We can never go wrong if we invest in agriculture

You can never go wrong when you invest in food. Human civilization started with agriculture and it should stay that way. http://thestar.com.my/education/story.asp?file=/2012/5/27/education/

11353842&sec=education

Stop CRUELTY to trees n plants

BELAI pohon dan tumbuhan, bukan ditebang sesuka hati...

Hentikan kekejaman kepada pohon dan tanaman. Tuhan menyemai pokok kerana ia: payung daripada panas dan hujan, penyerap habuk, pelindung tanah, pengindah pemandangan, dinding kepada tsunami, pembekal buah-bunga-makanan-sirat-ubat-wangi-wangian untuk kita; dan yang paling utama, nadi nyawa iaitu oksijen. Jadikan pohon separuh daripada kewujudan kita, walaupun kita dikelilingi dengan hutan konkrit. Inovasi "Green Walls" ini, bukan setakat tampak indah, tetapi penghayatannya lebih dalam daripada dinding tipis yang telah dilakar dengan leretan tumbuhan.
Fatimah

Stop CRUELTY to trees n plants
Stop the CRUELTY TO TREES n plants. God planted them for a purpose: umbrella from heat, absorbent of dust, protector of soil, beauties of our landscape, wall to tsunamis, provider of fruits-food-fibre-medicine to mankind, n most of all the, the essence of life, oxygen. Let the trees be part of our existence, even in the concrete jungle that we live in now. This innovative "Green Walls", esthetic as it seems, the appreciation is deeper than the thin "walls" created.
Green walls in the jungle of concretes
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/01/30/world/europe/green-wall-clean-air/index.html

Regenerative agriculture

2012 has finally arrived. What a year 2011 was. World agriculture and food once again were being challenged with more extreme shocks. The shocks came from all dimensions: geo-political shook up (eg Egyptian Spring and its spread to other Middle Eastern countries), extreme weather (floods and typhoon in ASEAN countries), and earthquake/tsunami in Japan and of course the Fukushima nuclear plants explosion. Lurking is the continuing crude oil increase and hence the thirst for biofuel. The EU’s financial crisis is starting to sip in. China continues to dominate demand. If the past is a mirror of the future, will 2012 be more of the same?

Among these shocks, the most unpredictable one is the nature’s calendar. A volcanologist may be able to predict that tectonic plates will move but the exact date and time is beyond their means, let alone the damage it brings. Despite this uncertainty, nature and its resources are the major challenges of agriculture and food. Last decade saw the occurrence of extreme weather changes which according to scientists will remain a norm in the future. The impact of the climate change coupled with unsustainable farming practices have made “sustainability” an urgent agenda. The evidences of reduction in soil and water quality are rampant in areas of intensive chemical fertilizer and input use. Excessive water usage and rapid urbanization are pushing down the water level further. This does not include excessive fishing and felling of forest with minimal concern on their future.

Has Malaysia done enough to weather this climate challenge? No policy can be enough and complete to address this issue. Nevertheless, attempts should be made to minimize impact and a sustainable development for future generation.

In the last two years Malaysia has produced a number of transformation plans, much more than it has ever produced in the last four decades (the major one being The Economic Transformation Plan). As for agriculture, the DAM (Dasar Agro-makanan) document is already out. Like all the previous agricultural policy documents, DAM sets the direction of our agriculture at least in the next 10 years. It recognizes the challenges ahead, structural deficiencies at home and hence the need to improve competitiveness through efficient resource use, innovations and so on.

Sustainability of the sector is central in the policy documents, which is commendable indeed. However, it could have been meaningful if a number of specific strategies are laid down to be impactful. The following instruments worth pursuing. Its simply towards creating a “regenerative agriculture.”

Agricultural production in Malaysia is input intensive and in some sectors (paddy, fisheries) incentives or subsidies are provided to push production. However overuse of pesticides, fertilizers, water, and fuel encourage land degradation. These should be an explicit policy shift towards significantly increasing the efficiency of fertiliser and agro chemical use and their replacement by soil-fertility-enriching (and carbon-absorptive) production methods that rely multi-cropping, integrating crop and livestock production and the use of bio-fertilisers and bio-pesticides. These are the basic ingredients of regenerative agriculture, in that by farming organically, we are regenerating the soil, returning the land to its natural state.

