Nibbles – Page 431 – Agricultural Biodiversity Weblog

February 7, 2008

Iriomote cat threatened

Not that close a relative of the domesticated cat, but still interesting, and in trouble.

February 7, 2008

Micronutrients protect against malaria

Another reason to eat those orange bananas (and sweet potatoes).

February 6, 2008

Plant barcode gene identified

Plant barcoders finally find the gene.

February 5, 2008

Fina and flavour cocoa

More countries admitted to tasty chocolate club.

February 5, 2008February 5, 2008

New book on globalization

Vermeer’s Hat illuminates the birth of global trade, with agricultural products to the fore. Need to read.

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