Mirabilis expansa – Agricultural Biodiversity Weblog

April 27, 2011April 27, 2011

Nibbles: Food production, Mauka

“A new initiative to help pastoralists and smallholder farmers cope with the twin pressures of drought and climate change.” Yes, but what is the initiative going to do?
Rhizowen gets mawkishly paternal about his mauka.

1. Modelling adoption of biofortified crops is no substitute for empirical field surveys. Kind of obvious, but I guess needed saying.
2. Kenyans may not need biofortified crops, though. Assuming they are actually eating their traditional vegetables.
3. There’s a whole genebank for Africa’s vegetables.
4. Saba senegalensis is also naturally biofortified.
5. The High Atlas Foundation is also on a fruit tree mission
6. Is the date palm the most important fruit tree in the world, though?
7. I wonder what will happen to USDA’s fruit tree collections.
Published on August 19, 2025