Le journal de l'IRD
n° 59 April-May 2011
Translator: Nicholas Flay
Abstracts for the international issue
p. 1 Interview
© IRD / R. Simenel
Arganeraie: a forgotten domestic forest
C
ontrary to the image conveyed by
the argan trade the Moroccan
argan groves, in reality prove to be the
fruit of several centuries of domestication. As part of the programme Popular,
a group of research scientists (geographers, ecologists and ethnobiologists)
have run five years of field investigations
involving the region’s farmers. As well
as the local savoir-faire, they observed ground works – including terracing,
ditches, levelled areas – inherited from past farming activities which have been
of great benefit for the arganeraie. The team’s ethnobotanists found other
signs of positive human action, a range of techniques used to favour regeneration of the community of these “goat trees”. Some of the practices embody
a symbolism strongly linked to the notion of descendency and heritage.
© IRD / S. Trèche
p. 8, 9 Research
Mediterranean: the challenge
of agricultural water
hanges in water resources in the coming
decades will certainly be linked to the
effects of climate change, but probably even
more so to the spectacular modifications in
the rural world. By the same token, the agricultural development largely depends on the availability of water resources, in terms of
both quality and quantity: farming demand for water represents 80 % of the amount
consumed on the southern and eastern edges of the Mediterranean. The research investigation dealt with in this feature, run by the IRD and its partners, aims to improve
knowledge and hence to contribute to better management of this precious resource.
H
as the end come for the tuna eldorado in
the Seychelles? Scientists consider that
global warming could seriously disturb this tropical archipelago’s economic miracle, which
sprang up in the early 1980s. Industrial-scale
fishing is one of the country’s most important
activities for the GDP, second only to tourism.
The sector is already occasionally affected by
climatic events. Climate change could greatly
increase the number of El Niño events which
have highly detrimental impact on tuna catches made in the region.
T
he time has come to share the field experience acquired by the programme Nutridev in
Vietnam, Burkina Faso and Madagascar with the
international community. All this work is now the
subject of a report. Since 1994, this programme
has been combining research and actions to develop a preventive approach to malnutrition in young
children. The results set out are the fruit of a long
period of collaboration between the IRD and GRET,
a solidarity and international cooperation association. A synergy which has brought some answers
to a range of questions: How can children’s nutritional condition be improved?
With what kind of products? Can these be manufactured locally? What support can be given to put them on the market?
© IRD / L. Ortlieb
T
uinoa, a staple food for Andean
populations for many centuries, is
now experiencing strong commercial
success. This pseudocereal, adopted as
a diet food, organically produced and
fair-trade, is attracting a variety of consumers, especially in the countries of the
North. However, although the boom in
its production since the 1980s enables
many families of the Bolivian Altiplano
to stay and survive on their land, it does
put the sustainability of the agricultural
system in danger. This paradox prompted an interdisciplinary research programme entitled Equeco. Its results
were presented at a review symposium
in France at the end of 2010 and at a
conference in Bolivia in March 2011.
C
ould campaigns to control the AIDS
epidemic be taken as a model for
tackling other infectious diseases?
Research scientists, health care practitioners and decision-makers, gathered
together at Chiang Mai in Thailand, are
backing the idea. They examined the
exemplary innovatory approach to the
disease adopted by that country, with
the intention of prompting the international community to take inspiration to
tackle other comparable pathologies.
Thailand appears as a virtuous exception for its HIV care and support. It has
achieved some remarkable results,
both in prevention and treatment
methods.
I
Mistrals: future of the Mediterranean
Q
AIDs control campaigns as
model for other diseases
Sediments, satellites and the
future of the Humboldt current
p. 5 Partners
Quinoa
p. 12 World
p. 5 Partners
s climate change threatening the highly
productive Humboldt current? This crucial
question is mobilizing French, Peruvian and
Chilean researchers from the mixed international laboratories DISCOH and Paleotraces. This is
a major issue because the upwelling system
which characterizes this marine current is the
basis of the fishing resources essential for
the economy of the regions’ countries. These
upsurges of cold water, on the eastern rim of
the Pacific, favour an extremely rich marine
coastal ecosystem, the most productive in the
world, and heavily exploited. In concrete
terms, the scientists are studying the sedimentology of the ocean floor to unravel the historical tendencies, and find out if the warming
generated since the industrial revolution is
having an impact on this ocean phenomenon.
p. 13 World
p. 16 Forum
Can malaria be eradicated?
