- The characterization of goat genetic diversity: Towards a genomic approach. A single Neolithic origin.
- Genome-wide patterns of adaptation to climate-mediated selective pressures in sheep. Adaptation to local climates has been important.
- Characterisation of camel breeding practices in the Ansongo Region, Mali. Diversity of practices, diversity of breeds.
- Gynomimicry in the Dwarf Gwembe breed from Zambia. The males mimic the secondary sexual characters of females, presumably because they’ve been selected to do so.
- Evaluation of a diverse, worldwide collection of wild, cultivated and landrace peppers (Capsicum annuum) for resistance to Phytophthora fruit rot, genetic diversity and population structure. No completely resistant lines out of 177, 2 pretty good ones, the better ones confined to 2 of 4 genetic clusters.
- Evaluation of strawberry (Fragaria L.) genetic resources on resistance to Botrytis cinerea. Out of 107 accessions in the German national genebank, 5 were pretty good, 4 of them F. vesca.
- Redesigning the exploitation of wheat genetic resources. Allele mining is out, genome-wide selection is in.
- Making biodiversity-friendly cocoa pay: combining yield, certification and REDD for shade management. Even if you increase yields by 50%, that may not be enough to stop farmers converting from traditional agroforestry. Enter ecolabelling and REDD.
- Measuring nutritional diversity of national food supplies. Production diversity is a good predictor of dietary diversity, but only for low income countries; otherwise income and trade are better. Dietary diversity associated with key health outcomes.
Baobab, frankincense and croton: private sector brings gifts
Found these in an up-market curio shop in Nairobi’s Yaya Centre shopping centre. I’ve never come across Wild Living before, but they sound like an interesting outfit, doing some serious value addition to local products by the look of it:
From Baobab and Shea to Leleshwa and Acacia frankinsense forest oils, East Africa, the cradle of mankind, hosts a remarkable diversity of unique natural resources that have provided succour and health during the majority of our evolution.
Whilst traditionally used, the natural benefits of these products, have until now, been unavailable to the global market. Furthermore, Africa’s potential to produce conservation and livelihoods products for its own development has remained unclaimed.
Wild Living realizes this potential by providing a market for over twenty community based projects located throughout East Africa who are being assisted by partner organizations such as WWF and OXFAM to sustainably and ethically produce natural products.
Wild Living publicises the conservation and livelihoods benefits of each of these producers products and through increased sales revenue assists them to continue conserving their unique natural resources whilst building their own lives in a dignified and self-sufficient manner.
Revenues realized by Wild Living through the sale of its brand are used to assist partners in the ethical and sustainable production of goods whilst providing access into an increasingly conscientious consumer market.
Anyone know anything more about them? Are they on the level? In any case, something else to add to those baobab fact sheets.
Nibbles: Frankincense, Stevia, Market forces
Busy? I should say so. And major kudos to Luigi for shouldering the burden. In the process of declaring RSS bankruptcy this morning, just four items seemed both timely and worthwhile. So here goes nothing:
- Harvesting frankincense robs the trees, so at least do it right.
- If Coke with Stevia is Coke Life, Alun Salt points out, then regular Coke must be, er, … better tasting?
- Folk keep telling developing-country farmers to hook up with local markets, now English allotmenteers are doing the same. H/t CRF.
- And if it’s market apostasy you’re after, how about Raising food prices to end hunger?
Nibbles: Fossil biodiversity, Culture & health, Cicer drought experiment, Endangered fish, Wheat hydridization, Food aid, Ag trade double, Sustainable diets, Fermentation book
- The Global Fossil Record. Visualized. Not agricultural, but couldn’t resist it.
- Malnutrition? It’s the culture, stupid.
- Check out the world’s largest chickpea drought trial.
- Overfishing the Amazon.
- Ah, so that’s how wheat did it!
- Food aid can support sustainable livelihoods too.
- Soon, most crop production will go to feed China’s pigs. And you’ll be able to follow that on FAOStat’s interactive thingie on agricultural tradeflows.
- But it can’t possibly be good for sustainable diets, can it?
- New book on fermentation. Never enough of those.
Nibbles: Restoring forests, Sampling strategies, Breadfruit history, Wheat & CC, Pacific fisheries, Sustainable food experts, CG talkfest, Irish & potatoes, Diet costs, ITPGRFA projects, Poaching & medicine, Coca alternatives, Ethiopian agroforestry, Mutation breeding, Gaza greens
- Genetic considerations in ecosystem restoration using native tree species. No excuse for getting it wrong now.
- “Careful tailoring of seed collections to specific species and situations critical to preserving plant diversity.” No excuse for getting it wrong now.
- Breadfruit makes The Paris Review.
- Got any ideas on protecting wheat from heat and drought?
- Where will Pacific Islanders get their protein from if all the fish go?
- International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems set up. Rejoice. Maybe they’ll be invited to the CGIAR’s Development Dialogues.
- The Irish know a thing or two about sustainable food systems.
- Yeah but how much does a decent diet cost anyway?
- An overview of the Seed Treaty’s projects on climate change adaptation.
- Poaching in Kenya driven by demand for dodgy traditional medicine? And finding an alternative for Peru’s traditional medicine of choice.
- What has agroforestry ever done for us?
- You say conventional I say mutation.
- The leafy greens of Gaza.