New Internet site on energy in rural environments
A new Web site, called EnerDev.org, has been created in response to an initiative of the French Ministry for Cooperation to help facilitate information exchanges on energy in rural environments between partners in the South and North.
This multimedia product was developed jointly by the Energy environment laboratory of the Forest department of the Centre for International Cooperation in Agricultural Research for Development (CIRAD, Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement), specialists in biomass; the "Energy for the World" Foundation (FONDEM, Fondation "Energies pour le monde"), specialists in energy in rural environments; and the Research and Technology Exchange Group (GRET, Groupe de Recherche et d'Echanges Technologiques), specialists in technology transfer.
The EnerDev.org site presents different ways of using new and renewable energy sources for electrification and the contribution of thermal energy in rural and peri-urban areas; capital and operational costs of different technical options, their benefits and limitations; modalities of investment, management and operations by private operators, and financial-aid mechanisms offered by large funding bodies.
The information available on the site is complemented by references to work and publications of the members of the network, Internet links to directories and events relating to decentralised generation of energy.
EnerDev site: http://www.enerdev.org/ - in French
Contact: philippe.girard@cirad.fr

Agritrade, portal on agricultural trade in the context of EU-ACP relations
The aim of the new Web portal, Agritrade, of the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA, Centre Technique Coopération Agricole et Rurale ACP-EU ) is to:
- facilitate the access by staff of agriculture and commerce ministries as well as by key players in agricultural and rural development in ACP countries to information relating to trade in fresh and processed agricultural produce between countries of the Africa-Caribbean-Pacific (ACP) zone and the European Union (EU);
- encourage debate via the Internet between government officials and other stakeholders in development of ACP countries on trade issues.
Agritrade makes available summaries of news items and publishes a quarterly newsletter on matters of agricultural trade, reviews and analyses on market access and on the bovine sector.
The quarterly newsletter in English and French, whose inaugural issue was published in October 2001, provides news and analyses on events bearing on ACP trade in agricultural products.
Agritrade information can be obtained by e-mail by simply filling in an online form on the site.
Agritrade site: http://www.agricta.org/agritrade/ - in English and in French
Contact: cta@cta.nl

Manobi, company for online services for producers and distributors of fresh tropical agricultural products
A new Senegalese company, Manobi, created in October 2000, has just launched an online platform of services for producers and distributors of fresh tropical agricultural products to help them reach national and international markets.
All of Manobi's professional trade and communications services can be accessed over the Internet, by mobile telephone or via a personal digital assistant (PDA) allowing users to track activity in the agricultural sector at all times and to seize the best market opportunities for fresh tropical agricultural produce.
The client target group includes importers, distributors, exporters, suppliers of products and services, associations, groups and federation of producers, retailers and restaurant owners, as well as public or private partners of the agricultural, agro-industrial and fishing sectors.
This Internet site is Manobi's first foray since the company's creation into providing services in western Africa, and in Senegal in particular. It has established partnerships with the main telephony operator in Senegal, with other service companies and professionals in the agriculture sector.
Manobi is located in Dakar in Senegal and in France.
Manobi site: http://www.manobi.net/
Contact: contact@manobi.net
[Sources: Kabissa-Fahamu-Sangonet Newsletter, no. 38, 18 October 2001 - in English; Balancing Act's News Update, no. 81, 13 October 2001 - in English]

Web of Knowledge, thematic sites of CIRAD
A thematic Internet site on the biology and breeding of large camalidae (camels and dromedaries) and camel-related subjects has been launched by the Centre for International Cooperation in Agricultural Research for Development (CIRAD, Centre de coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement).
It was designed by the Animal Production Programme of the Department for Breeding and Veterinary Medicine (EMVT, Département d'Elevage et de Médecine Vétérinaire, EMVT) and by the Delegation for Scientific and Technical Information (Délégation à l'Information Scientifique et Technique, DIST) of CIRAD.
Camalidae site: http://camelides.cirad.fr/ - in French
Contact: camel@cirad.fr
Camalidae is the third site to go online within the framework of the Web of Knowledge (Web des Savoirs). The Web of Knowledge is CIRAD's scientific site and is currently made up of sites created by teams of scientists for scientific cooperation and the dissemination of knowledge.
Its final objective is to cover all the broad themes that CIRAD is involved in. CIRAD's audience will find information there that will be practical, thought-provoking and educational.
Two other Web of Knowledge sites went online in 2001:
- Cormas, Natural resources and multi-agent simulations
Cormas is a site on the modelling of natural resources. It brings together the community of users of the Cormas software -- available for free download -- which was designed and developed by a team from the Department of Territories, Environment and Stakeholders (Département Territoires, Environnement et Acteurs, TERA).
Cormas site: http://cormas.cirad.fr/ - in French and in English
Contact: green@cirad.fr
- Agroecology network
This Web site brings together partners in agriculture projects using direct drilling (zero-tillage) methods in the context of the programme for management of cultivated ecosystems of the Department of Annual Tillage Crops (Département des Cultures Annuelles, CA).
Agroecology network site: http://agroecologie.cirad.fr/ - in French
Contact: agroecologie@cirad.fr
All thematic sites are also accessible directly from the main CIRAD site using the Online Services (Services en ligne) link.
CIRAD site: http://www.cirad.fr/ - in French
Contact: www@cirad.fr

