Today is Carlin Sunday. That’s a Carlin Pea up there. There is a lot more one could say about carlins. Indeed, I’ve said some of it myself. For now, let them be a reminder of all the choices we’ve been denied as a result of EU legislation.
“Expert” admits: I don’t know the story of the Enola bean
A couple of days ago, when I Nibbled Steve Savage’s “robust defence of plant patents” I said that I did not agree, and that this would never stop me linking to things. I also left a brief comment on the blog post in question. Matthew went far further in challenging Savage’s view in a lengthy, detailed and deliciously snarky comment here. Matthew also cross-posted his comment at Applied Mythology, Savage’s blog, where Steve kinda sorta replied to the points Matthew raised. You can read the exchange there and make your own mind up. But what really, really struck me about Savage’s replies was this:
I don’t know the story of the Enola bean. Perhaps you could summarize that so I and others don’t have to go searching for that information.
I’m sorry? You set yourself up as having some sort of authority in the matter of plant patents, value of, and you “don’t know the story” of one of the most important cases in plant patent lore in recent years? Forgive me if I perhaps don’t take some of your views too seriously.
Featured: DNA
Ford Denison points out that genes may be easier to trace than ideas:
As DNA sequencing gets cheaper (see “Son of Moore’s Law,” by [Richard] Dawkins [reprinted in the Devil’s Chaplain]), identifying the source of germplasm could indeed be automated. Identifying the source of ideas is trickier. If I cross two plants, each leaves a clear fingerprint in the DNA. But if I combine two or more ideas, even I may not remember where they came from.
Which gets perilously close to Matt Ridley’s argument about how ideas make progress.
Nibbles: Spelt, Fonio, Monitoring, Patents, Naked oats
- Britain rekindles its love affair with spelt.
- ICRISAT hopes to do the same for West African women and fonio, with a machine that grinds faster.
- If you care about whether what you do has any effect on, say, agrobiodiversity, you’ll want to digest a Review of the Evidence on Indicators, Metrics and Monitoring Systems.
- A robust defence of plant patents; not that I agree, which never stops me linking to things.
- This is meta: Mike at One Thing Leads to Another relates how we led him to naked oats. Well, our role was pretty minor.
Nibbles: Nutrition, Expanding corn, Wheat prices, Veg from space, Seed saving film, Gender
Things are slim today, mostly only tangentially related to agricultural biodiversity. But we hate to disappoint…
- The ever-influential Lancet has published a series on non-communicable diseases (many of which are associated with dietary diversity). Marion Nestle has the details.
- The USDA’s conservation program is fighting a losing battle against high corn prices, and everybody suffers (except corn farmers).
- Sell wheat? Prices are high, but forecasts are good.
- Vegscape! If you need a “state-of-the-art, satellite-based U.S. crop condition vegetation assessment and monitoring service”.
- Now this really is agrobiodiverse: A high definition film on seed saving that needs your support.
- This one too: women and bambara groundnut.