Brainfood: Kids and veggies, Common names, Markets, Barley genetic history, Inbreeding depression

Don’t forget the open Mendeley group for the papers we link to here.

Nutrition boosts productivity boosts nutrition

A new study from IFPRI looks at the link between agricultural productivity and nutrient consumption in Uganda. How does nutrient intake affect productivity? And how does productivity affect nutrient intake?

Using a structural equations model (SEM), estimation results clearly reveal the bidirectional relationship between productivity and nutrient intake. Labor productivity elasticity with respect to nutrient intake varies between 0.04 for vitamin B12 and 0.01 for Iron. Our findings suggest that labor productivity increases agricultural income as one would expect. We also find that nutrient intake as well as labor productivity positively affect agricultural income in Uganda. Overall, results indicate that agricultural productivity in Uganda is likely to be enhanced if nutrients intake is significantly increased.

I think that translates roughly as “win-win”. More than that, I cannot say.

Nibbles: Fish blog, El Guardabosques, Andean crops, Traditional knowledge

Nibbles: Cuba gardens, Dual purpose pumpkins, GRIN-Global, Wheat belly, Agroforestry, Zambian malnutrition, Libyan agriculture, Certification

  • Visit Cuba with boffins of the University of Washington Botanic Gardens. Well that sounds like fun.
  • You liked naked oats? Get a load of naked pumpkins. Comments disabled for Manitoba farmers.
  • Psst, wanna genebank data management system? Only slightly used…
  • Something else you can blame your beer belly on: wheat.
  • Have your forest and eat it too.
  • Solving malnutrition in Zambia. I wanna know more about those “improved seed varieties.”
  • And about these too for that matter: “…ICARDA is urgently sending to Libya seeds of wheat, barley, legume and forage crops for the 2011-2012 cropping season…” Incidentally, any news about the Agricultural Research Centre in Tripoli?
  • Forest certification helps nearby Heritage Sites.