“Despite their relatively small size, the graveyards were found to be home to a total of 81 native plant species; the non–burial plots in the wheat fields had a total of 34. Even the smallest graveyard in the study, covering just two square meters, hosted 24 plant species.”
▻https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/graveyards-are-surprising-hotspots-for-biodiversity
The Struggle to Save #Heirloom Rice in India
Long-forgotten varieties of the staple crop can survive flood, drought and other calamities. The challenge is bringing them back
▻https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-struggle-to-save-heirloom-rice-in-india
#Inde #riz #semences #résistance #agriculture
#paywall... mais une citation trouvée sur twitter :
“...the long-term #sustainability of #rice farming depends crucially on the restoration of traditional #farming practices based on #biodiversity and use of the full diversity of crop varieties that have survived the onslaught of industrial farming.”
▻https://twitter.com/CriticScienceCH/status/1185169096423432193
Why India’s farmers want to conserve indigenous heirloom rice
▻https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/aa62832899cd38a40758c6d63bc4ac3de99b38d9/172_0_2640_1584/master/2640.jpg?width=1300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=d3013eafe0f01ac0e3b3b
India was once home to 100,000 rice varieties, but high-yield, less hardy hybrids have taken over encouraging farmers to safeguard more resistant strains.
India is rice country: the cereal provides daily sustenance for more than 60% of the population. Half a century ago, it was home to more than 100,000 rice varieties, encompassing a stunning diversity in taste, nutrition, pest-resistance and, crucially in this age of climate change and natural disasters, adaptability to a range of conditions.
Today, much of this biodiversity is irretrievably lost, forced out by the quest for high-yield hybrids and varieties encouraged by government agencies. Such “superior” varieties now cover more than 80% of India’s rice acreage.
The Koraput region in the state of Odisha in India’s east was historically among the world’s leading areas of rice diversification. In the 1950s, an official survey found farmers here growing more than 1,700 different rice varieties. Now, more than 1,400 farmers in the region are at the heart of a movement to safeguard what remains of this genetic wealth.
The effort is anchored by a small conservation team led by ecologist Dr Debal Deb. Almost 200 of the 1,200 varieties in Deb’s collection have been sourced from Koraput’s farmers, indicating that villagers have not abandoned their native seeds for modern varieties. Anxious that his collection not end up as the last repository of endangered local varieties, Deb asked some farmers to grow them and circulate their seeds to help safeguard them from extinction.
▻https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e218073223b65644f3bac998bb82248d6eabcfa4/0_0_2560_1598/master/2560.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=4a5008dfc1d64026369f07
Several farmers outlined economic reasons for not abandoning indigenous heirloom varieties, which they refer to as “desi dhaan”, as opposed to modern hybrids, “sarkari dhaan”, quite literally, “government rice”. “With hybrids, we have to keep spending money on buying them,” one farmer said. “With desi, we store our seeds carefully and use them the following season.”
Other farmers wanted to get off the pesticide treadmill to reduce costs and stem the visible ill-effects of chemicals on soil quality and biodiversity. “Hybrids demand ever-increasing pesticide applications and our costs go up in an unsustainable way,” said farmer Duryodhan Gheuria.
Gheuria cultivated four desi varieties – Kolamali, Sonaseri, Tikkichuri, Kosikamon – “just like generations of my family”. After encountering Deb’s team, Gheuria began growing three more endangered heirlooms: Samudrabaali, Raji and Governmentchuri.
Heirloom varieties, adapted over centuries to local ecologies, also proved hardier in the face of problems such as pests and drought, the farmers said. In contrast, modern varieties bred in faraway labs were designed for the neat routines of intensive agriculture. They were tailored for mechanised farming, intended to absorb large doses of chemical fertilisers and predictable supplies of water. But farmers reported that such varieties were unsuited for the variable conditions they cultivated in, from undulating land to increasingly unpredictable weather.
The nephew and uncle farming team Laxminath and Sadan Gouda said that on flood-prone land along a riverbank like theirs, modern varieties fared poorly. “They barely grow, pests attack them … we face a world of trouble. But desi dhaan grow well, which is why we will never abandon them.”
Many farmers reported that some heirloom varieties were able to withstand cyclones better than the modern ones, while others could cope better in conditions of drought or low rainfall.
Farmers had other reasons to prefer desi varieties. Their taller paddy stalks yielded valuable byproducts: fodder for cattle, mulch for the soil, and hay for thatching the roofs of their homes, unlike the short-statured modern varieties.
And then there is the universal motivation of taste. Scented varieties like Kolaajeera and Kolakrushna has a sweet aroma, making cooking and eatingthe rice a pleasurable experience.
“With sarkaari rice, even if you have three vegetables accompanying it, it does not taste that good,” laughed farmer Gomati Raut. “Our desi rice, you can eat it by itself.”
▻https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/d4ddc6149c0a517c2317657e233723e473842fa3/0_71_4000_2753/master/4000.jpg?width=620&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=4ebbe4cd8b9bf43414d7e2
Deb has said that having a huge number of rice varieties is not an end in itself. “Rice conservation is a handle to ask ourselves, how do we build sustainability in our societies?” he said.
It is a question India must increasingly confront, with increasingly depleted water tables, infertile soils, greenhouse emissions and debt that pushes farmers to suicide.
Meanwhile, hundreds of farmers in Koraput embody an alternative model of agricultural development. Drawing on centuries of knowledge and skills, these farmers sustain 200 rice varieties. In the process, they are reducing their dependence on external agencies, from the seed company and the pesticide seller to the government subsidy and bank loan.
By reviving seeds, they are also reviving food, taste, ritual, nutrition, and sustainability – attributes often forgotten as a result of the obsession with yield. Attributes that make rice more than just a bundle of calories and starch.
