Launching of the Maria Family Books by Foreign Minister Hon. Julie Bishop in Goroka 18 December 2014

Minister Bishop at BbP library about to read 'Maria's family goes to market'. Photo Eva Kuson/DFAT

It was a blissfully cool and clear day as the sun came out from behind the clouds amidst the pine tree tops. Dr Lalen Simeon and I were delighted to be part of the team that travelled up to Goroka to meet the Foreign Affairs Minister; Hon. Julie Bishop, for the launching of the “Maria’s Family” books at Buk bilong Pikinini (BbP) Library, at the University of Goroka campus.

Is short-rotation plantation forestry in Asia sustainable?

Sustainable management of agricultural and forestry systems is one of the most important challenges facing people all over the world. As we strive to feed, house and provide for a rapidly growing and increasingly affluent global population, we need to produce more. At the same time we need to make sure that the production systems we use don’t diminish our ability to produce in the future.

Tiny wasps to safeguard forest plantations in the Mekong region

Tiny wasps were the subject of the first meeting for partners in the ACIAR project ‘Biological control of galling insect pests of eucalypts’ held in Vientiane, Lao PDR in July 2014. Delegates from Vietnam, Cambodia and Lao PDR outlined the eucalypt pest situation in the Mekong region, where large-scale reforestation projects are in train.

Rice futures in the Mekong region

Farmers in the Mekong region could remain poor if they grow rice alone. This is one of the messages that have come out of a recent meeting of policymakers and agricultural researchers in Cambodia.

Ideas on policy measures for improving rice-based farming systems in the Mekong region are outlined in a conference proceedings just released by the Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research (ACIAR). 



Cambodian smallholder farmers in rice fields. Photo: ACIAR.

The report, A policy dialogue on rice futures: rice-based farming systems research in the Mekong region, marks the conclusion of a AU$14.8 million ACIAR program on farm productivity and policy-focused research in the region. 

The meeting brought together 60 senior policymakers and agricultural researchers, primarily from Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Australia. The resulting report comprises 25 edited papers, including five synopses of panel and audience deliberations. 

ACIAR celebrates World Soil Day - 5 December 2014

Did you know that 95% of our food comes from soil? And that there are more organisms in one tablespoon of healthy soil than there are people on Earth?

Despite soil being all around us, we often fail to realise how much we need it for food, water and most importantly, life! Today marks World Soil Day, a day for celebration and recognition of the importance of soil as a critical component of natural systems and a vital contributor to human wellbeing. The day is celebrated by the global community of 60,000 soil scientists charged with responsibility of generating and communicating soil knowledge for the common good.

Teak fever in Solomon Islands

Me go long Solomon Islands lookem wat now one fella projek long ACIAR doem. In other words, in October 2014, I travelled to Solomon Islands to participate in an end-of-project review of an ACIAR forestry project on teak production. While I may not have picked up the local lingo in 5 days, I certainly learnt a lot about forestry in the Pacific.