The FreshPlaza newsletter is a veritable treasure trove of information on fruit & veg around the world. Yesterday’s issue was particularly rich in agrobiodiversity articles. Among other things, it pointed to pieces about how the British are losing their cherry varieties, and about how a Washington State farmer found a new one. There was also an appreciation from Pakistan of the local fruit known as “jamun“, which is probably Syzygium cumini.
Nibbles: Crops for the Future, Fertile Crescent, Canadian First Nation
- A common collection of publications on neglected crops.
- Crescent, maybe, but fertile, not so much.
- “The beaches now are empty of herring roe, its harvest a lost art.”
High water, low water
Thanks to the NY Times’ photography blog Lens, two great multimedia presentations for you, both on a watery theme, but with some agrobiodiversity thrown in. From Panos, a moving video of the story of how Tuvaluans are trying — and, alas, mainly failing — to cope with climate change. It’s getting harder and harder to maintain the way of life, including the taro and pulaka gardens, in the face of rising water levels. But the alternative, life in New Zealand, is not appealing to everyone. And from the other side of the world, illustrating the opposite problem, a photoessay on Iraq’s Marsh Arabs, who live by fishing, growing a few crops, and raising buffaloes. But “farmers say lowered water levels and pollution has made it difficult to keep the buffalo healthy.”
Nibbles: Potatoes, Tortillas, EU agricultural promotion, Human diversity, Children
- Potato fest at the Vavilov Institute next week. Report for us!
- Gary Nabhan on tortillas made of “mesquite pods, the flour of ground, popped amaranth seeds, wheat flour and olive oil.”
- EU to fund promotion of agricultural products, including information campaigns on the EU system of PDO, PGI, TSG, QWPSR et al. Via.
- Diversity good even within individuals.
- Engaging children in Sahelian agriculture and agrobiodiversity.
Nibbles: Climate change, Rice, Maize, PGR, Bananas
- Dept. of Silver Linings: “U.S. farmers and foresters could earn more money from carbon contracts than they pay in higher costs from legislation to control greenhouse gases.”
- Dept. of Black Clouds: “Climate change and the risk of violent conflict in the Middle East.”
- Rapid-growing rice reduces famine in Bangladesh.
- Yields of maize grown in rotation are higher and more stable than those grown exclusively.
- Latest Plant Genetic Resources newsletter online. Most accessible here.
- Banana scientist bags award for field genebank.