Nibbles

Nibbles: USDA Pullman genebank, Another Indonesian genebank, Somali community seedbank, Garlic moves genebanks, Enset conservation, Opportunity crop genebanks

A primer on the USDA genebank in Pullman.
Possible genebank in Indonesia. I could have sworn there was one already.
Community genebank in Somalia. Surely not the only one.
Garlic moves between genebanks. I’m sure there’s a reason.
New enset products and processing methods are great, but is there a comprehensive genebank? I wish I could be sure.
That goes for other “opportunity crops” and “forgotten foods” too.

Modelling adoption of biofortified crops is no substitute for empirical field surveys. Kind of obvious, but I guess needed saying.
Kenyans may not need biofortified crops, though. Assuming they are actually eating their traditional vegetables.
There’s a whole genebank for Africa’s vegetables.
Saba senegalensis is also naturally biofortified.
The High Atlas Foundation is also on a fruit tree mission
Is the date palm the most important fruit tree in the world, though?
I wonder what will happen to USDA’s fruit tree collections.

FAO explains why crop diversity matters.
Well, for one thing, there’s food prices, that’s why.
Ah, yes, crop diversity: “You gotta have it. You gotta use it. You gotta talk about it.”
Odisha mainstreams landrace diversity in its seed system.
Meanwhile, the Farmers Union of Cyprus is stashing seeds away in Community Bank of Cypriot Traditional Seeds.
Looks a bit like the Groupements de Production Artisanale de Semences in Haiti. If you squint.
If only there were some guidelines for managing such community seed banks.
Iraqi Kurdistan gets in on the genebank act.
Iraq used to have a genebank, but what happened to it has just happened in Sudan.
Ah, to have a Climate—Conflict—Vulnerability Index so that such things could be predicted and steps taken.
And a monitoring system and some targets would be good too.

The COUSIN project aims to conserve (trans situ, no less) and use crop wild relatives in Europe.
That “use” part can be tough.
But that doesn’t stop the fine people at Aardaia. At least where aardaker (Lathyrus tuberosus) is concerned.
From alternative potatoes in the Netherlands to alternative beans in Indonesia. All in the cause of diversification.
No need to find an alternative to amaranth in the American SW. Not with devoted chefs on the job.
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.
Good thing there are genebank backups, eh?

Three Sisters rematriated to historical Cherokee Nation.
Native grains returning to Indigenous land in Australia too.
May need to bring back agricultural practices too, like in Peru.
Meanwhile, in India, farmers are trying to grow apples in new places. Go figure.
Anyway, seems like the IFOAM Seeds Platform might be able to help.
And genebanks too of course, like the Millennium Seed Bank.
As part of a comprehensive conservation systems, goes without saying, like in China.
Which also include climate-proof protected areas.
It worked for soybeans, after all.
Well, for now anyway…