Jeremy Cherfas

Nibbles: Chickpeas, Cassava, Maize diversity, Potato diversity, Palm display, Global mistrust, Asparagus, Ramps, Local strawberries

Chickpea harvest more than doubled last year – in the US. Whatever happened to garbanzos?
Introduction to cassava and cyanide.
Conserving maize diversity in Guatemala.
And potato diversity in Peru.
Historical insights into Kew’s museum display of an economically important palm.
Mainstream media still confused about Svalbard and all that.
Asparagus is topologically artichoke. The Botanist in the Kitchen continues her exploration of bracts.
Linguist ramps up his knowledge of the Alliums. (See what I did there? Nothing remarkable, almost everyone else succumbs too.)
It takes real research to grow food locally, ask the scientists in Arkansas. And their supporters.

Someone needs to tell the Los Angeles Times that plantains are not the “tropical cousin of the banana”.
Someone else needs to tell “British and American agricultural advisers” that poppies are generally going to be a better bet than cotton in Helmland Province. Like they were in Ghazipur.
Is there anyone who can tell schools not to serve whole fruit, when children prefer bite-sized pieces?
And who will tell us what happens at the Workshop in the EU Seed Law, in Vienna today and tomorrow?
In which we are once again told that sustainable intensification is the answer, but not how to do it.
A tool for helping agricultural development types figure out what to do about nutrition.
Let the Times of India tell you about how wild fruits and seeds are used in traditional medicine.
ISRIC tells the world about its new soil maps of Africa.
And the US government about its biodiversity, also in maps.
Lots of people recently told their stories of how genomics is going to revolutionize genetic resources use to a meeting in ICRISAT, and now ICRISAT tells us.
A new film tells the story of rice savers in India. Not, presumably, though, Bihar.
Are you really telling me Genghis Khan was a food waste champion?

Bioversity reports on a meeting to plan research on agroecology in Cuba.
“Global food production is increasing steadily, and the global food supply is becoming more stable”. Nothing to see, move along.
Greeks just wild about saffron.
And rice researchers crazy about wild rice as source of salt tolerance.
On the road with Kew photographer, seeking clues to climate change and coffee. (p.s. I’m pretty certain the “magnificent wild banana tree” is a magnificent wild enset herb) (p.p.s. There are actually lots of silly little mistakes in the piece. Buck up, Kew.)

A is for artichoke, B is for bract. A botanist in the kitchen explains.
C is for colour and color, both of which affect the nutritional value of rice.
D is for Directorate of the EU, three of which are at a standstill as an expert is apparently blocking all attempts to loosen EU seed laws.
F is for fish, which smart farmers are helping to survive low water in rice paddies.
G is for the genes tweaked by scientists to deliver seeds without sex.
H is for horseradish, whose root problems can now be solved. In other H-related news, horseradish has root problems.
I is for improvements in child nutrition and less stunting is many countries.
J is for Jeremy, who must have some time on his hands.
K is for Kenya, where clever scientists have created Striga-resistant sorghum. Again.
L is for Lodoicea, and other botanical treasures.