Category: Nutrition

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Aid Tree Aid

A BBC story alerted me yesterday to the existence of Tree Aid:

TREE AID was established as a charity in 1987 by a group of foresters in response to the famine in Africa, brought to public attention by Band Aid and Live Aid.

They wanted to provide a long term solution once the emergency relief efforts ended. They believed that trees could significantly reduce the vulnerability of communities in rural Africa’s drylands to drought and famine in the future.

Our current strategy expands on the original concept, focusing on forest management and income, food and medicines from trees.

I like their Cake Taste initiative, and their Tree of the Month feature. Seems very worthy. And it’s easy to donate online, should you feel so inclined.

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Rock salt and pond scum

A fascinating post over at Rancho Gordo discusses tequesquite. That’s a natural salt that has been used in Mexican cooking since pre-Columbian times, including for nixtamalization, a process that makes maize easier to process, tastier and more nutritious.

The post also mentions the alga known as tecuilayl (Spirulina geitleri). This was apparently an important food for the Aztecs. ((Alas, it doesn’t make it into FAO’s guide to the seaweed industry.)) Our resident expert on Mexico says it’s the perfect complement to a succulent steamed axolotl in chile sauce. Yummie.

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Rice vs millet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmHUsVlc8yY

We’ve mentioned before the efforts to support millet cultivation among the Hill Tribes of India. There’s even a BBC documentary about the work. The above video is not from the Kolli Hills, but the problem it illustrates is the same. Rice subsidies and mining are threatening the way of life of the Dongria Kondh.

Living Farms works with them to ensure availability of food for the entire year. This is being done by re-establishing their traditional farming system, by conserving the biodiversity of millet and uncultivated food.

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Nibbles: Venezuela, Bangladesh, Climate change, Geographic indications, Dried herbs, Maize, Cydonia, Snakes, Hawaii, Pinot passion

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Organic agriculture key to climate change adaptation and mitigation

Ma. Estrella A. Penunia, Secretary General of the Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA), at the Round Table Discussion “Research and Innovation for Smallholder Farmers in the Context of Climate Change,” organized by IFAD during the 32nd session of IFAD’s Governing Council, 18 February 2009:

In closing, we reiterate our belief that sustainable, organic, ecological friendly agriculture, which is owned, controlled and managed by small men and women farmers, and supported by government policies and programs, is a strategic agricultural measure to adapt and mitigate climate change, ensure food security, and reduce poverty among smallholder farmers. We ask for strong support to this kind of agriculture by putting money for research and development, for communication and information dissemination, for promotion and upscaling. We look forward to meaningful partnerships with all stakeholders — government, business, civil society, producer organizations to promote this kind of agriculture.

On the other hand….