- Had no idea there were so many Maya nuts around. Glad Jeremy reminded me. And some Central Asian nuts for balance.
- The best of Afroculinaria.
- The best of HarvestPlus. Oh for the time to do a mashup. Anyway, does this count? And what’s that you say? You have a paper you’re writing on the subject?
- CIP genebank sees CIMMYT’s ISO accreditation (certification? whatever) and raises it a new piece of software. ILRI genebank doubles down.
- One Data Portal to Rule them All. At FAO. Somewhat underwhelming, frankly.
- Rice boffins target drought-stressed villages
- New map of bioregions. In the Daily Mail?
- Sustainable intensification debate gets nowhere. Pretty cynical note to leave you with, don’t you think?
- Ok, so here’s something a little more festive. California caviar.
- And some beer to go with that.
CIMMYT genebank ISO certified at last
The CIMMYT Maize and Wheat Germplasm Bank achieved ISO9001:2008 certification this week, after nearly two years of data gathering, intensive analysis, and assessment of processes and best practices. The ISO standards relate to quality management systems and are designed to help organizations ensure that they meet the needs of customers and other stakeholders, while meeting statutory and regulatory requirements. The CIMMYT Maize and Wheat Germplasm Bank is the first CGIAR germplasm bank to achieve ISO9001 certification, and is now one of only three genebanks globally to achieve certification (and the first outside of Europe). CIMMYT staff and areas involved in this certification included both the germplasm banks, human resources, purchasing, risk management, security, maintenance, and ICT departments. A special thanks is extended to Bibiana Espinosa and Paulina Gonzalez, both of whom sheparded the lengthy process to this noteworthy conclusion.
That’s from CIMMYT’s Informa newsletter, No. 1823, dated 23 November-7 December 2012. I got it as a pdf but have not been able to find it online. Maybe someone at CIMMYT can help me out. Anyway, congratulations to everyone at the genebank. Meanwhile, if you have strong ideas about ISO for genebanks, either way, you can leave them here.
LATER: And here is the online announcement.
Brainfood: Core collections, Romanian pigs, Commons, Valuation, Biofortification, Yam characterization, Pompeii diet, Rice grain genetics
- Maximizing genetic differentiation in core collections by PCA-based clustering of molecular marker data. It works. In simulations, to be fair.
- Study of rare traditional pork breeds concerning the aspect of biodiversity conservation. Mangalitsa is what you want, apparently.
- Open Variety Rights: Rethinking the Commodification of Plants. A “protected commons”? Sounds a bit like the ITPGRFA to me.
- Natural and cultural heritage in mountain landscapes: towards an integrated valuation. Yeah, but does your cultural heritage include things like agricultural biodiversity?
- Fortifying plants with the essential amino acids lysine and methionine to improve nutritional quality. Conventional breeding hasn’t worked. But has it been for want of trying? Just askin’.
- Genetic and phenotypic diversity in a germplasm working collection of cultivated tropical yams (Dioscorea spp.). Relationships among species, synonyms, duplicates, yada yada.
- Roman food refuse: urban archaeobotany in Pompeii, Regio VI, Insula 1. Romans ate a Mediterranean diet. Still no cure for cancer.
- Genetic bases of rice grain shape: so many genes, so little known. Why bother? Just askin’.
Man-tall wheats
Via CIMMYT’s Flickr page:
Bibiana Espinosa of the germplasm bank is one of two runners up this week in our photo competition for CIMMYT staff and friends, with this image showing very tall wheat being regenerated at Mexicali. Although keeping seeds at low temperatures extends their lives, the bank must sow and reharvest all of its thousands of incredibly diverse samples periodically to make sure the seeds remain viable. Says Bibiana: “It was amazing to see wheat plants taller than Tom Payne!”
Photo credit: B. Espinosa/CIMMYT.
The value of Natura 2000
Speaking of return on conservation actions, which we sort of were a couple of days back:
A new study has produced the first indicative estimate of the overall economic benefits provided by the Natura 2000 network. It suggests that the value could be currently between €200 and €300 billion per year, or 2% to 3% of the EU’s Gross Domestic Product.
That’s from one item in a special Thematic Issue of the European Commission’s news alert organ Science for Environment Policy which focuses on “Management and Monitoring of the NATURA 2000 Network,” (pdf) a network of protected areas that is described in the editorial introducing the issue as the “cornerstone of EU biodiversity policy.”
- What does ‘wilderness’ mean?
- First EU-wide economic valuation of Natura 2000 network
- Improved local management needed for the Natura 2000 network
- Natura 2000 Case Study Hoge Kempen: from coal mining landscape to oasis of biodiversity
- Improved communication about Natura 2000 may help resolve landowner conflicts
- Ecotourism: protecting the nature of Natura 2000 in Latvia
- Natura 2000 Case Study Slitere National Park: sustainable tourism in a Natura 2000 site
- Natura 2000 Case Study Eurosite – Adaptive Management of Natura 2000 sites
- Protected areas act as stepping stones for nature in the face of climate change
- New Belgian approach to favourable conservation status for habitats and species of European interest
- Sustaining the Natura 2000 network through LIFE
We’ve talked before about Natura 2000 in the context of conservation of crop wild relatives. I’m willing to bet that return on investment doesn’t take into account any species important in crop improvement that the network happens to be protecting. But if you know better, let us know.