Rebecca Nelson, who researches improving disease resistance in crops, will be the speaker at the ninth annual Thornton-Massa Lecture at Colorado State University at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 13, in the Lory Student Center Theatre. Her topic is “Science vs. Hunger: The Challenges of Funding Research in International Agriculture,” and it would be great to get a report here.
Reflections on Barcelona
Danny Hunter has some thoughts on whether IUCN takes agricultural biodiversity seriously over at his Rurality blog. IUCN has been meeting in Barcelona, and Danny was there telling everyone about the Crop Wild Relative Global Portal. The money quote:
There still appears to be a massive disconnect between the global conservation and agrobiodiversity communities.
LATER: There is, of course, no consideration of agriculture in the latest work on Key Biodiversity Areas, apart, that is, from seeing it as a threat.
Website on agaves in Tequila
We’ve been contacted by Dr Ana Valenzuela, an expert on agaves and tequila who has a website dedicated to the diffusion of information on sustainable agave agriculture, and to the conservation of diversity in this crop. We’re happy to add “Agaves Tequileros” to our blogroll. If you read Spanish, check out Ana’s blog.
Equator Prize 2008 winners announced
The Equator Initiative, a United Nations-led partnership that supports grassroots efforts in biodiversity conservation and poverty alleviation, has selected 25 winners of the Equator Prize 2008.
And here they all are. Lots of great stuff there on agrobiodiversity conservation and use. Somewhat invidious to single anyone out, but I can’t resist. Check out in particular the work of the Unión de Organizaciones Campesinas e Indígenas de Cotacachi.
Meetings, meetings
Banana researchers are meeting in Mombasa, and conservationists of all stripes in Barcelona. Both are receiving a lot of press. Africa Science News Service, for example, has a piece on the banana conference. And the BBC has a daily diary on the World Conservation Congress, no less. If you’re at either meeting, and would like to share your impressions with us, let us know.