Digital technology and food security.

Digital technology has made its way into various industries but its impact in agriculture has the highest advantages with food security being on top of the list.

Farmers have harnessed the use of technology as a tool to grow their business and also as a selling platform to reach out to consumers and connect to would be customers. 

 The task to feed the ever growing population estimated to reach 9 billion by 2050 is no small one and farmers,are employing all available tools to keep up with the demand. The use of precision agriculture is not a new concept as more and more farmers are imbibing this concept to promote growth and development of their agribusiness. 

Phones are the simplest tool in this digital transformation as this is used as a platform for training, dissemination of information ,marketplace and data management. 

Read more and this Digital technology is helping farmers and agribusinesses build resilience, achieve scale and develop sustainable solutions in Africa. 

This is what the “fourth industrial revolution” looks like for increasing numbers of the world’s smallholder farmers. Nearly a third of the global population relies on agriculture for a living, and growth in this sector has been shown to be at least twice as effective at reducing poverty as growth in other sectors. But progress can be frustratingly slow. 

The average African maize farmer, for instance, produces five times less per hectare than the average American grower. A variety of new digital applications are now accelerating interventions that have been shown to improve productivity and growth in this sector. 

Connected Farmer, for instance, is a mobile product started in East Africa from a public-private partnership between Vodafone, USAID and the nonprofit TechnoServe, to help farmers work with agribusinesses and better manage continue

Chewing your food could protect against infection.

A study, recently published in the journal Immunity, found that chewing food also known as mastication can stimulate the release of T helper 17 (Th17) cells in the mouth. Th17 cells form a part of the adaptive immune system, which uses specific antigens to defend against potentially harmful pathogens, while enduring "friendly" bacteria that can be beneficial to health. According to the study team, in the gut and the skin, Th17 cells are produced in the presence of beneficial bacteria. However, the researchers note that the mechanisms by which Th17 cells are produced in the mouth have been unclear, they noted that the mechanical force required by mastication leads to physiological abrasion and damage in the mouth. The researchers came to their findings by feeding weaning mice soft-textured foods, which required less chewing, until they reached 24 weeks of age. At 24 weeks, the release of Th17 cells in the rodents' mouths was measured. A significant reduction in oral Th17 cell production was noted, which the team speculated was down to a reduction in mastication-induced physiological damage. The researchers found that increasing the levels of physiological damage in the rodents' mouths by rubbing the oral cavity with a sterile cotton applicator led to an increase in the production of Th17 cells and so the researchers believe these findings indicate that chewing food may help to protect us from illness. However, the researchers caution that increased oral Th17 cell production may not always be beneficial; too many of these cells can increase the risk of periodontitis, or gum disease, which has been associated with numerous other health conditions, including diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. The team also found that long-term exposure to physiological damage caused by mastication can exacerbate the effects of periodontitis.

Victorian farmer group calls on Federal Government to subsidise Q Fever vaccine.

The Victorian Farmers Federation is calling for increased access to Q Fever screening services and for the vaccine to be subsidized. Farmers, livestock handlers and abattoir workers are most at risk of contracting the disease, which is carried by livestock, domestic and wild animals. Some larger rural businesses such as meat processors, saleyards and livestock transporters are required by WorkSafe to protect workers against the disease by screening and vaccinating for Q Fever.According to the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services, rates of Q Fever infection have fluctuated in recent years. There were 34 cases of Q Fever in Victoria in 2014, with 59 cases in 2015 and 48 last year. But figures from the Australian Q Fever Register, collated by the Australian Meat Processor Corporation, show the number of people being registered to be screened and tested for the disease in Victoria jumped from 4,502 in 2014-15 to 4,948 in 2015-16. A dairy farmer from Victoria's Gippsland region will have to outlay thousands of dollars to screen and vaccinate his staff against Q Fever after one of his employees contracted the disease. Greg Peddle milks 750 dairy cows on his property at Yarram, about 220 kilometres south-east of Melbourne.The worker was diagnosed and treated for the disease immediately and was only away from work for one day. But under instruction by WorkSafe, Mr Peddle must now enforce a "no jab no job" policy, which will require all workers employed on his farm to be screened and vaccinated.continue

Q-Fever.

