Organic agriculture

February 12, 2010February 12, 2010

Agriculture vs biodiversity. Still.

Without biodiversity there will be no agriculture.

Well, that got my attention. Because no possibility of breeding new crop varieties, right. Biodiversity as in crop wild relatives, for example. No crop wild relatives, no landraces: no more agriculture. Right? Well, not quite.

Farming practices should not jeopardize species survival: improving farmland diversity and reducing the usage of pesticides and fertiliser are key efforts to saving biodiversity. Organic agriculture practices can serve as an example in many areas.

Which is all true, of course. And IUCN does have its constituency. I understand that. But we really do need to do something about this yawning chasm between the two communities.

February 9, 2010February 9, 2010

Nibbles: Artichoke, Barley, Aquaculture, Organic farms, Pig conservation, Involuntary parks, Chokeberries, Grass evolution, sustainability

Jeremy says: Put an artichoke in your tank!
American boffins say: I know what, instead of making beer with it, let’s feed barley to fish.
Ugandan fishermen say: Want a “boutique” fish?
USDA says: “The nation’s organic farms and ranches have higher average sales and higher average production expenses than U.S. farms overall…”
South African animal genetic resources experts say: Save our pigs!
The Economist says (we paraphrase) war is good for biodiversity conservation … but where are the wild relatives?
Right here, in the boreal north, and we need to conserve it, and the knowledge to use it, say Canadian conservationists.
Rainfall, not temperature, was the trigger for C4 grasses say other American boffins.
“It’s a sloppy use of language to equate vegetables and food,” says Rachel. We agree.

February 1, 2010February 1, 2010

Nibbles: Orissa, Salatin, Economic impact, Olives, Food security, Lettuce, Chayote

Koraput, in Orissa state, India, is about to be recognized as a globally important agriculture heritage system, which is nice.
Chemical-free farmer has enough.
How much is that drought-tolerant maize really worth?
UK now has home-grown olives, seven varieties. Luigi says: “And so it begins …”
Food security for the faint of heart. A book for people, not policy-makers.
What was the cultural significance of the iceberg salad? Answers win a great book.
CIAT touts its chayote success story in Vietnam. Nice film.

January 31, 2010January 29, 2010

Bring on the meta-meta-analysis of organic agriculture’s benefits

Whether or not organic food brings nutritional benefits over conventional food has been a matter of considerable inquiry and debate. The issue came to a head last month when a study commissioned by the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) concluded that there is no evidence of nutritional superiority.

Now, however, a review published in the journal Agronomy for Sustainable Development has said drawn wildly different conclusions.

Oh, this will run and run, you mark my words…

January 29, 2010January 28, 2010

Vote for your favourite nutrition innovation

The finalists of the Improved Nutrition Solutions Through Innovation competition are up on Ashoka’s Changemakers site. One project promises that a “native rainforest food for school lunches improves child health while motivating reforestation.” And another wants to produce nutritional supplements from Moringa. It may not be enormously innovative, but I personally like Gardens for Health best, because it has the least of the silver bullet about it, and the most agrobiodiversity.

Gardens for Health enables people living with HIV/AIDS to improve their nutrition, health, and treatment adherence through sustainable agriculture. GHI provides access to land and patient capital for community gardens, seeds and tree seedlings for family home gardens, technical assistance in sustainable agriculture and nutrition, and market linkages

Go vote. You have until 8 February.