T
wo eminent malaria specialists, Professor Ogobara Doumbo from Mali
and Professor Achille Massougbodji
from Benin, discuss their various opinions on the possibility of eradicating
this disease in the medium term. They
agree in recognizing that the term “eradication” has publicity value, to build
awareness in the international community of the stakes involved in control campaigns.
They also agree that the scientific and operational objectives are the control and
elimination of malaria in the coming decades.
© IRD / F. Rebaudo
© IRD / J.-P. Montoroi
hinese presence is increasing in West Africa, in activities from shopkeeping to large
businesses but also cooperation actions. Going
beyond the stereotypes made about "ChinaAfrica", scientists are taking a perceptive look
at major aspects of this recent trend.
C
The Seychelles tuna-dependent
economy a victim of climate change
Lessons from the Nutridev programme
© IRD / O. Barriere
C
p. 3 News
p. 4 Partners
he international programme
Mistrals seeks to find answers
to challenges set by problems such
as intensification of agriculture,
recurring floods, soil and water
pollution, or a high rate of population growth. In the coming decades, Mediterranean populations
will have to face up to many
threats from climatic and anthropogenic threats. The various partners of this
far-reaching initiative met in Malta last April. They are giving themselves
ten years to meet these issues. Mistrals is co-led by the IRD and CNRS/Insu. The
programme hinges on a consortium divided between research, training and
innovation. In this venture, the IRD is contributing its expertise, particularly in
water management in the semi-arid environment, soil and water pollution, the
human sciences but also its ethos of partnership. Right from the outset of the
programme, the actors from North and South have worked closely together on
the themes of common interest.
China Africa
© Univ. Montpellier3 / A. Vassas
p. 2 News
p. 7 Research
© IRD. M. Lallemant
Knowledge of the exact geographical
origin of each green garnet (Tsavorite) indisputably increases the commercial potential of this highly valuable gemstone. In a recent study,
researchers have drawn up the first
specifications for this stone. Good
news for the countries that produce
it, essentially Tanzania and Kenya.
Because up to now, it has been difficult to distinguish a Tanzanian garnet
from a Kenyan or Madagascan one.
cientists are developing a role play game for
training Ecuadorian farmers in the control of
new pests that attack potatoes. The goal is to
build awareness among farmers in remote areas
on ways of controlling these insects which are
jeopardizing their food security. The researchers’
approach aims to persuade less well informed farmers to watch the trends of pest populations in their fields, by using tools easy to build
and utilize, in order to act rapidly in case of infestation. The campaign also demonstrates straightforward crop protection methods and shows the advantages to be
gained by applying them.
© IRD / N. Rahola
The secrets of green garnet
S
© IRD / O. Pliez
Sciences au Sud : Are tropical forests more endangered today
than ever?
Frances Seymour : Yes and no. Despite decades of effort to
reduce tropical deforestation and forest degradation, millions
of hectares of forest continue to be lost every year through
conversion to agriculture, legal and illegal exploitation for timber, intentional and
uncontrolled burning, and infrastructure development. New threats to forests are also
emerging. These include climate change, which undermines the viability of forest
ecosystems through higher temperatures, increasing frequency and severity of
droughts and other extreme weather events, and increasing vulnerability to pests and
invasive species. Mining activities in forests have direct impacts as well as opening up
access to remote areas. In addition, recent high food prices and concern about food
security create both economic and political pressures to convert more forest to
agriculture.
At the same time, there has been some progress – albeit slow – in addressing the
direct and indirect drivers of forest destruction, and FAO statistics suggest that the rate
of deforestation has declined somewhat from a decade ago. Political attention and
finance focused on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation
(REDD), reflected in the Cancun agreements, and in bilateral agreements, are creating
new opportunities to align constituencies for protecting the world’s remaining tropical
forests. Global markets are gradually becoming more sensitive to the legality and
sustainability of forest products such as timber, and commodities that replace forests
such as palm oil. In short, the challenges are as big or greater than ever, but so are the
opportunities.
Role play in Ecuador
© IRD / C. Peignon
✆ V. Pardieu
p. 6 Training
Excerpt from an interview with Frances
Seymour, Cifor’s Director General
© DR
p. 1 News