#Phytosanitary

[botanical-journal]

Phytosanitary Sciences

In the field of plant health, there are several specialized sub-disciplines that focus on different aspects of plant well-being. Each of these areas has a specific focus and employs distinct techniques and knowledge to address issues related to plant diseases, pests, and other conditions affecting plants. Here are some of the key sub-disciplines:

Phytopathology

Definition: Phytopathology is the study of plant diseases caused by pathogens, including fungi, bacteria, viruses, and nematodes. Focus: Identification and characterization of pathogens, mechanisms of infection, disease epidemiology, and control strategies. Activities: Disease diagnosis, development of control methods (chemical, biological, and cultural), and development of resistant plant varieties.

Nematology

Definition: Nematology is the study of nematodes, small cylindrical worms that can parasitize plants and cause significant damage. Focus: Identification of nematode species, effects on plants, and development of control methods. Activities: Diagnosis of infestations, control of nematodes through physical, chemical, and biological methods, and research on plant resistance.

Agricultural Entomology

Definition: Agricultural entomology is the study of insects that affect plants, both as pests and in their interactions with crops. Focus: Identification of insect pests, their biology and behavior, and development of control methods. Activities: Monitoring insect populations, integrated pest management (IPM), and development of sustainable management strategies.

Plant Virology

Definition: Plant virology is the study of viruses that infect plants. Focus: Identification and characterization of viruses, their life cycles, and infection mechanisms. Activities: Diagnosis of viral infections, development of vaccines and control methods, and research on viral resistance.

Plant Bacteriology

Definition: Plant bacteriology is the study of bacteria that cause diseases in plants. Focus: Identification of pathogenic bacteria, understanding infection mechanisms, and development of control strategies. Activities: Diagnosis of bacterial diseases, chemical and biological control, and development of management practices.

Agricultural Mycology

Definition: Agricultural mycology is the study of fungi that affect plants. Focus: Identification and characterization of pathogenic fungi, infection mechanisms, and control. Activities: Diagnosis of fungal diseases, development of fungicides and cultural practices for control, and research on resistance to fungi

Phytosociology

Definition: Phytosociology studies the structure and dynamics of plant communities in relation to environmental conditions and biotic factors. Focus: Analysis of interactions between different plant species and their environments. Activities: Study of plant community diversity and composition, and their responses to environmental changes and management

Agroecology

Definition: Agroecology applies ecological principles to agriculture to promote sustainable farming systems. Focus: Integration of agricultural practices with environmental conservation and promoting sustainability. Activities: Development of sustainable management techniques and study of interactions between agricultural systems and the environment.

Plant Genetics and Breeding

Definition: Plant breeding involves selecting and creating plant varieties with desirable traits, such as disease and pest resistance. Focus: Development of cultivars with genetic resistance to pathogens and pests. Activities: Research and development of new varieties, and application of biotechnological techniques to improve plant resistance.

These areas are interdependent and often overlap, with many collaborating to address complex issues related to plant health and sustainable agricultural production.

[aurianneor]

A united Europe to protect our standards!

Europe is the world’s largest market. It’s the market that offers the greatest safety for its citizens. There are standards for testing food, medicines, products, vehicles and so on.

Deregulation is on Trump’s agenda at the request of billionaires like Elon Musk, the Sackler family and Peter Thiel. They are calling for a return to the “gilded age” (1870-1890), during which companies were not burdened by social, environmental or hygienic standards. But food was produced on site, which is no longer the case today. The consequences would be worse. It’s the age of the “Robber Barons”. Incommensurable fortunes were made. They made the laws and paid no taxes, to the detriment of consumer safety, workers and the environment.

There are products that aren’t sold because they don’t meet these standards. These people consider it a business opportunity gone.

If there’s no need to test or buy quality products, it drives prices down and wins markets. This drags everyone down and transfers the costs to society: the cost of the sick, environmental pollution, accident compensation, etc.

The USA will promise either sanctions or benefits to certain European countries in order to divide Europe and force it to lower its standards. For example, Perrier would not be troubled by health standards, and could sell water unfit for human consumption. For example, toys could be sold even if they contain toxic products. For example, GMOs would be on the European market.

In addition, the agri-business sector is exerting pressure within Europe to abandon environmental and social standards. For example, they would like to reuse dangerous plant protection products, or bleach chickens raised in appalling conditions.

Some European standards have been hijacked for individual interests, and with excessive administration. For example, the format of vegetables is designed to favor manufacturers. As a result, some would like to undo the standards. But that’s forgetting that the majority of these standards protect us against poisoning, fires, accidents and so on. Not all standards are bad. People should be able to exert pressure to improve standards and remove those that only serve individual interests. They are not guaranteed.

« Les bénéfices de l’Union européenne sont systématiquement sous-estimés, parce qu’ils sont considérés comme acquis » – Le Monde: https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2024/12/26/les-benefices-de-l-union-europeenne-sont-systematiquement-sous-estimes-parce-qu-ils-sont-consideres-comme-acquis_6468688_3232.html

With the EU-Mercosur agreement, products from Brazil or Argentina can enter the European market without being subject to standards. Europe is already under internal pressure to lower these standards.

If standards disappear, there’ll be a lot of sickness and accidents. Today’s societies are complex. Only a few ultra-rich people are going to make huge short-term profits, to the detriment of society as a whole. We need to be able to trust medicines, food and means of transport. For example, meningitis has resurfaced because some people had doubts about the vaccine. Another example: the Boeing 737 max was grounded because it was unreliable. What would happen if it was allowed to fly again? Chinese, Russian and Indian products, among others, of low quality or potentially dangerous, would arrive on the European market.

