News

15 May 2012	AG-MEMOD workshops
	During a workshop held in Dublin on 22 February 2012, new AG-MEMOD partners have been informed about the current computer structure of the AG-MEMOD framework, including the new features that have... more
	EU-China Urbanisation Partnership
	On 3 May 2012, LEI researcher Xiaoyong Zhang attended the high-level conference ‘EU-China Urbanisation Partnership’ in Brussels about EU-China cooperation on urbanisation, sustainable city planning... more
24 Apr 2012	Saudi management team explores LEI
	LEI is involved in setting up the Agricultural Information Centre for Saudi Arabia. Having started on 26 March, the management team of the Saudi Centre have been visiting LEI for a two-week training... more
	Initial results of Sustainability Consortium implemented
	Wal-Mart has announced this month that it is set to use sustainability indicators, developed by The Sustainability Consortium (TSC), in the assessment of its suppliers. It is the first retailer to... more
	New method shows the best locations in Africa for improving maize yields
	By using a combination of geographic information systems (GIS) and statistical analysis, researchers can determine the areas in Africa where the chances of improving the maize harvest are better or... more
	Petrol station customers have positive views on more sustainable products
	The improved sustainability visible in Dutch supermarkets can also be expected of shops at petrol stations. More than 60% of petrol station customers are interested in the purchase of sustainable... more
20 Apr 2012	Indian agriculture and the world market – is it business as usual?
	LEI recently contributed to the conference ‘Indian agriculture and the world market’, hosted by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Delhi, 30 March 2012. Three staff members of... more
17 Apr 2012	Establishment approval in international trade of animal products
	Establishment approval is often used by importing countries as a means to achieve their desired level of food safety and quality. Importing countries set up their establishment approval requirement... more
	Land use policies and sustainable development
	Edward Elgar has just released the book 'Land use policies and sustainable development; Exploring Integrated Assessment Approaches'. This timely book, edited by Desmond McNeill, Ingrid Nesheim (both... more
	Study tour on Green Growth
	On 12 April, a delegation of 11 employees of the Vietnamese Ministry of Planning and Investment visited LEI for a study tour on Green Growth, financed by the United Nations Development Programme... more
	LEI explores the influence of NTMs on Dutch agricultural export products
	Import requirements can influence exports of Dutch agricultural products. This was one of the conclusions of an exploratory study of Non-Tariff Measures (NTMs) carried out by LEI, part of Wageningen... more
30 Mar 2012	Pork chain in need of added value
	The Dutch pork chain must focus on the needs of the Northwestern European consumer. This calls for sustainable production and better integration of the businesses in the chain. The lagging earning... more
	Agricultural sector's interest in Dutch exports increasing
	LEI has released an overview of the contribution of the Dutch agricultural complex (agriculture, horticulture, fisheries and related sectors) to the economy and the environment. The share of the... more
28 Mar 2012	Better food security in Ghana and Mali undermines biodiversity
	Food production is increasing in both Ghana and Mali and levels of malnutrition are falling. This is because larger areas of land are being used for agriculture and because farmers have started... more
27 Mar 2012	European report on Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems
	The need to speed up innovation in agriculture has consequences for the way that agricultural knowledge and innovation systems (AKIS) are organised. Although these systems are very different between... more
26 Mar 2012	The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) can be further simplified
	The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) post-2013 can be simplified significantly. This would require an amendment of the current proposals for the post-2013 CAP. Gains are to be expected, in... more
20 Mar 2012	Reuse of waste water in agriculture
	Water is a scarce resource in Turkey, and agriculture is a large user. It would be an important step forward if waste water could be recycled, especially in view of the expectation that fresh water... more
	Piglet castration and animal welfare
	The European Commission and the Danish presidency of the EU organised a Conference on the EU Animal Welfare Strategy: 'Empowering consumers and creating market opportunities for animal welfare' on 29... more
	COFCO Beijing Eco-valley project
	LEI researcher Xiaoyong Zhang, together with four other Wageningen UR colleagues, has given a successful presentation to the COFCO (China National Cereals, Oils and Foodstuffs Corporation) Group for... more
	Long-term scenarios for agro-Food
	LEI researcher Hans van Meijl participated in the 2012 AgMIP Regional Africa Workshop in Nanyuki, Kenya, January 16-20, 2012. He was involved in comparing long-term scenarios for agro-Food (2050)... more
	Dynamics in Food Chains
	LEI researchers Jan Buurma, Volkert Beekman and Koen Boone participated in the 6th International Forum on System Dynamics and Innovation in Food Networks, 13-17 February 2012, Innsbruck-Igls,... more
	LEI involved in assessment research on nanotechnology in food
	From 2012-2014 LEI is involved in the EU project ‘Integrated EST Framework’. The aim of this project is to contribute to socially robust and ethically sound assessments of emerging science and... more
	Cooperation with Taiwan
	LEI is involved in a greenhouse horticulture project in Taiwan. This project focuses on reinforcing the cooperation between Wageningen UR and universities and research institutes in Taiwan and on... more
	Poster presentation: Should the sugar quota be abolished?
