Livestock

Nibbles: ILRI, Diversitas, Trees, Water use, Soil, Kenya, Microlivestock, Truffles, Climate data, Forests, Diseases, Plant breeding survey, Beer, and more beer, Pollinators

ILRI annual programme meeting thing gets Twitter treatment. Web 2.0 seizes up.
Via EcoagriculturePartners newsletter, news that agroBiodiversity has a new website. Web 1.0 surrenders.
And the prize for the weirdest name for a tree-planting initiative goes to…
The water footprint of pasta is greater than that of pizza. Still no cure for cancer.
Microbes good for soil. I see that, and I raise you termites. Take that, Dirt Diva.
Fish farming in dryland Kenya. Must get out to see one of these next time I’m there, maybe set one up on mother-in-law’s farm. And get her one of these funky backpacks while I’m at it. Wouldn’t want her to laze about.
Farmer Brown (sic) from Ghana talks about his grasscutters.
Ever wonder how one cultivates truffles? Wonder no more.
FAO librarian answers agroclimatological query. Lots of databases for you to explore is the result.
And also from FAO, the latest on the state of the world’s forests. More databases no doubt involved.
Damn, you mean diversity can be good for disease?
Study says that to “be effective plant breeders, … should also be equipped with strong critical thinking and time management skills, and a well-founded work ethic.” Still no cure for cancer.
Climate change to affect beer? Now it’s personal!
Wonder how Ugandans feel about that? Guide to Ugandan Beer, Part 1.
Pollinators do the Harlem Flutter.

More either-or stuff from the Guardian on the Indian GM brijal story.
The USDA prickly pear cactus germplasm collection gets some exposure. And how many times can one say that.
Much better title from Discover on that ancient northern Amazonian earthworks story.
Kenyan foresters tell people to eat bamboo. Luigi’s mother-in-law politely demurs. On the other hand, she might like this.
Swiflet farming? Swiflet farming.
Really heated exchange on paper on coconut lethal yellowing in Yucatan develops on Google Groups. I love the internet.
PROTA publishes expensive book on promising African plants. Promises, promises. NASA promised us the personal jetpack. Where are we with that?
Nice summary of that Mesoamerican agricultural origins story we blogged briefly about a few days ago. So what exactly do you call hunter-gatherers who also grow crops?
First International Symposium on Wild Relatives of Subtropical and Temperate Fruit and Nut Crops will be held March 19-23, 2011 in Davis, California on the campus of the University of California, Davis. Book early.

Interesting stuff behind a paywall: Thai government rethinks sustainability. Not that interesting.
Same goes for Latin American Agroecologists Build a Powerful Scientific and Social Movement.
CNN Mexico shows-and-tells the Spanish-speaking world about urban agriculture. Thanks Jeff.
Emile Frison briefs Eurocrats on the The key relationship between biodiversity and agriculture. Video!
Reflections on the invention of agriculture in MesoAmerica.
Nailing fraudulent labeling of Darjeeling tea. Throw the book at them, I say.
Lassi: “It’s the taste.” Yeah but how healthy can you make the stuff?
“We found large differences in manure levels…” I bet you did.
Soil! Don’t treat it like dirt. (Jeremy’s favourite bumper sticker.)
Veggies in windows, fish in cages.