MANGO WORLD MAGAZINE (Est. 2000)

Mango board preps Retailers for continued strong volume

2013-05-23T16:33:00.001-07:00

by Tim Linden | May 23, 2013

Based on current projections, the National Mango Board is estimating a fairly similar flow of mangoes from Mexico in the May through August timeframe.

The projected volume for those four months is approximately 42.1 million boxes, which compares favorably to the 41.4 million boxes that were imported in 2012 from our closest southern neighbor.

These projections do not include fruit coming from Northern Sinaloa, which features the The mango board has been aggressively marketing mangoes all year and will continue with various efforts planned for the summer months.production area of Los Mochis, as the fruit was just in the beginning stages when these forecasts were made.

However, Larry Nienkerk, president of Splendid Products LLC in Burlingame, CA, said the late deal also looks very good and actually anticipates an increase in volume when that deal gets under way several months down the road. Splendid Products has been one of the leaders in volume from the most northern production areas of Mexico for many years.

The mango board has been aggressively marketing mangoes all year and will continue with various efforts planned for the summer months. For the retail trade, Megan McKenna, National Mango Board director of marketing, said the commodity group has new point of sale material as well as new back room training pieces.

"The NMB is offering brand-new tools to help stores sell more mangoes," she said. "Six new header card and tear-pad sets offer easy ways to incorporate mangoes into your day-to-day menu."

In addition, the board has a new 22-inch by 28-inch poster that covers the basics of mango cutting, selection and ripening to help shoppers overcome these key barriers to purchase.

For the back room, the NMB has produced a piece focusing on a single important issue -- temperature management at the store.

The new piece says "Treat Me Like A Banana," and uses produce associates' knowledge of proper banana storage to keep mangoes out of the cooler in the backroom. "We've found too many stores holding mangoes in the store back room cooler, which can cause chill damage," McKenna said.

Of course both the handling and the basics of mangoes are very important in-store events as there are still many shoppers who just don't know what to do with a mango. For this reason, the mango board encourages sampling and has produced a new demo training video to help in-store representatives educate consumers. The three-minute video, which can be watched on a smartphone, can teach a demo or produce clerk how to select and cut a mango in very short order. The mango demo training video is available at mango.org/demovideo. The mango board will use this easy URL, plus a QR code to send demonstrators to the video from their computers, tablets or smartphones.

Another effort to move mangoes at store level involves large displays. Brand-new for 2013, the board has produced high-graphic mango display bins and secured placements for them in more than 6,000 retail stores across the country. "More than 20 major retailers, including Walmart, Kroger, Safeway, Ahold, A&P, Wakefern, Raley's and many others participated in the program," said McKenna.

The displays feature colorful, eye-catching graphics that teach shoppers how to select, ripen and cut mangos. The display bins have been in use for several months and the NMB executive said feedback has been outstanding. At this point in time, all of the 2013 display bins produced have been distributed, but the board is anticipating continuing this popular program in 2014.

While many of these efforts tend to be utilized more often by the larger chainstores, the mango board makes a specific effort to also help small retailers. Once again this year it is sponsoring the Mango Mania Display Contest for small retailers. With more than $10,000 in cash prizes, this contest is specifically designed to help retailers with 50 or fewer stores amp up their mango promotions. "Competing stores will build an awesome mango display and leave it up for one week in July, then submit their entry with images to the NMB for judging," said McKenna.

This year, contest point-of-sale kits can be ordered online, and entries can be submitted online. Winners will be announced in September. More information is available at mango.org/contest.

Much of the board's consumer outreach is ongoing or occurred earlier in the season such as a New York City "mangover" media tour. Among the highlights of that event was a segment on The Rachael Ray Show by National Mango Board spokesperson Clinton Kelly. The NMB also hosted a sold-out consumer event featuring recipes using mango for breakfast, lunch and dinner and recently held a satellite media tour reaching close to 20 markets across the United States with key mango messages. Those media events include outreach to bloggers at various times throughout the season.

In the foodservice arena, mangos have seen great media coverage since the beginning of 2013.

The National Mango Board had a strong presence at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago during the middle of May, featuring a mango salad to inspire foodservice operators to add fresh mango to their menu.

The NMB also sponsored the Multicultural Cuisine Brunch during the show to showcase other mango recipes. The brunch is focused on reaching foodservice media.

http://www.producenews.com/index.php/news-dep-menu/test-featured/10419-mango-board-preps-for-continued-strong-volume

JUNE 3-7,2013 : JOIN THE MANGO WORLD IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC ...

2013-05-23T14:58:00.001-07:00

http://www.cedaf.org.do/eventos/xmango2013/en/index_en.html

Welcome Message

The Dominican Republic is pleased to invite you to the X International Mango Symposium, which will take place in 2013 with the theme "Mango: Opportunities and Challenges in the 21st Century".

This event will be held in Punta Cana, Bavaro, Altagracia province.

The Dominican Republic is a tropical country where the mango production occupies an important screed between consumer and agricultural products mainly to export.

Our country is in the heart of the Caribbean, and has one of the world's most beautiful coastlines and beaches are examples.

This for years country has hosted scientific events of regional and world order, gathering scientists, professionals, farmers and students, to share their experiences.

The symposium is an activity of the Section of Tropical and Subtropical Fruit of the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS) and that will take place in our country.

The organizing committee is formed by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Dominican Republic and the institution in charge of the overall coordination and organization of the event, is the Centro para el Desarrollo Agropecuario y Forestal - CEDAF, with support from the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Agropecuarias y Forestales (CONIAF), the Instituto Dominicano de Investigaciones Agropecuarias y Forestales (IDIAF) and Clúster del Mango Dominicano (PROMANGO).

This event aims to bring local, regional, continental global participants, all identified with the subject of mango production so they can share knowledge, technology, trade, etc., Based on a scientific program covering oral presentations, posters and field day.

This event is not just for scientists and mango producers, we also invite you to bring your family to Punta Cana a world famous tourist area, offers more than a symposium offer beautiful Dominican beaches.

Mango: Opportunities and Challenges in the 21stCentury

For more information:

http://www.cedaf.org.do/eventos/xmango2013/en/index_en.html

COUNT DOWN : Xth MANGO SYMPOSIUM IS JUST WEEKS AWAY ...

2013-05-23T14:51:00.000-07:00

FREDERINE COPY & THE ITC : REDUCING POVERTY THROUGH TRADE ...

2013-05-23T10:37:00.000-07:00

FRÉDÉRINE DERLOT COPY,

INTERNATIONAL TRADE CENTRE UN / WTO

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Export a weapon to fight against poverty

Since 1964, the International Trade Centre UN / WTO (ITC) organizes support programs so that the least developed countries find their place in the global trade in f & l.

Meet Frédérine Derlot Copy, director of "Fruits and vegetables Fresh" ITC programs.

Frédérine Derlot Copy arrived a year ago to the position of director of "Fruits and vegetables costs" within the International Trade Centre UN / WTO (ITC) programs.

Nestled in the heart of the city of Geneva, Switzerland, this technical cooperation agency created in 1964 is led by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Its mission is to help developing economies and economies in transition, in particular their economic operators to develop their export potential.

ITC indeed shares the principle that, in the least developed countries (LDCs) and developing (PEVD), local markets are not developed enough to provide sufficient income for farmers, and that the fight against poverty also through the development of foreign trade.

As such, the ICC is responsible for the operational aspects of the building trade, and particularly in Africa, where the production of fruits and vegetables is high given the economy.

Before arriving at this position, Frédérine Derlot Copy has enjoyed a successful career in the international food chain. Import-export manager at Greenvale (largest producer of potatoes in the UK) for client Sainsbury's, responsible purchasing organic and conventional fruits and vegetables in Pomona on behalf of Migros Switzerland ...

: Her resume is prestigious, and a little unusual in an institution where one crosses most common international officials:

"It's true , she admits, but I think here bring a pragmatic vision. When it comes to evaluating a project, my experience of the reality of the market and experience in the business allows me to exercise a critical eye. What, ultimately, is increasingly sought by an organization like the ICC. And development assistance, it is a real personal enrichment. "

The CCI has two budgets for its activity: a "regular" $ 33 million provided by the UN and the WTO, to which are added the contributions from donor countries in the order of $ 40 million.

To optimize a modest budget finally given that institutions such as the FAO, ITC action revolves around a concept: the global sectoral approach.

"Our job is to analyze the value chain of a fruit or vegetable, from production to consumers, noting the opportunities and bottlenecks to trade, she said. All aspects are considered: packaging, legal, quality, logistics .. . We have a team of specialist consultants covering all topics.All this information is then used to build a strategy to improve the sector in order to bring more value to the product.

This may involve a change in its use: for example, in Benin, for pineapple processing has proved a serious track.

The guidance document is validated by all stakeholders.

The participatory aspect is paramount.

We work hand in hand with producers, local chambers of commerce and policy makers. It also helps to refine the projects, set priorities.

Between an idea and its implementation in reality, there may be differences ... " The financing of projects are either predefined - eg "pineapple cultivation and women's work" - is more generic, such as programs for the global fight against poverty. ITC and initiates and supports projects or integrated into some major international programs.

Flows between African countries and Europe remain important.

However, increasingly, countries trying to export from their immediate neighbors in a regional area nearby. This awareness of the existence of a market, so to speak, "at hand" creates new requirements for companies on site.

"Take the case of the West African Mango: only 10% of the tonnage going to the European Union and, on the other hand, Nigeria's largest consumer, lacking. So there are flows between neighboring countries that must start. "

This strong trend is the subject of specific projects.

An eloquent example of the development of the South-South trade is that about pineapple Benin, supported by several donors including mainly Finland project

"Beninese farmers seeking to expand trade in the region. Initial work identified opportunities to export the Maghreb. A market study with the assessment of potential purchases was then conducted which led to the meeting between Moroccan buyers and exporters Benin. The first pallets have been delivered and are in a monitoring phase, the project has completed in April. "

The notion of global sectoral approach takes its full meaning: "In addition, experts have offered training to help companies build their business plan and apply for loans from major banking institutions operating in Benin. Finally, to fight against the opacity of the value chain, a contribution in information technology has put in place a reprimand in real time, with reference to mobile phone via text message " , adds Frédérine Derlot Copy.

This project could be replicated in other countries in West Africa and led to build a real good practice guide. In any case, new funding in this direction are planned for 2012. On the other hand, the creation of a label for products of ECOWAS (Economic Community of West Africa) is also under consideration.

A lack of facilities for production and packaging

Today, the barriers to business development are capable of exporting various kinds:

"Access to finance is an indisputable" indicates Frédérine Derlot Copy.