As Malaysia imports most of her fertilizer and agro-chemical used, a drastic reduction of their consumption therefore not only benefits the environment, but also leads to a reduction of the import bill and agricultural production costs.
Food crisis 2008 pointed the neglect on agricultural investment in R&D as the major culprit for little improvement in productivity and hence inability to cope with production gap. The investment in the agriculture in Malaysia sector deserves much more than what was given. Not only higher in value but with more focus towards strategies that yield high impact on improving physical and R&D infrastructure, linkages between farmers, and greater investment into extension, education and services. These are not new ideas but they are still relevant due to years of neglect, in fact much more are needed in view of the severity of the future threat. Savings from the removal of perverse incentives can not only significantly reduce societal burden but rechannel for these productive purposes.

To achieve “regenerative agriculture” requires a paradigm shift in doing things. The old delivery method may no longer effective when the task requires commitment from all dimensions. Coordination between environmental, natural resource, energy and agricultural policies is needed to maintain a consistent set of incentives for adoption of sustainable management system and to facilitate cross-sectoral interactions. A multi-disciplinary and multi-agency support is needed to translate and implement these strategies.

One agenda that has the largest impact on natural resource management is local community empowerment to manage and conserve resources themselves with the support of the local and central authorities. This can be operationalised by collective action through producer organization. Collective action by producer organizations builds research and skill capacity, reduces transaction costs, increases market power and strengthens representation in national and international forums. Most important it strengthens the capacity of local communities in their stewardship of biodiversity, conservation of land, resources, fragile agro-ecological zones. This requires a policy framework around the stewardship of biodiversity at al levels need to be created.

Under this producer organization mode, local communities are the active participants in managing their resources. They can play a very proactive role in facilitating exchange of local knowledge to be integrated with the scientific findings and tools to improve productivity and value added. They may also be instrumental in promoting the de-centralized use of bio- and other renewable energy sources. Malaysia does have a successful story in this regard, ie., fisheries co-management project in Kuala Teriang, Langkawi. A similar model should be replicated in other areas and sectors with modifications.

Large probability that 2013 and beyond will magnify their past. And past is colored with unpredictable and wild weather that are affecting the temperature, water availability, soil condition, harvesting season and so on. Human reckless interventions have merely worsened the situation. There is a spectrum of policy strategies to safeguard the future, but a regenerative agriculture has the most promises.

Univ. Malaya: Misjudged Temporal Comparison

A no brainer answer to allegation that UM was at low ebb even decades ago.

Divani
http://taknakghauth.wordpress.com/2012/02/04/alumni-um-tersinggung-kenyataan-naib-canselor/
08/02/2012 at 1:01 pm

Ghauth is either naive and/or stupid. His statement about UM was never any good in particular during Ungku Aziz as a VC merely manifests his inability to articulate let alone arguing as an academician or a professor worse still as a VC. His statement of degrading UM for its past reveals two major errors in his reasoning.

(i) Shallow definition of impact. Publication of ISI journal is no panacea to social problem or economic development which Malaysia desperately chasing after. Impact of ISI publications are limited – mainly in terms of number of citations. Lately – due to demands of this publications, thousands of fake articles have been published by local academics in the west to improve ranking. Unlike before, most of these papers are void of societal concerns. They are churned out purely for numbers’ sake. Very unlikely that these fake papers produce impact on societal improvements.

But, through his research Ungku Azis has revolutionised the savings of the poor to become capital investment to plough back to the rural economy to extricate them out of poverty. His concept of Tabung Haji is one of its kind in the world and it has contributed to a more organised “haj” industry. The tabung helped the poor to perform the haj without becoming poorer after sacrificing their lands or assets to the money lenders to finance the trip. His contribution is beyond billion ringgits worth, but creating an equitable development for the country and bringing the poor into the mainstream of economic activities. Had it not for him, the poor will remain impoverished and victimised by the moneylenders with exorbitant rate of interest. We have not taken into account the multiplier effect of his innovation to the economy.

(ii) Inability to make an intelligent temporal comparison. One is shallow if one uses the standard in the C21st to measure the performance in the 1950s. We cannot say the professors in the 1950s were slow in calculating the coefficients in the regression analysis compared to now. Simply because the technology was not available then. Similarly, he cannot use the ISI criteria on professors in the 1950s as then, they were busy laying the foundation for the future of academic in the country. Steve Jobs did not have ISI publications but he changed the world. So are other great men in human history; Ghandi, Rumi and others. Temporal comparison should take into account the variables in the era that one chooses. Period.

