A couple of weeks back I alluded to problems in the thatching industry in the UK and linked to a piece by Danny at Rurality. Well, I put in the wrong link (now fixed), and anyway Danny’s post was pretty short and it was talking about an article that is not online. But never fear, if you’re really interested in the crisis in British thatching, you can read about it in the Telegraph. Or you can get the bullet-point version at Cronaca.
Evidence-based conservation
The latest issue of the Cambridge Alumni Magazine has a section on biodiversity conservation. Nothing at all on agrobiodiversity, alas, but a footnote did send me to an interesting video of Prof. William Sutherland talking about “evidence-based conservation.” ((Prof. Sutherland was also behind the article horizon-scanning biodiversity threats which we nibbled a few days back.)) He also says nothing specifically about the importance of conserving agricultural biodiversity — which is ironic given that the opening example in his talk concerns the nutritional importance of the fruit of a cultivated species — but I think his thesis is generally applicable. And that thesis is, paraphrasing somewhat, that there are too many meta-narratives in conservation and not enough data. ((Ok, that is itself a meta-narrative. Or a meta-meta-narrative? My head hurts.)) He’s put together a website where experimental evidence for and against the efficacy of specific interventions aimed at solving specific conservation problems can be documented and discussed.
Nibbles: Alabama genebank, sunflower, fruit dispersal, IAASTD
- Seed bank saves Alabama heirloom varieties, y’all.
- Retrotransposons go wild in sunflower. Kansas to the rescue.
- Avocados and gomphotheres. Apples and bears. Welcome back, Evil Fruit Lord!
- More about the IAASTD and its paradigm shift thing.
Going down to the market
Markets for agrobiodiversity to the fore today. Two resources highlighted by Eldis look at strategies for agricultural diversification and at the importance of assessing market potential in prioritizing among indigenous fruit trees for promotion and development. And once you get your high-value agricultural product to market you will want to guard against pilferage and counterfeiting, won’t you?
Terrible news from the northern Pacific
My friend and colleague Lois Englberger has just written to say that the building which housed the Secretariat of the Pacific Community office in Pohnpei and the headquarters of the Island Food Community of Pohnpei burned down during the early morning of 4 April. Losses were great, though thankfully nobody was hurt. Both SPC and IFCP are active promoters of traditional foods, and have done great work documenting and conserving traditional varieties of Pacific crops, and not just in Pohnpei. What’s happened is a terrible blow, but I’m sure both organizations will make a full and rapid recovery and continue their vital work. My thoughts and best wishes are with Lois, Konrad, Adelino and all my other friends affected by this in Pohnpei and around the Pacific.