"Borrowing rates often are around 15-20%. This is unacceptable. We must also reckon with the informal trade. The difficulty in obtaining reliable data on which to base underlines the value chain remains opaque. Often, the producer does not know what happens to the product, if it has been appreciated or not. It is then not able to improve it if necessary, and so he can collect the appreciation of his work. As a corollary, the channels suffer from a large number of intermediaries whose usefulness is not always established. One of the objectives of the projects supported by the CCI is to bring transparency and provide better access to information. "

The absence of structures of production and packaging is also a handicap.

The lack of adequate roads and refrigeration units, harvesting techniques and post-harvest and used mainly pests (eg fruit fly) and diseases are about 30 to 40% of crops are lost before they are marketed .

"ITC has followed in the footsteps of the FAO in Jamaica a project on the establishment of collection centers for fruits and vegetables. These are places where consolidated volume made by producers involve farmers, the Jamaican Ministry of Agriculture as well as buyers.

In the phytosanitary field, exemplary public-private partnership has initiated a regional approach to fight against fruit fly with ECOWAS " , she says.

Structure sectors is part of ITC's work and 2012 is the Year of Cooperatives, it is interesting to know whether this model is appropriate for LDCs and PEVD: "The development of cooperatives in the country where the ICC intervenes often depends local law insists Frédérine Derlot Copy.

For example, in Senegal, in the production of mangoes, the tradition is to build GIE and the country passed a law to facilitate the creation of agricultural cooperatives. One of our projects on site supported by the Netherlands is to provide legal assistance to establish a standard contract. A companion work was needed here. "

The cooperative format is not immediately obvious

"We have the case of small producers in Brazil who had initially opted for the cooperative. They encountered the problems that any structure of this type inevitably encounter at a time, mainly because the members did not provide 100% of their production. So they turned into producers' association, a gated community with fewer members but more incentive structure. This allowed them to be successful: fewer intermediaries, more productivity, allocation of state funds for the construction of a packaging station.

In 2012, building on this experience, they will return to cooperative status, as well as other small producers expressed the desire to join this structure. In fact, we can not impose the cooperative mode on "With the co-op, you will feel better." It does not always work that way.

It takes a certain maturity.

But it remains true that the result of the work of the cooperative back to the community. As such, it contributes to the fight against poverty. "

A task that proves sometimes complicated in the context of financialization of arable land: "This is a real phenomenon that affects Africa, but also in Indonesia and Brazil, deplores Frédérine Derlot Copy.

It is estimated that 40 % of the land of South Sudan are already in foreign hands, and that after a few months of its existence only. The real question is who invests. If land use is done with local people who take a real income, then it will have a positive impact in the region.

However, the lines move at this time.

Recently the Minister of the South African Agriculture proposed, in partnership with the African Union to establish a register of all the arable land on the continent, to better understand the existing.

Similarly, Brazil intends to introduce legislation restricting the sale of land. " So for more than 48 years, ITC contributes to reducing poverty in the most disadvantaged regions of the world by providing the means to gain economic autonomy creates jobs and helps more vulnerable to market access.

Philippe Gautier

http://www.fldhebdo.fr/premier-choix/exporter-une-arme-pour-lutter-contre-la-pauvret-art323088-70.html

FOCUS ON SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY : 40 Organizations That Are Shaking Up the Food System

2013-05-23T09:09:00.001-07:00

23 MAY 2013

40 Organizations That Are Shaking Up the Food System

The Food and Agriculture Organization, the United Nations’ international agency overseeing global food security and agriculture, meets in Rome in 2011. (Giulio Napolitano of the U.N Food and Agriculture Organization )

Since our launch in January, Food Tank has worked to amplify the messages of groups working around the world to improve the food system.

The 40 organizations we're highlighting today are doing invaluable work to change the way we eat, grow, cook, buy, and sell food. Our hope is that the more people know about the work that these groups are doing, the more people can be inspired to make their own change in the food system.

We realize many, many organizations are missing from this list.

Who would you add?

We will publish additional suggestions from you on the Food Tank website next week.

Please share this list with 40 of your friends and family members--and on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest--so that we can all take one step closer to our goal of a more sustainable, healthy, and socially just world!

1. Ashoka Innovators for the Public (United States/International) – Ashoka supports a network of 3,000 social entrepreneurs across the world. By providing financing and start-up capital, Ashoka has been transforming the landscape of social innovation since 1980.

2. Australian International Food Security Centre (AIFSC) (Australia) – The AIFSC is a non-profit organization that works to promote agricultural innovation and attract investment to agricultural development projects. Aiming to build capacity for farming initiatives worldwide, AIFSC focuses on achieving specific goals like improving nutrition, connecting researchers with industry, and enhancing supply chain systems to allow farmers to bring their products to market.

3. Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition (BCFN) (Italy) – The Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition works to promote science and research for combating hunger and malnutrition worldwide. Using knowledge gleaned from research projects around the world, BCFN seeks to take innovative ideas for tackling food insecurity and translate them into effective policy recommendations for governments around the world. Since their inception, they have released original research on a wide range of topics including global obesity and sustainable agriculture.

4. Bioversity International (International) – Bioversity International is a research and development organization aimed at supporting smallholder farmers in the developing world through sustainable agriculture and conservation. Bioversity International focuses on rain-fed farming systems, managed by smallholder farmers, in communities where large scale agriculture is not possible.

5. Calacea Farm, Not For Sale (NFS) (Romania) - NFS is an organization working to fight modern-day slavery around the world. In Romania, NFS works with their partnerMariana, operating an organic farm, which accommodates survivors of human trafficking. Just outside Timișoara, the farm offers individuals in recovery opportunities for health care, education, life skill training and new employment, to restore dignity and help re-build their future. Last year, NFS helped construct a building to house up to 50 additional farm workers, a workshop space to make jam, milk, and cheese, and two greenhouses to produce fruits and vegetables.

6. Center for Food Safety (United States) - The Center for Food Safety is a non-profit advocacy organization that promotes food systems that are safe, sustainable, and environmentally sound. Using a legal team, original research on agriculture, and grassroots organizing, CFS’ mission is to protect human health and the environment, achieved through careful monitoring of the agricultural industry for violations of food safety and environmental laws.

7. The Center for Studies and Development of Cambodian Agriculture (CEDAC)(Cambodia) - In partnership with Farmer and Nature Net (FNN), CEDAC has worked to promote the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), which has been shown to increase yields and improve soil fertility while reducing the use of chemicals and maintaining local ownership of seeds. CEDAC supports several other agricultural innovations and techniques including Ecological Chicken Raising (ECR), pig raising, home gardening, aquaculture, composting, and multi-purpose farming.

8. Chicago Council on Global Affairs Global Agricultural Development Initiative (United States/International) - The Global Agricultural Development Initiative seeks to inform the development of U.S. policy on global agricultural development and food security by raising awareness and providing resources, information, and policy analysis to the U.S. Administration, Congress, and interested experts and organizations.

9. Christensen Fund (United States) – The Christensen Fund is a philanthropic organization dedicated to promoting biological and cultural diversity, making grants to organizations that work in fields like conservation science, visual arts, and education. The Fund is particularly noted for its work on agrobiodiversity and food sovereignty, in which it provides resources for indigenous and local farming communities to protect and enhance local food systems.

10. Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) (International) - The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research is a network of research organizations that are looking to promote and support global food security. With 15 centers around the globe, CGIAR helps to share knowledge and advance research on rural poverty, health and nutrition, and management of natural resources.

11. EARTH University (Costa Rica) – EARTH University is an international non-profit undergraduate institution based in Costa Rica focused on agricultural sciences and natural resource management. EARTH’s mission is to “prepare leaders with ethical values to contribute to the sustainable development of the tropics and to construct a prosperous and just society.”

12. Ecoagriculture Partners (United States/International) – Ecoagriculture Partners supports agricultural communities in managing their landscapes by using ecoagriculture in order to enhance rural livelihoods, conserve biodiversity, and produce food and fiber in environmentally sustainable ways.

13. ECOVA MALI (Mali) – Founded by former Peace Corps volunteers, Cynthia Hellmann and Gregory Flatt, ECOVA MALI works with Malian farmers to teach other farmers about sustainable agriculture methods. They also offer micro-financing and small-scale grants so that farmers can invest in the sustainability, both social and environmental, of their operations.

14. Farm Labor Organizing Committee (United States) – Founded in 1967, FLOC was initially organized by Baldemar Velasquez, a migrant worker who sought to improve the working conditions of others like him by creating a mobile organizing base that could move along with workers as the seasons changed. Now, FLOC has over 20,000 members and works in both the United States and Mexico.

15. Feeding the 5000 (United Kingdom/International) – Tristram Stuart’s initiative is organizing the world to prevent "wonky" fruits, vegetables, and other food from being wasted. Feeding the 5000 encourages farmers to participate in the “gleaning movement” – where volunteers collect unattractive produce that would otherwise be wasted for consumption.

16. Food & Water Watch (United States) - Founded on the belief that people have a fundamental right to trust the safety of the products they eat and drink, Food and Water Watch is a nonprofit organization that works to make food and water resources accessible and sustainable. They work to monitor food production and clean water systems, track the environmental quality of oceans, keep watch over U.S. corporate influence on public policy, and hold policymakers accountable for policies that pollute.

17. Food First: The Institute for Food and Development Policy (United States/International) - Food First is a research and advocacy organization that seeks to eliminate the injustices that cause hunger worldwide, working with social movements to amplify their voices and boost their efforts toward food justice and sovereignty. Believing that change happens from the ground up, Food First supports an agricultural approach that moves away from transnational agri-food industry to one focused primarily on farmers and communities.

18. Food Mythbusters (United States) – Food Mythbusters is a campaign of the Real Food Media Project that seeks to dispel misconceptions about food production and promote reforms in industrial agriculture, unfair labor practices, and food advertising, among other issues. In order to tell “the real story of our food,” Food Mythbusters utilizes video series, grassroots events, and interactive digital content.

19. Global Partnerships for Afghanistan (GPFA) (Afghanistan) – GFPA launched the Women Working Together collaborative initiative in 2005 in order to increase the quality of life of women in Afghanistan. GPFA focuses on programming that enhances female-run farms and orchards, teaching food preservation, greenhouse operation, and other practices.

20. GoodPlanet Foundation (France) – The GoodPlanet Foundation seeks to educate the public about the importance of environmental protection. The organization utilizes the power of photographs, posters, websites, films, and other visual media to spread information. For example, GoodPlanet has lead successful campaigns on the awareness of ocean and forest conservation, respectively.

21. Growing Power (United States) – Growing Power, Inc. is an American non-profit organization and land trust that seeks “to grow food, minds, and community” through a network of farms, training sites, and community food systems that provide access to food for all people. Growing Power also runs a number of youth programs and collaborates with various organizations, including Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” campaign. This year, Growing Power celebrates its 20th anniversary.

