Perspectives for advisory work in the context of the future evolution of agriculture

European Commission Directorate-General For The Information Society And Media

Description

Agricultural and fisheries research
Agricultural policy

Sujets

• Agricultural policy
• Agricultural productivity
• Proceedings
• Technological change
• Sciences et techniques

Informations

• Publié par: EUROPEAN-COMMISSION-DIRECTORATE-GENERAL-FOR-THE-INFORMATION-SOCIETY-AND-MEDIA
• Nombre de lectures: 9
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

Commission of the European Communities
AGRICULTURE
Perspectives for advisory work
in the context of the future evolution
of agriculture
Report
EUR 11267 EN Commission of the European Communities
AGRICULTURE
Perspectives for advisory work
in the context of the future evolution of
agriculture
Proceedings of a seminar held at the Irish Institute for
European Affairs, Broekstraat 1, 3000 Louvain, Belgium,
2-5 December 1986
Edited by
J. Scully
Commission of the European Communities
Directorate-General for Agriculture
Brussels
1987 Published by the
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
Directorate-General
Telecommunications, Information Industries and Innovation
Bâtiment Jean Monnet
LUXEMBOURG
LEGAL NOTICE
Neither the Commission of the European Communities nor any person acting on
behalf of then is responsible for the use which might be made of the
following information
This publication is also available in
FR ISBN 92-825-7743-0
Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication
Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 1987
ISBN 92-825-7718-X
Catalogue number: CD-NA-11267-EN-C
© ECSC-EEC-EAEC, Brussels · Luxembourg, 1987
Printed in Luxembourg CONTENTS
PAGE
1. Introduction
III
2. Introductory Remarks
VII
by Adolfo Pizzuti
3. Conclusions and Recommendations XVII
4. List of Participants XXII
PLENARY SESSION I
Role of Advisory Service in the Continuing Develop­
ment of a Competitive Agriculture 1
5. Role of Advisory - Development Services in the
Adjustment of Agricultural Production to Present
and Potential Market Requirements by Michel Le Gouis 3
6. Ensuring the Continuing Viability of Rural
Communities by Fabio Santucci 17
7. Opening Discussion by Mordecai Har 35
8. Groupn
3
PLENARY SESSION II
Experiences of the Practical Use of Information and
Communication Technology for Advisory Services and
Farmers 43
9. The Development and Use of Information Systems for
Advisory Services and Farmers by Carl Ulrich Koehler
45
10. Computors as Decision-making support tools for
Advisory Services and Farmers by Joseph Elkana
and Dan Marom
55 PAGE
11. Opening Discussion by Georg Nielsen 65
12. Groupn 66
PLENARY SESSION III
The Structure of Advisory Services in the Context
of the Future Evolution of Agriculture °'
The Israeli Viewpoint
13. Conceptual Development by
Joseph Elkana 71
14. Practical Adjustment of Existing Services
by Reuben Ausher 39
The European Viewpoint
15. Conceptual Aspects by
Niels Röling 101
16. Practical Adjustment of Existing Services
by Mike Barker 117
17. Opening Discussion
a) by Liam Downey 13
b) by John Callaghan I35
18. General Discussion 14INTRODUCTION
In accordance with Article 4 of the 1978 Additional Protocol to the
EEC - Israel Agreement, provision is made for a "Cooperation in agri-
cultural and fisheries sectors with a view to achieving complementarity
between the contracting parties' economies".
Three joint activities have already been undertaken in the context
of this Agreement. These were:
1. A symposium on advisory work held in Brussels from 29 to 30 April
1980 .Discussion at this Symposium, at which representatives of
all Member States of the Community, the Commission and Israel parti­
cipated, centred on two main topics:
a) The interrelationships between agricultural research, advisory
work and education in agricultural development;
b) The role of advisory services in relation to farms at different
levels of development.
2. A seminar on irrigation held in Israel from 14 to 18 September 1981.
This seminar was attended by some 50 representatives of various
public and private Israeli and Community organisations, including
the Commission.
The seminar programme comprised three aspects:
a) presentation and discussion of papers on two principal topics:
- criteria governing the choice of irrigation systems;
- introduction and adaptation ofn according
to different levels of agricultural development and different
working methods;
b) presentation in the context of the International Conference on
Irrigation which took place simultaneously in Tel Aviv, of the
advanced micro-irrigation and automated irrigation technologies;
c) in situ demonstration of the modern methods of irrigation
employed in Israel with a visit to orchards and nurseries in
Upper Galilee and the Tel Aviv area, and a visit to the
"Agritech 81" exhibition, in particular to the large section
devoted to irrigation equipment.
- V -3. A multi-stage project aimed at identifying and defining an effective
and practical means of improving the efficacy of the development and
diffusion of irrigation technology and intensive agro-techniques
appropriate to the needs of agricultural development in the Italian
Mezzogiorno.
This project commenced in June/July 1984 with a seminar held in
Israel (24-30 June) at which representatives of the Netherlands, France,
Greece, Italy, Israel and the Commission participated. This seminar was
followed by a visit by the seminar participants to three selected project
areas in the Italian Mezzogiorno (2-7 July) where the project was to be
implemented on a pilot basis. The selected areas were Cassino (Lazio),
Foggia (Puglia) and Pescara (Abruzzi). Following recommendations made by
the seminar participants a detailed study of the advisory and irrigation
needs of the project areas was undertaken by Community and Israeli
experts in November 1984.
Arising from the recommendations of this study, a number of advisers
from the project areas participated in a 3-week training course in Israel
in March 1986. This course was followed by two "follow-up" practical
training courses, each of two weeks duration, given in the project areas
by Israeli experts in May and July. Further practical training courses
are envisaged for 1987 following which the pilot phase of the project
is expected to finish.
The seminar on Advisory Work
The purpose of this seminar was two-fold:
a) to define the changing roles of advisory services in the context
of the future evolution of agriculture.
b) to make specific recommendations to the Commission on the
establishment of an advisory exchange programme between indivi­
dual Member States of the Community and Israel to exchange
ideas, and study problems of mutual interest.
The emergence of agricultural surpluses on Community and world
markets demands that, for the future, the main thrust of advisory work
must be directed towards increasing productivity rather than production.
This implies a greater emphasis on quality improvement, lowering of
- VI -production costs and greater attention to the needs of the market.
At the same time, the problems of the poorer agricultural regions
cannot be overlooked, while the conversation of the environment and the
protection of the landscape assume an even increasing importance.
What are the implications of these developments for advisory
services? This is the question to which the seminar addressed itself.
The seminar was held at the Irish Institute for European Affairs,
Broekstraat 1, Leuven from 2 to 5 December 1986.
- VII -