What a blunder.

Minut-init again

http://minutspaceinit.blogspot.com/
http://test.juiceonline.com/venues/minut-init-studio-galleria/

Young art at work.Let their minds, heart n soul explore the beauty of the Creation inside out,black n white and all its spectrum and grandeur. Within, we hope they'll find the inner force that may pacify greeds and insanity that destroy kindness n purity to its core. Well done Minut-init: Nominated as "Best art venue,2011" by Juice.

Its time for new Green Revolution II

Fatimah Mohamed Arshad (2011). Green Revolution: Face up to New Challenges, New Straits Times, 23 June.
http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/18green/Article/index_html

IT is time to initiate a "Green Revolution 2" after a long lull following the success of the Green Revolution (GR) of the 1960s and 1970s.

The original GR revolutionised padi production in Asia, alleviating farmers from the productivity trap while poor consumers benefited from an abundant supply of rice.

Some countries in Asia, including Malaysia, were able to enjoy a reasonable degree of food security, particularly in rice. Productivity enhancement was the order then.


After the 2008 food crisis, "food security" is once again the buzzword in Malaysia.

The World Food Summit in 1996 defined food security as existing when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meet their dietary needs and food preferences.

The GR developed new varieties of rice that were more resistant to pests and diseases, and improved taste and grain quality.


The success of GR in Malaysia began with the realisation that investment in increasing agricultural productivity was a prerequisite to economic development, including food security.

This vision was translated into research and development (R&D) in enhancing rice productivity and infrastructure by public agencies.

The move was proven right as indicated by the increase in productivity, farmers' income and consumers' welfare.


Despite these successes, the downside of GR are potentially serious. The technology developed in the 1970s may no longer be relevant in the current environment.

After four decades of GR application (with minimal modifications), the intensification of agriculture and chemical input has led to environmental degradation, increased salinity and pesticide misuse.

In particular, the excessive use of pesticides is destroying the environment. Lately, frequent weather and natural hazards have made climate change an important variable in the supply equation. The GR has already run its course.

The investment in rice has been lopsided towards protectionist measures to ensure producers achieve the self-sufficiency target set rather than for "productive" purposes, particularly increasing productivity and adding value.

Protectionist measures include price control (such as a guaranteed minimum price), cash and input subsidies, market regulations and import controls.

Between 2000 and 2009, the government dished out RM9 billion in subsidies to the industry to achieve 65 to 70 per cent self-sufficiency in rice production.

The allocation for R&D is a meagre percentage of this value.

As proven elsewhere, interventionist measures are distortive, economically inefficient and a huge burden on the government and taxpayers.

Despite all these, the strategy is able to ensure a relatively stable supply of rice. But this trade-off is a costly one indeed.

The investment in food in general has been reduced significantly as imports are much cheaper than if they are to be grown locally.

The downward trend in public investment in the food sector has not been matched by a concomitant rise in private investments. The private sector investments were mainly concentrated on industrial crops, such as oil palm and agribusiness ventures.

While the food sector is being marginalised by the government and private sector, the demand for food continues to increase because of population and income growth.

The implications in changes in the consumption sector were overlooked by many.

Food demand is influenced by population growth, urbanisation, income and associated changes in dietary preferences.

As income grows, consumers shift their diet from one largely dependent on rice to a more diversified diet comprising meat, milk, fruits, vegetables and processed foods.

These needs are met through imports that are increasing , resulting in large deficits about RM11 billion last year.

In the last three decades, Malaysia's rice import has hovered around 30 per cent of the local requirement.

In the short term, Malaysia has enough foreign exchange to import rice and other food items, but in the long term, this strategy may not hold any more.

Without major breakthroughs, demand could easily outstrip the overly stressed supply sector. There is evidence of resource overuse.

Rice production will have to address several major challenges. Water, for one, will become a major constraining factor because the quality and quantity of water will decline as a result of pollution, forest degradation, and increased agricultural, domestic and industrial use.

Continuous urbanisation would lead to loss of padi land to residential and industrial development and a decline in the number of workers.

