that are available under an open source license, reports NPR. On Thursday, a group of scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison debuted the Open Source Seed Initiative (OSSI), a set of seeds that can be used by anyone so long as they don't restrict use by others through patents or IP protection. Read More »
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Open Source Seeds: An Agro-Giant Alternative
A group of University of Wisconsin scientists have made 29 different seed varieties available for anyone who promises not to patent them. Read More »
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Open-Source Seeds Challenge Monsanto, Support International Day Of Farmers' Struggles
Tomorrow, Thursday, April 17, the Open Source Seed Initiative (OSSI) will release over 29 seed varieties into the global commons and humanity's “moral economy.” This new initiative hopes to provide a counterweight to private patenting of seeds, which has undermined farmers’ rights around the world. Read More »
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The East African “Miracle Grain” That Could Become The Next Quinoa
There’s a huge business opportunity hiding in the fields of East Africa. Teff, a golden, wheat-like grain, has quinoa-like potential. It’s gluten-free, and boasts all kinds of highly marketable health traits that have made quinoa such a hit in countries like the United States: high in calcium, protein, iron, and amino acids. [...] Read More »
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The Open-Source Seed Movement In Wisconsin
Farmers have traditionally gathered and saved seeds from one growing season to plant in the next. But this age-old tradition is being threatened by corporations that are increasingly restricting access to seeds through patents. Read More »
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U.S. Declares The Largest Natural Disaster Area Ever Due To Drought
The blistering summer and ongoing drought conditions have the prompted the U.S. Agriculture Department to declare a federal disaster area in more than 1,000 counties covering 26 states. That's almost one-third of all the counties in the United States, making it the largest distaster declaration ever made by the USDA. Read More »
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We Deserve More Than This Bad Farm Bill
Was it just exhaustion from two-plus years of negotiations that finally produced the Farm Bill that is expected to be signed by the President this week? [...] For whatever reason, there is a sense that a deeply flawed Farm Bill—the terms of which were dictated largely by austerity fanatics from the start—is the best we’ll get under the current political environment. Read More »
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Weather Data 'Has Helped African Farmers Boost Production'
Farming communities in Africa are benefitting from an exchange programme to improve access to, and understanding of, climate science, according to a report presented at a seminar. Read More »
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