Category: Nibbles

Little bits of link goodness not worth a whole post

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Nibbles: COUSIN project, Breeding chat, Aardaker, Alternative beans, Grain amaranth, Iraqi seeds, Genebanks in peril

  1. The COUSIN project aims to conserve (trans situ, no less) and use crop wild relatives in Europe.
  2. That “use” part can be tough.
  3. But that doesn’t stop the fine people at Aardaia. At least where aardaker (Lathyrus tuberosus) is concerned.
  4. From alternative potatoes in the Netherlands to alternative beans in Indonesia. All in the cause of diversification.
  5. No need to find an alternative to amaranth in the American SW. Not with devoted chefs on the job.
  6. The Iraqi Seed Collective is taking seeds from American genebanks to that country’s diaspora in the US, and eventually back to Iraq itself. Maybe chefs will help.
  7. Good thing there are genebank backups, eh?
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Nibbles: Cherokee Three Sisters, Australian native grains, Ancient Peruvian irrigation, Indian apples, IFOAM Seed Platform, MSB, Chinese conservation, Protected areas, Soybeans breeding, Funding cuts

  1. Three Sisters rematriated to historical Cherokee Nation.
  2. Native grains returning to Indigenous land in Australia too.
  3. May need to bring back agricultural practices too, like in Peru.
  4. Meanwhile, in India, farmers are trying to grow apples in new places. Go figure.
  5. Anyway, seems like the IFOAM Seeds Platform might be able to help.
  6. And genebanks too of course, like the Millennium Seed Bank.
  7. As part of a comprehensive conservation systems, goes without saying, like in China.
  8. Which also include climate-proof protected areas.
  9. It worked for soybeans, after all.
  10. Well, for now anyway…
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Nibbles: Maize history, Maize in Tanzania, WorldVeg feature, Pigeonpea speed breeding, Valuing nature in food, GIAHS, Ancient Egyptian brewing redux

  1. The history of maize — according to Pioneer.
  2. The importance of maize — according to Dr Mujuni Sospeter Kabululu, Curator, National Plant Genetic Resources Centre—Tanzania.
  3. The future of vegetables — according to WorldVeg.
  4. The future of pigeonpea — according to ICRISAT.
  5. How should we value nature in our food systems? By true cost accounting — according to TABLE.
  6. A good way to value nature in our food systems is through recognizing Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems — according to FAO.
  7. How strong was ancient Egyptian beer? Not very — according to ethnoarcheobotanists. But it’s still worth trying to reproduce it — according to me. Seneb!
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Nibbles: Indian vault, Sundarban rice, Community seed banks, Fiji cassava, Georgia documentary, Kenya seed network, Nigeria mobilizes, Coffee prizes, Slow Food guardians, Peasant seed sovereignty, World Economic Forum seed pean, Seed sector shindig, Genesys acceleration

  1. Times of India says “India needs a new doomsday seed vault.” Why not just use the one already there in Svalbard?
  2. Meanwhile, women in the Sundarban are doing it for themselves.
  3. Maybe it’s community doomsday seed vaults that India needs?
  4. Fiji’s cassava is facing a doomsday of its own.
  5. Georgia — the country — is working on a documentary on crop diversity which will no doubt include their seed deposit in Svalbard.
  6. Kenya has a pretty good community genebanks video of its own.
  7. Nigeria is all over crop diversity. Not just once, but twice.
  8. Coffee prices going up? Can you imagine what will happen if we don’t conserve enough of its diversity?
  9. Want more examples of the coolness of crop diversity and its guardians? Slow Food has your back.
  10. La Via Campesina needs to encouragement either, where “peasant seeds” and their guardians are concerned.
  11. Even the World Economic Forum wants in on the act.
  12. And yet the seed sector seems…reluctant?
  13. Good job Genesys is getting faster, eh?
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Nibbles: Nourishing investments, Genebank RoI, Seed science double, Ecuador genebank, Ethiopian genebank, MSSRF genebank, CG genebanks, Botanic gardens, SwissAid saves seeds, Brazil conservation, Indian diner, Kenyan food, Saladino on citrus, Lost apple, Seed Savers, Hybrids, Germplasm crime