Author: Luigi Guarino

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AGRA Watch is on the lookout

Concerned citizens and activists have begun a new CAGJ program called AGRA Watch whose objectives are to monitor and question the Gates Foundation’s participation in the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). Upon researching this initiative and its historical precedents, AGRA Watch finds the current approach politically, environmentally, socially, and ethically problematic (to read more, see “Four Categories of Problems” in blog posts). We support sustainable, socially responsible, and indigenous alternatives in Africa, and connect these movements to those occurring in our local communities.

But who’s watching the watchers? Well, I guess we are. The AGRA Watch blog has gone into my feed reader.

LATER: Ooops, sorry. Turns out that feed is for the whole CAGJ website, not just the AGRA Watch blog. But we’ll be keeping an eye on the blog anyway.

LATER STILL: As you were, I’m informed all blog posts are included in the central RSS feed.

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New Agriculturist tackles animals

Yes, the new New Agriculturist is out, and this time it has animal genetic resources in its sights. But not only. As always, it’s got lots of great stuff, including cotton expert Karim Hussein on the International Year of Natural Fibres. Don’t forget to do the online survey.

LATER: The State of the World’s Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture is now multi-lingual, at least in part.

LATER STILL: The Sheep Trust has just published a report that says that rare local breeds are more vulnerable to diseases because they live all together in a relatively restricted geographical area.

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The spread of the ass

Great find by Mathilda: “The history and spread of donkeys in Africa,” by Roger Blench. It’s from the book Donkeys, people and development, edited by Paul Starkey and Denis Fielding. That came out of a 2004 Animal Traction Network for Eastern and Southern Africa workshop. There’s lots of other interesting stuff on the network’s site, including a donkey bibliography.

In brief:

  • domesticated probably in Egypt/Nubia at the beginning of the Neolithic in Africa, 6,500 years ago
  • but perhaps several times in regions of its former range no longer represented by its present-day distribution
  • expansion paralleled that of cultivated sorghum

LATER: And a thousand year later, on another continent, it’s the horse’s turn.

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Featured: Niger greens

Kerry updates us on Jessica’s views on the lack of greens in Niger:

Seven months later…yikes, dunno if anybody will see this. J has been in Niger for a year now, and has more of a feel for what’s going on with the seeming lack of veggies. Will be posting on it in the next few weeks. Check out the series and pics on demi-lunes/land reclamation in the meantime. Thanks. KB

Looking forward to it!