Agricultural Biodiversity Weblog
Agrobiodiversity is crops, livestock, foodways, microbes, pollinators, wild relatives …
Our regular readers ((And indeed Danny’s at Rurality.)) will know that there’s been a regular deluge — windfall? — of apple stories in the past few months, in particular about the imminent demise of the British orchard. The latest surfaced today. In such stories, aspersions are often cast on the qualities of such commercial favourites …
Again I nibble, and then belatedly decide — spurred by Jeremy — that the stories deserved better. Yesterday served up three juicy fruit tales from around the world. First, how ancient mulberry trees are being cut down in Iran because of their connection with local superstitions. While, from half a world away, comes the story …
“Food is the most cost-effective intervention.” Peru promotes potatoes. The Importance of Biodiversity to Medicine. Anyone got access? Any mention of nutrition? EU Says bees should rest. Problem solved. Extreme beer. All problems solved. Eat local? I don’t think so. Itchy Italian gourmands gutted over climate change-caused truffle troubles. Mulberry trees pay the price for …
Continue reading “Nibbles: Food, Potatoes, Medicine, Bees, Beer, Food miles, Fungi, Fruits cubed”
A guy from the city is taking a Sunday drive in the country. As he passes an orchard, he sees a farmer standing under an apple tree near the road, holding up a small pig who is eating apples off the tree. Amazed, he pulls over, gets out, and asks the farmer what in the …
Continue reading “A joke (that features agricultural biodiversity)”
Last time I looked at the state of seed availability in Europe and how it got that way: a one-size-fits-all approach that suits industrial growers and their breeders well enough but that leaves gardeners and specialist growers out in the cold. This time, what are they doing about it. This whole discussion began with the …
Continue reading “Future prospects for European crop varieties”