	LEI researcher Bert Smit presented a poster on the LEI scenario study ‘Wel of geen suikerquotering’ (Sugar quotas: yes or no?) at the annual congress of the IIRB (International Institute for Beet... more
16 Mar 2012	Laan van Staalduinen appointed general director Social Sciences Group Wageningen UR
	Laan van Staalduinen has been appointed the new general director of the Social Sciences Group at Wageningen UR (University & Research Centre) as from 15 March. She succeeds Ruud Huirne, who left... more
2 Mar 2012	Meat substitutes hindered by unfamiliarity and complex regulations
	Large quantities of soya and other protein-rich animal feed are required for the production of meat. Alternative sources of protein for both human and animal consumption are therefore being sought,... more
22 Feb 2012	Agricultural Info Center in Riyadh opened
	February 15 the Agricultural Info Center (AIC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was opened by the Minister of Finance, in attendance of the Minister of Agriculture. LEI Wageningen UR helps to establish this... more
17 Feb 2012	Aquaculture and fishery included in agricultural models of LEI and FAO/OECD
	LEI has developed an aquaculture and fishery module for its model MAGNET, a world production and trade model with a focus on agriculture, because aquaculture is competing for feed with the animals... more
	LEI analysis on speculation of agricultural commodity prices
	After the peaks in agricultural commodity prices in 2007/08 and 2010/11, a host of studies appeared explaining the causes. Financial speculation on futures markets was seen as one of these causes,... more
14 Feb 2012	The Netherlands is one of the world's leaders when it comes to propagation materials
	Dutch companies producing propagation materials - seeds, seed tubers, seed onions and young plants for the agricultural and horticultural sectors - rank among the world's top in terms of turnover,... more
24 Jan 2012	Ecological networks and cost-benefit analysis
	Increasing pressure on land demands a careful assessment of competing activities in land-use planning. Cost-benefit analysis is increasingly used in planning processes to select the land-use plan... more
	Valuing the landscape
	Landscapes are highly appreciated by local residents and tourists alike, for their beauty and for their historical value. Yet landscape features may be destroyed for short-term gain. This points to... more
	Internationalisation of the Fisheries Knowledge Groups
	The Fisheries Knowledge Groups are taking the first step towards European cooperation aimed at improving knowledge exchange between European fishermen and scientists. Since many European fisheries... more
	Inaugural lecture upon taking up the post of Special Professor of Economics of Water and Climate Change
	Water resources are under increasing pressure from population growth and economic development. Scarcity of water and climate change induce a relocation of food production. The availability of... more
20 Jan 2012	Certification of agrarian nature conservation
	In the Netherlands, a discussion is currently taking place on how to minimize administrative burdens linked to agri- environmental schemes and other types of agrarian nature conservation. One option... more
	White fish from the North Sea is equally climate friendly as farmed fish
	The environmental impact of plaice and cod caught wild in the North Sea is similar to that of imported farmed fish like salmon, tilapia and pangasius. This was the conclusion arrived at by LEI in a... more
	Mexican horticulture industry
	In 2011, at the request of the agricultural counsellor of the Dutch Embassy in Mexico, a market study on protected horticulture was conducted by PPO and LEI, to assess opportunities for Dutch... more
	Community Based Education course
	In January, Olga van der Valk realised her last visit to Ethiopia for work package 6 ‘Community Based Education’ (CBE) for the NUFFIC program Capacity Building for Sustainable Development of... more
	Seminar Series: Achieving and measuring results of PSD interventions
	During the first quarter of 2012, LEI is organising a seminar series on monitoring and evaluation. The series must support organisations active in Private Sector Development (notably the... more
17 Jan 2012	Possibilities to reform phytosanitary policy
	Entrepreneurs could be given more responsibility for controlling phytosanitary risks. However the government must first assess whether they are willing and able to control invasive plant diseases and... more
	Major changes to income in agriculture and horticulture in 2011
	Some agriculture and horticulture businesses saw significantly lower incomes in 2011 compared to 2010. The drop in income among greenhouse-based vegetable growers, brought about mainly by the EHEC... more
16 Dec 2011	Growth set to be a challenge for Dutch agricultural sector
	Between now and 2025, agricultural production in the Netherlands will be confronted by environmental limits, particularly with regard to the disposal of manure. Nevertheless, the prospects for this... more
	Changes expected in the sugar sector
	The abolition of the European sugar quota, combined with a reduction of import tariffs, will lead to a 10% increase in sugar production and a drop in the price of sugar and sugar beet. Farmers'... more
	Sectors with high farm payments most severely hit by CAP reforms
	Europe's common agricultural policy is set to change. The European Commission has put forward proposals to distribute the income support differently, to invest more in sustainability and further... more
	The debate about nature compensation
