Pierre Chanel, Futuna and chanel paradisa
Max Allen of the Australian newspaper tells a great yarn about a ‘mysterious ancient grapevine’ that takes him full circle from France, through Chile, New Zealand and Wallis and Futuna and back to Australia. The variety in question is chanel paradisa and I mention this because I think that I happened to be in Wallis and Futuna on the occassion of the actual holy day attributed to Pierre Chanel, who Allen points out planted the original vine at the Catholic mission on Futuna. What an affair of colour and offerings (both photos were taken just outside the church and parochial house). But I could be wrong, and hopefully someone with a much greater knowledge of the religous calender in Wallis and Futuna will correct me. Atoloto are you out there?
It was certaintly a religous holy day and holiday attributed to someone. And I did have a glass or two of wine at a very early part of the day in the parochial house after the mass in the church, plus a ‘small’ nip of Irish whisky kindly supplied by the celebrant. The church, parochial house and general site of the festival are captured in the early part of this video which I found on YouTube. Happy days!
New ETC Group report dedicated to Erna Bennett
A new communique from the ETC Group, which is dedicated to the memory of Erna Bennett, and which includes a 30-page report documenting the growing influence of agribusiness on the multilateral food system and the lack of transparency in research funding has just been released. The Greed Revolution: Mega Foundations, Agribusiness Muscle In On Public Goods presents three case studies – one involving the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and two involving CGIAR Centers (Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research) – which point to a dangerous trend that will worsen rather than solve the problem of global hunger. The report details the involvement of, among others, Nestlé, Heineken, Monsanto, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Syngenta Foundation. “It is unacceptable that the UN is giving multinational agribusiness privileged access to alter their agricultural policies,” said Pat Mooney, Executive Director of ETC Group, who has been involved in the field for 40 years. “It is ridiculous that the key organizations responsible for agricultural research have no credible data on the extent of corporate involvement in their work and that CGIAR’s biggest funder – at $89 million – is somebody called, ‘Miscellaneous!’ Governments and UN secretariats have forgotten that their first task is to serve the public – not the profiteers.” Would have brought forth a wry smile from Erna no doubt.
Make a date for AgBioDiv2012
The AgroBiodiversity Ireland – Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture Conference (AgBioDiv2012) will be held in the Aula Maxima of the National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG) on Thursday the 9th February 2012 from 08.00 to 17.00. The Organizing Committee are pleased to announce that registration for the AgBioDiv2012 Conference is now open and attendance is free for all registered participants. Details, program and registration details can be found on the AgBioDiv2012 Conference Website. The AgBioDiv2012 Conference aims to network and showcase research projects and initiatives in Ireland for the conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources (agrobiodiversity) for food and agriculture. It is planned that the AgBioDiv2012 Conference will be an annual event which brings together people and initiatives in Ireland engaged in the conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources (agrobiodiversity) for food and agriculture. The AgBiodiv2012 Conference is being held in the context of the sustainable development challenges facing Ireland and aims to showcase opportunities for the use of genetic resources in food and agriculture that can enhance Ireland’s food, agricultural and environmental security. Please share this information with your colleagues and networks.
Erna Bennett has passed away
Erna Bennett, one of the early pioneers of plant genetic conservation, has sadly passed away after a long illness at her home in Scotland. Erna was 86 years old. An obituary will be forthcoming in The Guardian.
The price of a cup of sugar
We are all familiar with the story of the potato, late blight and the Irish diaspora but how many are aware of the transport of 50,000 Irish slaves to service the sugar plantations of Barbados. I must admit to having had a vague knowledge of the history and plight of the ‘redlegs of Barbados’, and was certainly not aware of the close links to sugarcane and imperialism. I did have some understanding of the impact of the introduction of sugar and sugar cane plantations to Latin America through Eduardo Galeano’s excellent Open Veins of Latin America and the oppression and exploitation it contributed to there but that included little, if anything on the ‘redlegs’ narrative. I certainly know more now, having stumbled across an article by Sheena Jolley in a recent issue of Geographical magazine which provided many useful additional leads. Rounded up by Cromwell’s armies, the ‘redlegs’ forebearers were sold into penury as indentured labourers and servants on the sugar plantations of Barbardos in the 1600s to satisfy the tastes and desires of an English aristocrate elite. Ten of those arriving in 1637 aboard Captain Joseph West’s ship which sailed from Kinsale were sold to the governor of Barbados for 450 pounds of sugar apiece. Barbados is certainly not a place where a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down. The poverty of the ‘redlegs’ continues to this day with the majority of descendents living in squalor, ill-health, marginalised with little or no access to land or basic services. But it is heartening to see that others have taken up their plight. Moondance Films have made a documentary recently broadcast on TG4 and Sean O’ Callaghan has written To Hell or Barbados: The Ethnic Cleansing of Ireland a few years back. Of course it never stops there. Few are the injustices or atrocities that have not made their way into song. Here is Damien Dempsey’s take on it all.
Who needs a second bite?
The people at SecondBite continue to impress as their programme to redistribute supermarket food waste destined for the rubbish dump to those in need goes from strenght to strength. Contributing to enhanced dietary diversity and nutrition along the way. Check out the achievements in their latest annual report. A simple idea going back to 2005 that has rapidly translated into action and impact. Impressive organization, and a fine example for other localities and communities to follow.
New report on threats to biodiversity
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has just released a major research report which provides the first comprehensive assessment of impacts of changing environment on Ireland’s biodiversity.
Second national biodiversity action plan launched
Actions for Biodiversity 2011 – 2016, Ireland’s 2nd National Biodiversity Plan was recently launched at the National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin. The plan outline the measures Ireland will take on biodiversity over the next 5 years and are presented as 102 actions under a series of 7 Strategic Objectives. Some of the actions within the plan are continuing elements of existing work and many are requirements under existing EU Directives, as well as other international agreements and conventions. There is a fair whack on biodiversity for food and agriculture too, which if implemented and monitored according to plan should contribute nicely to a comprehensive country account for the way-off State of the World’s Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture.
The state of Ireland’s biodiversity published
Somehow I missed the news release which accompanied publication by the National Biodiversity Data Centre of Ireland’s first ever inventory of the country’s biodiversity in a report entitled “State of Knowledge, Ireland’s Biodiversity 2010”. While never specifically referring to agricultural biodiversity it does highlight its importance to the national economy, for example, the Euro 80 million which pollinators alone contribute of an overall total for biodiversity of Euro 2.6 billion. The report does highlight some important knowledge gaps such as the need for a national soil biodiversity monitoring programme.
What might be of interest in relation to this is that the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, in adopting its Multi-Year Programme of Work earlier this year, has requested the FAO to prepare and present the first ever report on The State of the World’s Biodiversity for Food and Agriculture which is expected to be published in 2017. I assume that Ireland, like all member countries, will be expected to produce a country report as the basis for this, similar to the national process followed for earlier state of the world reports on plant and animal genetic resources. There would appear to be much by way of content and process involved in developing Ireland’s first inventory of biodiversity which could feed into the process for developing a national report on the status of biodiversity specifically important for food and agriculture in the country.
Documenting Ireland’s crop wild relatives
The National Biodiversity Data Centre recorded and documented Irelands crop wild relatives in 2011, with the support of DAFM, and have fully updated the national CWR database with 3,600 new records
