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Evaluation of geographical distortions in language models
Get PDFGeographic bias in language models (LMs) is an underexplored dimension of model fairness, despite growing attention being given to other social biases. We investigate whether LMs provide equally accurate representations across all global regions and propose a benchmark of four indicators to detect undertrained and underperforming areas: (i) indirect assessment of geographic training data coverage via tokenizer analysis, (ii) evaluation of basic geographic knowledge, (iii) detection of geographic distortions, and (iv) visualization of performance disparities through maps. Applying this framework to ten widely used encoder- and decoder-based models, we find systematic overrepresentation of Western countries and consistent underrepresentation of several African, Eastern European, and Middle Eastern regions, leading to measurable performance gaps. We further analyse the impact of these biases on downstream tasks, particularly in crisis response, and show that regions most vulnerable to natural disasters are often those with poorer LM coverage. Our findings underscore the need for geographically balanced LMs to ensure equitable and effective global applications
Promoting stakeholder awareness, collaboration, and engagement in One Health surveillance with a serious game
Get PDFThe COVID-19 pandemic and recurrent Mpox and Ebola virus epidemics have revealed a critical need for One Health disease surveillance systems, and especially systems with integrated community-based approaches for early disease detection. Local stakeholders, including community workers in the human, animal, and environmental health sectors, are at the forefront of emerging disease detection and early warnings. However, their involvement in surveillance systems remains limited, even though they play a critical role in event- and community-based surveillance and responses. We developed a collaborative board game, called ALERT, to strengthen stakeholder engagement across all levels of One Health surveillance systems in West and Central Africa. This serious game has generated significant enthusiasm among the 500 people who have tested it in over 100 countries
A comprehensive dataset gathering 37 cover crop field experiments across France (2004-2022): plant and soil-related agronomic variables on 33 crop species from five botanical families
Get PDFCover crops, sown between cash crops to provide ecosystem services, contribute to sustainability but present challenges related to the use of environmental resources out of the main cropping season. This dataset gathers the results of 37 field experiments related to cover crops, whether grown in sole crops or in mixtures, conducted in France over 19 years. It compiles quantitative data from field measurements and laboratory analyses on 33 species among five botanical families, along with information on technical management and climate conditions, providing a valuable resource for assessing cover crops performance
Culture, ethnicity, and crop choice: Insights from tribal and non-tribal farmers in Adilabad District, India
Get PDFEfforts to increase the adoption of modern crop varieties among smallholder farmers have limited success, especially among vulnerable communities. We argue that, before analyzing constraints to adoption, we first need to understand why farmers decide to cultivate certain crops. Beyond well-known (environmental, socio-economic, technological, and policy related) factors, the role of ethnicity and culture is relevant as well. We investigate how ethnicity and culture are correlated with crop choice during the post-rainy season among farmers in Adilabad District, India. We adapted the Hofstede Cultural Values Scale to operationalize and measure culture in these farming communities. It represents a tool to characterize culture along six dimensions, including attitudes toward change, individualism, and masculinity. Our results show significant differences between tribal and non-tribal farmers in terms of crop choice and cultural values, and these two types of variables “hang together” in an intuitive way. Tribal farmers mostly grow sorghum for subsistence and fodder purposes, while non-tribal farmers focus on producing cash-crops (chickpea, rice, maize). They also have weaker preferences for hierarchy, display a more collectivist (less individualistic) attitude, and show greater resistance to changing their traditional ways. Farmers' ethnic and cultural background should be taken into consideration when breeding or designing interventions aiming to increase dissemination of new varieties
Co-conception de systèmes de production maraîchers agroécologiques et durables au Bénin. Rapport d'atelier d'idéotypage, Abomey-Calavi, Bénin, 17-19 juin 2025
Get PDFLe projet SafeVeg (Safe Locally-Produced Vegetables for West Africa's Consumers) vise à améliorer la production et la consommation de légumes de qualité en Afrique de l'Ouest. Mis en oeuvre au Bénin, au Mali et au Burkina Faso et porté par un consortium de trois institutions dont le CIRAD, le World Vegetable Center et l'université de Wageningen, le projet repose sur un large réseau de partenaires nationaux : instituts de recherche (INERA, IER, INRAB), organisations de producteurs, ONG et acteurs privés. Le Projet SafeVeg s'articule autour de plusieurs composantes complémentaires, portant à la fois sur la demande (alimentation, nutrition et accès au marché) et sur l'offre (bonnes pratiques agricoles, semences adaptées, accès aux intrants). Le CIRAD pilote la composante 3, dédiée à la production de légumes sains, à la résilience climatique et aux pratiques post-récolte. Contexte Cette composante vise à réduire la dépendance aux intrants chimiques de synthèse, à améliorer la productivité et à stimuler l'emploi rural par la diffusion de pratiques innovantes et agroécologiques. À la suite d'un diagnostic approfondi des systèmes de production, le projet a pu identifier les principales contraintes agronomiques ainsi que les besoins prioritaires des producteurs. En réponse, près de 1 700 producteurs et techniciens ont été formés au Bénin à la reconnaissance des ravageurs et auxiliaires, ainsi qu'à la fabrication et l'utilisation de bio-intrants (fertilisants organiques, biopesticides, micro-organismes bénéfiques, etc.). En parallèle, les innovations agroécologiques ont été testées en essais paysans, notamment pour lutter contre les bioagresseurs (nématodes, flétrissement bactérien, acariens, jassides, etc.) et améliorer la fertilité des sols. Les solutions jugées prometteuses par les producteurs et agronomes du projet sont aujourd'hui diffusées via un réseau de producteurs-démonstrateurs qui accueillent des champs-écoles, où les pratiques agroécologiques sont comparées aux approches conventionnelles. Cette démarche participative et d'apprentissage entre pairs favorise une meilleure appropriation et adoption des innovations par les communautés locales
