Forwarded message: > From owner-devel-l@AMERICAN.EDU Thu Jan 11 11:42:57 1996 > Message-Id: <96Jan11.114735est.11523@gateway.edf.org> > Date: Thu, 11 Jan 1996 11:32:27 -0500 > Reply-To: Kenneth Walsh <wild@EDF.ORG> > Sender: Technology Transfer in International Development > <DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU> > From: Kenneth Walsh <wild@EDF.ORG> > Organization: Environmental Defense Fund > Subject: Promise of Prosopis > To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU> > I thought this might be of interest to some of the listmembers. Bret Diamond Oregon, USA > To: Persons Interested In Sustainable Development > January 11, 1996 > > > From: Ken Walsh, EDF > on behalf of Bruce Rich/Dr. Peter Felker > > > Discussion Announcement > > The Promise of Prosopis (Mesquite): > > A Worldwide Resource Overlooked by Sustainable > Development and Social Forestry Programs > > Preview to the March 1996 International Workshop > at the National Academy of Sciences > > January 18, 1996 > 3:00-5:00 > > Environmental Defense Fund > 1875 Connecticut Ave., N.W., Suite 1016 > > Prosopis, a nitrogen-fixing genus with more than 40 species native to > Africa, Asia and the Americas, is an important source of fuelwood and > fodder for some of the poorest people in Mexico, Haiti, Sahelian Africa and > India. Naturally occurring in arid wastelands and saline conditions, this > weedy tree is also used for lumber, charcoal and human consumption. > > You are invited to join Dr. Peter Felker (project leader for the Center for > Semi-Arid Forest Resources, Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, > Texas A&M University-Kingsville), and other organizers of an upcoming > international conference, to discuss the potential of Prosopis for improving > the lives of subsistence populations in the harshest climes around the > globe. Following a slide presentation, the discussion will explore ways to > increase awareness of this overlooked resource. > > The Prosopis conference will be held at the National Academy of Sciences > in D.C. from March 13-15, bringing scientists from Asia, Latin America, > and Africa to address women's issues, the environment and sustainable > development. > > > Final Announcment > > Prosopis: semi-arid fuelwood and forage tree > Building Consensus for the Disenfranchised > > A workshop > 13-15 March 1996 > 2101 Constitution Avenue > U.S. National Academy of Sciences Building > Washington, D.C. > > PHOTOS > > A Oulof woman in Dakar, Senegal with mesquite pods obtained from a > roadside planting to take to her landless, urban home to feed to > her sheep. > > Haitian girl collecting Prosopis firewood. > > Two year old, erect, thornless Prosopis with sweet pods cloned in > in Indian Rajasthan desert progeny trials. > > The assistance and support of the following organizations is > gratefully acknowledged. > > CARE > Center for Semi-Arid Forest Resources-Texas A&M Univ. Kingsville > The Environmental Defense Fund > The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations > Henry Doubleday Research Association > The International Foundation for Science (Sweden) > Los Amigos del Mesquite (USA) > Los Amigos del Prosopis (Argentina) > New Forests Project > The Organization of American States > The Prosopis Society of India. > The U.S. Agency for International Development > U.S. Department of Agriculture > The Worldwatch Institute > ?The nitrogen fixing genus Prosopis has more than 40 species native > to North and South America, Africa and Asia that range from 1 meter > tall shrubs to 18 m tall trees. Hundreds of hectares of Prosopis > occur naturally in Death Valley, California that is the hottest > location in the Western Hemisphere. Other Prosopis species have > become naturalized to harsh semi-arid areas of Haiti, Sahelian > Africa and India. Prosopis pods, which are high in sugar (30%), > with moderate levels of protein (12%) have been used for human and > animal food by indigenous people for millenia. In Mexico, Argentina > and Brazil, Prosopis pods are a critically important source of > animal feed. In Peru, pods of especially sweet varieties are used > for human food. In North America soils under the canopy of Prosopis > have 1,000 kg/ha more soil nitrogen and 8,000 kg/ha more soil > carbon than