Nibbles – Page 493 – Agricultural Biodiversity Weblog

Bioinformatics projects database

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June 1, 2007June 1, 2007

Sustainable tea

Unilever, which buys 12% of the world’s tea production, wants it all certified sustainable by 2015.

Agave paper

There’s a paper out on the diversity of Agave in Mexico, the source of tequila.

Insect diet

A Kenyan researcher tries to get people to eat more insects.

May 30, 2007May 30, 2007

Buzzing wake up call

Jennifer Dotson’s letter to the Washington Post about bee declines refers to “forgotten soldiers of the food supply”. I like that.

1. The COUSIN project aims to conserve (trans situ, no less) and use crop wild relatives in Europe.
2. That “use” part can be tough.
3. But that doesn’t stop the fine people at Aardaia. At least where aardaker (Lathyrus tuberosus) is concerned.
4. From alternative potatoes in the Netherlands to alternative beans in Indonesia. All in the cause of diversification.
5. No need to find an alternative to amaranth in the American SW. Not with devoted chefs on the job.
6. The Iraqi Seed Collective is taking seeds from American genebanks to that country’s diaspora in the US, and eventually back to Iraq itself. Maybe chefs will help.
7. Good thing there are genebank backups, eh?
Published on July 9, 2025