Jeremy and/or Andy will no doubt correct me if I’m wrong, because they’re there and I’m not, but I believe it is the very presentation embedded below that was made a matter of only minutes ago by our friend and colleague Andy Jarvis of CIAT at the Special Information Seminar on CLIMATE CHANGE AND GENETIC RESOURCES FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE: STATE OF KNOWLEDGE, RISKS AND OPPORTUNITIES at FAO. How’s that for timeliness. If not, then Andy will probably give it at the CGRFA-13 side event on pretty much the same subject on Tuesday. Or maybe both? No online sign of the other presentations yet, but I’ll get the scoop on the event from the boys this evening, I expect.
More on those Azeri buffaloes
Thanks to Elli from the Save Foundation for this comment on our recent post on water buffalo in Azerbaijan.
They were crossed with Murrah in Soviet times, just like in the Ukraine and Bulgaria. I’m just preparing a report on Buffalo in SE Europe and we’ve been looking at the situation in Georgia too.
Good to know. Incidentally, I should have mentioned another source of livestock information on the previous post: Gridded Livestock of the World (GLW). If you squint, 1 you can just about make out that it does show some buffaloes in Azerbaijan and other countries in the southern Caucasus.
Nibbles: Breeding, Frankincense and myrrh, Roman pills, Chinese botanic garden, NPGS, Green red bush tea, Old banyan, Terroir, Botanic gardens and invaders, AnGR
- National Organic Coalition suggests USDA’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture separate conventional and participatory breeding from anything involving DNA in considering projects for support.
- Second-guessing the Three Wise Men.
- Yet more on attempts to deconstruct ancient Roman medicines using DNA from tablets found in a shipwreck. Real Indiana Jones stuff.
- Botanic garden and genebank for drought-resistant plants to be established “in Asia’s largest wild fruit forest.” That would be in China. I really don’t know what to make of this. Really need to find out more. But why am I talking to myself?
- Brown (rice) is beautiful.
- Feedback from a genebank user. Kinda.
- Rooibos gets itself certified.
- The oldest cultivated tree on record.
- The taste of Massachusetts.
- “…strongly conservation-minded botanic gardens appear to be in the minority.” Easy, tiger. Will that new one in China (see above) feature in this minority?
- ILRI on an Aussie TV program on conserving local livestock breeds in Africa.
Water buffaloes in Azerbaijan
I have no doubt there are water buffaloes in Azerbaijan, though it did come as something of a surprise. I saw them and ate delicious cheese, butter and yoghurt made from their milk last week during my visit to the national genebank there. And there is stuff on the internet about them. But, frustratingly, no production data in FAOSTAT, though there are some head numbers from 1992 onwards. Nor is there any breed information at DAD-IS, though my hosts told me there was an active improvement programme involving crossing of the local breed with stock from other countries during Soviet times. Apparently, on independence the breeding farms were broken up and the animals were given out to the workers in lieu of wages. They seem to be doing just fine.
Nibbles: Cuba, India, Kansas, Amazonia, Rice, Fonio, Rare breed
- A Cuban tells us what he thinks is wrong with Cuban agriculture.
- Rahul Goswami has two long, thoughtful articles, on how India’s next five year plan is not realistic about either food or urbanisation.
- And what’s worse in the US today, drought, or heat? Do we have to choose?
- Less than 1% of Amazonia is made of Terra Preta. Is that enough? I dunno, how about you?
- Wanna buy some rice? I wonder if African rice, heirlooms and endophytes will get a look-in.
- Better bread from minor African grains. Digitaria, that is.
- Dairy Shorthorn in trouble in the UK.