Wasteful use of public money is another issue. If those who receive public money are not held to the same standards, many things go wrong. For example, Space X was not subject to the same standards as NASA. Many rockets exploded because the materials used were not suitable, not up to standard but cheaper. NASA couldn’t have afforded so many failures. It’s a monstrous waste of public money (these tests were financed by the U.S. government), an enormous source of pollution and unfair competition with NASA.

If one European political leader has a political interest in lowering standards, this weakens the whole of Europe, which is less able to impose its conditions. Selfishly following the Americans does not make for a strong Europe.

Gatsby le Magnifique – F. Scott Fitzgerald – Wikipedia: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gatsby_le_Magnifique

The Current War (2017) – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2140507/?ref_=ext_shr_em

John Le Carré’s Gardener’s Constancy , a well-researched novel about pharmaceutical trials in Africa: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Constant_Gardener

--------------------------------------------

Pour une Europe unie pour protéger nos normes!: https://www.aurianneor.org/pour-une-europe-unie-pour-proteger-nos-normes/

EU-Mercosur: https://www.aurianneor.org/eu-mercosur/

The pill umbrella: https://www.aurianneor.org/the-pill-umbrella-drug-research-went-from-the/

Price ceilings and price floors: https://www.aurianneor.org/price-ceilings-and-price-floors/

We’re all in it together: https://www.aurianneor.org/were-all-in-it-together/

Ayn Rand is popular today; but her ideas lead to destruction, what are the solutions?: https://www.aurianneor.org/ayn-rand-is-popular-today-but-that-leads-to-destruction-what-are-the-solutions/

En pro de una defensa europea: https://www.aurianneor.org/en-pro-de-una-defensa-europea/

Conditional military assistance: https://www.aurianneor.org/conditional-support/

The moral compass: https://www.aurianneor.org/the-moral-compass/

Who backs the US military?: https://www.aurianneor.org/who-backs-the-us-military/

The richest 1% are at war with the rest of the world: https://www.aurianneor.org/the-richest-1-are-at-war-with-the-rest-of-the-world/

Solidarité Hélvétique: https://www.aurianneor.org/solidarite-helvetique-democratie-semi-directe/

[export-development-board]

Phytosanitary Requirements for Imported Fresh Pineapple from Sri Lanka to China Read More 👉 https://bit.ly/3UJiRRd

[nostalblue]

えんばく（その２）

先にも書いたが、オートミールはエンバクが原料だ。私は移住してくるずっと前から時々オートミールを食べていたが、以前は近くの店では取り扱いが無く、インターネット通販で購入していた。最近は健康食として需要が高まったせいか、こんな田舎のスーパーマーケットでもよく見かけるようになった。ちなみに私は健康志向で食べているわけではなく、クセの無い味で食べ易い食感、調理の簡単さや保存性の良さ、コストパフォーマンスなどの点でメリットがあるからだ。

ワークエクスチェンジで海外から来て当地に滞在する人も私がストックしているオートミールを食べることがあるが、その食べ方については人それぞれのようだ。私はいつも粥のように柔らかく煮て塩味をつけて食べるのだが（醤油でも美味しい）、英国から来たある人はオートミールに砂糖を掛けほんの少しのお湯だけ加えてボリボリ食べてたね。あれが本場の食べ方なのだろうか、そして美味しいのだろうか？（謎）

さて、当地で容易に栽培し種子を自家採取できるようになったエンバクを、草マルチや緑肥用途のみならず、オートミールのように食料として活用出来ないかと考えるのは、自給自足生活をしている者にすれば当��の流れである。しかしエンバクの種子は硬い皮殻に覆われており、これを除去できない限りそれは叶わない。とは言え一粒一粒手で剥いていくなんて効率悪くてとてもやってられないし、かといって多額の費用を掛けて専用の機械を導入する程のメリットは見込めない。ヨーロッパでは5000年も前から食料にされていたようだが、一体どうやって食べていたのだろうね？

家庭向けの精米機を使ったらこの皮殻を削ぎ落とせるだろうか？ネット検索で調べるも明確な情報は得られず、実際にやってみないと解らないと言ったところだ。精米機は新品こそ高価だが、旧型の中古品だと安く出品されており、2000円ぐらいで入手することが出来た。これに自家採取したエンバク種子を入れ、モードをいろいろ変更しながら皮剥きを試すが。。。う～む、思うように行かないわあ。硬い皮殻に対し実の部分は柔らかくて脆いので、弱く掛けたら全然剥けないし、強く掛ければ皮と一緒に実も粉砕されてしまう。米のように実が充分硬ければ表面だけ上手く削れていくのだろうけどね。

その後は有効な加工法も見つからず、アイデアも思いつかず、しばらく年月が流れた。

しかしある時、エンバクにも裸大麦のように裸性種があることを知り、それを栽培したらそもそも皮剥き作業なんか不要で簡単に食べられるのでは？となった（遅）。そこでこの種子を販売している所はないかインターネットを使って隈無く探索してみるが、先にも書いたように日本でのエンバク栽培は主として緑肥や草マルチ資材に利用するのが目的だということもあってか、裸性種の栽培用種子を取り扱っている国内サイトは見つけることが出来なかった（悔）。

しかし海外まで視野を広げると状況は変わる。「裸エンバク（Naked Oats／ネイキッドオーツ）」で検索すると機械で皮剥加工をした通常のエンバクまで挙がってきてややこしいが、「皮なしエンバク（Hulless Oats／ハルレスオーツ）」というワードを使うと米国やカナダなどの種子販売サイトが沢山出てくる。価格的には日本で売っている「猫草の種」の２倍ほどだが決して買えない値段では無いし、少量を国際郵便などで送ってもらうなら送料もそれほど高くはならないだろう。ところがだ、商品が植物の場合はそれだけでは済まない。少量であっても日本国内に輸入するには輸出国政府の「植物防疫証明書」ってのが必要で、この申請費用を含めるとコストは数万円になってしまうのだ。何が何でも調達したい人ならそれでも構わないのだろうけど、ちょっと栽培を試してみたいだけの無収入おじさんにはムリだわぁ（諦）。そしてまたダラダラと年月が過ぎていった。