22. Heifer International (United States/International) - Heifer International is a non-profit organization that seeks to end hunger and poverty by providing communities in need with livestock and other animals that help them to build local, self-sufficient agricultural systems. It also offers a variety of resources that help impoverished farmers create sustainable sources of income, providing them with research on effective grazing methods, optimal animal well-being, and the creation of local networks that farmers can use to share resources with one another.

23. Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) (United States/International) – IATP is a research and advocacy organization working to promote fair and sustainable food, farm, and trade systems around the world. Created in response to the American family farm crisis, IATP initially sought to document the failed policies that had led to prices dropping below the cost of production, and put many family farmers out of business. Now, IATP works with organizations worldwide to analyze the impact of global trade agreements, develop clean energy models, and stop the excessive use of antibiotics in agriculture and aquaculture.

24. International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) (International) – This United Nations-supported financial institution is on a mission to eradicate rural poverty in developing countries. IFAD helps empower the rural poor by providing them with the resources they need to invest in themselves and increase their incomes.

25. L.I.F.E. (Lasting Impact for Ethiopia) (Ethiopia) – This nonprofit organization is educating and empowering Ethiopian youth. In January 2012, a school for Ethiopian youth was established in the village of Nazerate, with a curriculum emphasizing literacy, agriculture, health, and sustainability.

26. Latin American and Caribbean Center for Rural Women (Enlac) (Latin American and Caribbean Regions) – The Latin American and Caribbean Center for Rural Women (Enlac in Spanish) serves as an organizing voice for marginalized, rural women. Enlac calls for policies that give Latin American and Caribbean women equal access to land rights, raise awareness about violence against female agriculture workers, boost access to clean water, and conserve native seeds.

27. Millennium Institute (MI) (United States/International) – Millennium Institute is an independent nonprofit with the goal of promoting systems literacy and dynamic modeling tools in order to achieve sustainable development globally. MI works to achieve awareness through public education and strategic partnerships centered around interdependence and sustainability.

28. One Acre Fund (United States/Sub-Saharan Africa) – The One Acre Fund provides farmers in sub-Saharan Africa with the tools they need to successfully operate their plots, such as seeds and fertilizers, credit, access to markets, and educational programs on farming techniques. These services are provided at a fee to the farmers who participate.

29. ONE Campaign (International) – The ONE Campaign is an international advocacy group aimed at alleviating extreme poverty and preventable disease through public awareness.

30. Oxfam International (International) – Through a wide variety of approaches – ranging from long-term campaigns, such as their Behind the Brands Campaign to secure labor rights for employees in the cocoa industry, to immediate emergency support – Oxfam has taken measures to bring an end to global poverty.

31. Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC-United) (United States) –ROC-United is a labor advocacy organization that focuses specifically on the American restaurant workforce. Founded by restaurant workers who survived the 9/11 attacks to help other displaced workers, ROC-United primarily advocates for better wages and working conditions, seeking to act as a champion for members of an industry that is less than one percent unionized.

32. The Savory Institute (United States/International) – This organization, lead by Allan Savory, the “father of holistic management,” uses livestock in sustainable ways to restore grasslands. The Savory Institute teams up with private investors to purchase ranch real estate for restoration.

33. Slow Food International (Italy/International) - Slow Food International is an international non-profit organization with supporters in 150 countries that emphasizes the importance of good food and the factors that make it possible, including biodiversity, culture, and knowledge. Created to respond to an increasingly “fast food” world, Slow Food seeks to preserve local traditions, enhance people’s understanding of food and where it comes from, and comprehend the impact that our food choices make on the world.

34. Soil Association (United Kingdom) – The Soil Association is a U.K.-based charity that campaigns for humane and healthful food through sustainable farming and land use. Founded in 1946, Soil Association was an early player in the movement to identify links between farming practices and the health of humans, plants, animals, and ecosystems. Now, the organization works closely with communities to create and inspire trust in organic farming methods and the food that they produce.

35. Songtaab-Yalgré Association (SYA) (Burkina Faso) - SYA brings together women from across Burkina Faso to produce shea nuts, using the collective to simultaneously improve their literacy and their working conditions. As a locally-sourced crop, shea nuts were chosen for their potential to allow the women harvesting them to achieve a higher level of economic self-sufficiency, and empower them to become independent in their society. Workers at SYA distribute profits equally and set aside a percentage to fund community development projects as well.

36. Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture (United States) – The Stone Barns Center is a non-profit organization that aims to create a food system that is healthy, sustainable, and which benefits all people. On an 80-acre farm just outside of New York City, the Center offers cooking classes for all ages, organizes a seasonal market, and operates two food venues. All profits support farm operations and community education programs, and the Center encourages anyone to visit and see the benefits of a sustainable farm.

37. U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) (International) – The Food and Agriculture Organization is the United Nations’ international agency overseeing global food security and agriculture. Among their many research areas, FAO’s main activities include knowledge-sharing among member nations, making information about food and agriculture available for all people, supporting policies to reduce malnutrition and other illnesses worldwide, rallying the international community to promote effective strategies for agricultural development, and conducting research to better understand the complex issues that face the global food system.

38. WinRock (United States/International) – WinRock works with marginalized people all over the world to provide them with the skills and resources they need to bring themselves out of poverty. WinRock’s projects include, among others, empowering women and youth, and teaching environmentally responsible farming methods.

39. World Food Programme (WFP) (International) – The World Food Programme is an international anti-hunger organization within the United Nations that collects and distributes food assistance to populations in need. As the world’s largest organization working to combat hunger, WFP distributes food to over 90 million people annually, mainly delivering assistance to children, refugees, people in emergency situations (such as the 2010 earthquake in Haiti) and the rural poor.

40. World Vegetab le Center (AVRDC) (Taiwan/International) – AVRDC is an international non-profit organization dedicated to reducing poverty and malnutrition in the developing world by increasing agricultural production and access to a variety of vegetables, providing essential micronutrients for populations in need. The Center works with both private and public sector partners to strike an effective balance between necessary research for new technologies and development to employ those technologies effectively.

by Griffin Greenberg and Eve Andrews

Are you part of the food movement? Join Food Tank.

http://foodtank.org/news/2013/05/forty-organizations-that-are-shaking-up-the-food-system

THE "ROCK STAR" OF MANGO BREEDERS

2013-05-23T07:16:00.001-07:00

About Padmashree Kaleem Ullah Khan

Haji Kalimullah Khan in Malihabad (Lucknow, India) is also, very aptly, called ‘Mango Man’.

He was recently awarded the Padma Shri for his rare technique of growing more than 300 varieties of mangoes of different shapes, sizes and hues on one tree!

When Khan talks about the variety of mangoes grown by him in his orchards in the renowned 'dussehri' belt in Malihabad, it seems that he is fondly referring to his family members.

Khan's prized tree is about 100 years old on which he started work in 1987 to develop the craft of growing different varieties on one tree.

He has named the mangoes on this particular tree after his family members who also were mango growers.

Kaleemullah Khan's magic tree—it can bear over 300 varieties of mangoes—every fruit has a tiny tin label of identification on its pale green pedicle.

The names are as fascinating as the mangoes themselves: the heart-shaped Asl-ul-Muqarrar, the bright red Husn-e-Ara, the bitter gourd-like Karela, Kelwachampa, Sharbati Bagrain, Pukhraj, Walajah Pasand, Khas-ul-Khas, Makkhan, Shyam Sunder, Prince, Himsagar...they are all there. In all their splendour.

But try pinning a label on the man behind the tree.

It's tough.

In Malihabad's mango country, where the luscious fruit seems to grow on virtually everything that resembles a tree, 57-year-old Kaleemullah Khan is King.

Quite clearly, he is not your average mango-grower.

What is he, then?

A scientist of sorts? Most certainly.

Or horticulture's equivalent of a collage artist? That, too.

Or simply a sorcerer whose nature-aided legerdemain defies all explanation? Undoubtedly.

The tree may not be the sum total of his life's work—there's more to the short, stocky, bearded man than a 'freak' achievement—but it certainly is his chosen mission. "I want to live on through this tree after my death," he says matter-of-factly. "It's not a mere tree. It's a full-blown orchard, a veritable laboratory that can be of immense use to researchers."

No wonder the tree has been put together with great care. "I am very finicky about what I put up there," says Kaleemullah. So, the Alphonsos have come all the way from Maharashtra's Ratnagiri district, the Langras from Bihar, the Himsagars from West Bengal and the Bangan-pallis from Andhra Pradesh. He knows all eyes are on the tree. Hence the constant striving for perfection. "I am angootha-thek (illiterate)," he says, "but I do have something to contribute."

The rich crop from Abdullah Nursery, Kaleemullah's 14-acre orchard just off the Malihabad railway station, is packed in wooden boxes every season and sent to all corners of India. A sizeable percentage of his orchard's produce carries Malihabad's famed aroma as far as the Gulf countries. But that, he says, is only his business. Kaleemullah's passion, it is obvious, is the tree that grows in a smaller four-acre nursery across the rail tracks. "It is 75 years old, but it looks as fresh as a 10-year-old plant," says Kaleemullah with the pride of a mother waxing eloquent about the virtues of her favourite child.

KALEEMULLAH is a regular at mango festivals all over India and his fame extends well beyond the boundaries of Malihabad.

As he shows us around, S.M. Zakir Ali, manager, Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation, arrives to invite Kaleemullah to New Delhi for the 9th Mango Festival to be held at the Talkatora Indoor Stadium in the second week of July.

At the 28th All-India Mango Show, held on the last four days of June at the Kaiserbagh Baradari in Lucknow, there is no doubt who the star is.

"Kaleemullah is an amazing man," grants an official of the Uttar Pradesh government's directorate of horticulture and food processing.

A local Hindi-language journalist acquiesces: "It's unbelievable. Kaleemullah can grow two or three varieties of mangoes on the same stalk. What's more, he recognises every single variety from the way it looks and smells."

http://www.mangomalihabadi.com/AboutPadmashree.aspx

INDIA : PROLIFIC MANGO BREEDER NAMES LATEST CULTIVAR IN HONOR OF RAPE VICTIM ...

2013-05-23T07:04:00.000-07:00

Uttar Pradesh

Lucknow: New variety of mango named after Delhi braveheart

IANS | Updated May 23, 2013 at 09:36am IST

Lucknow: A new variety of mango, harvested at Uttar Pradesh's famous mango centre Malihabad, has been named Nirbhaya after the 23-year-old Delhi girl who was brutally gangraped on December 16, 2012 and died of her injuries two weeks later.

