This looks interesting. A PhD thesis has demonstrated that “a peasant-friendly policy combined with opportunities to buy freeholds” are “the two key reasons for … major agricultural developments”. That sounds about right. Without title to their land, which allows them to seek credit and to benefit from investment, and without policies that support their efforts, how can peasants improve their lot? But hang on. Pablo Wiking-Faria’s thesis relates to Sweden between 1700 and 1900. Could it be relevant elsewhere? Could it be relevant today? Probably.
Geographical indications to preserve Ethiopia’s biodiversity
From André Heitz.
Ethiopia is one of the frontrunners in the use of Intellectual Property to make the best use of its plant genetic and traditional knowledge assets. In the absence of legislation on geographical indications, it has endeavoured to use collective trade marks in the main export markets to add value to its Sidamo, Yirgacheffe, and Harrar/Harar coffees. There is more on the Ethiopian Coffee Trademarking and Licensing Initiative at the Ethiopian Coffee Network and Light Years IP.
The Ethiopian Parliament is now expected to pass geographical indications legislation later this year. This will then provide the legal basis for Ethiopia’s plans to register geographical indications protection, first nationally and then abroad, over emblematic home garden products like coffee, beans, spices and condiments or aromatic plants.
The Home Gardens of Ethiopia project says:
Biodiversity is under threat everywhere, and Ethiopia is no exception.
This country features an exceptional biodiversity, and its gardens, shaped generation after generation by rural populations, represent a unique natural and cultural heritage that must be handed down to future generations.
To preserve this horticultural heritage, Ethiopia has chosen to design and implement an effective institutional and promotional tool: a Geographical Indications system.
The “Home Gardens of Ethiopia” project seeks to promote and develop native horticultural productions, while preserving in situ the biodiversity of the country’s gardens. Its approach is both original and efficient: to offer farmers communities legal protection and help them promote selected native products with new marketing opportunities. Ethiopian farmers will be able to make their traditional modes of production more sustainable, and preserve the biodiversity of which they are the custodians.
We’ll keep fingers crossed.
Nibbles: Kew web, Turkeys, Sugar, Climate, Law
- RBG Kew launches new website. Busy, busy, busy.
- Turkeys domesticated twice, neither time in Turkey. Gobble, gobble.
- Warmer-than-expected weather hits Thai sugar production. Sweet.
- Climate shocks hit poor countries’ exports. Shocked. h/t Cecilia.
- Biodiversity law could stymie research,” and that’s all I know, because the rest is behind a paywall. Access and benefit share THIS!
Amman conference draws to a close with declaration
I don’t want to leave you with the impression that the Amman conference on food security in the drylands has been all about germplasm and breeding, as far as adaptation to climate change is concerned. Cultural practices did get a look-in. Conservation agriculture in general, and zero tillage in particular, came up repeatedly, in fact. But of course, even when it’s not about germplasm, it’s really about germplasm. Because landraces and varieties are probably going to differ in their adaptation to these conditions. In fact, evidence to that effect is already there. An experiment at ICARDA showed last year that recently released varieties don’t do very well under zero tillage in general, but some do better than others. There’s bound to be a rush to screen all kinds of material under such practices.
Anyway, the highlight of the last day was a magisterial keynote from Peter Hazell of IFPRI on the role of agricultural policies and institutions in coping with climate change. It featured the first explanation of private weather index insurance that I’ve actually understood. He was very hopeful about the potential of such schemes, but said that the barriers to entry are still too high, which is why the 37 such programmes in 35 countries only add up to about a US$ 1 billion. Many many many times that will be needed. One of the main problems is the inadequacy of the system of weather stations in many countries. Another bit of infrastructure that is holding development back in rural areas.
Hazell also took part in the final panel discussion, which was very lively and lasted over two hours. He pointed out that the return to investment in agricultural research has really been rather good, and that probably the best hope for adaptation is more science. However, he did say that a breakthrough was needed from somewhere on the scale of the Green Revolution, and he did not see where that was coming from. He pointedly, I thought, did not mention biotechnology.
Well, it’s all over now. The panel session was followed by discussion of the draft Amman Declaration. Comments and amendments were considered, and the final version will be available in due course. But be not afraid, it features strong recommendations to collect and conserve biodiversity, and use it to breed new “climate-ready” crop varieties and build resilient production systems. And so to bed.
Read more on the conference at Rural Climate Exchange.
Gebisa Ejeta on revitalizing agricultural research
2009 World Food Prize Laureate Gebisa Ejeta will speak on “Revitalizing Agricultural Research for Global Food Security” on Wednesday, 3 February 2010 at 7-8:30 pm at IDRC in Ottawa. The event will be webcast live and you can email your questions in. I’m sure the audience will be large and distinguished. I can but hope that the money people among them will take the message to heart and act on it.