ある年の春先に、ヒマワリの種（ペット餌流用）を播種していて急に閃いた。栽培用の種子ではなく動物の飼料として裸性エンバクが販売されていないだろうか? 早速検索してみると、国内で鳥餌として販売されているエンバクの中に、「ハルレスオーツ」使用を明確に記載しているものを見つけた！価格も安い！これはいけるぞと興奮して調達し秋に畝に播いたところ、発芽率が酷く悪いながらもポツリポツリと芽が出た。いいのよ～ちょっとでも出てくれれば、数年で大量に増殖できるから。発芽したものはその後順調に生育、冬を越え春を過ぎ、初夏の頃に大いに期待して収穫したその実は、何とこれまでにも増してガッチガチの外皮に覆われていた（ズッコケ～）。これはどう見ても裸性エンバクではない！栽培用種子として買ったなら完全にクレーム物だけど、鳥餌を播いてそういう文句はちょっと言いがたいのよね（悲）。全くがっかりな結果で落胆したが、後々この「鳥餌」と言うキーワードが意外な展開を生むのであった。

（その３に続く）

　⇨ エンバク記事一覧へ

[planthealthday]

Protecting plant health across borders.

Each year, over 240 million containers move between countries, carrying goods including plant products, posing biosecurity risks. In addition, about 80 percent of international trade consignments include wood packaging material, providing a pathway for pest transmission. As a result, damages from invasive pest species incur global economic losses of approximately USD 220 billion annually. Protecting plant health across borders is essential by promoting global collaboration and international standards, such as the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs). Innovative solutions like electronic phytosanitary certification (ePhyto) streamline the process, making trade quicker and more secure. 

[abadylawfirm]

In summary, compliance with phytosanitary certification requirements is critical for importers of plants and plant products into the United States. Failure to comply with these requirements can lead to serious consequences, including penalties, fines, and even criminal charges. Importers should be aware of the specific requirements for their plants and take all necessary measures to ensure compliance.

[corpzoventuresprivatelimited]

Export inspection and phytosanitary certification of plants and plant products shall be carried out in compliance with Article IV of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) for the fulfillment of the Member country's legal obligations. The Phytosanitary Certificates shall be issued in the model formats provided for under Article V of the IPPC in compliance with the importing country's existing PQ regulations. Such certificates shall be issued by technically trained and duly approved officers in the exporting country after careful inspection and treatment of plants and plant products and shall include additional declarations as may be needed by the importing country as well as treatment information if any provided by the duly authorized officer.

[neverfeltthewinterquitesodead]

im still dumbfounded by this. im about to come up with some sort of scheme about it.

>looking up rare/endangered native plants from my new england county

>search for one specific aster

>only websites selling it are british and only ship to europe

[readyforevolution]

Burkina Faso's 36-year-old President Ibrahim Traore hands over 400 tractors, 239 motorcycles and 710 motor pumps to agricultural investors to boost production.

He has also provided 714 motorcycles to farmers.

His government will support producers with 10,000 tonnes of fish food, 68,964 tonnes of fertilizer, 10,000 litres of phytosanitary products, 18,000 tonnes of vegetable seeds, 2,300 tonnes of feed seeds and 10,000 tonnes of concentrated foods.

Thomas Sankara’s legacy lives on ✊

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Brazil gains access to China for its table grapes

Registered exporters mainly in Pernambuco and Bahia will have opportunity to supply market under new agreed protocol

Brazilian table grapes have been granted access to China, after the country’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) agreed on a new protocol with Chinese customs officials.

The agreement was finalised during a bilateral meeting between the countries’ presidents Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Xi Jinping at a meeting in Brasília.

It outlines the phytosanitary and sanitary requirements for exporting Brazilian grapes to China.

According to Mapa, Brazil has also seen “exponential growth” in fresh grape exports.

Continue reading.

[head-post]

Brexit cost UK £27bn of trade losses in its first two years

Despite the decline in trade volumes, London School of Economics (LSE) research shows that the overall effect has been more limited than originally predicted by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). The damage from Brexit to trade links with the EU totalled £27bn for the UK in the first two years, but the overall effect was more limited than analysts originally predicted, according to the most comprehensive review of the issue since Britain’s full exit from the bloc in early 2021.

Researchers from the London School of Economics found that trade barriers have been a “disaster” for small businesses and have forced thousands of companies to stop trading with EU countries.

Academics from the Centre for Economic Performance looked at evidence from more than 100,000 companies and found that by the end of 2022, two years after signing the Joint Trade and Co-operation Agreement (JTA) with Brussels, total exports of UK goods had fallen by 6.4 per cent and imports by 3.1 per cent.

The OBR estimate predicts that in the long term the UK will face a 15 per cent fall in trade, leading to a 4 per cent drop in national income. Despite this, researchers at the Centre for Economic Performance said the UK could experience a fall of the magnitude predicted by the OBR if trade relations with its largest trading partner deteriorate further.

Thomas Sampson, one of the report’s authors, said that by the end of 2022, the JTA had reduced trade in goods by less than half of what the OBR had predicted. However, the OBR figures are long-term projections and only the first two years of the JTA were studied. Further reductions in trade would be required to match OBR’s projections.

Rachel Reeves is likely to welcome the findings, which show the resilience of the economy in the face of a major trade shock. However, it will also create pressure on the finance minister to support efforts to reduce trade barriers over the next few years to prevent the situation from getting worse.

