Fresh on the heels of Bioversity’s ‘African Priority Food Tree Species’ factsheet on the baobab, which was itself fresh on the heels of the Agroforestree database factsheet on the baobab, we now have, again from Bioversity, another, ahem, factsheet on the baobab. Well, this is different. I think. It’s part of a series on neglected and underutilized species. Or maybe nutritious and underutilized, as they are also described on the website. Maybe because it’s becoming difficult to call the baobab neglected. In fact, with the recent update of a review of the use of the species, perhaps the time has come for a meta-factsheet on the baobab.
Where the hell is Luigi?
For all those 1 who asked me where the Genetic Resources Institute is in Baku, here it is:
It’s a veritable oasis in the middle of urban sprawl, what with its various fruit tree collections all around the newly expanded building. The circular structure is where the regional conference on “Diversity, characterization and utilization of plant genetic resources for enhanced resilience to climate change” was just held.
How to implement the Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources
A very useful message on DAD-Net brings us all up to date “on progress in the development of the set of guidelines that FAO is developing to support policy-makers and technical experts in the implementation of the Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources…” Here’s the state of play:
- Preparation of national strategies and action plans for animal genetic resources in English/French/Russian/Spanish
- Breeding strategies for sustainable management of animal genetic resources in English/French/Spanish
- Developing the institutional framework for the management of animal genetic resources in English
- Surveying and monitoring of animal genetic resources in English
- Draft guidelines on phenotypic characterization of animal genetic resources
- Draft guidelines on molecular genetic characterization of animal genetic resources
- Draft guidelines on the cryoconservation of animal genetic resources
Two observations. The first is that I wish we plant people were so organized. And the second is that surely a place could be found on the FAO or DAD-IS website for such a list.
Back in Baku
I’ve been travelling so I missed the announcement a couple of days ago on their blog that our friends at CCAFS 2 have a new all-singing, all-dancing platform called the Adaptation and Mitigation Knowledge Network. 3 Which is annoying because the issue of changes in the suitability of the climate for potato cultivation came up in the discussions at the meeting I’m attending here in Baku. And I would quite happily have stolen something else from CCAFS for my presentation. 4 The conference is called “Diversity, characterization and utilization of plant genetic resources for enhanced resilience to climate change” and it was hosted by the Azerbaijan Genetic Resources Institute with support from a number of CGIAR Centres active in the region and FAO, which provided funding for the project of which the meeting is one of the activities.
There were researchers from pretty much all of the countries of the Central Asia and Caucasus (CAC) region, plus Turkey, Iran, Ukraine and Russia to boot. Many of the presentations brought home to me — and not for the first time — what a tremendously rich part of the world this is for agricultural biodiversity: wild asparagus with stems five meters long; grape varieties sporting bunches almost as long as your arm; strange interspecific wheat hybrids with branched spikes; medicinal plants for every ailment you can think of; wheat landraces phenomenally high in zinc and iron. And that’s just the lunch. Fortunately, the place is also rich in talented researchers busy studying their agrobiodiversity, conserving it, and using it for health, nutrition and food security.
Sure, they have problems. Where do they not? But there seems to be a real commitment to getting the job done, enthusiasm even. I was particularly struck by the relatively close linkages between genebanks and breeding programmes in many of the CAC countries. That you certainly don’t see everywhere. I wonder if it’s a legacy of the VIR system. They could do with more collaboration, coordination and sharing of responsibilities at the regional level, not to mention better integration with the rest of the world. But maybe this meeting will help. Anyway, all the presentations, abstracts and final recommendations will be online soon. I’ll post something when they’re up and you can make up your own minds.
Catering for the Francophone agriculturist
Did you know that The New Agriculturist is available in French? Well, it is. It looks to me not just a straight translation of the English version, but also a slanting of the content towards a Francophone audience. There are separate RSS feeds for the two language versions. No word on whether Spanish is in the offing. Maybe someone from there will let us know…