ITAB, entrepreneurial aid programme for institutions in the SADC region in information and communication technologies
The German Carl Duisberg Foundation (CDG, Carl DuisbergGesellschaft) is preparing a new training project called ITAB (Information Technology for African Business) on behalf of the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development to accelerate the use of the new information and communication technologies (ICTs) by African businesses.
The ITAB programme will provide participating institutions with know-how in business ICTs and generate a network of institutions specialised in ICTs in the SADC (South African Development Community) region.
The programme will consist of workshops and seminars for executives from the participating institutions, a one-year intensive training course for business information technology consultants in Europe, as well as Web-based training. The programme is scheduled to run from September 2001 to December 2004.
By the end of the know-how transfer programme, the African institutions will closely cooperate with partner institutions in Africa and in Europe; offer business-related information technology training and consultancy services; provide Web-based training programmes; and thus promote the future participation of African business within the global economy.
ITAB site: http://www.it-ab.net/ - in English
Contact: KarwatzkiS@cdg.de
[Source: Balancing Act's News Update, no. 77, 17 September 2001 - in English]

E-BioSci, European project for a platform for accessing scientific knowledge
Announced officially in September 2001 by its main sponsor, the European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO), and by the European Union, E-BioSci is a European project for developing a platform for accessing scientific knowledge.
The concept followed the reappraisal of the world of scientific publication by the campaign of the Public Library of Science in September 2000 by American scientists. They appealed for a boycott of scientific publishers who refuse to publish articles online, quickly and without charge.
The E-BioSci project was designed by EMBO in collaboration with scientists, the publishing world and heads of science libraries.
While the American project, PubMedCentral (PMC), is a single repository of all publications in the field of medicine, E-BioSci will be an access portal to dispersed but interconnected articles and publications. This networked functioning will require the creation of a powerful search engine and a mechanism to guarantee the quality of publications by peer-review.
By financing the development of the prototype platform that will serve as the basis of this new service, Europe is seeking to help improve conditions in the traditional scientific publishing market. Free-access services alongside commercial services will provide for healthy competition.
E-BioSci site: http://www.e-biosci.org/ - in English
Contact: Les Grivell, grivell@embo.org
[Source: RDT info, no. 31, September 2001]

infoDev grants for helping organisers of conferences on ICTs
The InfoDev Conference Scholarship Fund, iCSF, makes grants to organisers of conferences that foster the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for development. The purpose of the grants is to sponsor the conference participation of ICT professionals from developing countries.
Applications for grants for conferences taking place during the period November 2001 to June 2002 can be made with infoDev, the information development programme of the World Bank.
Eligible organisers must be organising a conference on a theme directly related to information and communication technologies (ICTs) and their applications, and must be planning to sponsor the participation of at least three selected individuals from developing countries. Grants can be used to support the travel and per diem expenses of those individuals.
Details of application procedures as well as a list of conferences to which grants have already been made can be found on the infoDev Web site.
Site: http://www.infodev.org/icsf/ - in English
Contact: infodev@worldbank.org
[Source: bellanet-l, 15 October 2001 - in English]

Online debate on copyright, software and Internet and their impact on poor countries
The Commission on Intellectual Property Rights (CIPR) has been set up by the United Kingdom and is financed by the Department for International Development (DFID) to look at how the global rules and practices on intellectual property might better serve the needs and interests of the poor and developing countries.
The commission is due to report to the Secretary of State for International Development in March 2002.
An online debate was launched in October 2001 in the form of a discussion list to which anyone can subscribe by registering.
To subscribe to the discussion list, write to iprcommission-subscribe@topica.com
To participate in the debate, send your comments and opinions in the form of an e-mail message to iprcommission@topica.com
The archives of the discussion list holds all the messages posted so far and is available on the Web site: http://www.topica.com/lists/iprcommission
Debate has focused on copyright, software, and the Internet; intellectual property rights and public health in developing countries; the role of intellectual property in agriculture with the development of new varieties of crops, its impact on costs and access of materials such as seeds and on the habits of the consumers.
CIPR site: http://www.iprcommission.org/index.asp - in English
Contact: ipr@iprcommission.org

Eighth call for proposals from Francophone Fund for Information Highways
Within the framework of its eighth call for proposals, the Francophone Fund for Information Highways (FFI, Fonds Francophones des Inforoutes) will accept, until 17 December 2001, proposals for projects that use French-language content for encouraging the use of information highways.
The projects should be implemented in at least three Francophone countries, one or more of which has to be in the South or the East.
Eligibility criteria depend on the partnerships involved in the project; the impact, duration, and financing of the project; and the nature of expenses.
A project that has already obtained financing from FFI during an earlier call for proposals can seek additional financing subject to certain conditions.
The application should consist of a project briefing card, a detailed presentation of the project and annexures. It should be submitted on or before the closing date in six paper copies and in digital form (.doc or .rtf on diskette, CD-ROM or by e-mail).
Eligibility criteria and details of the items required for a valid application are available on FFI's Web site.
The next call for proposals will be available online in March 2002.
FFI site: http://www.francophonie.org/fonds/ - in French
Contact: fonds@francophonie.org
[Source: Echoweb du Cifdi, no. 62, 2 October 2001 - in French]