Composition and properties of camel milk
Get PDFMany references are published almost every month to vent the health claims of camel milk, attributing to it many “therapeutic virtues” without a critical investigation. However, camel milk cannot be considered as a medicine because it is first and foremost a food, even if some health effects and undeniable dietetic properties can be attributed to some of its components, such as fats, proteins, minerals and vitamins
Mission de coopération scientifique sur la transition agroécologique à Cuba. Rapport de mission - Cuba, 1-12 septembre 2025
No full textLa mission conduite par trois chercheurs du CIRAD (Raphaël Belmin, Ludovic Temple et Paula Fernandes), en partenariat avec des institutions cubaines (CENSA, ICAN, Indio Hatuey, Université de Matanzas, etc.), avait quatre objectifs principaux : - Identifier les freins et leviers à la production et à l'usage des micro-organismes autochtones bénéfiques (MAB) et autres biointrants dans les fermes cubaines (2.1).. - Introduire et tester l'outil TAPE (FAO), en réalisant un exercice collectif d'évaluation de fermes et en réfléchissant à son utilité pour l'autoévaluation et la planification agroécologique à Cuba (3.3). - Réaliser une première analyse de la transition agroécologique cubaine à partir d'une approche inductive. - Renforcer les partenariats dans la perspective de développer de futurs projets de recherche et de coopération
Does fertilizer type drive soil and litter macroinvertebrate communities in a sugarcane agroecosystem? Evidence from a 10-year field trial
Get PDFMacroinvertebrates play a central role in processes supporting soil fertility. In the framework of the ecological intensification of agriculture, the choice of management practices should be guided by their ability to support these beneficial organisms supplying ecosystem services. This study aims at investigating the specific effect of partial substitution of synthetic fertilizers by locally produced organic fertilizers at a similar level of major nutrient inputs on macroinvertebrate abundance and diversity in sugarcane agroecosystems, on a Nitisol. Invertebrates visible to the naked eye were sampled in 2013, 2016, 2019 and 2023 using the standardized TSBF method on a long-term experimental field trial in Réunion island. The individuals were identified and soil samples were analyzed for physico-chemical properties. Despite the low response of macroinvertebrates to the fertilizer type, total macroinvertebrate abundance increased over time, especially isopods and earthworms. The input of organic carbon via the return of litter to the soil surface and the root turnover after each harvest enables soil macroinvertebrates to be more abundant even after replanting tillage. Mulching and root turnover are therefore important levers to consider for promoting macroinvertebrates in sugarcane agroecosystems
Development of a specific fluorescence post-column derivatization method coupled with ion-pair chromatography for phytate analysis in food
No full textPhytate in plants (inositol phosphates, InsPs) affects mineral bioavailability. However, methods for their quantification may lead to variable results, and some are nonspecific (spectrophotometric techniques). In this study, ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was coupled with post-column derivatization to allow fluorescence detection (FLD, λexcitation324/λemission364 nm) of InsPs. The fluorescence derivatization reaction, the main input of this study, was based on a ternary complex among phytate, iron(III), and 1,10-phenanthroline. Phytic acid (InsP6) and three other InsPs (InsP3–5) were analyzed in peanuts and soybean products after extraction in HCl 0.66 M, followed by purification on strong anion exchange cartridges. The novel method, named IP-HPLC–FLD, selectively separated InsP3–6 with linear ranges between 600 and 2000 mg 100 g–1 (R2 > 0.99). The limits of detection and quantification were between 120–180 and 340–540 mg 100 g–1, respectively. As the relative standard deviations were under 10%, the IP-HPLC–FLD method is suitable for phytate analysis
Population structure and pathogenicity tests of Pyricularia oryzae on wild and cultivated rice in Mali
Get PDFBlast is a devastating disease of rice caused by the fungus Pyricularia oryzae. The role of infected straw and seed as sources of primary inoculum in blast disease epidemics is well known. The role of alternative hosts is yet to be confirmed. The current study sought to assess if wild rice is a major source of inoculum for cultivated rice by comparing the genetic structure of P. oryzae populations from both hosts. Two hundred and eighty-two strains were genotyped with 12 simple-sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Cross infectivity of 20 P. oryzae isolates was also assessed using pathogenicity tests. Samples were collected from cultivated and wild rice organs with blast symptoms in irrigated and lowland areas of Mali in Koulikoro, Sikasso and Ségou regions. Under controlled conditions, P. oryzae isolates from Oryza longistaminata wild rice were pathogenic to cultivated rice and had a similar range of cultivar compatibility to isolates from cultivated rice. Results of pathogenicity tests suggest that P. oryzae isolates from wild rice (O. longistaminata and Oryza barthii) have the potential to attack cultivated rice (Oryza sativa) in the field. However, populations of P. oryzae on cultivated and wild rice were genetically differentiated. A very large fraction (94.4%) of the multilocus genotypes identified were specific to one host species or the other. Thus, although physically close, each rice species hosts a different population of the pathogen, and our results support the hypothesis that wild rice is not a major source of blast inoculum for cultivated rice