A Kenyan researcher tries to get people to eat more insects.
Skimmed milk cow
A New Zealand biotech company has identified a pretty special mutation in a Friesian cow called Marge. Marge
produces a normal level of protein in her milk but substantially less fat, and the fat she does produce has much more unsaturated fat. She also produces milk with very high levels of omega3 oils.
The trait is heritable, and a commercial herd producing milk that is healthier and butter that is spreadable right out of the fridge is expected to be ready by 2011. The boffins at ViaLactia are looking for the gene involved.
Position of the American Dietetic Association
Position of the American Dietetic Association: We can conserve natural resources and support sustainability.
New natural anti-oxidant source
The seed extract of the South American Sapindaceae berry guarana (Paullinia cupana) has been found to have high levels of anti-oxidant activity.
Farmers know best?
A comment on a recent post suggested that one should “start with the assumption that farmers know what is in their best interest.” No doubt that is as true of Indian farmers as the rest of us, but unfortunately in many cases there are other pressures out there that mean that you can’t act on your perceived long-term self-interest, or indeed the information on which you can make that determination is not available or turns out to be faulty. As with the sweetleaf item that started this, we don’t know the full story, so we should be careful not to jump to conclusions, but an article in today’s Hindu newspaper describes a decision by farmers that seems to have gone wrong. Agricultural biodiversity, and its associated knowledge, is an important reason – maybe the most important reason – why unfortunate decisions don’t always result in catastrophe.