Nibbles – Page 342 – Agricultural Biodiversity Weblog

November 25, 2009November 25, 2009

Nibbles: Mutton, Vegetaballs, Orchids

Why real farming needs great cooking. Upland mutton? I’d eat that.
Down-your-throat vegetarianism. Justine bouche? I’d eat that.
Orchid cuisine in Bhutan. Olachotho? I’d eat that.

November 24, 2009November 24, 2009

Nibbles: Cupuaçu, Policies

November 23, 2009November 23, 2009

Nibbles: Satellites, Nutmeg, Thanksgiving food, Fungi, Moroccan wine

Farming from space.
(Part of) the history of nutmeg.
“Eat Like a Pilgrim.”
Biggest fungal collection in the world created.
Loss of indigenous grape varieties not holding Moroccan winemakers back.

November 20, 2009November 20, 2009

Nibbles: Bison, GMOs, Maize map, Snails, Fruit bat market, News

Buffalo on California’s Santa Catalina island being sterilized. In other news, there are buffaloes on Santa Catalina island.
GMO hotspots deconstructed. Zzzzz.
Maize genome mapped. Zzzzz.
Nigerian nutritionist pushes slimy micro-livestock. France surrenders.
How to shop for fruit bats.
New newsletter from Nepalese NGO. Li-Bird, where is it on your site?

November 19, 2009November 19, 2009

Nibbles: Old goat, Ethiopian sorghum

Reptile-like Balearic goat.
Sorghum diversity hotspots identified in Ethiopia.

1. Ancient farmers didn’t have to wait for the genetic diversity that made domestication possible. They selected from variation already present in wild plants, including the ancestors of rice and maize. Domestication was as much about spotting (or happening upon) useful differences as creating new ones.
2. English colonists in America called Indigenous dogs “wolves,” revealing as much about colonial perceptions as about the animals themselves. This history of Indigenous dogs shows how unfamiliar animals were classified through peculiarly European ideas about wildness.
3. Austria is bringing forgotten apple varieties back to life. Saving old varieties in genebanks is one thing: getting people to grow, sell and eat them is another, but it can be done. Or at least tried.
4. Jordan’s olive-oil heritage centres on traditional varieties such as Nabali and ancient Rumi trees, but most production is consumed locally, leaving exports limited and making provenance, cultivar and harvest date important indicators for buyers. Compare and contrast with Austrian apples.
5. Small island developing states have distinctive food cultures and ingredients, but face particular challenges in building sustainable and resilient food systems. FAO’s A Taste of SIDS explores the connections between island food, biodiversity and culinary heritage. Nice to see diversity within crops considered, though a few local variety names would have been nice.
Published on October 21, 2026