Markets

January 29, 2010January 28, 2010

Vote for your favourite nutrition innovation

The finalists of the Improved Nutrition Solutions Through Innovation competition are up on Ashoka’s Changemakers site. One project promises that a “native rainforest food for school lunches improves child health while motivating reforestation.” And another wants to produce nutritional supplements from Moringa. It may not be enormously innovative, but I personally like Gardens for Health best, because it has the least of the silver bullet about it, and the most agrobiodiversity.

Gardens for Health enables people living with HIV/AIDS to improve their nutrition, health, and treatment adherence through sustainable agriculture. GHI provides access to land and patient capital for community gardens, seeds and tree seedlings for family home gardens, technical assistance in sustainable agriculture and nutrition, and market linkages

Go vote. You have until 8 February.

January 28, 2010January 28, 2010

FAO publishes two key animal genetic resources references

Our FAO animal genetic resources colleagues have been busy. From DAD-Net, news of “Breeding strategies for sustainable management of animal genetic resources:”

Genetic improvement is an essential component of the management of animal genetic resources and can make important contributions to food security and rural development. Yet, the majority of developing countries have not been successful in sustaining breed development programmes. The objective of these guidelines is to help countries plan and develop effective genetic improvement programmes and to maximize the chances that such programmes will be sustained. They are intended for use by policy-makers and organizations involved in livestock development. They provide practical advice on how to identify livestock development objectives and strategies and define breeding objectives that are in line with them, match animal genetic resources to production systems and identify the most appropriate breeding scheme, initiate or improve straight-breeding or cross-breeding programmes and evaluate investment decisions.

And, once you’ve managed the beasts sustainably, of course you need to market them: Adding value to livestock diversity – Marketing to promote local breeds and improve livelihoods.

January 28, 2010January 28, 2010

Nibbles: Globalizing locavorism, Pollinator relations, Fisheries, Pea wild relative, Haitian coffee, Niche modeling, Slow Food, Chayote, Grass vs corn, Shade chocolate, American organic

“…eleven models of regional food aggregation and distribution that are successful in linking local farmers with regional food chains.” Via.
Hell hath no fury like a fig tree scorned.
Tracking monkfish, saving monkfish.
The history of the wild relative of the pea.
Can coffee help rebuild Haiti?
“Integrating bioclimate with population models to improve forecasts of species extinctions under climate change.”
“The commoditization of products and taste: Slow Food and the conservation of agrobiodiversity.”
CIAT promotes chayote in Vietnam. Why? Well, it’s not about the crop or the country. I suppose it’s about farmers and markets. But is there a diversity angle?
How old is feeding corn (maize) to cows? Older than some people think, apparently.
Shade-grown cacao sows seeds of its own demise.
Waiting for the results of the USDA organic survey…

January 28, 2010January 27, 2010

Doing well and doing good

The private sector can also have a positive impact on poor farmers – simultaneously enhancing food security by bringing them into procurement systems, a strategy that has the added advantage of giving corporate buyers a more diverse and therefore secure supply chain.

Want examples, check out the Financial Times report on Business and Food Sustainability.

January 27, 2010January 27, 2010

Markets, and getting to them

Fairtrade is all well and good, ((Though just plain and simple trade would be enough for some, I expect.)) but African agriculture needs roads too.