We’ve nibbled the new New Agriculturist but not highlighted specifically, I think, the fact that it has a special on bananas. And African bananas in particular. Coincidentally, there’s a paper out in Food Chemistry on genetic variability in carotenoid content within Musa .
Videos on traditional food systems
The Centre for Indigenous Peoples’ Nutrition and Environment (CINE) based in McGill University, Canada, responded to requests from indigenous leaders from around the world to help stop loss of traditional food system knowledge with research and community-driven activities that bridge the generation.
This series of videos presents highlights from 12 indigenous community areas in 9 countries, and is intended to con tribute to the evidence base used to make global policies to protect Indigenous Peoples’ food resources and promote good health.
Thanks to Lois Englberger for the tip.
Livestock bring books, ice cream
Donkeys are being used to cart books around the Ethiopian countryside as part of a literacy campaign.
The donkeys are not just a gimmick – in rural Ethiopia and provincial towns like Awassa, horse-drawn buggies and donkey carts are a normal form of transport.
But the project also tries to teach the children about respect for animals.
Donkeys here are generally despised and often ill-treated, but these two working donkeys wear the colourful embroidered trappings usually reserved for riding horses.
Northern Kenya, in contrast, has camel libraries. Speaking of camels, we’ve just missed the Pushkar Camel Fair. But I wonder if we’re too late for the camel ice cream.
Hemp honoured
The International Year of the Potato gives way to the International Year of Natural Fibres. That include hemp?
Williams honoured
Congratulations to our friend and colleague David Williams. He was co-author on a paper about ancient squash seeds that made Archaeology’s Top 10 Discoveries of 2007. Sorry we didn’t catch it earlier…