The UK plans to start negotiations next year on the next phase of the JTA. Ministers are expected to resist demands to open up agricultural markets to competition from EU farmers and fishing vessels in return for greater market access for British goods in the bloc.

Trade continued at the same level

The study’s authors noted that in the first two years of the JTA, large companies largely continued to trade with their EU counterparts at the same level. However, smaller exporters, those companies with fewer than 100 employees, suffered significantly. More than 14,000 of the 100,000 companies studied stopped trading with the EU completely, and almost all of them were small businesses.

Imports showed resilience compared to exports as large companies found ways to buy components and raw materials from outside the EU. Thomas Sampson also emphasised that the JTA was a disaster for small exporters, many of whom simply stopped exporting to the EU. However, large companies have adapted well to the new trade barriers and consequently overall exports have so far fallen less than expected.

The study was the first to analyse the impact of Brexit on trade using customs data collected by HMRC. The researchers said the data allowed them to look at individual business relationships and “highlight how large companies adapted better to the new trade regime than SMEs.”

The JTA did not include tariffs, but did introduce barriers to trade such as customs checks and paperwork, origin requirements, excise duties, sanitary and phytosanitary checks on the movement of animals and plants, and the need for exporters to prove that products meet the requirements of the target market. However, many of these checks have been repeatedly postponed and further measures are still due to come into force next year.

The study only looked at trade in goods and did not cover imports and exports of services, which largely fall outside the single market and customs union. Kalina Manova, co-author of the study and professor of economics at UCL, said the long-term productivity of firms will depend on their ability to maintain supply networks and diversify export demand in the face of higher and uncertain non-tariff barriers to trade with the EU.

The report shows that the UK’s exit from the EU’s single market and customs union in early 2021 resulted in an immediate decline in exports and imports with the EU. However, it also shows that companies responded to this shock in a way that mitigated the fall in overall trade.

Large companies did not experience a decline in exports, while importers partly compensated for the decline in imports from the EU by purchasing from other countries. Thus, at least in the short term, aggregate trade proved moderately resilient to the disintegration.

Read more HERE

[mapsontheweb]

Pesticide use in France

Phytosanitary treatment frequency index for agricultural land.

via @lecartographe

[mariacallous]

Sometimes the most obvious questions are the best. In the case of the Conservatives, the most obvious question is so glaring that one wonders why Tory politicians don’t ask it ten-times a day before breakfast: why don’t they move to the centre?

The opinion polls are predicting a Tory rout on the scale of 1906, 1945 or 1997.

Surely in the interests of preserving the Conservatives as a fighting force the party must compromise to limit its losses to Labour. Here are a couple of compromises that occur to me. They make perfect political sense until you realise that conservatism has been so radicalised that compromise now feels like treason.

First, health. When we remember the suffering of the early 2020s, we will remember covid, of course.

But we will also remember the millions on NHS waiting lists, the elderly left for hours until ambulances arrive, the cancelled operations, the sick who would work if they could be treated but cannot find a doctor, the explosion in mental illness, the needlessly prolonged pain, the needlessly early deaths.

The Conservatives ought to be doing everything they can to improve the health service before polling day – out of a reptile-brain survival instinct if nothing else.

They will not do it because in British conservatism’s ever-diminishing circles health is not a concern.

The dominant Conservative factions want a right-wing policy offer of tax cuts and immigration controls. Not one of the party’s leaders has discussed how the increase in life expectancy means the demands on the NHS of an ever-larger pensioner population make tax cuts unaffordable. Nor have I heard honest discussion of how the need for foreign health and care workers to fill the gaps in provision makes immigration essential.

Rather than face up to the impossibility of Thatcherite economics in the 21st century they prefer to change the conversation and look the other way.

Let me offer a second example, which I think Brits will soon be obsessing about.

After years of delays Brexit Britain is finally imposing border checks on food imports from the European Union.  Wholesalers and retailers predict that bureaucratic costs and the need for veterinary and phytosanitary checks will lead to continental producers deciding to sell their goods elsewhere. Price rises and food shortages will follow.

What kind of government in an election year, of all years, wants empty shelves?

A Conservative kind of government appears to be the answer. The sensible move would be for the Conservatives to follow Labour’s policy of striking a deal to stick to EU standards and ease bureaucracy at the border.  That would mean the UK following European food regulations, as EU ambassadors have made clear.

But compared to dear food and empty shops, who the hell cares about that?

Tories care. Brexit is their King Charles head, their reason for being, their obsession.

David Frost, who negotiated the UK’s disastrous exit agreement with the EU, wrote an unintentionally revealing paragraph last week which encapsulated the ideological capture of British Conservatism.

“The Conservative Party owns Brexit. Whether ministers like it or not, or maybe even wish it hadn’t happened, it’s the central policy of the Party and the government. They must be prepared to defend and explain it – to show why it’s so important that Britain is a proper democracy once again. For if voters come to believe Brexit is failing, then the Conservative Party will inevitably fail too.”

There you have it. Brexit is the Conservative party and vice versa.

What a distance we have come! In 2016, a mere eight years ago, the Conservative party’s leader and most of its MPs supported the UK’s membership of the European Union. Eurosceptics posed as mild-mannered people. They promised that leaving the EU would not mean leaving the single market .

But then leave won the 2016 Brexit referendum and set us off on a spiral of radicalisation, which was instantly familiar to those of us who grew up on the left. 

Here is how it worked on the left in the 20th century.  You would be in a meeting where everyone agreed to a leftist policy: say that the government should encourage banks to give micro loans to poor people to keep them out of the hands of loan sharks.

