Date|:  22 October 2000

ORGANIC  OR  GENETECH  IN  AFRICA?  VIDEO

From: Florianne Koechlin <fkoechlin@mail.datacomm.ch>

Dear all

We made a (professional) 12-minutes video: "Organic research - An African success-story", which is now available (in english and german).

The video tape shows new projects of the ICIPE (International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, Nairobi Kenya; directed by Hans Herren).  The ICIPE specializes on biological pest control, using modern science to search for cheap and sustainable solutions for farmers.

Main story:  Africa’s worst pest in maize and sorghum is the stemborer.

ICIPE’s strategy against this pest is the so-called "push-pull"method:

At the outside of the field, napiergrass ‘pulls’ the stemborers out of the field with its attracting odours while desmodium ‘pushes’ them out from the inside of the field.  It works, in close collaboration with the local farmers. As well as the  introduction of a natural ennemy, a small parasitic wasp.  (There are beautiful close-up scenes with the little wasp and the stemborer on the tape.)

Novartis started a 6,2 mio $ project in order to push the transgenic Bt-maize in Kenya, targetting on the stemborer as well.

I think this is an excellent example to show the 2 different strategies (organic and genetech) on a main problem (stemborer) in connection with Africa.

CAN YOU HELP US GETTING THE VIDEO AROUND (TVs, NGOs, school-videos etc)?

THANK YOU!

You can find an order-form, pictures and more infos at: http://www.blauen-institut.ch   (or direct order at: ahagmann@filmvideo.ch ; costs: US$15.-; Eu15.-; DM20.-; as cash in mail or on account)

My very best regards
Florianne Koechlin