soils outside the canopies of the trees. In India > Prosopis has been used to reclaim high pH (10.4 soils). Prosopis > strains have been found that will grow in salinities equal to ocean > water. In Somalia it has been used for sand dune control. In many > places of Sahelian Africa it is important for fuelwood and forage. > In western India and Haiti Prosopis provides more firewood than any > other species. While the reddish/brown lumber of Prosopis is > usually less than 2 m in length and 0.4 m in width it finishes very > well, is harder than oak and more dimensionally stable than all > lumber measured to date. Thus production of flooring, fine > furniture and artisanal products is a very active growth industry > in the United States and Argentina. > > Despite the widespread importance of Prosopis for firewood and > forage for very poor people of Mexico, Haiti, Sahelian Africa or > India, due to very limited communication between these poor people > of arid regions there has been little international awareness of > the problems and potential for Prosopis. With recently improved > genetic strains, soil management techniques, native stand > management techniques and marketing efforts, there is great > opportunity to rapidly improve the lives of very poor people in > some of the world's most harsh ecosystems. > > Given the fact that 1/3 of the earths land surface is semi-arid or > arid, when the local experiences with Prosopis are aggregated on a > worldwide scale, Prosopis is a significant worldwide resource. > > It is the intent of this workshop to stimulate awareness of the > worldwide magnitude of the contribution that Prosopis has already > made and to outline immediate concrete steps to rapidly improve the > lives, economies and the ecosystems of some worlds poorest people. > > ? > March 12: Reception: State Plaza Hotel 7:00- 9:00 p.m. > > March 13 8:30. Acknowledgement of workshop organizers, Peter > Felker, Texas A&M University-Kingsville. > > Introduction: Michael D. Benge, Senior Agroforester, > U.S. Agency for International Development > > Welcome address: Betty Alberts, President's Office, National > Academy of Sciences. > > Inaugural address: Congressman E. (Kika) de la Garza, > Ranking Member, U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture > Committee. The role of goverment in arid land economic development. > > Session 1. Role in fertility, land stabilization and sand > dune movement. > > Moderator: Rebecca Butterfield, CARE, Niger > 9:30 Dr. Gurbachan Singh, Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, > Karnal India. The role of Prosopis in reclaiming high pH soils and > in meeting firewood and forage needs of small farmers. > > 10:00 Refreshment break. > > 10:15 Dr. Ousman Diagne, Direction des Recherches sur les > Productions Forestieres(DRPF). Nitrogen fixation in Prosopis > juliflora in Senegal and Prosopis utilization in Senegal. > > 10:45 Dr. Rafiq Ahmad, Biosaline Project Univ. Karachi, Pakistan. > Use of Prosopis in Arab/Gulf states including possible cultivation > with saline water in deserts. > > Session 2. Role of Prosopis in the gender/fuelwood/land > tenure complex. > > Mooderator: Lene Poulson, UNSO/UNDP Special Office to combat > drought and desertification. > > 11:15 Lene Poulson, UNSO/UNDP. Role of women and fuelwood in > context of implementation of UN convention on desertification. > > 11:45 Discusssion from morning session. > > Lunch 12:00-1:00 > 1:00 Dianne Rocheleau, Clark University, U.S.A. The other property > map/the other science: Gendered domains in dry forest systems. > > 1:30 Linda Roth, Clark University, U.S.A. Multiple perceptions of > Prosopis from dryland experiences in Dominican Republic. > > 2:00 Rebecca Waterfield, CARE Niger. The experience of development > agencies with Prosopis: a regional case study from West Africa. > > Discussion 2:30 > > Refreshment Break 3:00 > > Session 3. Human Food and forage uses of Prosopis pods. > Moderator: E.H. Sene, Chief Forest Conservation, FAO, Rome, Italy. > > 3:15 Michele Silbert, Nature Conservancy, Flagstaff, Arizona. > U.S.A. Mesquite pod use for economic development in Central > Mexico. > > 3:45 Ing. Jose Inacio da Silva, Rancher, Pernambuco State, Brazil, > Commercial plantations of algarrobo for human and animal