There’s a great set of photos of the CIAT Genetic Resources Programme up at Flickr. It does pay to have a photographer who knows what he’s doing.
Equator Prize — don’t forget
We nibbled it a couple of weeks ago, but it doesn’t hurt to be reminded. Nominations for the Equator Prize close on 28 February, so if you want to be considered, get going. For the record, agricultural biodiversity can win!
How to promote an agricultural revolution
This looks interesting. A PhD thesis has demonstrated that “a peasant-friendly policy combined with opportunities to buy freeholds” are “the two key reasons for … major agricultural developments”. That sounds about right. Without title to their land, which allows them to seek credit and to benefit from investment, and without policies that support their efforts, how can peasants improve their lot? But hang on. Pablo Wiking-Faria’s thesis relates to Sweden between 1700 and 1900. Could it be relevant elsewhere? Could it be relevant today? Probably.
Connecting Mexican and Islamic cooking
Is mole… “an ingenious Mexican version of curry, or is curry a Hindu adaptation of a Mexican sauce?”
Good question.
The cultural significance of corn colour
MAT’s post on the cultural consequences of corn colour, which we nibbled earlier today, has been brought to my attention. Immodesty forces me to note that we have explored similar byways here ourselves. Luigi experienced first hand contempt for yellow corn among a small sample of ethnic Africans. MAT’s assertion that “corn meal in the United States is yellow,” is undone by the clear north-south divide in preferences, noted here. 1 The whole business of yellow foods’ nutritional value is touched on in many places, not least here. And, of course, there’s the whole orange-fleshed sweet potato saga. Somehow, these “soft” ideas about culture seldom get the respect they deserve when talk turns to improving staple crops.