Nibbles: Community seedbanks everywhere, USDA genebanks, Public sector plant breeding, Salinity tolerance, Food systems transformation

  1. Community seedbanks are so big in Zimbabwe that international NGOs are jumping on the bandwagon.
  2. More from the Cherokee Nation Seed Bank, very much a friend of the blog. International NGOs unavailable for comment.
  3. Community seedbanks are also in the news in Mexico.
  4. And in Peru, of course. Oh, here’s a nice video from Peru on Andean roots and tubers, courtesy of CIP, since we’re here.
  5. Indonesia too, you say? Yeah, why not.
  6. How to protect genebank collections from climate change, courtesy of USDA. Community seedbanks please take note.
  7. Who’s going to use all that diversity? Well public sector plant breeders of course.
  8. Yes, even plant breeders working on Salicornia.
  9. But how much of the 6 trillion dollars needed for food systems transformation is going to go to genebanks and plant breeding?

Branfood: Salinity tolerance, Comestibles, Underused species, On farm diversity, Minor cereals, Fragrant millet, Wild yams, Fonio, Winged bean, Giant taro, Nutmeg, Mungbean, Finger millet, Amaranth

Nibbles: Heirloom pean, Genebanks, Students, Community seedbanks, Kunming fund, Kenyan sorghum, Italian grapes, Wild tomatoes, Mouflon, Coffee poster, Early modern watermelons, Korean language, Farmers’ rights

  1. Why heirloom seeds matter.
  2. Why genebanks full of heirloom seeds matter. Even to kids.
  3. Why community seedbanks full of heirloom seeds matter.
  4. Just how much agrobiodiversity matters, according to FAO.
  5. Why heirloom seeds of neglected crops matter.
  6. Why heirloom seeds of sorghum matter in Kenya. No, really.
  7. Why heirloom grapes matter in Italy.
  8. Why seeds of wild tomatoes matter.
  9. Even wild sheep matter.
  10. Why visualizing coffee diversity matters.
  11. Why watermelons mattered in the 17th century.
  12. Why bottle gourds mattered to Koreans.
  13. Why farmers’ rights matter.