- A view from Papua New Guinea on a project to prepare PNG agriculture for climate change.
- How to grow a properly biodiverse pasture. Hint: money isn’t enough.
- Another Nagoya round-up. And another.
- Sesamum monographed.
- Award for CIMMYT genebank.
- African rice domestication deconstructed.
- Traditional practices bad for Nigerian children, good for Chinese fish.
The comments on Nagoya are interesting. ‘Practical Action’ indicates that the COP 10 Agricultural Biodiversity decision says: “They agreed in the agricultural biodiversity decision to build on the findings of the International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) which would ensure global food production becomes more ecological, productive and biodiverse.”
But it did no such thing. It asked FAO to work on a workplan: “but also considering, as necessary, inter alia: …”. Then there is a list of 13 items — in 12th place we find: “The relevant findings and recommendations of the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development; and their implementation, as appropriate.” Nothing about ecological, productive, biodiverse.
Everyone is reading into Nagoya and the Protocol just what they want to read: this is a dangerous basis for future actions.
But the Decision has some sensible stuff on rice ecosystems.