
IICA and Finland promote the use of renewable energy among farmers in the Andean region
More than 12,000 rural men and women in the Andean region (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru) have replaced traditional energy use with renewable energy, thanks to the Energy and Environment Partnership with the Andean Region (AEA), developed by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland (MAEF).

Idai Nature Chair’s bid for biopesticides as a more sustainable alternative to chemists
The Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV), through its Higher Technical School of Agricultural Engineers, and the company Idai Nature have organized a conference on the present and future of biopesticides in agriculture, framed in its Chair of Bioinsecticides. With this initiative, both institutions seek to encourage "biopesticides to be an effective and natural alternative to chemical methods".

Valencian agriculture suffers losses of 26M € due to the uncontrolled growth of the wild fauna
The agricultural sector of the Valencian Community has suffered direct losses of about 26 million euros, caused by the exponential increase that in recent years have been experiencing wildlife populations. According to calculations made during a meeting held by officials of the Valencian Association of Farmers (AVA-ASAJA), LA UNIÓ of Llauradors i Ramaders, the Federation of Agro-food Cooperatives of the Region of Valencia and the Hunting Federation of the Region of Valencia, the predatory action of wild species on crops and agricultural infrastructure has experienced an increase of at least 30% over the past year.

Cuna de Platero initiates the sustainable cultivation of strawberry in Ávila to be able to serve berries all the year
The Moguereña Cuna de Platero cooperative has started sustainable strawberry cultivation in Avila in order to offer a constant supply of berries throughout the year, as it will be able to have fresh strawberries from June to October, developing its concept "Your Global Berry Partner" . The company has five hectares of cultivation in Castilla y León in which it applies the same sustainability criteria as in Huelva.

ADAMA launches an app that offers phytosanitary assistance to the farmer
ADAMA Agriculture Spain has launched the new FitoAid app to help farmers choose the best solution to deal with different pests and weeds in crops. A plant health management, in the palm of the hand, according to the current times and available for IOS and Android systems. It includes a mixing assistant and different cultivation guides to make the correct phytosanitary management easier.

Next inauguration of the new field of test of the Straits (Murcia) of Tozer Seeds
The international seed house Tozer Seeds celebrates its first Open Day in Spain next Wednesday, March 22nd. Through its Spanish subsidiary, the British company, whose main business is moved especially for the occasion, has convened a hundred national and international professionals dedicated to the field of leafy vegetables to inaugurate its new test field, located in the Hamlet of El Estrecho (Murcia).

The first edition of the University Expert Course in Agro-Food Communication
On March 10th, the University Expert Course on Agro-food Communication, organized by the Association of Spanish Agro-Food Journalists (APAE) and the University of San Jorge (USJ), began its journey. A course supported by organizations such as Yara, AEPLA, Bayer CropScience, Foro Interalimentario and Cajamar, and whose objective is to train future journalists, improve training in the profession and help companies in the agri-food sector to exercise Journalism and Communication in an effective way.

The D.O.P Ham of Huelva is officially registered as D.O.P Jabugo
The European Commission recently published in the Official Journal of the European Union (DOUE) implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/385 approving the change of name of the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Ham of Huelva which, finally, it is registered as Denomination of Origin Protected (PDO) Jabugo. This Regulation shall enter into force on the 20th day following its publication and shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Grupo Agrotecnología advances in international expansion with its new headquarters in Peru
The company from Alicante, Grupo Agrotecnología, present in more than 30 countries, continues to advance its commitment to international expansion, with the recent opening of its new headquarters in Peru. With this new subsidiary, which joins those already opened in Mexico and Chile, Grupo Agrotecnología seeks to consolidate itself in new markets and strengthen its international structure and presence in South America, a market in which it aspires to become a clear reference in the sector of the Biostimulants and biopesticides.

AOVE’s sensory experience stars in the third Expoliva Dialogue 2017
Nearly two hundred professionals of the sector have participated in the Expoliva Dialogue "Extra virgin olive oil, an unusual experience for our senses". The Director of Industries and Agro-Food Chain of the Regional Ministry of Agriculture of the Junta de Andalucía, Rosa Isabel Rios, has inaugurated the third of these important appointments that are being made prior to the "Expoliva 2017" celebration.