Overuse of chemical fertilisers and pesticides reduces soil fertility and water quality and harms the environment.

Thus, an increase in rice production would have to be achieved by using less water, labour and cultivated land. This requires new varieties with high yield potential, water use efficiency and better resistance to pests and diseases.

These challenges have to be addressed by modern science such as biotechnology.

To institute a radical change in rice productivity, a new green revolution is imperative. It must achieve a new objective, that is productivity that is sustainable to the environment and mankind. And, it should start now.

Read more: Green Revolution: Face up to new challenges http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/18green/Article/index_html#ixzz1U0ZKPnz0

Multilingual 1Malaysian Kids

Fatimah Mohamed Arshad (2011). 1Malaysia: Raise multilingual kids, New Straits Times, 2 August. OR

HAVING multilingual children is the answer to the social integration that we desperately seek. Without a doubt, Bahasa Malaysia unites the races but not necessarily integrates them.

Integration requires more than just speaking in one language; it needs understanding and appreciating cultural differences and similarities. Rooted in each culture is the answer to prejudices and misconceptions that one harbours against another.

The "segregation" in our political and social life by ethnicity is still rampant though there are areas where we are one. 1Malaysia is truly an appropriate semantic -- be it in meaning and intention. What's lacking is how it should be done.


One small step that may lead to a giant advantage is to teach our children the languages that we have in the country. Children, unlike adults, are fast learners. They are able to master five or more languages.

Currently, our children can master at least two languages (among Malays) and three (among Chinese and Indians). The Malays are at a disadvantage here as they only know their mother tongue and English, while their counterparts can master their native language plus Bahasa Malaysia and English.

So, going from three to five languages is no big deal.


Language is more than just a window to knowledge; it's a gateway to appreciating the diversity of cultures, religions and ways of life.

These languages, for instance Arabic, Chinese and Hindi/Tamil, are as old as their history. They are the institutional memories of each culture embedded in the vocabularies and semantics. Yet, we deny our children these rich languages when they are there in our lives every day.

A mono-view of culture is closing the opportunities of exploring minds and paradigms. Opening up this spectrum to young minds will teach them that diversity is a way of life. It enriches their minds, and seeds of understanding and appreciation are planted at an early age.


With this exposure, facing a multi-ethnic environment will not be an alien experience later in their adult life. They will be able to assimilate easily and there will be fewer prejudices. Networking will no longer be tough for them. With this skill, they, too, will become agile workers or professionals in the international arena.

The role of languages in breaking down prejudice cannot be underrated. Why a certain behavioural pattern is prevalent in an ethnic group can be explained if we understand their culture.

Biases, misunderstanding and most of all, ignorance, can be minimised while promoting integration naturally. This can be done by introducing these languages at school with ease and minimal cost. Inculcating inter-racial understanding at a young age is the best investment towards racial integration in this country.

Diversity, as in nature, means simply richness -- like our multicultural society in Malaysia. It is a rich fabric of cultural heritages and histories. But this beauty is yet to be tapped.

Our plural mix of ethnic groups, which should be seen as wealth, appears as an incurable boil every now and then, depending on the health of our economy, and most important of all, the political game played by politicians.

Has any one asked why, after a half century of independence, few of us are able to speak the languages of our ethnic counterparts (with the exception of Malay language), when we could have mastered them easily with will?

It's hard to believe that after staying together in one house for more than 50 years, the Chinese and Tamil languages sound strange to the Malays' ears. The tones of these languages may sound familiar, but most Malays don't have a clue what they mean. This is a sad loss, even if one hides under the disguise of nationalism.

Diversity in ethnicities/culture and languages is our unique asset. It should be used to spread our wings to the east and west of the globe.

Each language has its own market. Some foreigners have pointed out that Malaysia is not capitalising fully on its unique strength of multi-ethnicity.

That is, Malaysia has Chinese-speaking entrepreneurs to conquer business in China, Indian-speaking businessmen to invest in India, and English-speaking professionals to enter into the world market. And the country's Islamic image is an edge in the Middle East.

It's good to have this kind of specialisation, but these are not integrated.

Let's plant the seeds of integration in our children now by taking the baby step of teaching them to be multilingual in a one Malaysia environment.

Read more: 1Malaysia: Raise multilingual kids http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/18mayai/Article#ixzz1U0WuAuGQ