feed. > > 4:30 Dra. Maria Vergara, Facultad de Ingeniera, Laboratorio de > Quimica, Universidad de Piura, Piura, Peru. Development of human > food products from Prosopis pods. > > Discussion 5:00-5:30 > > Thursday morning > > Session 4. Management of native stands and genetic improvement. > Moderator: Sabine Bruns, International Foundation for Science.. > > 8:15 Dr. Phil Harris, Henry Doubleday Research > Association, UK Prosopis genetic improvement trials in Cape Verde. > > 8:45 L.N.Harsh, Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur > India. Performance of different Prosopis in arid regions of India > and Prosopis utilization. > > 9:15 Peter Felker and Nancy Patch. Texas A&M Univ Kingsville, > U.S.A. Managing coppice, sapling and mature Prosopis for firewood, > poles and lumber. > > > 9:45 Mariano Cony, IADIZA, Mendoza, Argentina. Genetic potential of > Prosopis in Argentina for use in other countries. > > Discussion 10:15 > > Refreshment break 10:30 > > Session 5: Management of Prosopis for higher value products. > Moderator: Peter Wood, Chairman, Commonwealth Forestry Association, > UK > > 10:45 David Miller, President, Los Amigos del Mesquite, U.S.A. > Advantages of a mesquite association and overview of mesquite > lumber industry in Texas. > > 11:15 Mr. David Perino, San Pedro Mesquite, Tucson, Arizona, > Development and marketing of Prosopis furniture lines. > > 11:45 Dicusssion > > 12:00 -1:00 Lunch > > 1:00 Mr. Jerry Lawson, President W.W.Woods, Retail marketing > techniques for Prosopis barbecue products. > 1:30 Peter Wood. Need for value added products in development > projects. > 2:00 Ing. Judith Ochoa de Cornelli, Universidad National de > Santiago del Estero. A review of the social and economic > opportunities for Prosopis in Argentina. > 2:30 Discussion > 3:00 Refreshment Break > > Session 6: Country and regional case studies: > Moderator: Carlos Gonzalez Vicente, INIFAP, Mexico > 3:30 Dr. Sabine Bruns, International Foundation for Science (IFS)- > IFS programmes in arid lands. > 4:00 Dr. Ashok Varshney, Dy. Conservator of Forests Gujarat, India. > Overview of use of Prosopis for livestock feed and charcoal in > Gujarat India. > 4:30 Ing. Carlos E. Gonzalez Vicente, Vocal Division Forestal, > INIFAP, Mexico. "Overview of past, current and potential uses of > Mesquite in Mexico". > 5:00 Discussion > 5:30 Adjourn for evening. > > 7:30 Banquet National Academy of Sciences Building > > Friday morning > > 8:10 Ing. Jose Delatorre Herrera, Desert Agriculture Dept, Use of > Prosopis tamarugo in the Atacama desert of Chile. > 8:40 Russell Greenberg, Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C. Use > of Prosopis-like trees for migratory bird habitat. > > 9:40 Discussion > 10:00 Refreshment break > 10:20 Additional contributed speakers. > > Lunch 12:00- 1:00 > > 1:00 Panel Synthesis and Wrap up: Peter Felker, Moderator > Panel: Benge, Conway, Butterfield, Poulsen, Rich, Sene, Wood, > Bruns, Vicente-Gonzalez. > Opening remarks by panelists: 1:00 Who are the organizations > involved in these ecosystems and how can they be better supported > to assist their clientele i.e. E Mail, newsletter, semi-technical > journal? How can we work together develop these systems. How do we > create the awareness and support for our objectives. > 2:00 General Discussion of action plans in small groups. > 3:00 Refreshment break > 3:15 Reports of individual action plans. > 4:00 Final resolution and adoption of action plans. > 5:00 Acknowledgement of workshop organizers & Adjournment. > > Updates for the workshop are also provided on the Prosopis email > network. To subscribe mail to Listserv@taiu.edu and type Subscribe > Prosopis > > The proceedings will be published. Authors are requested to bring > a hard copy and a copy of the manuscript in Wordperfect. Further > instructions to authors will be forthcoming. > > Patrons willing to support this workshop would be most appreciated. > Especially needed are sponsors to support the foreign travel of our > participants. If desired, your company or agency, would be > appropriately recognized with a block on the cover of the final > announcement. Contact Peter Felker, 512-595-3966 (P- > Felker@taiu.edu) for more information. >
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