Everything seems fine until an accusatory voice accuses all present of being sellouts because they do not believe in nationalising the banks,

Or today, after the great awokening, an academic department will propose reasonable measures to check that they are not unconsciously discriminating in their application process, only to be told that, if they were truly concerned with justice, they would decolonise the curriculum and purge it of “white” concepts such as truth and objectivity.

The near identical radicalisation of the right has been more serious because the right has real power.

Here is how its spiral into Tory Jacobinism went.

After winning the Brexit referendum in 2016, retaining the UK’s membership of the single market and the customs union suddenly became wholly unacceptable. They had to go.

As the ideological temperature rose, Theresa May’s attempts at compromise became sellouts, judges became enemies of the people, and the only acceptable way to leave became Frost and Johnson’s impoverishing hard Brexit.

We now have a new Tory ideology: “Brexitism.” It is a style of swaggering bravado and a bawling loud-mouthed way of doing business that goes far beyond the UK’s relations with the EU.

The catastrophic premiership of Liz Truss was “Brexitist”. She crashed the economy because she believed she was right to ignore the warnings of the Treasury, Bank of England and Office for Budget Responsibility.

What true Brexit supporter trusts experts, after all?

Brexit showed that you did not need them.  All you needed was the will to impose a radical agenda and then the world would accommodate itself to your desires.

In retrospect, 2016 plays the same role for the radical right of 21th century Britain that 1917 played for the British radical left in the 20th. The fluke communist takeover of Russia in 1917 convinced hundreds of thousands over the decades that revolution could succeed in the UK, even though communism never stood a chance in this country.

The fluke leave win of 2016 has had an equally mystifying effect. Because radical right politics succeeded in one set of circumstances, its supporters assumed they would succeed in all circumstances.

Nowhere in right-wing discourse do you hear suggestions that the Conservative defeat might be softened if the government appealed to the majority of voters. Instead, the right says that the only way to save the right is for the right to move rightwards and become more rightly right wing.

Once again, the parallels with the communist movement to people of my age scream so loudly they are deafening.

To quote the weirdest example. A few weeks ago, an anonymous group of wealthy men calling themselves the Conservative Britain Alliance spent about £40,000 on opinion polling, and gave the results to the Daily Telegraph. They showed the Conservatives were heading for a landslide defeat, as so many polls do.

But the spin put on it by the Conservative Britain Alliance’s frontman Lord Frost (again!) was that the Tories must move to the right to attract Faragist voters, not to try to stem the growth of Labour support.  

A further release from the anonymous group of wealthy men added to the impression of a right wing living in the land of make believe.

They produced findings that showed the Conservatives could win if Sunak were replaced by a hypothetical Tory leader. This imaginary figure was a political superhero who would be strong “on crime and migration” (naturally) but also had the superpower to “cut taxes and get NHS waiting lists down” at the same time.

Lower taxes and better public services all at once in a wonderful never never land.

My guess is that it will take three maybe four election defeats to batter the delusions of 2016 out of the Conservative party.

Perhaps no number of defeats will suffice, and Brexitism will be Toryism’s final delirium.

[botanical-journal]

Alternative Disease Control in Organic Agriculture

The text discusses the growing concern within society regarding the environmental impacts of agriculture, particularly related to the use of pesticides and contamination of the food chain. This concern has led to significant changes in the agricultural landscape. In recent years, market segments have begun to demand differentiated products, such as those cultivated without pesticides or those that carry certification seals ensuring sustainable practices. This societal pressure has resulted in the development of more sustainable farming systems that aim to reduce reliance on chemical products

The concept of sustainable agriculture is highlighted as promoting responsible management of natural resources, meeting the needs of present and future generations without degrading the environment. This approach shifts the priorities of traditional agricultural systems, seeking a balance between food production and environmental preservation. It encourages the use of biological processes and a reduction in the consumption of energy inputs. Alternative agricultural systems are presented as a viable option to conventional methods, focusing on natural interactions. They emphasize the management of biological relationships, such as the interactions between pests and their predators, as well as natural processes like biological nitrogen fixation, rather than relying solely on chemical products. The goal is to strengthen the essential biological interactions for agricultural production instead of simplifying them. The text also mentions one of the main challenges of sustainable agriculture: the control of diseases, pests, and invasive plants.

Many techniques used to minimize phytosanitary damage can, paradoxically, lead to environmental contamination or generate changes that compromise the sustainability of the agroecosystem, highlighting the complexity and challenges involved in transitioning to more sustainable practices.

- Alternative Products Produced or Obtained in the Brazilian Market.

Initially, before the widespread availability of pesticides, farmers used natural products sourced from their surroundings or extracted from their own land. These traditional methods, which include more natural and localized techniques, have been almost completely abandoned with the popularization of pesticides, which became the norm for pest and disease control.

Today, with the growing awareness of the negative effects of pesticides on the environment and health, society is demanding a reduction in their use. This has encouraged research into more sustainable alternatives, many of which are methods that farmers employed decades ago. The text provides examples of products and techniques that can be used as alternatives to pesticides, such as:

Raw milk - for controlling powdery mildew (a fungal disease).

Biofertilizers - to prevent plant diseases.

Salts - for controlling powdery mildew.

Soil solarization - which uses solar heat to eliminate soil pathogens.

Solar collectors - for disinfecting substrates used in seedling production.

These practices aim to recover and value agricultural methods that are less harmful to the environment, reflecting a shift toward more sustainable agriculture.

- Alternative Products: Future Adoption!

Despite the existence of environmental legislation focused on eco-development, there are still significant limitations in promoting alternative and ecologically sustainable agricultural practices. Although there are many technical and scientific contributions on methods such as biological pest control, crop rotation, use of crop residues, genetic improvement, intercropping, physical control, and the use of natural products, government support to encourage these practices remains insufficient. Initiatives are considered limited, which restricts the adoption of more sustainable approaches.

