The diversity of rural families was the focus of a story which won a major European Commission award for a young Irish journalist. In this special feature prepared for the IFAJ website, Maria Moynihan from the Irish Farmers Journal talks about how she identified the issue, researched and wrote the story.

The IFAJ is creating a new website to act as a global hub for agricultural journalists and communicators, and their national guilds. Read more about plans for the site, which is due to go online in May 2008.

Meanwhile, rural communication in Australia has a new focal point with the launch of a website by the Australian Council of Agricultural Journalists (ACAJ). The site at www.acaj.org.au not only brings together information about Australia's five state-based rural media clubs but also provides a single access point for international colleagues. Plans are already in hand to expand the facility with a register for freelance Australian writers, photographers and consultants who specialise in covering agricultural issues.

Its been a busy time at the South African guild which has a new president, Hugo Lochner, a new website and has recently announced a host of awards, including journalist of the year and photographer of the year. Click here to read more.

Joe Zumalt explains how to access and make the most of a useful on-line information resource, AGRIS, for agricultural journalists in this special feature prepared by the University of Illinois Agricultural Communications Documentation Centre in partnership with the IFAJ.

A radio soap opera based around climate change and a script writing competition are among the innovative approaches being used in Africa to get vital information to farmers. Read more about the initiative, led by Canadian-based charity, Developing Countries Farm Radio Network.

A rural-oriented radio program has won a Sigma Delta Chi Award from the Society of Professional Journalists in the U.S. Todd Melby, Diane Richard and Robbie Harris of Chicago Public Radio were honoured for their 29-minute documentary highlighting disparities arising from a state tax policy in Illinois that disproportionately hurt rural school districts. Aired during 2006, the program reflected a five-month reporting effort. Judges praised the narrative-style writing, use of natural sound, dual-host format and diversity of voices. Click here to listen to the program online.

Renewed interest in the agriculture sector has led to a lunchtime New Zealand radio program being broadcast more widely. The Farming Show will effectively become a national program after being picked up by Radio Sport for broadcast into more regional areas. The program is hosted by the New Zealand guild's 2006 Landcorp Communicator of the Year, Jamie Mackay, who says the farming sector, particularly dairying, is on the up in his country and relevant to a widening number of people. The Farming Show has been running since 1994.

All is not so rosie in Scotland where the BBC is considering axing two rural radio programmes, reports British guild president Joe Watson. The proposal stems from a £2 billion funding shortfall for the national broadcaster, that may see a total of 2500 jobs go across Britain. Read more here.

More than 3000 Euros in sponsorship is being provided by DeLaval to set up a new national competition for agricultural photographers in Sweden. The competition is open to anyone who has had a photo published in Swedish media during 2007. Judges will review the entries in February and the winner will be announced at the local guild's annual meeting in early March. The judging panel is led by one of the country's most celebrated photographers, Paul Hansen, supported by leading photographers Göran Segeholm, Rolf Segerstedt and Ann Lindén, and guild president Marina Tell.

As climate change once again hits the headlines following December's important conference in Bali, a leading South African journalist is challenging journalists to do more to inform farmers and rural communities in developing countries about climate change. Ochieng Ogodo emphasized the importance of good reporting in a paper presented at the 5th World Congress for Science Journalists in Australia earlier this year. "Farmers need to know whether the changing circumstances in which they grow their plants or raise their animals is merely a question of variability or a permanent change to weather patterns," he said. Read his full presentation.

The latest edition of the International Federation of Agricultural Producers newsletter is now available to IFAJ members as part of a special arrangement. Click here to view a copy.

Bookings are now open for the 2008 IFAJ Congress in Austria and Slovenia. Four weekend farm holidays will be given away in a special prize draw for delegates who register before March 31. Extensive information about the event and how to register is available at the new congress website - www.ifaj2008.com.

Quality before quantity, and sustainability instead of bigger farms - that is the recipe for success delegates will explore at the 2008 IFAJ congress. Austria and Solvenia will present the Heart of Europe at the event from September 10 to 14. These countries have orientated themselves less by global markets and by working in partnership with regional consumers, according to congress organisers. "We will demonstrate this with concrete examples and excursions. You will get to know a lot of interesting things about renewable energy, horse-breeding, wine-growing and mountain farming," says Ulrike Raser. Click here to view on-line a special video capturing what's in store.

The IFAJ Executive will hold its January meeting in Berlin, to coincide with Green Week, one of Europe's most important agriculture and food exhibitions. The program includes an exclusive press conference with EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Mariann Fischer Boel. Read more about the meeting here in a special message from president David Markey. Click here to explore Green Week or here to read Fischer Boel's blog.

The global meat industry will be the focus of a special IFAJ professional development session at Green Week. Guest speakers will include International Meat Secretariat world president Paddy Moore, who will talk about the Brazilian meat industry, global trends, traceability and quality assurance schemes, as well as the impact of Foot and Mouth and BSE. A special panel discussion will feature British Guild chairman Joe Watson, Damien O' Reilly from RTE Ireland, the Netherlands IFAJ delegate Hans Siemes and IFAJ's vice president for professional development, Owen Roberts from Canada.

IFAJ president David Markey travelled to Turnhout in November to help the Belgian guild celebrate its 50^th anniversary. He is pictured (left) at the event with the guild's former president Frans Stercks. Belgium played an instrumental role in helping to establish the IFAJ in 1956.

A big year lies ahead for the New Zealand Guild of Agricultural Journalists and Communicators which is celebrating 50 years since it was formed. A range of activities are planned, the first a fellowship to assist a young New Zealand agricultural journalist or communicator (35 years or under next year) to travel to the UK to attend a major British agricultural event and research material for articles which will be published or broadcast in New Zealand. The fellowship is being sponsored by the NZ-UK Link Foundation, a charitable organisation that exists to enhance links between the two countries.

A much 'younger' anniversary has been celebrated in style by the Serbian guild. More than 150 guests came together in a Belgrade restaurant for a cocktail party to mark three years since the organisation was formed. Read more about the event and the guild's 2007 journalism awards here.

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The IFAJ's efforts to refocus attention on freedom of the press (Issue Nine) have sparked this letter from Dutch journalist Marc van der Sterren who thinks the policy of insisting only guilds from countries with a free press can join the organisation is a bit awkward because he does not believe the IFAJ is totally independent itself. Read the letter and let us know if you agree.