Nibbles

February 20, 2008February 24, 2008

Nibbles: Honey, seeds, bioprospecting, chocolate

Haagen Dazs understands. No bees = no honey and no fruit.
Over-excited about seeds. Jeremy comments, “It’s that time of the year”.
South Korea bioprospecting in Costa Rica.
A round-up of recent (bad) news on the chocolate front.
Namibia: no country for vegetarians.

February 18, 2008February 19, 2008

Nibbles: Japan, BBC TV, sauce, basmati, banana

Indoor farms in Tokyo, growing a diversity of non-pot crops, to train yoof. Via.
BBC News web site picks up on BBC World TV documentary on neglected species.
The geography of sauce in South Carolina.
India and Pakistan find something to agree on: basmati rice.
Have we already mentioned this new book on bananas?

February 17, 2008

Reflections on dog breeding

Nice pictures of livestock guardian dog breeds. And a plea for lumping.

February 17, 2008February 18, 2008

Calling a spade a spade

An – ahem – unusual view of the Green Revolution. Via 2blowhards.

February 15, 2008

History of lettuce

Romaine, the oldest lettuce…

1. Why the modern food system prizes uniformity even though resilience depends on diversity. Spoiler alert: follow the money.
2. Historic crop varieties are finding renewed relevance as farmers contend with more volatile weather, emerging pests and changing markets. Let’s hope there’s money to conserve them.
3. India’s traditional wheat varieties contain diversity that could help breeders develop crops better able to withstand heat and drought. Let’s hope there’s money to conserve them.
4. India announces significant progress in conserving its wild rice genetic resources. Great that there was money to conserve them.
5. Community seed banks across Kenya are calling for formal recognition and sustained support, arguing that locally managed collections strengthen seed sovereignty, preserve traditional varieties and help farming communities adapt to climate change. Yes, but are they enough without national genebanks?
6. Researchers are racing to conserve wild coffee species whose genetic diversity may provide the resistance and resilience needed to secure tomorrow’s morning cup. Is the industry contributing, though ?
7. New history of the macadamia traces its remarkable journey from Australia’s native forests to a global crop, while underscoring why conserving the remaining wild populations is essential for the crop’s long-term future.
8. Researchers at the University of the South Pacific investigate how taro can withstand climate change, combining research with conservation to help protect one of the region’s most culturally and nutritionally important staple crops.
9. Chester Zoo collects seeds from highly threatened cacti, because why not?
Published on July 14, 2026