Networking

April 21, 2009April 21, 2009

Network to rescue livestock breeds in Europe

I continue to be amazed by what’s happening in livestock genetic resources conservation. There is a burgeoning network of in situ conservation sites in Europe, for example, which is more than can be said for crops, really. ((Although of course ex situ is another matter. But then again, for livestock in situ is the new ex situ.)) I’m talking about the European Livestock Breeds Ark and Rescue Net (ELBARN). I particularly like the rescue element:

ELBARN aims to change the status quo by creating a network of existing Ark Farms, by encouraging the development of new ones and by enhancing the system with the missing element: capacity to rescue animals that are both Rare Breeds and face slaughter or other immediate dangers.

Guidelines are available on how to market these Ark & Rescue Centres. There’s a map of the locations of the centres under the Ark Network tab in the menu bar. There’s also a database of breeds on the website.

February 2, 2009February 2, 2009

Nibbles: Cheese, Seed squared, Nutrition journal, Wild boar, Bees, Local breeds, Pest, Wild goat

Mozzarella madness.
Homegrown Evolutionist spreads his seed.
There’s an International Seed Swap Day of Action? And we missed it?
The new AJFAND is out.
Brits belatedly bring back boars, but bumble bee buggered.
Improving local livestock breeds in Zambia: VOA tells us how and why.
Not armyworm after all.
Cloning the ibex: close, but no cigar.

January 28, 2009January 28, 2009

Online platform comes up short on agrobiodiversity

Via LEISA’s Farm comes news of INFONET-BioVision,

…an online information platform tailored to the rural population in East Africa. It offers information on sustainable agriculture and ecological control of plant-, human- and animal- targeting pests and disease vectors.

Leave aside for a moment the unlikelihood of many rural people in East Africa being able to access such a platform. ((Perhaps extension workers will be the main audience?)) It does have a great deal of useful information on the agronomy of a large number of crops, including neglected ones, focusing on pest and disease control strategies. But there’s not as much as one might have hoped on the value of diversity. Although, for example, there’s a list of a few local and improved cultivars in the cassava section, I didn’t get the sense of genetic diversity management as a legitimate strategy for sustainability. On a par with “conservation tillage,” say. Pity.

January 27, 2009January 27, 2009

Nibbles: Cotton, Citrus, Fig, Permaculture, Turtles, Wine, Cacao, Fish

Wild cotton use lands prize for boffin trio.
Unesco to protect wild Citrus in India. And read the discussion.
IV International Symposium on Fig.
Permaculture: The Podcast.
The NY Times thinks Americans should eat fewer turtles. And drink more South African wine.
Meanwile, the WSJ gets into single-source chocolate.
Nice map of freshwater fish diversity. But will it last? WWF has a plan.

December 17, 2008December 17, 2008

Appropedia

I don’t think much of the name — a portmanteau of appropriate and cyclopedia (which these days connotes wikification) — but the concept of a web site devoted to “Sharing knowledge to build rich, sustainable lives” is appealing for sure. I have not yet had much time to explore, but there is a whole area on Food/Agriculture with some interesting pages. The one on Seed Fairs, for example, is full of useful advice.

Like all such sites, the value of Appropedia will grow with the number of contributors and will depend on those contributors’ diligence. I feel sure that some agrobiodiversity readers would find it useful, and that it would find your contributions welcome.

Via.