The new variety, its grower Kaleemullah Khan said, was his way of honouring the bravery and spirit of the young physiotherapist, whose rape and death galvanised the entire nation.

Kaleemullah Khan, who has been awarded with a Padma Shri, said he had planted the tree three years ago and was surprised that it bore fruit in such a short span. This year, he added, the mangoes were 'slightly small' but the next harvest would be hopefully be normal.

The new variety, its grower Kaleemullah Khan said, was his way of honouring the bravery and spirit of the young physiotherapist.

Kaleemullah Khan, 57, is a venerated mango grower and has his name registered in the Limca Book of World Records for growing 300 varieties of mangoes on a single tree.

In 1999, he grew 54 varieties of mangoes on a single tree and gifted the tree to the president. This tree still finds place in the Mughal Gardens at the sprawling Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.

In the past, Kaleemullah Khan has named new mango varieties after celebrities like actresses Aishwarya Rai and Nargis, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/lucknow-new-variety-of-mango-named-after-delhi-braveheart/393371-3-242.html

PINE ISLAND MANGO FESTIVAL 2013 : THE "PEOPLE'S MANGO FESTIVAL" HAS A NEW QUEEN ...

2013-05-23T06:32:00.000-07:00

Chamber crowns Mango Queen
Scarlett Player to reign over annual festival

May 22, 2013
By CHUCK BALLARO (news@breezenewspapers.com) , Pine Island Eagle

Being the Pine Island Chamber of Commerce Mango Queen apparently runs in the Player family.

Scarlett Player will follow in her mother's footsteps after she was named to that prestigious post during Thursday night's Chamber of Commerce after-hours event at Gulf Coast Kayak, which served as the "MangoMania Kickoff."

Player was there to receive her tiara, cape and mango septor, along with numerous previous winners of the crown on a spectacular early evening.

Article Photos

Scarlett Player

Player is a lifelong Pine Island resident who works at Stonegate Bank with her mother, Tonya, the 2007 Mango Queen. She said she was very excited about being named.

"I wasn't sure at first because I do a lot of charity work and I'm a single mom, so it can be a lot," Player said. "It's going to be fun. It's cool to get to represent a place you love so much."

Chamber executive Jennifer Jennings, who was Mango Queen in 2003, said the choice was difficult, with three other worthy candidates, but felt Player was the perfect choice to promote Pine Island and its mangos.

"We honor her, the Pine Island area and the mangoes. People come from all over just for our mangoes," Jennings said.

As Mango Queen, Player will be the face of the annual Mango Festival which happens at the German American Club in Cape Coral in July. She will promote the event, as well as the chamber, on TV, radio and to the Board of County Commissioners.

The queen has to live on the island, be at least 18 years old and be able to attend the event and promote it.

"Her job is to promote the island, Mango Mania, and be there for the two days," Jennings said. "She'll be knighting men with her mango septor, she'll be in charge of the games like mango cornhole throw, and greeting everyone."

How Player plans to go about doing it, is still something she hasn't thought about yet. Thankfully, she has a few former queens to give her advice.

"Smile, smile, smile," said 2010 queen Robin Lilly.

Carrie Call, the 2011 winner, said, "Be nice and promote the island. She knows. She's been here her whole life."

Player said she's up to the challenge.

"I'm really looking forward to finding out more about other businesses on Pine Island and the things it has to offer outside of what we see every day," Player said. "There are a lot of awesome aspects about the island."

"I'm thankful to be working on the island and live here. I'm fortunate to have a job that allows me to do a lot of community service," Player said before going about her job by saying, "and come to the Mango Fest."

http://www.pineisland-eagle.com/page/content.detail/id/524234/Chamber-crowns-Mango-Queen.html?nav=5051

Picture of the Day: Where the Great Wall of China Meets the Sea

2013-05-23T06:26:00.000-07:00

WHERE THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA MEETS THE SEA

Photograph via Better_Be-Safe on Reddit

Laolongtou or “The Old Dragon’s Head” is part of the Shanhai Pass (also known as Shanhaiguan) of the Great Wall of China. It is where the Great Wall ends to the East and leads into the Bohai Sea. It is located in Shanhaiguan District of Qinhuangdao, Hebei and is nearly 300 kilometres (190 mi) east of Beijing.

The original wall was built during the Ming Dynasty which flourished from 1368 to 1644. The wall extends about 20 meters (66 ft) into the sea, like a dragon drinking water. During an invasion in 1900 much of the original wall was destroyed and apparently in 1984, the people of Shanhaiguan worked to restore the wall. [Source]

http://twistedsifter.com/2012/07/picture-of-the-day-where-the-great-wall-of-china-meets-the-sea/

Cuidado: circula código malicioso en Skype

2013-05-22T14:16:00.000-07:00

Por: REDACCIÓN TECNOLOGÍA |

2:11 p.m. | 22 de Mayo del 2013

Ha atacado principalmente a usuarios en Latinoamérica.Foto: El Tiempo

El mensaje, en español, viene supuestamente de un contacto e invita a hacer clic en unas fotos.

Expertos en seguridad informática alertaron por la propagación de un virus o código malicioso a través de la red de comunicaciones Skype. El programa se presenta a través del sistema de chat por texto de la herramienta.

La persona recibe un mensaje de un contacto de su lista de amigos, en donde le invita a hacer clic en un enlace. El mensaje dice "hola, son estos realmente sus fotos?" o "esta es una foto muy amable de tu parte" o "jaja, esta foto extraña de tu perfil".

Al dar clic en el enlace, la persona es redireccionada a un sitio en donde el virus 'Win32\Kryptik.BBKB' aprovecha una vulnerabilidad del sistema operativo para infectar la máquina y autopropagarse desde el Skype de la víctima hacia otros contactos.

La compañía de seguridad Eset reveló que han sido más de 300.000 PC infectados, especialmente en Latinoamérica, siendo Colombia uno de los focos de mayor actividad. Lo ideal es mantener siempre actualizado el sistema operativo, el antivirus y usar aplicaciones en línea como la 'Herramienta de eliminación de software malintencionado' que Microsoft provee gratis en la Red.

REDACCIÓN TECNOLOGÍA
@JoseCarlosTecno

http://www.eltiempo.com/tecnologia/actualidad/virus-en-skype_12816304-4

¿Quién es el cubano al que Mario Silva le rinde cuentas? (Video + #ConfesionesDeMarioSilva) ...

2013-05-22T12:49:00.000-07:00

mayo 22, 2013 12:47 pmPublicado en: Actualidad, Nacionales
0
256

Aramis Palacio, vinculado en un audio divulgado por la oposición este lunes con el conductor Mario Silva, llegó a Caracas para incorporarse a la Casa Militar del presidente de la república, como jefe de la contrainteligencia.

Además de impartir clases a oficiales venezolanos en esas y otras tareas, también ha servido en el aeropuerto de Maiquetía, en este caso bajo la cobertura oficial de representante de Cubana de Aviación.

“Él (Mario Silva) ha conversado con Fidel una sola vez. Ese señor ha sido utilizado por la seguridad cubana (…) Aramis estuvo por Centroamérica en varias embajadas y estuvo en Bolivia y ahora en Venezuela. Sustituyendo a Tomás Rodríguez. Tomás es uno de los oficiales que está como asesor jefe dentro del cuerpo de seguridad de inteligente militar de Venezuela”, aseguró Uberto Mario Hernández, un exagente de la inteligencia cubana en un programa de televisión, quien también afirmó haber conocido a Mario Silva en varias oportunidades. / DiarioDeCaracas

A partir del min 8:50 el exagente de la inteligencia cubana habla en profundidad sobre el tema:

THE NORTHRUP GRUMMAN "TITAN" DRONE : KEEPING USA PORTS SAFE ...

2013-05-22T12:15:00.000-07:00

The Northrop Grumman-built Triton unmanned aircraft system completed its first flight May 22 from our facility in Palmdale, Calif.

The 1.5-hour flight successfully demonstrated control systems that allow Triton to operate autonomously.

Triton is specially designed to fly surveillance missions up to 24 hours at altitudes of more than 10 miles, allowing coverage out to 2,000 nautical miles.

The system’s advanced suite of sensors can detect and automatically classify different types of ships.

AHORRA SABEMOS QUIEN MANDA EN VENEZUELA !!! ...

2013-05-22T11:55:00.001-07:00

by @DolarToday - May 22, 2013 in Noticias

Una “filtración” o brecha voluntaria de inteligencia habría colocado en poder de la oposición el audio de la charla entre el conductor del programa televisivo La Hojilla , Mario Silva, y el oficial de enlace de la inteligencia militar cubana (G2) en Venezuela, teniente coronel Aramís Palacios.

La conversación, indicó una fuente ligada a cuerpos de seguridad, habría ocurrido en una oficina de Fuerte Tiuna entre los días 22 y 24 de abril.

En ella, Silva hace una detallada exposición sobre el entorno político posterior a la última elección presidencial, con énfasis en la situación del partido de gobierno y con manejo de información privilegiada sobre el medio militar.

El audio difundido por un grupo de la oposición encabezado por el diputado Ismael García fue cortado en dos partes. La primera aún no ha sido divulgada.

“La verdad, no entiendo por qué decidieron dar a conocer primero la segunda parte”, indicó la fuente.

Además de este segmento de la conversación entre Silva y el comandante Palacios, la oposición también tendría otras grabaciones relacionadas con temas políticos, que serían dadas a conocer cuando se considere apropiado el momento.

La exposición de Silva quedó registrada con su consentimiento, tal como él mismo lo dijo en dos oportunidades.

No obstante, los subcomisarios jubilados Omar Vásquez y Francisco Javier Gorriño sostuvieron que este encuentro pudo ser vigilado por la Dirección de Inteligencia Militar.

Señalaron que el despacho de Boleíta posee la tecnología para convertir los teléfonos celulares en micrófonos y que además son capaces de grabar más de 200 líneas al mismo tiempo. Las conversaciones pueden ser almacenadas en un dispositivo de memoria (pen drive) o transcritas.

Vásquez indicó que el origen de la grabación difundida el lunes no se conoce con claridad, pues al inicio del audio no se escucha repique ni tono telefónico. Sólo aparece la voz de Silva en forma intempestiva. Eso confirmaría su apreciación en cuanto a que se deseaba proteger a la fuente.

“Este Gobierno es maquiavélico. Te exprime y luego cuando ya no sirves te bota. Lo hicieron antes, y lo hacen ahora con Silva”, afirmó Vásquez, funcionario retirado de la Disip, quien es vicepresidente de la Federación Nacional de Policías Jubilados y Pensionados.

Sin caída .

Todas las fuentes consultadas admitieron que la grabación es de buena calidad y que no tiene “caídas”, es decir, pequeñas bajas en el volumen que son características de las intervenciones telefónicas. El dispositivo para la captación de voces estaba más cerca de Silva que de sus interlocutores.

