The Lubin Files

FAO Yearbook of Field Projects

Consult the FAO Yearbook of Field Projects to find historical documentation on FAO projects.  These volumes (found only in print) supplement the information to be found in the Field Programme Management Information System (FPMIS) database.*

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*FPMIS is available to FAO staff only.

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Suddenly summer is here. Warm weather brings with it the arrival of those irritating Tiger Mosquitos. I was curious to find out more about these little creatures, some of whom are now blood stains on the wall. The Comune di Roma has several informative web-pages, including suggestions of all the things we can do to help control the infestation listed in the Ordinanza. But I wanted to know more about the presence of the Aedes Albopictus in Italy. I turned to that excellent database CAB Abstracts and did an Advanced Search which lets me combine search terms. I found just what I wanted in PARASSITOLOGIA Volume 50, No. 1 June 2008 p. 97-132, and it is in English.

"Man's most fundamental need..."

It was a year that saw oil prices rise to levels that had never before been imagined.  And the world witnessed a decline in world grain production that outlined the the pitfalls of depending on the surplus of a handful of nations for a world food reserve.  Nations met to discuss "the food challenge" in the context of a "world of energy shortages, rampant inflation, and a weakening trade and monetary system..."

Are we talking about 2008?  No.  The year was 1974.  These are some of the issues referred to in Henry Kissinger's speech to the UN World Food Conference held in Rome on November 5, 1974.  This document is kept in the FAO Archives.
(content is part of public domain)

How to feed the whole world

In this TED talk, former FAO staff member Louise Fresco argues that a smart approach to large-scale, industrial farming and food production will feed our planet's incoming population of nine billion. Only foods like (the scorned) supermarket white bread, she says, will nourish on a global scale. . .

View the talk here.

What is a kelvin and how do I write it?

For all the science writers out there... take a look at the updated version of The New Oxford Dictionary for Scientific Writers and Editors. It calls itself a style guide for the presentation of scientific information. It’s great for a quick answer to those niggling questions, like how to write a floral formula or whether grasshoppers and cockroaches are in the same order of insects. It claims to reflect widely accepted usage and to follow the recommendations of international scientific bodies such as IUPAC and IUPAP, and give guidance on such matters as spellings (American English and British English), punctuation, abbreviations, prefixes and suffixes, units and quantities, and symbols. Can standardization exist in scientific writing? Will it facilitate communication? Is this the tool to help? I look forward to your comments!

Swine flu articles

In light of the current alert for H1N1 (swine flu) issued by the World Health Organization and the public health emergency declared by the United States government, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA) has made related research articles available for free online to assist with research on this topic.

Twelve research articles published within the past 6 months are now freely available online.  All PNAS articles are accessible at no charge after 6 months.

A spring treat

Close to FAO we are lucky to have one of the most beautiful gardens in Rome, the Roseto comunale. The gardens are usually open 8.00 to 19.30 from the second week of May and remain open until early July. What a wonderful place to refresh the spirit during lunch, and get some exercise.