- The CGIAR spatial crowd get it together? Not holding my breath.
- So tell me about that biodiversity-poverty link. Well, more research is, ahem, needed. Wet, for want of a better word.
- All the different kinds of “spots” for livestock diseases. How did they cope with the poor data? And have the various hotspots and coldspots been considered in drawing up the new research priorities for livestock?
- UNDP stumps up $4 million to plan biodiversity management in Romania. Including agrobiodiversity? Not holding my breath.
- A socio-economic impact analysis of cultural diversity in cities does not consider agriculture at all. There’s a PhD there for someone.
- IUCN’s plans for the Iraqi marshes. Thesiger unavailable for comment.
- If it can be done with amphibians, why the hell can’t it be done with agricultural biodiversity?
- Biojoy swamps Bioversity as Biohappiness book is launched.
- Yeah but was there any of this? And if not, why not? Via NWFP-Digest-L.
Nibbles: Coffee, British orchards, Wild foraging, African agriculture, Sesame, Taro wine, African beer, Brazilian pastures, Hemp
- First of all, I need a cup of coffee.
- Stop Press: Britain’s orchards neglected. Prince Charles to be called in to help?
- Eating the wild, in San Francisco and San Diego.
- IFAD on what African farmers need: infrastructure, insurance, investment. Apparently.
- Harvesting sesame in Greece: The video.
- Filipinos make wine from Hawaiian traditional food. Strange the Hawaiians hadn’t thought of that. But perhaps they did.
- And while we’re on the subject of booze…
- Destroying the Pantanal and Cerrado in a sustainable manner.
- Hey, it’s Hemp History Week! And you know how to celebrate that, don’t you.
George Orwell and Food Security
George Orwell’s diaries are being posted to the web day by day, and we’ve noted some of his concerns about food and its production before. Seventy years ago, he had this to say about the value of food in times of crisis:
Sowed while at Wallington 40 or 50 lb. of potatoes, which might give 200 or 600 lbs. according to the season, etc. It would be queer – I hope it won’t be so, but it quite well may – if when this autumn comes those potatoes seem a more important achievement than all the articles, broadcasts, etc. I shall have done this year.
That he was even thinking such thoughts is interesting. Three days later he was musing about the conflict between “useless” animals and people over limited resources:
There are said to be still 2,000 racehorses in England, each of which will be eating 10-15 lb. of grain a day. I.e. these brutes are devouring every day the equivalent of the bread ration of a division of troops.
What did happen to racehorses during the war?
Nibbles: Olive oil, Food security, Jamaica, Phillipines, EU seed laws, Sorghum
- “Extra virgin” olive oil might not be, but could still be good for you.
- “The underlying causes of hunger are more associated with poverty, institutional weaknesses and policy environments than an inability to produce enough food.” Bob Watson, UK government adviser, on food security …
- … which Jamaica is tackling by enlisting an army of backyard farmers …
- … while Filipinos are told to save on rice by eating camote, sweet potato by another name.
- Bifurcated Carrots points to consultations on new seed laws in Europe.
- Sweet sorghum (jowar) boom in India, with preference for traditional varieties.
Nibbles: Wheat rust, Mill, Cassava
- A big-deal wheat rust conference started today at ICARDA in Aleppo, and there are various webby ways to keep in touch, like RSS (pointless?) and Twitter.
- Stop Press: Wheat rust presentations now on SlideShare.
- A windmill in south London. Jeremy says, “I hope it grinds slow, but exceeding fine.”
- Cassava!