	If for any reason development activities are carried out in protected nature areas, the principle of nature compensation applies. This means that new nature areas must be developed of equal nature... more
	Consumers want clarity regarding sustainability quality marks
	Quality marks indicating sustainability need to be made clearer for consumers and market parties. This would make it easier for consumers to make choices. The current quality marks provide too little... more
	New COM must give rise to more market-focused horticulture
	The current Common Organisation of Agricultural Markets (COM) for Fruit and Vegetables will be evaluated and modified in 2013. LEI, part of Wageningen UR, recommends stimulating the fruit and... more
	Capacity building Kenyan Horticulture
	LEI Wageningen UR has won the tender for NUFFIC NICHE/KEN126 Capacity building Kenyan Horticulture. LEI will take the lead in this project. For a sustainable development of the horticulture sector in... more
	China National Cereals, Oils and Foodstuffs Corporation
	China National Cereals, Oils and Foodstuffs Corporation (COFCO) has chosen Wageningen UR as its scientific partner in designing its COFCO Agricultural Eco Valley in Beijing. Wageningen UR will... more
	National Action Plan sustainable crop protection
	LEI researchers Jan Buurma and Bert Smit participated in working groups for the National Action Plan (NAP) sustainable crop protection of the Netherlands.On 1st December 2011 the working groups... more
	Expert workshop on ammonia emission
	On 9 and 10 November, Harry Luesink visited the International export workshop Ammonia emission from animal husbandry in Europe in Bonn. The workshop was organised by Kuratorium für Technik und... more
	The strength of AGMEMOD in a new book
	The book The Future of EU Agricultural Markets by AGMEMOD has just been published by Springer Editors are Frédéric Chantreuil, Kevin Hanharan and Myrna van Leeuwen. This book grasps the opportunity... more
	Export opportunities for Suriname
	LEI researcher Kees Taal has been on an investigative mission in Suriname on behalf of the Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries (CBI). Together with two experts from the Agri... more
	Indian agriculture and the world market – is it business-as-usual?
	A workshop was held in Brussels on December 1, to present the EU-funded project on Trade, Agricultural Policies and Structural Changes in India’s Agrifood System; implications for national and global... more
2 Dec 2011	Nested markets in multifunctional agriculture
	Regional agricultural products often trade at a premium because of the specific qualities of the place where they come from, traditional local skills, and networks. They are said to be traded in... more
1 Dec 2011	Companies would waste less food if legislation and regulations were changed
	Companies would waste considerably less food if the government were to modify legislation, regulations and procedures in two areas. The ‘best-before date’ period for non-perishable products could be... more
22 Nov 2011	Food security in Sudan
	Sudan is now focusing on recovery, reconstruction and rapid development after the end of civil war in 2007. The Ministry of Agriculture in Sudan invited Wageningen UR to execute a prefeasibility... more
	Why can’t Africa produce more food?
	To deepen our understanding of the food security problem in Sub-Saharan Africa, a multidisciplinary team from Wageningen UR has mapped both biophysical and socio-economic conditions. In addition to... more
	Food security and maintaining biodiversity are not mutually exclusive
	The world can produce enough food and protect biodiversity, even if farm production continues to increase at the same rate. This can be done if three key measures are implemented. The measures are:... more
	Saudi Arabia to set up its own Agricultural Information Centre
	LEI and IT company Al Elm are building a business information network for agriculture and horticulture in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi government realises that, in order to pursue its agricultural policy... more
	A nitrogen map for Europe
	Adaptation to climate change requires effective environmental monitoring. The European Union finances the project Geoland 2, which is aimed at providing harmonised geo-information at global to local... more
	Model dairy farm is part of Memorandum of Understanding
	The Dutch and Russian dairy industries signed a Memorandum of Understanding during Prime Minister Rutte’s visit to Russia. Part of this MoU involves establishing a model dairy farm for 650 dairy cows... more
	Green Education and Wageningen UR working together for better minerals management
	In the project 'Van Koploper naar peloton' (‘From front-runner to rank and file’) Green Education is working on ways of bringing improvements in mineral management and economics on dairy farms in... more
	Aquaculture helps solve the problem of world food demand
	Africa’s population is growing and needs to be fed. But the yield of fish from seas, rivers and lakes is falling. Skills and knowledge can be exported from the Netherlands to build a productive... more
	Trust and New Modes of Fisheries Governance
	On 4 November, at Wageningen University, Birgit de Vos successfully defended her thesis Trust and New Modes of Fisheries Governance. It is a commonplace today that many of the world’s commercial... more
	LEI publishes overview of RURAGRI research
	LEI has published an overview of the research programmes carried out by the RURAGRI consortium. This is the first overview of research programmes in twenty countries, focusing on the relationships... more