Additionally, the text mentions that the increased use of alternative techniques, including pesticides, which have been part of the modernization of Brazilian agriculture since the 1960s, depends on effective public policies that promote these more sustainable practices. In summary, the author criticizes the lack of a robust agricultural policy that genuinely encourages the transition to more sustainable agricultural practices.

The text highlights that, in many situations, farmers do not apply the true philosophy of IPM (Integrated Pest Management), which advocates for the combination of different control methods (such as biological, cultural, and physical). Research on IPM began in the 1970s in Brazil, resulting in promising discoveries. However, despite these advances, IPM is still not widely adopted by farmers. In some cases, alternative practices are used to control certain pests and diseases, but not in a consistent or integrated manner. Instead, many still opt to use various types of pesticides, which goes against the principle of an integrated and sustainable approach. This suggests a resistance or difficulty in transitioning to practices that truly integrate different management strategies.

The text explains why the adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and alternative methods is limited among farmers. Three main factors are highlighted:

Cultural Practices of Farmers: Many farmers predominantly use pesticides due to their ease of use and effectiveness, combined with a lack of efficient public assistance for implementing IPM.

Training of Agricultural Technicians: The training of agricultural extension technicians often focuses on recommending pesticides as solutions, rather than addressing the underlying causes of pest and disease outbreaks or exploring existing alternatives.

Influence of the Pesticide Industry: The pesticide industry plays a significant role in providing technical assistance to farmers who adopt modern agricultural practices. Their representatives often promote pesticide use rather than integrated methods, reinforcing a culture of dependency on chemical products.

These factors collectively hinder the widespread implementation of IPM and sustainable practices in agriculture.

In the end, the text discusses the responsibility of research institutions and funding agencies in the low adoption of alternative techniques for controlling phytosanitary problems. A survey of articles published in the journals Summa Phytopathologica and Fitopatologia Brasileira revealed that alternative control practices, such as biological, physical, and cultural methods, represent only 9% and 5% of the articles, respectively. These figures, which consider 28 volumes of the first journal and 27 of the second, indicate that there is still a very small number of plant pathologists in Brazil focusing on alternative control.

The author argues that it is necessary to increase the number of specialists in this area so that plant pathology can make a more significant contribution to the environmental and social sustainability of agriculture in Brazil. The text also emphasizes that simply replacing fungicides with alternatives is not enough to ensure more sustainable agriculture. It is essential to understand the structure and functioning of the agroecosystem as a whole and to redesign production systems to make them truly sustainable. The author notes that various examples of sustainable practices have been presented to the agricultural community, suggesting that education and awareness are key to promoting effective changes.az

[optimisticgalaxydreamland]

Modern bread and gluten

🇬🇧 In English

Bread is all too often responsible for digestive problems (bloating, stomach upsets, unstable transit). And also irritation of the mucous membrane (inside) of the intestine and intestinal permeability (porous intestine), with the molecules that disrupt immunity passing to the liver, resulting in allergies.

Autoimmune" diseases are very varied, depending on the genetic susceptibility of each individual:

digestive diseases: coeliac disease, non-viral hepatitis and fatty liver, pancreatitis, chronic intestinal diseases and ulcerative colitis.

rheumatological diseases

Neuropsychological: Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Multiple Sclerosis, etc.

hormonal: thyroiditis, damage to the pancreas and adrenal glands

bone: osteopathies, decalcifications, early osteoporosis

haematological: changes in the bone marrow, which produces too many or too few blood cells (red, white, platelets)

skin disorders: Lupus, psoriasis, scleroderma

On the other hand, we can't generalize: the real cause of the problem with bread is the genetic manipulation of wheat seeds; we're trying to standardize seeds (like twins), the primary objective being to maximize yields from industrial monocultures. The soil is not fertile, and yields depend on external fertilisers and pesticides.

The benefits of genetic standardisation for the bread industry - simplifies cultivation techniques, - facilitates phytosanitary treatments, - guarantees yields, - enables standardised flours to be obtained (e.g. T 9 index). The convergence of seeds, crops, flour and bread is generating health problems for consumers and farmers, due to the use of toxic products. Their convergence is generating health problems:

Non-Hodgkin's malignant lymphoma, a cancer of the immune system, is a recognised occupational disease in farmers exposed to pesticides in the course of their work.

On the other hand, industrial bread-making processes add other processes and ingredients

Flour is refined using chemical processes.

Intensive mechanical kneading

Very short fermentation with industrial yeasts

All these factors make bread indigestible and harmful:

Gluten becomes resistant to enzymatic digestion

Bread contains no vitamins, antioxidants or polyphenols and is low in minerals.

It is toxic because it contains traces of toxic products.

Ancient grains could be the solution, here are a few examples

Engrain or Petit Épeautre 10 (Triticum monococcum),

Barbu du Roussillon (Triticum aestivum),

Starch (Triticum turgidum),

Kamut brand Khorasan (Triticum turanicum)

and many other wheats of yesteryear must find their place again, with bakers particularly aware of their role in health. What's more, they will create many new jobs.

In conclusion:

Abandon industrial breads and opt for wholemeal flours made from ancient grains.

Prepare your bread at home

Preferably bake your bread by hand, avoid long-fermented Perrier and opt for long fermentation.

Chew the bread well, the faster it melts in your mouth, the easier it will be to digest.

