- Focus on ecosystem conservation: grasslands in South Africa, mangroves around the world.
- FAO says cooperatives are good for you.
- Great set of cacao photos from Sustainable Harvest International.
- Video Q&A on agroforestry with Dr Dennis Garrity, Director General of ICRAF.
The ups and downs of trees
I’m really not sure how good an idea it is, but this “Great Green Wall of Africa” that people are talking about will certainly be a sight to see. And a bit of a food resource too if the indicative list of the species that will be used is anything to go by. While I was wondering whether to write about this, four other tree-related stories popped up in my feed reader, which convinced me. So apparently “between 1980 and 1997 England saw a 64% drop in trees,” which sounds pretty incredible, but is probably nothing compared to what is going on in southern Congo. On the plus side, Argentina seem to be building its own green wall down south. Although there’s nothing in the press piece about what species will be used. And finally, in Liberia, old rubber trees are being uprooted and recycled, hopefully as a prelude to replanting something.
LATER: And another, from Tasmania.
Nibbles: Haitian mangoes, Dog bones, Vitis in Georgia, Lavandula in Tunisia, Pistacia in Chios, Rice wine in Korea, Nutella, Mozzarella, Gloucester Old Spot, Cowpea
- Buy Haiti’s Francis mangoes!
- The Muge dog was, in fact, a dog.
- Looking at the grapevine in its center of origin.
- Need to fence lavender populations in Tunisia to protect them.
- More Mediterranean stuff. History of the mastic trade in an Aegean island.
- Making “drunken rice” in Korea. Sign me up.
- Nutella to come with warning label? Jeremy says: We don’t need no nanny state!
- Bluish mozzarella balls confiscated. Jeremy says: Ok, maybe we do after all.
- EU makes itself useful and protects bacon pig of choice, with built-in apple sauce to boot.
- “…finding how the physical and chemical composition of different cowpea varieties influence human health, reduce obesity and prevent diseases like cancer, hypertension and heart related ailments.”
Nibbles: Balanites, Yeast, Loquats, Radishes, Bamboo, Lamb
All science, some of the time.
- Morphological variation in Balanites aegyptiaca fruits …
- Non-conventional yeasts.
- Genetic Diversity and Identity of Chinese Loquat Cultivars/Accessions …
- Genetic Diversity of Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) Germplasm Resources …
- Genome-wide characterization of the biggest grass, bamboo … Bored yet?
- Characterization of Awassi lamb fattening systems: a Syrian case study.
Nibbles: Protected areas, Sturgeon, Geographic indications, Ugandan yams, Tomato controversy, Maya agriculture, Alternatives to slash-and-burn, Asian veggies, Food composition
- Bird people say: Critical migratory waterbird sites need urgent protection. Tomato and potato crop wild relative people say: What, only the critical ones? You’re lucky, mate!
- Toffs everywhere start stocking up on caviar.
- Tequila and cheese geographically indicated. Foie gras says: Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.
- Uganda Government minister says yams cause cancer. Oh, come now, steady on.
- Are Tomatoes Fruits or Vegetables? Asks mental_floss. Oh no, I’m not going there, says me.
- “…where there is a market, the Maya will work to develop supply capability; where there is no market, traditional subsistence methods are better than the introductions.”
- Building a better slash-and-burn agriculture.
- Nice Asian greens. I’m hungry already.
- Crop Composition Database gets facelift.