This an infectious disease caused by a bacteria, Coxiella burnetti and its found worldwide. The bacteria naturally infects some animals, such as goats, sheep and cattle. C. burnetii bacteria are found in the birth materials such as placenta, amniotic fluid and also in urine, feces, and milk of infected animals. The disease is of zoonotic importance people who have close contact with farm animals such as farm workers, vets, abattoir staff and livestock agents carry the greatest risk of contracting Q fever. Abattoir workers are at risk of infection when working on pregnant animals. Farmers must be careful when assisting at calving and avoid direct contact with afterbirth materials. Aborted fetuses and afterbirth should be disposed of safely by burning. The Q fever bacteria is very tough and can survive for months in the environment as infected animals shed the organism in urine, milk, feces and placental fluids. Contact with fetuses and fetal membranes from aborted animals can expose individuals to high doses of infective material. Animals are infected with the Q fever organism by inhaling or ingesting infected material such as urine, milk, feces or after-birth from infected animals. People are infected most frequently by inhaling infected material from these same sources or from environmental contamination. Wind borne transmission of the organism in dust is an important source of infection. Animals with Q fever are not treated, but infected people should receive prompt medical attention to relieve symptoms and avoid serious complications.Tetracycline and doxycline are drugs of choice for treatment although a vaccine is also available for prevention.

Worm study provides clues to better fat-loss therapies for humans.

Scientists have discovered key details of a brain-to-body signaling circuit that enables roundworms to lose weight independently of food intake, and there are reasons to suspect the circuit exists in a similar form in humans and other mammals. Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have discovered key details of a brain-to-body signaling circuit that enables roundworms to lose weight independently of food intake. The weight-loss circuit is activated by combined signals from the worm versions of the neurotransmitters serotonin and adrenaline, and there are reasons to suspect that it exists in a similar form in humans and other mammals. The study, published by the journal Cell Metabolism noted that boosting serotonin signaling has been seen as a viable strategy for weight loss in people, but results hint that boosting serotonin plus adrenaline should produce more potent effects .The surprising discovery was that serotonin isn't the sole driver of this weight-loss pathway, but works in concert with another neurotransmitter, octopamine -- the C. elegans version of adrenaline (also called epinephrine) in mammals.

Scientists find brain hormone that triggers fat burning.

Scientists find brain hormone that triggers fat burning.Biologists have identified a brain hormone that appears to trigger fat burning in the gut. Their findings in animal models could have implications for future pharmaceutical development. Biologists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have identified a brain hormone that appears to trigger fat burning in the gut,work published in the journal Nature Communications.Earlier studies had shown that the neurotransmitter serotonin can drive fat loss. The newly discovered fat-burning pathway works like this: a neural circuit in the brain produces serotonin in response to sensory cues, such as food availability. This signals another set of neurons to begin producing FLP-7. FLP-7 then activates a receptor in intestinal cells, and the intestines begin turning fat into energy.

Leonardo DiCarprio unveils Google’s new high-tech tool to curb illegal fishing.

Google has joined hands with popular actor Leonardo DiCarprio’s foundation to crackdown on illegal fishing. The search engine giant and the foundation have launched a new high-tech tool to track down unregulated fishing. The tool named as Global Fishing Watch was launched by Leonardo DiCaprio on Thursday. Main aim of the tool, a surveillance system, is to keep a constant check on global fishing practices taking from space and help bring decline in illegal fishing in the oceans. At the event, DiCaprio encourage everyone to check out the technology, which as per him will make citizens to be better protectors of the oceans. Oceans are vital for the livelihood. In fact, it is the primary food source for millions of people.continue