The Food Crisis: Déjà Vu

It was a year that saw oil prices rise to levels that had never before been imagined. And the world witnessed a decline in world grain production that outlined the the pitfalls of depending on the surplus of a handful of nations for a world food reserve. Nations met to discuss “the food challenge” in the context of a “world of energy shortages, rampant inflation, and a weakening trade and monetary system…”

Nope, not 2008, but 1974. The Lubin Files has links to the speech Henry Kissinger gave to the UN’s World Food Conference.

Seed exchange is evil

That’s not my view ((Obviously. Ed.)) but it seems to be what a commenter called Cassandra is saying.

If I could bring myself to be an “evil” person I would offer tons of my “HOMEGROWN” seeds to them and even ship them for free. That way I could get even with all the idiots that are happily transporting their “noxious” weed seeds along with their lovely and so prized Pansy seeds.

It’s time for the United States Dept of Agriculture to step up to the bat and start fining these idiots that are polluting the earth with weeds, among other things.

How about the lady that bought four trees off of a seller on that four “****” letter internet auction site, lovely trees they were. Nice full rootball with plenty of dirt still attached. Little did she know that she was also buying an entire family of “Fire Ants” . Have you ever tried to rid your property of “Fire Ants”?

Those are indeed shocking examples of bad consequences of ignorant seed and plant exchange. Myself, I’m not too sure how you would miss a fire ant nest in a rootball, but then almost all the trees I’ve planted have been bare-rooted dormant specimens. As for weeds among the seeds, again, I tend to sow all seeds in trays or pots, especially those I am experimenting with, maybe growing for the first time. That gives me a chance to select among the seedlings and to discard anything untoward. But I do that regardless of the source of the seeds; public, private, large, small — makes no difference to me.

Cassandra does have a point, but I also think that her ire is misplaced. The kind of people who would use seed exchanges to broaden their experience of agricultural biodiversity probably have a wee bit of indigenous knowledge. Is there any way to stop the spread of invasive weeds? I doubt it. All we can do is be vigilant. And careful.

So if your truly interested in some “AWESOME” Dahlia seeds, they have been in my family for generations please just ask me for them. Be prepared to have your request denied. I don’t even know you and care more about the wellness of your state and property than you do.

Actually, I’ve never grown a dahlia from seed, so yes, Cassandra, I would be interested. You can use the contact form to let me know how I can get in touch, as you forgot to leave an email.

Underutilized plants policies unpacked

Agrobiodiversity policy wonks will be delighted that the recently-morphed Global Facilitation Unit for Underutilized Species (GFU), in cooperation with the Genetic Resources Policy Initiative (GRPI), has just come out with the snappily titled “An overview of the international regulatory frameworks that influence the conservation and use of underutilized plant species.” You can download it from the Bioversity International publications pages, along with a separate publication, “The role of policy in the conservation and extended use of underutilized plant species: a cross-national policy analysis.” Other, country-specific GFU policy studies are also available.

Nibbles: Health, Fungi, Health, Pollan, Organic

  • Nobellist praises biodiversity, ignores food.
  • TED video on world-saving mushrooms.
  • God: “Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yieleling seed; to you, it shall be for meat.“
  • Pollan: “Vote with your fork, for a different kind of food. Go to the farmer’s market. Get out of the supermarket… Plant a garden… Declare your independence from the culture of fast food.”
  • Rodale Institute: “Yield data just by itself makes the case for a focused and persistent move to organic farming systems.”