Nibbles – Page 476 – Agricultural Biodiversity Weblog

August 13, 2007

Chewing the khat

A traditional narcotic shrub is taking over Yemeni agriculture.

August 13, 2007

Exterminating the American bison

Advanced European tanning technology did for the buffalo. Not all the men with guns.

August 13, 2007

Ancient Irish beer recreated

Archaeologists interpret fulacht fiadh, brew ancient Irish beer, then go for curry.

August 13, 2007August 13, 2007

Heirloom tomatoes

American growers urged to try heirloom tomatoes.

Fish prevents malaria

Tilapia is good for you in more ways than one.

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