Vásquez sostuvo que eso ocurre porque las personas grabadas estaban en un sitio fijo, cerrado, con buena acústica.

(Fuente: El-Nacional.com)

No obstante, la fuente que pidió anonimato señaló que la grabación fue hecha con un dispositivo digital.

El contenido posteriormente fue vaciado y reproducido en una computadora personal.

Este procedimiento, supuestamente, fue aplicado en reuniones anteriores con la finalidad de hacer llegar las informaciones a la sede del G2 en La Habana.

http://dolartoday.com/primera-parte-de-la-grabacion-de-mario-silva-aun-no-ha-sido-divulgada/

Se cae la mentira: Expertos en sonido y criminalística desmienten a Mario Silva

by @DolarToday - May 22, 2013 in Noticias

El experto de sonido Charles Arapé y el abogado y especialista en delitos informáticos, Raymond Ortacoinciden en la imposibildidad de que la grabación de Mario Silva expuesta por el diputado Ismael Garcia pueda tratarse de un montaje.

Charles Arapé, un ingeniero de sonido con 14 años de experiencia, opinó lo sigiente: “En primer lugar, es imposible manipular un audio y que quede la voz a la perfección. Es como que yo ahorita quiera grabar la conversación y quiera juntarla con otro audio, no se va a lograr en un día y si se logra, jamás quedará la voz igual”. Así explicó a Noticias24 Charles Arapé, un ingeniero de sonido con 14 años de experiencia, la posibilidad de poder ejecutar tal maniobra auditiva.

Aunque no mostró pruebas, Mario Silva aseguró que las personas detrás del hecho han debido tomar diversas palabras de los programas que por más de 9 años ha hecho. Es decir, la conversación, según esta teoría, se basó en extractos separados de diferentes palabras en diferentes contextos y unidos mediante la edición.

A lo que el ingeniero Charles opinó: “Con respecto a agarrar varios testimonios de varios días, yo puedo hacerlo, y armar un testimonio completo, pero siempre va a haber diferencia. No puede ser que él hable todos los días igual y que tenga la voz igual todos los días, ni que lo haya grabado en el mismo sitio queda igual”.

Según Arapé, lograr tal nivel es “muy difícil” pues implicaría “un 90% de complicación”: “No es difícil por los recursos tecnológicos, porque eso se puede editar, pero no puede quedar perfectamente igual”.

Abogado, editor de la página @criminalistica y especialista en delitos informáticos, Raymond Orta tambien conversó con el equipo de Investigación sobre la metaria.

“La voz es altamente individualizable desde el punto de vista forense; desde el punto de vista de lo que se llama la acústica forense”. Según el especialista, el audio da muestras de singularidades propias de la persona en cuestión, que además ha sido observada por los venezolanos en los 9 años que tiene el programa al aire.

“Mi opinión es que estamos en presencia de una grabación que tiene unas características particulares donde la velocidad del interlocutor varía. En el diálogo iba cambiando los tonos de voz con gestos de sonidos que se ven típicamente en el programa de esta persona”.

“Estamos en presencia de una grabación que tiene unas características particulares donde la velocidad del interlocutor varía”

Según Orta, no hay ningún aparato en el mundo que pueda simular la voz humana sintetizada. Es imposible hacerlo “desde cero”, es decir, sin una base. Tampoco cree probable la unión de diversas palabras para conformar la conversación, pues “en esos casos no existe correspondencias entre los tonos; esta persona sube y baja el tono y no hay una alteración por lo menos audible”.

Experto en este tipo de temas, Orta aseguró que el Cicpc tiene el material y las herramientas suficientes para hacer un análisis forense de la grabación, que además aseguró puede abarcar desde corroborar si hubo cortes en el audio, hasta una comparación lingüística. A su juicio, “si esta persona considera que fue un montaje debería hacer la denuncia para que se hagan las experticias correspondientes”.

Sin embargo, señaló una particularidad que además fue sumamente comentada en las redes cuando se conoció el contenido del audio.

“No solo se trata de la voz, que se oye continua incluso hay mezclas interesantes de la voz del interlocutor con él e incluso se mezclan sonidos externos que les da una apariencia de espontaneidad. Otro ejemplo, cuando esta persona aspira fuertemente; particularmente lo he visto mucho en ese programa y puede ser una característica que identifica a la persona en ese discurso”.

A pesar del escándalo ocasionado, hasta el momento Silva no ha pedido una investigación formal del caso y dentro de la AN no se quiso discutir por la mayoría chavista. Según los consultados, a pesar de que hay programas de edición con herramientas sumamente avanzadas, es poco probable que un audio tan largo no contenga errores identificables; de hecho, no se mostraron pruebas de lo contrario. Mientras algunos miembros del Gobierno lo tildan de chisme, otros lo llaman montaje y la oposición sigue sin develar quién entrego el audio que conmocionó al país.

(Fuente: Noticias24.com)

SUSTAINABILITY : Amazon River exhales virtually all carbon taken up by rain forest

2013-05-22T09:37:00.001-07:00

by Hannah Hickey for UW News
Seattle WA (SPX) May 22, 2013

The mouth of the Amazon River has three main channels, with an island the size of Switzerland in the middle. Image courtesy NASA.

The Amazon rain forest, popularly known as the lungs of the planet, inhales carbon dioxide as it exudes oxygen.

Plants use carbon dioxide from the air to grow parts that eventually fall to the ground to decompose or get washed away by the region's plentiful rainfall.

Until recently people believed much of the rain forest's carbon floated down the Amazon River and ended up deep in the ocean.

University of Washington research showed a decade ago that rivers exhale huge amounts of carbon dioxide - though left open the question of how that was possible, since bark and stems were thought to be too tough for river bacteria to digest.

A study published this week in Nature Geoscience resolves the conundrum, proving that woody plant matter is almost completely digested by bacteria living in the Amazon River, and that this tough stuff plays a major part in fueling the river's breath.

The finding has implications for global carbon models, and for the ecology of the Amazon and the world's other rivers.

"People thought this was one of the components that just got dumped into the ocean," said first author Nick Ward, a UW doctoral student in oceanography. "We've found that terrestrial carbon is respired and basically turned into carbon dioxide as it travels down the river."

Tough lignin, which helps form the main part of woody tissue, is the second most common component of terrestrial plants. Scientists believed that much of it got buried on the seafloor to stay there for centuries or millennia. The new paper shows river bacteria break it down within two weeks, and that just 5 percent of the Amazon rainforest's carbon ever reaches the ocean.

"Rivers were once thought of as passive pipes," said co-author Jeffrey Richey, a UW professor of oceanography.

"This shows they're more like metabolic hotspots." When previous research showed how much carbon dioxide was outgassing from rivers, scientists knew it didn't add up. They speculated there might be some unknown, short-lived carbon source that freshwater bacteria could turn into carbon dioxide.

"The fact that lignin is proving to be this metabolically active is a big surprise," Richey said. "It's a mechanism for the rivers' role in the global carbon cycle - it's the food for the river breath."

The Amazon alone discharges about one-fifth of the world's freshwater and plays a large role in global processes, but it also serves as a test bed for natural river ecosystems.

Richey and his collaborators have studied the Amazon River for more than three decades. Earlier research took place more than 500 miles upstream. This time the U.S. and Brazilian team sought to understand the connection between the river and ocean, which meant working at the mouth of the world's largest river - a treacherous study site.

"There's a reason that no one's really studied in this area," Ward said. "Pulling it off has been quite a challenge. It's a humongous, sloppy piece of water."

The team used flat-bottomed boats to traverse the three river mouths, each so wide that you cannot see land, in water so rich with sediment that it looks like chocolate milk. Tides raise the ocean by 30 feet, reversing the flow of freshwater at the river mouth, and winds blow at up to 35 mph.

Under these conditions, Ward collected river water samples in all four seasons. He compared the original samples with ones left to sit for up to a week at river temperatures. Back at the UW, he used newly developed techniques to scan the samples for some 100 compounds, covering 95 percent of all plant-based lignin. Previous techniques could identify only 1 percent of the plant-based carbon in the water.

Based on the results, the authors estimate that about 40 percent of the Amazon's lignin breaks down in soils, 55 percent breaks down in the river system, and 5 percent reaches the ocean, where it may break down or sink to the ocean floor.

"People had just assumed, 'Well, it's not energetically feasible for an organism to break lignin apart, so why would they?'" Ward said.

"We're thinking that as rain falls over the land it's taking with it these lignin compounds, but it's also taking with it the bacterial community that's really good at eating the lignin."

http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Amazon_River_exhales_virtually_all_carbon_taken_up_by_rain_forest_999.html

Bahía, México: Comenzó la cosecha de mango tarde y con preocupaciones

2013-05-22T09:15:00.000-07:00

Comenzó la cosecha de mango en sus variedades Tommy y Ataulfo, y se espera que termine a finales de julio, luego de que la producción de mango vieniese tarde.

Sin embargo, se esperan alrededor de 22.000 toneladas de mango en una superficie de alrededor de 1.000 hectáreas, ya que el cambio climático retardó la floración en algunas áreas y ha originado que el mango Manila, que ya debería estar cosechándose, se mantenga en el tamaño de una canica.

Cabe decir que la escama blanca tiene a dicho cultivo en la lona, lo que hace que la mayor producción se vaya a la industria.

Con la cosecha tardía, los problemas crecen porque va a ser alcanzada por la mosca de la fruta, que en la actualidad tiene larvada a todo la ciruela de la parte alta de la sierra.

Si logra movilización, la utilidad para el productor se reduce, pues los movilizadores no quieren pagar; sin embargo, es de este concepto de donde la Junta de Sanidad Vegetal mantiene las puertas abiertas todo el año y, por esa razón, el personal de la JLSV, con sede en Mezcales, considera que si este año de zafra 2013 no se aporta la cuota de movilización, la Junta Local está destinada a cerrar a finales de agosto.

Debido a la crisis económica que se vive, los programas de trabajo han quedado truncados. En el caso del municipio, desde Lo de Marcos a Aguamilpa hay una persona que monitorea la zona y en su dictamen de puntos de captura ha detectado la plaga de larva en la ciruela, pero no se hacen actividades para el control.

Anastrepha Oblicua, que es la mosca de la fruta del mango y la ciruela, está concentrada en estos momentos en la ciruela, y como la fenología del cultivo marca en estos momentos que hay mucha ciruela, la mosca se mantiene ahí ovopositando para prologar su especie, logrando mantener en la actualidad a la mayor parte de ciruela en Bahía larvada.