Find the complete article at LE PAIN EN QUESTION POUR LA SANTÉ PUBLIQUE https://www.professeur-joyeux.com/2023/07/04/le-pain-en-question-pour-la-sante-publique/

Le pain et le gluten modernes

🇫🇷 En Français

Le pain est trop souvent responsable de troubles digestif (ballonnements, maux de ventres, instabilité du transit). Et aussi d’irritations de la muqueuse (intérieur) de l’intestin et de perméabilité intestinale (intestin poreux), les molécules qui de perturbent l’immunité passent vers le foie, et comme résultat des allergies.

Les maladies ”auto-immunes” sont très variées selon les susceptibilités génétiques de chaque individu:

digestives: maladie coeliaque et hépatites non virales et foie gras, pancreatitis, maladies intestinales chroniques intestinales et recto-colite-ulcéro-hémorragique

rhumatologiques

neuropsychiques: Alzheimer, Parkinson, Sclérose en Plaques, etc

hormonales: thyroïdites, atteintes du pancréas et des surrénales

osseuses: ostéopathies, décalcifications, ostéoporose précoce

hématologiques: modifications de la moelle osseuse qui fabrique trop ou pas assez des globules du sang (rouges, blancs, plaquettes)

cutanées : Lupus, psoriasis, sclérodermia

Par contre on ne peut pas généraliser, la vrai cause du problème avec le pain est manipulation génétique des semences des blés; on cherche uniformiser les semences (comme des individus jumeaux), l’objective primaire: la maximization des rendements des monocultures industriales. Les sols ne sont pas fertiles, le rendement depends des fertilisants extérieurs et pesticides.

Les benefits de l’uniformisation génétique pour la filière du pain– simplifie les techniques de culture,– facilite les traitements phytosanitaires– garantise les rendements,– permet l’obtention de farines standardisées (par example Indice T 9). La convergence semences-cultures-farines-pains est génératrice de problèmes de santé pour les consommateurs et agriculteurs, du a l’emploie de produits toxiques. Leur convergence est génératrice de problèmes de santé:

Le lymphome malin non hodgkinien, cancer du système immunitaire, est une maladie professionnelle reconnue chez les agriculteurs exposés aux pesticides dans le cadre de leur métier.

D’autre part, les processes industriels de fabrication du pain, ajoutent des procedes et d’autres ingrédients

La farine est refiné par des proceses chimiques

La pétrification mécanique intensive

La fermentation très courte avec des levures industrielles

Tous ces facteurs font que le pain soit indigeste et nocif:

Le gluten devient résistent a la digestion enzymatique

Le pain ne contient pas d des vitamines, des anti-oxydants, des polyphénols, il est faible en minéraux.

Il est toxique car il contient des traces de produits toxiques

Les grains anciennes serions la solution, voici quelques examples

L’Engrain ou petit Épeautre 10 (Triticum monococcum),

le Barbu du Roussillon (Triticum aestivum) ,

l’Amidonnier (Triticum turgidum),

le Khorasan de la marque Kamut (Triticum turanicum)

et bien d’autres blés d’autrefois doivent retrouver leur place, chez les boulangers particulièrement conscients de leur rôle pour la santé. Ils deviendront en plus créateurs de nombreux emplois.

En conclusion:

Abandonnez leș pains industriels, privilégiez les farines completes et fabriquées avec des graines anciennes

Preparez votre pain a la maison

De preference faites le pain a la main, évitez le Perrier long temps et privilégiez la fermentation longue

Mastiquez bien le pain, si le pain est fondu vite dans la bouche, plus facile sera sa digestion

Trouvez l'article complet chez LE PAIN EN QUESTION POUR LA SANTÉ PUBLIQUE https://www.professeur-joyeux.com/2023/07/04/le-pain-en-question-pour-la-sante-publique/

El pan moderno y el gluten

🇪🇸 En Español

Con demasiada frecuencia, el pan es responsable de problemas digestivos (hinchazón, molestias estomacales, tránsito inestable). Y también irritación de la mucosa (interior) del intestino y permeabilidad intestinal (intestino poroso), con lo que las moléculas que alteran la inmunidad pasan al hígado, dando lugar a alergias.

Las enfermedades "autoinmunes" son muy variadas, dependiendo de la susceptibilidad genética de cada individuo:

enfermedades digestivas: celiaquía, hepatitis no vírica e hígado graso, pancreatitis, enfermedades intestinales crónicas y colitis ulcerosa.

enfermedades reumatológicas

neuropsicológicas: Alzheimer, Parkinson, esclerosis múltiple, etc.

hormonales: tiroiditis, daños en el páncreas y las glándulas suprarrenales

óseas: osteopatías, descalcificaciones, osteoporosis precoz

Hematológicos: alteraciones de la médula ósea, que produce demasiadas o pocas células sanguíneas (rojas, blancas, plaquetas).

Trastornos cutáneos: Lupus, psoriasis, esclerodermia.

Por otra parte, no podemos generalizar: la verdadera causa del problema del pan es la manipulación genética de las semillas de trigo; se intenta estandarizar las semillas (como los gemelos), con el objetivo primordial de maximizar el rendimiento de los monocultivos industriales. El suelo no es fértil y los rendimientos dependen de fertilizantes y pesticidas externos.

Las ventajas de la estandarización genética para la industria del pan - simplifica las técnicas de cultivo, - facilita los tratamientos fitosanitarios, - garantiza los rendimientos, - permite obtener harinas estandarizadas (por ejemplo, el índice T 9). La convergencia de semillas, cultivos, harinas y pan está generando problemas de salud a consumidores y agricultores, debido al uso de productos tóxicos. Su convergencia está generando problemas de salud:

El linfoma maligno no Hodgkin, un cáncer del sistema inmunitario, es una enfermedad profesional reconocida en los agricultores expuestos a pesticidas durante su trabajo.

Por otra parte, los procesos industriales de elaboración del pan añaden otros procesos y otros ingredientes

La harina se refina mediante procesos químicos.

