I had no idea açaí (Euterpe oleracea) was such a big thing in the US. Anyway, now it’s a slightly smaller thing. But still tasty. And still obviously a success story among formerly neglected species. 1
Nibbles: Truffles, Botanicals, Cell phones, Child nutrition, Chocolate, Georgia
- Truffle genome (about to be) sequenced. Pigs unimpressed.
- Lunar influence on botanicals. Fascinating.
- Cell phones for germplasm documentation and taxonomic identification.
- Video of John Hoddinott of IFPRI discussing award-winning Lancet article on the effects of child nutrition on adult income.
- Climate-ready cacao, anyone?
- GEF agrobiodiversity project in Georgia a success story. See why.
Confused in Montpellier
The CGIAR takes time off from debating its future (or, whether it has a future) to pat itself on the back. Congratulations to all the award winners.
Confused in Cali
The Ninth Meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Access and Benefit-sharing of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD ABS 9) has just drawn to a close in Cali, Colombia. It’s important stuff. So what was the result? Well, it’s a little hard to say. This is from the official press release:
Participants to a United Nations meeting on genetic resources agreed to a draft protocol on access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits from their use as basis for further negotiation, setting the stage for its adoption at the Nagoya Biodiversity Summit to be held in October 2010, in Japan.
But this is from the more … ahem … disinterested IISD Reporting Services:
On Sunday morning, Working Group Co-Chair Casas noted that the revised draft protocol (UNEP/CBD/WG-ABS/9/L.2) would constitute the basis for further work, but as indicated by a footnote, was not negotiated and is without prejudice to the rights of parties to make further amendments and additions to the text. The Working Group adopted the draft protocol as Annex I to the meeting report. Delegates then presented outstanding issues and text proposals, for inclusion in the report. In the afternoon, plenary discussed proposals for an intersessional process from Cali to COP 10 in Nagoya. Delegates finally agreed to suspend ABS 9 and resume it in June/July for a 7-day session which Japan committed to funding. Later, delegates made minor revisions to the report (UNEP/CBD/WG-ABS/9/L.1) and adopted it as amended. Following closing statements, Co-Chair Hodges gavelled the meeting to a close at 7:57 p.m.
Sounds like it’s all to do between now and Nagoya, not just a case of adopting the existing draft. Or do I have it wrong? This kind of thing is why I’m happy I don’t have to go to many such meetings…
Nibbles: Interactive key, Cider tax, Drought screening, Egyptian genebank, USDA animal conservation, Homegardens, Bag farms, Soil movie, Breeding Vigna, Cereals yield gap,
- Got a Neotropical flowering plant to identify? Kew has what you need.
- New Labour goes out with a whimper, and a swipe at cider-makers.
- Drought Timing for Agronomic Screening wins a prize.
- “We’ve heard about the Gene Bank project which serves to preserve certain cultivars and seed specimens, but we don’t know much else about this project.” Par for the course.
- Meanwhile, another genebank does get decent publicity.
- Women and homegardens in Bangladesh.
- Bag farms in Nairobi slum.
- Review of Dirt! The Movie.
- Boffins this close to drought-tolerant cowpeas.
- “…actual grain yield in some regions is already approximating its maximum possible yields while other regions show large yield gaps and therefore tentative larger potential for intensification.”
- The wife is going to the 1st International Symposium on Tropical Horticulture. Jamaica? No, she really wanted to go.