Después de que ésta logre reproducirse, sin duda atacará al cultivo de mango que viene tardío en producción, es por eso que el personal de la JLSV, tomando medidas precautorias, ha hecho una solicitud al Comité Estatal de Sanidad Vegetal para que en compañía del Comité de Sagarpa y el municipio, contribuyan para desarrollar las actividades de control, destrucción de la fruta y control químico, y otorgarle seguridad fitosanitaria a la producción de mango del 2013.

Si no se hace de esta manera, el mango de la región va a salir larvado y con una calidad dudosa.

Fuente: Periodicoexpress.com.mx

Fecha de publicación: 22/05/2013

http://www.freshplaza.es/news_detail.asp?id=73183

Mexico: Michoacán lime & Mango producers fight for industry control

2013-05-22T08:33:00.001-07:00

May 22nd, 2013

Lime producers in the Mexican states of Michoacán continued to suffer unstable and possibly violent conditions, with pickers ceasing to harvest around 130,000 metric tons (MT) of the fruit, website Vanguardia.com.mx reported.

The news comes just over a month after lime packers in the state requested government protection following a fatal attack that reportedly left eight industry workers dead.

The sectors of Apatzingán, Tepalcatepec and Buenavista are considered among some of the most productive lime producing zones in Mexico with 30,000ha planted, according to the Mexican paper.

The rise of organized crime and self-defense groups in the area, however, has diminished production by 35%, packing representative José Hernández told the website. Producers in Buenavista and Tepalcatepec indicated they have suffered total losses.

Hernández said the groups have created a “critical” situation for the estimated 7,000 industry workers in Buenavista where it has become difficult to find work and supplies.

Hipólito Mora – the La Ruana police chief and a leader of local self-defense efforts – said all five packing houses in the municipality of Buenavista Tomatlán were being closed. He added that the zone produces 70% of the state’s limes.

Control of the packing houses fell into drug cartel power several years ago and has been a major source of area conflict, El Pais reported.

“You must remember that we are not in this for the fun of it. The people of this region live from their crops and livestock, while thousands more depend on the lime harvest. We have all been affected. Today I spoke with the Coalcomán community police chief and they are defending themselves against the same thing we are,” Mora toldwww.vanguardia.com.mx.

The Knights Templar Cartel has been linked to much of the criminal action impeding production in the state. The group allegedly threatened truck drivers and burned down a packing house in Buenavista in March.

The organization is composed of the now defunct La Familia Michoacana cartel.

Mora indicated that hundreds of federal officers had been sent to Buenavista and Tepalcatepec on Saturday to protect residents against organized crime. Michoacán was the first Mexican state to receive military intervention due to the drug conflict.

Spanish paper El País described entrances into La Ruana, officially known as Felipe Carrillo Puerto, as an “extreme sport.” To enter the city, visitors must first pass federal guards, followed by a control point run by the Knights Templar Cartel. Once in the small town of around 10,000, trust must be gained from self-defense groups formed to fight the cartel.

Given the difficult conditions, Mora said lime picking, packing and transportation has only been possible for less than a three-week period this season.

In late February, producers attempted to take up arms against criminal groups but were met by threats and fines, Mora told www.vanguardia.com.mx.

El País reported that clashes between self-defense groups and the cartel continue strong, so much so that majors brands such as Bimbo, Coca-Cola and Pemex no longer sell their product in the small town.

Beyond the exit of Apatzingán, the cartel check point and the tire road block, the Spanish paper reported that travelers arrive to Buenavista, where they are greeted by a sign reading, “Welcome to the town of Buenavista, free of fines and templar knights.”

Mora explained to El País that conflict in the area began to build up several years ago when the Knights Templar began to take over La Familia Michoacana.

La Ruana is also known for marijuana cultivation and methamphetamine production, illicit industries that drug traffickers have fought for control of. To make drug sales more profitable, extortion in the small town began to run rampant, El País explained.

The worst reportedly came when the area’s five citrus packing houses were taken over and traffickers began to buy limes at MXN2 (US$0.16) a kilo, well under the market price of MXN3.5 (US$0.28).

Limes are La Ruana’s key industry and producers have been at odds with organized crime since the takeover.

How to Propose a National Research and Promotion Program

2013-05-22T06:49:00.000-07:00

A complete proposal submitted to USDA should include an overview of the industry and address objectives and details of the proposed program.

Specific requirements are listed below.

Industry Analysis: Develop a profile of the industry, including such information as the volume, value, and geographic distribution of domestic production; the volume, value, and countries of origin of imports; and the number of large and small businesses.

Justification: Determine the justification for a national program. Address questions, such as:

What marketing problems exist (e.g., declining sales or prices, lack of industry price support programs), and how would a national program address these problems?

What alternatives were considered and why were they rejected?

How much income could the program expect to generate at the optimum assessment rate?

How much would it cost to administer the program, including Government reimbursements (user fees)?

After program administration costs are paid, how much funding would remain to finance the program?

Could an effective research and promotion program be conducted with the remaining funds?

Objectives: Identify what the industry expects to achieve through the program.

Impact on Small Business: Describe how the program’s reporting, record keeping, and other compliance requirements would affect small businesses. The description should include an estimate of the types of small businesses that would be subject to the order and the type of professional skills necessary to prepare reports and otherwise comply with the program. This analysis should describe each compliance requirement, including the payment of assessments, and estimate the costs, comparing large and small entities. Distinguish initial costs from recurring or operating costs and indicate where different compliance requirements may be necessary for small businesses. In addition, identify all relevant federal rules that may duplicate, overlap, or conflict with the proposed program.

Industry Support: Determine the level of industry support for the program. USDA will not consider a proposal for which there is not substantial industry support.

Text of the Proposal: Draft the text for the proposed order. It should provide the details of the proposed program. Address all aspects of the program, such as who would pay the assessment (e.g., producers, first handlers, processors, importers); what the assessment rate would be (amount per unit of trade) or a maximum assessment rate, and whether small businesses would be exempt and, if so, the exemption level. Go to Outline and Text of Proposed Order for Research and Promotion Programs (PDF) for more information on what to put in your proposal.

Submission: In summary, the package submitted should include: (1) industry analysis; (2) justification; (3) objectives; (4) impact on small business; (5) evidence of industry support for the program; and (6) the text of the proposed order. Submit the completed package to the Administrator of AMS at the following address: Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service, USDA, STOP Code 0201, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-0201.

Important: Once the proposal is published in the Federal Register, ex parte communication about the substance of the proposal between any U.S. Department of Agriculture representative involved in the decision process and interested persons about the substance of the proposed order is prohibited. Discussion about procedural matters and status reports are permitted.

Industry Marketing and Promotion Main Page

What to Do After the Proposal is Submitted

Links to National Research and Promotion Boards

Last Modified Date: 05/21/2010

http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/ams.fetchTemplateData.do?template=TemplateN&navID=HowtoProposeaNationalResearchandPromotionProgram&rightNav1=HowtoProposeaNationalResearchandPromotionProgram&topNav=&leftNav=ResearchandPromotion&page=IndustryMarketingandPromotionProposeaNationalResearchandPromotionProgram&resultType=&acct=AMSPW

EXTENDED MANGO SEASON FOR AUSTRALIA ...

2013-05-22T06:41:00.000-07:00

Australia selling mangoes for longer

ABC Rural By Matt Brann

Posted 10 hours 47 minutes ago

PHOTO: The Australian mango season is lasting longer thanks to new varieties and production in Victoria (Matt Brann)
AUDIO: Marketing mangoes (ABC News)
MAP: Darwin 0800

It might sound hard to believe, given it's nearly the end of May, but Australia's mango harvest has only just wrapped up.

Thanks to later varieties and expanding production areas in Victoria and southern WA, the summer fruit's season now stretches well into autumn.

Chair of the Australian Mango Industry Association, Gavin Scurr, says the challenge for industry is to keep expanding its markets, and work hard at selling the fruit to Australians beyond the traditional Christmas period.

"There's production now that comes out of Mildura and along the Murray in Victoria, so they're very late" he said.

"At an industry level, we're continually looking at increasing demand across the season and a focus on keeping the momentum throughout the season,

"We're using social media a lot now and other PR activities to keep mangoes at the forefront of consumers minds."

Heading into the 2014 mango season, Mr Scurr says the industry is negotiating increased access to export markets such as China, Singapore and New Zealand.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-05-22/marketing-mangoes-longer/4705984

NAME GAME : Vision Import Group continues to expand and grow its product line

2013-05-22T06:34:00.000-07:00

by Christina DiMartino | May 22, 2013

Vision Import Group in River Edge, NJ, shares the marketing of the “Van Gogh Mango” with Vision Produce Co., in Los Angeles, and Vision Produce Partners of Texas in Pharr, TX.

“We share a unified national distribution,” said Ronnie Cohen, vice president of sales for Vision Import Group.

“We are three separate companies, and we each do business a little differently,” he continued. “But we are unified in the distribution of the popular ‘Van Gogh Mango’ as well as with our lime program. By being strategically aligned, our goal objective is to have full national distribution.”

A box of beautiful ‘Van Gogh Mango’ from Vision Imports. (Photo courtesy of Vision Import)

Vision Import markets the item east of the Mississippi, and Tavilla handles the western side of the country. The president of Tavilla Sales, Bill Vogel, is a partner in Vision Imports, along with Mr. Cohen, Raul Millan, executive vice president of Vision Import Group, and now with Ben Brittain Sr., who is a partner in the new Texas alliance division, which is named Vision Produce Partners of Texas.

Mr. Cohen said that part of the company’s strategy this year is to break into the Canadian market. Vision Import Group, he noted, had worked with some clients in Canada in the past, and that it is again now targeting potential customers there with limes, pineapples and mangoes.

He noted that the quality of the “Van Gogh Mango” is very good again this year.

“We are definitely on target to increase our volumes over last year,” he said. “And we are looking to have other countries packing the ‘Van Gogh Mango’ in the future. Our goal is to have the product available year round from all producing countries. The label is synonymous with and equates to the quality of the mangoes. We all like to have volume, but we feel that the quality of what we shipped is what brings people back for more.”

The company’s “Mojito” lime program continues out of Mexico, as does its “Mr. Squeeze” lime program.

Mr. Cohen said that the company’s new “Havana” label also continues to grow.

The brand is used on both limes and pineapples from Mexico. It also has the MD2 Golden pineapple under the “Havana” label — produced in Costa Rica — which is known to be very high-quality variety.

Vision Imports’ “Mr. Squeeze” branded lemons are packed in options for different customers. The company can accommodate retailers, foodservice operators and others so each has exclusivity with the label.

“We also added key limes to our lineup,” said Mr. Cohen. “We are trading them now and we’re looking to build up enough volume to brand them ourselves. For the time being they are in a generic package.”

