Pollinators

“Most people are not aware of the fact that 84% of the European crops are partially or entirely dependent on insect pollination.” Right. I could have sworn it was 82%.
That’s not their main concern in Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve in India, where Honey is Life.
I had no idea yardlong bean was really a cowpea. The genes say so.
Crop Wild Relatives & Climate Change, a new website from the Global Crop Diversity Trust, with just the right number of RSS feeds.
And if it’s conference information you’re after, previews from the ASA, CSSA and SSSA Annual meetings:

As ever, if you’re there and want an outlet, we’re here.

Nibbles: Conference, Debate, Review, Radio, Conserve, Film, Label, Threats, Subsidies, Academics, Backyard Breeder

The 2nd Global Conference on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change “Hunger for Action” (Hanoi, Vietnam).
Barder and Kinder Debate London Health Summit and Food Security Policy, so we don’t have to!
A review of a review of restoration ecology for ecosystem services. Ag?
The Seed Underground: listen to a radio interview with US author Janisse Ray. Ag!
Or, if that fails to excite, listen to Save the axolotl! Um, sure, but why? and tell us whether there’s any ag in that.
There’s definitely ag in More than Honey, a new documentary movie.
FDA slaps down misleading claims of fortification (in chocolate syrup)
Cassava mosaic and banana bacterial wilt add to the food security woes of DR Congo.
Rice growers get all the goodies, complain Sri Lankan vegetable growers.
Ivorian agricultural scientists to open access to their research results.
A backyard breeder documents his search for a better bean.

The Farnsworth Professor of International Agricultural Policy (Emeritus) and Deputy Director, Center on Food Security and the Environment, Stanford University talks about the drought on his Iowa farm.
While Ted offers 11 talks on the transformative power of vegetables.
A new use for urban bees; protecting the lead on church roofs.
“Agricultural researchers in developing countries are keen to communicate their research …” Scidev.net communicates.
Growing a high-value crop instead of a staple is not resilience.
Growing mushrooms in a laundry basket might well be.
Growing breadfruit absolutely requires some simple processing tools if it is to be.
Speaking of growth, Jeremy abuses his position of power to direct you to Eight Fallacies about Growth
HarvestChoice grapples with the nomenklatura problem; which genius came up with SPAM?
The Christian Science Monitor reports that orphan crops will be the saviour of African agriculture. Again.
ABC (Oz) fears that war will destroy the ICARDA genebank, forgetting all about that Doomsday vault.

You’ve heard of alternative lifestyles? Now read all about alternative pollinators.
Why should we spend money digitizing natural history collections?
Not all quinoa cultivars may be good for celiacs.
The largest comparative growth experiment ever. Hope some of the 600+ species are crop wild relatives.
Mangroves trap heavy metals. And sequester a lot of carbon. But they are moving. Thank goodness there’s lots of ways to value the services they provide.
CABI’s Plantwise Knowledge Bank is online.
Kew boffins blow up coffee. The genus, settle down.