- The COUSIN project aims to conserve (trans situ, no less) and use crop wild relatives in Europe.
- That “use” part can be tough.
- But that doesn’t stop the fine people at Aardaia. At least where aardaker (Lathyrus tuberosus) is concerned.
- From alternative potatoes in the Netherlands to alternative beans in Indonesia. All in the cause of diversification.
- No need to find an alternative to amaranth in the American SW. Not with devoted chefs on the job.
- The Iraqi Seed Collective is taking seeds from American genebanks to that country’s diaspora in the US, and eventually back to Iraq itself. Maybe chefs will help.
- Good thing there are genebank backups, eh?
Nibbles: Maize history, Maize in Tanzania, WorldVeg feature, Pigeonpea speed breeding, Valuing nature in food, GIAHS, Ancient Egyptian brewing redux
- The history of maize — according to Pioneer.
- The importance of maize — according to Dr Mujuni Sospeter Kabululu, Curator, National Plant Genetic Resources Centre—Tanzania.
- The future of vegetables — according to WorldVeg.
- The future of pigeonpea — according to ICRISAT.
- How should we value nature in our food systems? By true cost accounting — according to TABLE.
- A good way to value nature in our food systems is through recognizing Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems — according to FAO.
- How strong was ancient Egyptian beer? Not very — according to ethnoarcheobotanists. But it’s still worth trying to reproduce it — according to me. Seneb!
We knead oil
Jeremy’s latest newsletter has agrobiodiversity-adjacent snippets on the re-making of an ancient bread in Turkey and on the “oenification of olive oil.” Plus a thing on oysters which is maybe not so adjacent but is also fun and sports a title that is worth the price of admission on its own. Read it.
Brainfood: Balanced diets, Diverse diets, Diverse flavonoids, Micronutrients and GHGE, African traditional diets, Tef diversity, Intercropping, Sleeping crops, Cluster bean, Taste
- A framework for adequate nourishment: balancing nutrient density and food processing levels within the context of culturally and regionally appropriate diets. Some processing, but not too much. Some animal-source food, but not too much.
- Diversity of Plant-Based Food Consumption: A Systematic Scoping Review on Measurement Tools and Associated Health Outcomes. And make the non-animal-source food diverse.
- High diversity of dietary flavonoid intake is associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality and major chronic diseases. Make the flavonoids diverse too, while you’re at it.
- Greenhouse gas emissions in relation to micronutrient intake and implications of energy intake: a comparative analysis of different modeling approaches. It’s unclear whether diets that deliver more (and more diverse?) micronutrient are worse for greenhouse gas emissions.
- Africa’s contribution to global sustainable and healthy diets: a scoping review. African traditional diets are pretty healthy. I’m betting their greenhouse gas emissions are low and all.
- Population genomics uncovers loci for trait improvement in the indigenous African cereal tef (Eragrostis tef). Which is not to say that traditional African crops could not be improved, healthwise.
- Hidden potential of cluster bean: an unexploited legume crop for food and nutritional security. Or other underused traditional crops, for that matter.
- Impacts of biodiversity-positive intercropping systems on food quality, safety and the consumer acceptance: A case study of intercropped wheat. What, the food needs to be intercropped too? Another tick for African diets.
- The sleeping crops of eastern North America: a new synthesis. Traditional eastern North American crops, production systems and diets probably tick a bunch of boxes too. Awake, Cinderellas!
- But does it taste good? A plea to consider the importance of flavor in managing plant genetic resources. None of the above matters, I suspect, if the stuff doesn’t taste good. I’m looking at you, teff and cluster bean.
Nibbles: Indian vault, Sundarban rice, Community seed banks, Fiji cassava, Georgia documentary, Kenya seed network, Nigeria mobilizes, Coffee prizes, Slow Food guardians, Peasant seed sovereignty, World Economic Forum seed pean, Seed sector shindig, Genesys acceleration
- Times of India says “India needs a new doomsday seed vault.” Why not just use the one already there in Svalbard?
- Meanwhile, women in the Sundarban are doing it for themselves.
- Maybe it’s community doomsday seed vaults that India needs?
- Fiji’s cassava is facing a doomsday of its own.
- Georgia — the country — is working on a documentary on crop diversity which will no doubt include their seed deposit in Svalbard.
- Kenya has a pretty good community genebanks video of its own.
- Nigeria is all over crop diversity. Not just once, but twice.
- Coffee prices going up? Can you imagine what will happen if we don’t conserve enough of its diversity?
- Want more examples of the coolness of crop diversity and its guardians? Slow Food has your back.
- La Via Campesina needs to encouragement either, where “peasant seeds” and their guardians are concerned.
- Even the World Economic Forum wants in on the act.
- And yet the seed sector seems…reluctant?
- Good job Genesys is getting faster, eh?