Mr. Cohen said Vision Import Group is very passionate about what it does.

“My background is in wholesale, as is Raul’s and two of our sales reps; George Uribe and Henry Kreinces,” he said. “We like to say that we’re all graduates of the University of Hunts Point because we all worked and learned much of what we know there.’”

The company is moving forward and growing at a steady pace. Mr. Cohen said, “We are looking to open an office in South Florida. It’s our goal for 2013.”

http://www.producenews.com/index.php/more-what-s-new/10371-vision-import-group-continues-to-expand-and-grow-its-product-line

MAMADURO ; Sapos, alacranes, víboras y carroñeros conforman el gobierno de Venezuela

2013-05-22T06:26:00.000-07:00

Posted: 21 May 2013 07:48 AM PDT

Por Carlos Vilchez Navamuel

Diputados de la oposición venezolana liderados por el parlamentario Ismael García, presentaron el pasado lunes 20-05-13 un audio atribuido a Mario Silva el controvertido conductor del programa de televisión denominado La hojilla y que pueden escuchar a continuación. http://eju.tv/2013/05/venezuela-audio-completo-de-las-confesiones-de-mario-silva/

El sonido del audio es bastante claro y los que conocen a Silva aseguran que es la voz de él, la grabación tiene una duración de aproximadamente 50 minutos, y se supone que se efectuó poco después de las elecciones presidenciales del 14 de abril pasado.

Si se logra comprobar que esta conversación es auténtica, quedaría claro que este señor es un traidor a la patria por comentar los problemas venezolanos con un cubano del G2 como si le estuviera dando cuentas a alguien.

En el audio se oye a Silva conversando con Aramis Palacios, un alto militar del G2 de nacionalidad cubana donde hablan sobre diversos temas de la política de Venezuela y donde acusa entre otras cosas al presidente de la Asamblea Diosdado Cabello de conspiración y de ser el artífice de una serie de hechos para sus propios intereses, el audio se grabó supuestamente con el fin de que la conversación la oyera Raúl Castro en Cuba.

En la conversación se habla además de divisiones y conspiraciones entre los que gobiernan por el deseo del poder. Silva por ejemplo le comenta entre otras cosas al cubano sobre cómo se beneficia Diosdado Cabello de algunas instituciones así como las empresas de maletín que tienen para el lavado de dinero que ellos hacen. Habla de un golpe de Estado, de que Nicolás está siendo manipulado por Cilia Flores, de Molero, del hermano de Cabello, de la intentona de matarlo a él, de la posibilidad de que se haya podido modificar los resultados del CNE de parte de alguien externo y hasta de que Jorge Arreaza, el vicepresidente era el que tenía el vínculo con el periodista Nelson Bocaranda.

A continuación algunos comentarios destacables que le hizo Silva al cubano del G2: “Tenemos las instituciones llenas de mierda. Venezolana de Televisión se la acaban de entregar ahorita a lo que nosotros llamamos el Grupo de los Vampiros. ¿Quién es el grupo de los vampiros? El hermano de Jorge Arreaza, Gustavo Arreaza, Rubén Hernández, Tania Díaz. Todos ladrones, que los sacó el Comandante por ladrones. Porque la Ministra, cuando fue Ministra Tania Díaz, que fue Ministra de Comunicación e Información, no duró tres meses, y se robaron todos los reales que pudieron de Venezolana de Televisión. Volvieron a entrar. Ahí están”

Este otro, “Ahora. ¿Que hay divisiones internas? Que jode. ¿Que hay grupos que están.. unos cogiendo pa’cá, otros pa’llá, buscando a ver cómo agarran más dinero? Sí, pero toda esa mierda lo que está haciendo es jugar contra esto, contra los 14 años que el Comandante estuvo construyendo esta vaina.”

Dos más “Estamos metidos en un mar de mierda, compadre, y todavía no nos hemos dado cuenta Palacios, y esta vaina se está manejando por debajo. Y es más, el objetivo ahorita a matar soy yo, porque yo sé demasiada mierda. Yo sé demasiada mierda, Palacios, ellos saben que yo estoy atrincherado.”

“Yo he estado muy deprimido todos estos días. Pero yo tengo un temor pero terrible a que toda esta mierda nosotros la mandemos al garete. Y lo que nosotros vimos de la oposición el día lunes, martes, esa vaina va a estar en pañales pa’ lo que va a pasar en este país si la oposición llega a agarrar el poder otra vez.”

Si quieren leer la transcripción completa del audio lo pueden hacer aquí. http://www.noticias24.com/venezuela/noticia/169121/esta-es-la-transcripcion-completa-del-audio-presenta-por-los-diputado-de-la-mud/

Al enterarse de todo esto Mario Silva afirmó en su programa que esto es un montaje de Israel y EEUU y que se ponía a derecho de la justicia para que le investiguen, sin embargo el 20-05-13 el portal de noticias Asamblea Popular Revolucionaria Americana, Aporrea, a fin a los chavistas, da como verídico lo que se oye en esta grabación.

El artículo fue escrito por Raúl Bracho y lo tituló: Mario Silva era la sorpresa que tenía Capriles, ¡que Hojillazo! y entre otras cosas dice: “Mario habla con claridad sobre sus apreciaciones, denuncia a altos funcionarios de corrupción, le cae a tiro limpio a los “corruptos con impunidad” de quienes siempre escuchamos denuncias y sobre los que nunca pasó nada.” http://www.aporrea.org/medios/a166316.html

Este audio no hace otra cosa que confirmar lo que ya mucha gente sabe, el gobierno chavista está conformado por “sapos, alacranes, víboras y carroñeros” que se tapan entre sí para no dejar el poder.

http://www.carlosvilcheznavamuel.com/sapos-alacranes-viboras-y-carroneros-conforman-el-gobierno-de-venezuela/?

Grim eurozone headlines continue to pile up, while Europeans yearn for the return to pre-crisis days ...

2013-05-22T06:15:00.000-07:00

MUY PERO MUY INTERESANTE : ANALYSIS SOBRE EL PODER DE QUEIN MANDA EN VENEZUELA ....

2013-05-21T20:29:00.000-07:00

21 mayo 2013

Diosdado Cabello: una fiera al acecho

Por Fanny Kertzman y Alek Boyd

VENEZUELA

Sería cuestión de tiempo para que el jefe de la Asamblea Nacional trate de llegar al poder.

Texto de Fanny Kertzman y Alek Boyd.

Diosdado Cabello, presidente de la Asamblea Nacional venezolana
Foto: EFE

"El Enemigo del Comunismo Castrista es mi Amigo"

~ Por Ahorra

Cuando Hugo Chávez enfrentó la inminencia de su muerte, analizó cuidadosamente con los hermanos Fidel y Raul Castro quién sería su sucesor.

Se inclinaron por Nicolás Maduro, un gigantón leal, semianalfabeta, no muy inteligente y que a todo dice sí.

Él era el camino para continuar entregándole la soberanía de Venezuela a Cuba.

Pero pusieron todos los huevos en una misma canasta y se equivocaron: Maduro, un civil, no tiene ninguna ascensión sobre la tropa, la que si tiene Diosdado Cabello, hoy presidente de la Asamblea Nacional y quien se perfila como su mas claro contendor.

Con la desaparición de Chávez, que actuaba como muro de contención, es solo cuestión de tiempo que Cabello orqueste alguna clase de golpe para librarse de la influencia cubana.

Cabello nunca compartió la actitud servil de Hugo Chávez hacia Fidel Castro. Muy rara vez viajó a Cuba y resiente el hecho recibir órdenes de ese país.

La verdad es que Diosdado Cabello es quien tiene las llaves del futuro de Venezuela.

No es santo de la devoción de los Castro y su nombre despierta temor.

Cabello se graduó de la Academia Militar en 1987. Fue el segundo de su clase -la Tomás Montilla Padrón de 1987- entre 216 oficiales.

Muchos de sus compañeros participaron en el golpe de Hugo Chávez en 1992, y fueron premiados por Chávez cuando alcanzaron el poder. Se convirtieron en un grupo especial.

Cabello es una de las figuras fijas del chavismo, tal y como lo son Jesse Chacón, Alejandro Andrade y José Vielma Mora, para nombrar a unos pocos. Cabello y sus seguidores han alcanzado posiciones claves dentro del chavismo, lo que lo ha convertido en un hombre excepcionalmente rico. Domina el Seniat, el servicio de impuestos y aduana, a través del Jose Vielma Mora inicialmente, luego directamente a través de su hermano Jose David Cabello.

También se hizo con el Banco de Desarrollo del Estado, Bades, a través de Alejandro Andrade, donde se presentó recientemente un escándalo de corrupción: una alta funcionaria, María de los Ángeles Gónzalez, fue acusada de robar millones de dólares en maniobras fraudulentas, junto con dos corredores de bolsa.

Cabello tenía tambien el control de Cadivi, el sistema de asignación de divisas, a través de Manuel Barroso, su asistente desde 2001. Barroso fue destituído por Maduro y reemplazado por Eudomar Tovar, lo que no debe tenerlo muy contento.

Diosdado también controla el Ministerio de Comunicaciones y Conatel -el ente regulador de las telecomunicaciones- a través de un viejo amigo, Jesse Chacón. Maneja el Ministerio de Infraestructura y Ministerio del Interior, los cuales tambien dirigió, y el Ministerio de Sanidad e IVSS (Instituto Venezolano de los Seguros Sociales) que está en manos de otra ficha de él, Carlos Rotondaro.

Fuera de sus dominios tiene el control de los destacamentos mas importantes de las fuerzas armadas.

El 5 de julio de 2012 Chávez ascendió al rango de brigadier general a 42 oficiales, con mando sobre la tropa. De estos 42, 36 pertenecen a la clase de Diosdado del 87.

Los militares de esa generación son 97 que están todavía activos, pero solo 36 fueron promovidos.

Eso significa que hay 61 coroneles, compañeros de Cabello, que no han sido ascendidos.

Esto ha resultado en un descontento en la tropa, que Cabello está manejando a su favor.

En el chavismo ya no manda nadie. Facciones, con mayor o menor poder, pugnan entre si. Diosdado Cabello es, sin lugar a dudas, el mejor posicionado para tomar el poder cuando así lo desee.

Encabeza el ala militar, pero no sólo cuenta con poderío castrense: a través de compañeros de promoción y testaferros cuenta también con un músculo financiero extraordinario. Se ha dicho por ejemplo que Ricardo Fernandez Barrueco (con una fortuna de 1.600 millones de dólares) es uno de sus principales testaferros.

Pedro Torres Ciliberto habría colaborado en compras fraudulentas de bancos y aseguradoras para beneficiar a Cabello. Este personaje hoy huye del país.