Amasado mecánico intensivo

Fermentación muy corta con levaduras industriales

Todos estos factores hacen que el pan sea indigesto y perjudicial:

El gluten se vuelve resistente a la digestión enzimática.

El pan no contiene vitaminas, antioxidantes ni polifenoles y es pobre en minerales.

Es tóxico porque contiene trazas de productos tóxicos.

Los cereales antiguos podrían ser la solución, he aquí algunos ejemplos

Engrain o petit Épeautre 10 (Triticum monococcum),

Barbu du Roussillon (Triticum aestivum),

Almidón (Triticum turgidum),

Kamut marca Khorasan (Triticum turanicum)

y muchos otros trigos de antaño deben volver a encontrar su lugar, ya que los panaderos son especialmente conscientes de su papel en la salud. Además, crearán muchos nuevos puestos de trabajo.

En conclusión:

Abandonar los panes industriales y optar por harinas integrales elaboradas con granos antiguos.

Prepara tu pan en casa

Hornea tu pan preferiblemente a mano, evita los Perrier de larga fermentación y opta por los de fermentación larga.

Mastica bien el pan, cuanto más rápido se deshaga en la boca, más fácil será digerirlo.

Encuentre el artículo completo en LE PAIN EN QUESTION POUR LA SANTÉ PUBLIQUE https://www.professeur-joyeux.com/2023/07/04/le-pain-en-question-pour-la-sante-publique/

O pão moderno e o glúten

🇧🇷 En Português

O pão é muitas vezes responsável por problemas digestivos (inchaço, perturbações gástricas, trânsito instável). E também a irritação da mucosa (interior) do intestino e a permeabilidade intestinal (intestino poroso), com as moléculas que perturbam a imunidade a passarem para o fígado, dando origem a alergias.

As doenças "auto-imunes" são muito variadas e dependem da suscetibilidade genética de cada indivíduo:

Doenças digestivas: doença celíaca, hepatite não viral e fígado gordo, pancreatite, doenças intestinais crónicas e colite ulcerosa.

Doenças reumatológicas

neuropsicológicas: doença de Alzheimer, Parkinson, esclerose múltipla, etc.

hormonais: tiroidite, lesões do pâncreas e das glândulas supra-renais

ósseas: osteopatias, descalcificações, osteoporose precoce

hematológicas: alterações da medula óssea, que produz demasiadas ou poucas células sanguíneas (glóbulos vermelhos, glóbulos brancos, plaquetas)

afecções cutâneas: Lúpus, psoríase, esclerodermia

Por outro lado, não podemos generalizar: a verdadeira causa do problema do pão é a manipulação genética das sementes de trigo; estamos a tentar uniformizar as sementes (como os gémeos), com o objetivo principal de maximizar o rendimento das monoculturas industriais. O solo não é fértil e os rendimentos dependem de fertilizantes e pesticidas externos.

As vantagens da normalização genética para a indústria do pão - simplifica as técnicas de cultivo, - facilita os tratamentos fitossanitários, - garante os rendimentos, - permite obter farinhas normalizadas (por exemplo, índice T 9). A convergência das sementes, das culturas, das farinhas e do pão está a gerar problemas de saúde para os consumidores e para os agricultores, devido à utilização de produtos tóxicos. A sua convergência está a gerar problemas de saúde:

O linfoma maligno não-Hodgkin, um cancro do sistema imunitário, é uma doença profissional reconhecida nos agricultores expostos a pesticidas no exercício da sua atividade.

Por outro lado, os processos industriais de fabrico de pão acrescentam outros processos e outros ingredientes

A farinha é refinada por processos químicos.

Amassadura mecânica intensiva

Fermentação muito curta com leveduras industriais

Todos estes factores tornam o pão indigesto e nocivo:

O glúten torna-se resistente à digestão enzimática.

O pão não contém vitaminas, antioxidantes ou polifenóis e é pobre em minerais.

É tóxico porque contém vestígios de produtos tóxicos.

Os cereais antigos podem ser a solução, eis alguns exemplos

Engrain ou petit Épeautre 10 (Triticum monococcum),

Barbu du Roussillon (Triticum aestivum),

Amido (Triticum turgidum),

Kamut marca Khorasan (Triticum turanicum)

e muitos outros trigos de outrora devem reencontrar o seu lugar, junto de padeiros particularmente atentos aos seus benefícios para a saúde. Além disso, criarão muitos novos postos de trabalho.

Em conclusão:

Abandonar os pães industriais e optar por farinhas integrais de cereais antigos.

Prepare o seu pão em casa

De preferência, coza o seu pão à mão, evite Perrier de longa fermentação e opte por uma fermentação longa.

Mastiga bem o pão, quanto mais depressa derreter na tua boca, mais fácil será a digestão.

Ver o artigo completo em LE PAIN EN QUESTION POUR LA SANTÉ PUBLIQUE https://www.professeur-joyeux.com/2023/07/04/le-pain-en-question-pour-la-sante-publique/

[planthealthday]

Plant health, safe trade and digital technology - Webcast.

Watch the hybrid event entitled Plant health, safe trade and digital technology.

Plants are life – we depend on them for 80 percent of the food we eat and 98 percent of the oxygen we breathe. But international travel and trade have been associated with the introduction and spread of plant pests. Invasive pest species are one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss and threaten the delicate web of life that sustains our planet. Pests and diseases have also been associated with rising temperatures which create new niches for pests to populate and spread. In response, the use of pesticides could increase, which harms pollinators, natural pest enemies and organisms crucial for a healthy environment. Protecting plant health is essential by promoting environmentally friendly practices such as integrated pest management. International standards for phytosanitary measures (ISPMs) in trade also help prevent the introduction and spread of plant pests across borders.