Nibbles – Page 480 – Agricultural Biodiversity Weblog

US-Africa cooperation on cowpea breeding

African students breeding Striga-resistant cowpeaÂ at US uni.

July 24, 2007July 24, 2007

Animal genetic resources

Big report: Legal aspects of exchange, use and conservation of farm animal genetic resources.

Low sugar watermelon

USDA boffins breed watermelon for diabetics.

July 22, 2007July 23, 2007

It’s hot!

Quick roundup of the diversity of Italian summer drinks.

July 22, 2007July 22, 2007

Southern cooking

“A shared love of okra can unite us.” Col. Sanders unavailable for comment.

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