Agricultural Biodiversity Weblog
Agrobiodiversity is crops, livestock, foodways, microbes, pollinators, wild relatives …
Two articles this morning both point to the widespread use of hallucinogenic plants in ancient South America. National Geographic reports that traces of the mind-altering substance harmine have been found in the hair of Tiwanaku mummies from the coastal Chilean desert dating back to 800-1200 AD. Harmine comes from the Amazonian vine Banisteriopsis caapi, which …
There’s a fascinating article in yesterday’s Uganda Monitor about a trade show for the agricultural sector at Jinja. Fascinating for all sorts of reasons, one being the disconnect between what farmers want and what politicians think they want. President Yoweri Museveni opened the show on July 22 and although his speech dwelt more on politics …
Continue reading “Ugandan fair offers farmers and politicians a chance to talk”
Bush tucker may be viable business proposition. But doesn’t it taste like crap? And do any crop wild relatives qualify? Europe mapping its high value forests. No word on whether crop wild relatives come into the assessment. Sorghum breeder reveals all. Embrapa supporting African agriculture with help from Gates Foundation. How many seasons are there …
“…the world’s first environmental health index to be based on long term historical data” not actually as interesting as it sounds. Data porn. Aggregated. There oughta be a law… Speaking of infoporn, though, check out the third one here. AlertNet site on Solutions for a Hungry World pretty but broken. Media alerted, so by the …
Sharron responded to my thoughts on extension in Africa with this remark: Sounds like the kind of work Peace Corps volunteers have been doing for decades. Not quite. Peace Corp volunteers do wonderful work, but in essence they parachute in and often, though by no means always, apply solutions that are not necessarily entirely appropriate …