- Saving an algal germplasm collection in the US.
- Saving ancient grains via baking in Israel and distilling in Minnesota.
- Saving seeds (and more) in a famous genebank in Ft Collins, Colorado.
- Saving seeds in community genebanks in Nepal.
- Saving seeds for the community in Trinidad & Tobago.
- Saving agriculture from climate change in Hainan. Someone tell India.
- Saving the Nigerian coconut sector.
- Saving organic agriculture from politicians.
Nibbles: Pacific genebank, IPBES report, New mangoes, British apples, Greek landraces, Fonio, Space seeds, Macadamia cryo
- New Zealand supports SPC regional crops and trees genebank in a big way.
- Some of those trees are wild species that contribute to food security, and more must be done to conserve them.
- Some trees are crops of course, like mangoes, and scientists are doing their bit for them in the Philippines.
- Wait, isn’t it too early for the usual BBC saving-the-apple story? Usually comes in the autumn.
- Who needs genebanks when you can inscribe landraces in a National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
- Maybe try it with fonio next?
- Or just send seeds into space?
- Maybe including macadamia, or is space not cold enough for them?
Nibbles: Animal genebanks, Wild pigeon, Uganda genebank, Biodiversity value, W African cooking, Indigenous cafes, Climate crisis & food, Reforestation
- FAO webinar series on animal genebanks.
- Quick put this wild pigeon in a genebank before it’s too late. No, really.
- Yeah but how much is a wild pigeon worth?
- Maybe if you could cook it, it might be worth more? No, really, I’m serious.
- Would be terrible to have a wild pigeon shortage.
- In fact, we need to be able to re-pigeon.
Nibbles: Ag & biodiversity, Sattu, African crops, New rice, Maya religion
- Good roundup of the latest thinking on land sharing vs sparing.
- Hummus is not the only thing to use chickpeas for: you can also make sattu sherbert.
- Africa looks to fonio. Again.
- A new, uniquely high-protein, low-glycemic index rice.
- The Maya Maize God’s sacrifice was re-enacted in a cave. And if you want more background, do listen to this fabulous podcast on the Popol Vuh.
Nibbles: Livestock genebank, Purple grain, Traditional Hawaiian farming
- Call to set up a sheep genebank in Australia. Kinda surprised there isn’t one already, frankly.
- Bringing back purple wheat in the US. Spoiler alert: genebanks were involved.
- Going back to “organized chaos” in Hawaiian farming. There’s probably room for genebanks too, though.