Así las cosas, se devela que el castro-chavismo teme a Diosdado Cabello.

Temen sus relaciones y su control de varias instituciones claves en Venezuela.

Mientras el Seniat puede y es usado como un ente cuya fiscalización selectiva dificulta el normal ejercicio de actividades económicas a empresas en Venezuela y Cadivi es el filtro de divisas de uso obligatorio, es la ascendencia de Cabello en el mundo militar lo más importante.

Si algo podemos concluir de la historia contemporánea de Venezuela, es que las fuerzas armadas tienen siempre la ultima palabra cuando de golpes de estado se trata.

Allí reside el verdadero poder de Cabello.

Sus compañeros de promoción ya tienen comando directo de tropas, y aún faltan más por ascender.

Por mucho que se hable de la injerencia cubana y de la infiltración del G2 en Venezuela, poco podrán hacer los dictadores Castro cuando Cabello se decida a dar un golpe de estado.

Es solo una cuestión de tiempo.

Luego están los negociados del llamado narco-generalato (Hugo Carvajal, Henry Rangel Silva, Clíver Alcalá Ordones, etc.) con las FARC.

Se comenta que Nicolas Maduro habría tenido un papel preponderante en las negociaciones que adelanta el gobierno del presidente Santos con las FARC, pero no es menos cierto que la parte operativa, es decir la exportación de droga desde Venezuela -que no pocos dividendos deja a la guerrilla- está controlada por militares que seguramente se decantarán por Cabello.

http://www.semana.com/mundo/articulo/diosdado-cabello-fiera-acecho/343981-3

INDIA : A 100 year old mango tree is war memorial for Golf Club

2013-05-21T18:39:00.001-07:00

Vikram Jit Singh, TNN | May 22, 2013, 05.05 AM IST

CHANDIGARH: This old soldier has stood guard at one of the toughest holes in Indian golf.

The soldier's body is pockmarked with the wounds inflicted by thousands of misguided missiles.

It is a 100-year-old desi mango tree that stands in the way of errant tee shots on the 613-yard 7th hole at the Chandigarh Golf Club (CGC) and has the honour of being one of the "most hit" trees on a golf course.

Though its bark and branches are scarred, this tree still flowers and bears small 'choopne wala' mangoes.

The mango tree is the first line of formidable defences that guard the 7th hole.

Ahead of it are rows of eucalyptus trees and a rare `Kalam' tree, whose appearance is also akin to a war-ravaged concrete bunker. The Kalam tree stands oddly in the middle ofthe 7th fairway and has silently borne thousands of full-blooded shots hit with fairway woods.

The wounds to these trees have increased with the advance of technology as balls are now bombed at dizzying velocities by titanium drivers.

This mango tree was there when the CGC was built in 1962. It belonged to village lands that existed before the CGC came up.

The Chandigarh area previously fell in Ambala district, which meant 'amb wala' or region of many mango trees.

Villagers would just plant the seeds of desi mangoes and these would sprout everywhere.

However, the 'Kalam' variety (Mitragyna parvifolia) is a rare tree, a few of which were planted in Chandigarh.

"The Kalam is a tree of arid regions, where water is less like in Rajasthan. It is a very hardy tree like the mango,'' said landscape and horticulture expert, HS Johl, who is one of the oldest of CGC members and who maintained the golf course from 1965 to 1985.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/A-mango-tree-is-war-memorial-for-Golf-Club/articleshow/20188497.cms

FSMA : Are Food-Testing Labs Failing Us?

2013-05-21T17:34:00.000-07:00

The scientists charged with detecting foodborne illness get a lousy grade.

By Clare Leschin-Hoar
May 21, 2013

Testing cataloupe for listeria. (Photo: Kathryn Scott Osler/Getty Images)

If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that no one should die because they ate a cantaloupe. Or a spinach salad. Or a hamburger. Or a peanut butter sandwich. But sadly, the names of pathogens like E. coli, salmonella, listeria and campylobacter—and the disease and death they can cause—have become part of the American lexicon.

And it doesn’t look as if they’ll be leaving our public conversation over food safety anytime soon: A new report presented at the American Society for Microbiology’s general meeting in Denver this week shows that food microbiology laboratories, which test raw ingredients and food samples for a variety of producers and companies, routinely report food is safe when in fact it isn’t.

“The study involved about 40,000 food laboratory proficiency tests conducted over the last 14 years and showed that food microbiology laboratories that are supposed to identify pathogens in food submit a disturbing number of false negative and false positive results,” writes Alexanddra Sifferlin for Time. The new report by the American Proficiency Institute (API) “revealed worrisome gaps in the ability of food laboratories to detect or rule out the presence of common disease-causing bacteria.”

How frequent are the false reports?

Often enough to warrant concern.

Food laboratories reported false negatives for campylobacter 9.1 percent of the time.

For salmonella, the figure was 4.9 percent.

When it came to false positives, the numbers were better—3.9 percent for salmonella and 2.5 percent for E. coli and L.monocytogenes—but still troubling.

“There is concern when laboratories report that pathogens are not found in a food sample, when in fact they are there,” said Christopher Snabes, lead author on the study in a statement.

Indeed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in six Americans become ill from food-related illness, and approximately 3,000 die every year.

What’s important to remember is that food testing isn’t designed to ensure that each and every bite you take is safe.

Instead, it’s meant to monitor the processes and assist in outbreak investigations when health officials are trying to track down the pathogen responsible for making people sick.

The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)—signed into law by President Obama in January 2011 but not yet fully enacted—does address laboratory testing specifically, but according to API, food laboratories are not required to assess the accuracy or quality of their tests.

Until final FSMA rules are adopted (which is still a ways into the future; comments are being accepted until September 16), laboratories that choose to work with API do so voluntarily.

http://www.takepart.com/article/2013/05/21/are-food-labs-failing-us-when-it-comes-testing#.UZv_pGOtrsE.twitter

CORPORATE CULTURE & THE FLAWED FSMA INTERNAL CONTROLS ...

2013-05-21T17:20:00.000-07:00

A Food Safety Expert claims that the Standards and internal controls within the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) will cause the Food Industry to cheat.

The argument is based upon the Atlanta School System (APS) Test Score scandal.

Here is the conclusion and parallel to the Food Industry:

The Fraud Triangle

Dr. Kaplan’s reaction to this ongoing scandal has been advocating for greater use of internal controls.

The justification for these measures, in Dr. Kaplan’s words, is the ‘Fraud Triangle,’ which is comprised of Opportunity, Rationalization , and Pressure.

By adding another layer of bureaucracy, the organization can create checks and balances, ensure reliable accounting records and information tecnology systems, and create compliance with internal standards and codes of conduct.[9]

And this is where Dr. Kaplan completely misses the point.

Culture of Fear

Systemic cheating at APS did not take place because of inadequate internal controls. Systemic cheating at APS was a direct result of the culture that Dr. Hall created.

It is important to note that no one has, at this time, been brought to trial or convicted on any of these indictments.

However, it has been well established that:

• Cheating the metrics was widespread within this school system
• There were significant indicators, years before the indictments, that the results being reported were suspect
• Decision-making by the employees of APS was profoundly influenced by a culture of fear

When Dr. Hall arrived in Atlanta and announced ‘No exceptions and no excuses,’ she implied a real and immediate threat to her employees. The subtext was this, ‘If you do not meet the targets that we have set for you, you will not continue your employment in this organization. And we are not interested in hearing why you could not meet this requirement. This is not my problem, this is your problem. Fix it or you will have to find employment elsewhere—and elsewhere probably means not in Atlanta.’

And she followed through on her threat. Many teachers and administrators were sent on their way. Those who remained knew that failure would result in the same treatment, while those who met their targets received public praise and bonus checks.

The institutional commitment to success was so thoroughly embedded that even employees who warned the administration of problems paid the price. Teachers who were reported for cheating were suspended. The teachers who turned them in were fired.[10]

A report issued by State investigators in 2011 included, “In sum, a culture of fear, intimidation and retaliation permeated the APS system from the highest ranks down.”[11]

This is all quite a fascinating story, but as you attempt to improve your food safety initiatives, what does it really have to do with your situation?

A production facility is not a school system, and your employees are not teachers.

There are two significant lessons that apply to the food manufacturing sector:

Lesson 1

First, the Balanced Scorecard is not broken. It still has great utility as a tool to surface the information that you must identify to track tactical and strategic progress. In fact, there has been well-deserved progress in adding a fifth lens to the scorecard to include measures that report on sustainability and corporate citizenship activities.

What every manager must clearly understand, though, is that the data delivered via the Balanced Scorecard is typically referred to as a ‘dashboard.’ And just as the dashboard of your car delivers important data that allows you to safely and efficiently operate your car, you wouldn’t actually try to drive anywhere without looking out the windows. You exercise your judgement in determining what action to take next. It would be insane to think that you can safely drive to the grocery by staring at your dashboard.

Goodhart’s Law tells us when a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure.[12]

Measurement provides crucial guidance, but it is not a substitute for judgement and leadership.

As you implement your food safety processes, be careful with metrics. Indicators that become targets can and will be gamed.

Lesson 2

As a food safety professional, you should be far more concerned with Lesson 2: Culture drives everything.

If the leaders in your company create a culture that values revenue over food safety, then the actions and decisions of your employees will be dedicated to generating revenue, at the expense of food safety.

If the leaders in your company create a culture of fear and intimidation where accountability is supreme, then the actions and decisions of your employees will be dedicated to meeting their numbers by whatever means necessary. Yes, this includes lying and cheating. A culture of fear will cause your employees to work for their own interests (avoiding blame and repercussions) rather than working for the good of the firm.

If the leaders in your company are dedicated to creating a culture of mutual respect and understanding where employees are empowered, and the pursuit of continuous improvement of food safety measures is established in a blame-free environment where all efforts, regardless of pay grade, are aligned to the mission of producing a safe, quality product… well, that is what you will get.

Internal controls, checks and balances, compliance standards, and codes of conduct will become largely unnecessary.

Beverly Hall claims that she never lied or cheated, and that she never directed any employee to lie, cheat, or misrepresent data. This may well be true. However, Dr. Hall cannot hide from the fact that she was responsible for creating an institutional culture that was so unyielding and intolerant that her employees chose dishonesty as the only way to insulate themselves from the suffering that accompanied any failure.

On the day that she placed the plaque on her desk reading, “No exceptions and no excuses,” she probably never imagined that one day she would find herself in a prison because of those five words.

But on April 3rd, accompanied by her legal team, she reported to the Fulton County Jail for booking.

Geoff Schaadt, M.Sc., M.B.A., is a consultant with Delta Partners.

http://www.foodsafetymagazine.com/fsm-edigest/corporate-culture-food-safety-and-the-grand-jury/