▻https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/24/why-indias-farmers-want-to-conserve-indigenous-heirloom-rice
If Not Us Then Who ?
▻http://ifnotusthenwho.me
‘If Not Us Then Who’ communicates firsthand the unique personal stories of indigenous peoples, as they battle to protect their lives, their cultures and our forests. When stripped down protecting our planet is not only about politics and policies it’s about people taking ownership and taking action, no matter how small.
World’s largest marine reserve created in #Antarctic sea
▻http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/world-s-largest-marine-reserve-created-in-antarctic-sea-1.3825572
EU, 24 countries strike agreement to protect Ross Sea #biodiversity after years of diplomatic wrangling
Great Barrier Reef and the Amazon Rainforest Among Outstanding Natural Sites Under Threat from French Multinationals
▻http://multinationales.org/Great-Barrier-Reef-and-the-Amazon-Rainforest-Among-Outstanding-Natu
Half of World Heritage sites are currently threatened by industrial development, and the oil and mining sectors pose a particular threat. So many invaluable sites and #biodiversity sanctuaries face being wiped off the map just because we are unable to do anything about our voracious model of development. Several French transnational corporations are among those involved in projects that could herald the end of these exceptional sites. Some of the sites facing destruction include national (...)
/ A la une, #Extractive_Industries, #Australia, #Brazil, #Canada, #Guatemala, #Guinea, #Indonesia, #Malaysia, #Netherlands, #Peru, #DR_Congo, São Tomé, #ArcelorMittal, #Areva, Bolloré, #EDF, Engie (ex GDF Suez), #Eramet, #Lafarge, #Maurel_et_Prom, #Perenco, #Total, #Socfin, (...)
#São_Tomé #Bolloré #Engie_ex_GDF_Suez_ #Energy #Extractive_Industries #environmental_impact #resource_overexploitation #extractive_industries
“►https://www.bastamag.net/De-la-Grande-barriere-de-corail-a-l-Amazonie-ces-sites-naturels-d-exceptio”
“►http://www.wwf.fr/vous_informer/actualites/?7841/La-moitie-des-sites-du-Patrimoine-mondial-sont-menaces-par-des-activites-industr”
“►http://whc.unesco.org/fr/peril”
“►http://www.socfin.com/Files/media/News/2016-03-04---Menaces-sur-forets-africaines.pdf”
“►http://www.perenco.com”
“►http://e360.yale.edu/feature/how_nations_are_chipping_away_their_protected_lands/2989”
“►http://www.padddtracker.org”
“►http://marketforces.org.au/banks/map”
“►http://www.societegenerale.com/sites/default/files/documents/Document%20RSE/Finance%20responsable/Principes%20Generaux%20Environnementaux%20et%20Sociaux%20de%20nos%2”
“►https://www.societegenerale.com/sites/default/files/documents/Document%20RSE/Finance%20responsable/Politique%20Transversale%20Biodiversit%C3%A9.pdf”
“►http://blog.greenpeace.fr/bollore-zero-deforestation”
“►http://forets.greenpeace.fr/la-socfin-menace-toujours-les-forets-africaines”
In Alberta and Downstream, the Heavy Toll of the Oil Sands Industry on #water and the Environment
▻http://multinationales.org/In-Alberta-and-downstream-the-heavy-toll-of-the-oil-sands-industry-
In Alberta, Canadian and international oil companies, including #Shell and #Total, develop oil sands deposits at a frantic pace. Despite the current oil price slump, they still hope to triple production by 2030. While there is much talk of its greenhouse gas emissions, the oil sands industry also has heavy, lesser-known impacts on water resources and #biodiversity. The consequences of excessive water extraction and pollution are beginning to be felt downstream, perhaps all the way to the (...)
/ A la une, #Extractive_Industries, #Canada, Shell, Total, #Extractive_Industries, #Fossil_fuels, biodiversity, #climate_change, #local_communities, water, #environmental_impact, #social_impact, #extractive_industries, #regulations_and_norms, #Environmental_Health, (...)
#Perenco in the Democratic Republic of Congo : when oil makes the poor poorer
▻http://multinationales.org/Perenco-in-the-Democratic-Republic
Perenco’s operations in Bas-Congo are an example of how oil extraction can destroy the environment and the livelihoods of #local_communities, without giving them almost anything in return. In Muanda, the “poorest oil city in the world,” exploitation of petroleum by the Anglo-French company Perenco has brought no real development benefits. A report by the French NGO CCFD-Terre Solidaire paints a damning picture of the situation: unwelcome news at a time when the Democratic Republic of Congo is (...)
/ #Extractive_Industries, #DR_Congo, Perenco, #Total, #Extractive_Industries, #biodiversity, local communities, #corruption, #human_rights, #tax_system, #social_impact, #environmental_impact, #extractive_industries, #commodities, #regulations_and_norms, #poverty, (...)
#corporate_social_responsibility #parent_company #transparency
« ►http://ccfd-terresolidaire.org/infos/rse/petrole-a-muanda-la »
« ►http://www.profundo.nl »
« ►http://www.perenco.com/fr/actualites/single/reussite-de-la-fracturation-sur-el-franig-en-tunisie.html »
« ►http://ccfd-terresolidaire.org/mob/agir/campagnes/investissements-hors »
« ►http://www.asso-sherpa.org/drame-au-bangladesh-le-gouvernement-se-defausse-sur-lue-plutot-que-dass »
« ▻http://oecdwatch.org/cases/Case_307 »
« ▻http://www.crisisgroup.org/en/regions/africa/central-africa/dr-congo/188-black-gold-in-the-congo-threat-to-stability-or-development-opportun »
« ►http://nawaat.org/portail/2013/10/29/enquete-sur-le-gaz-de-schiste-en-tunisie-des-profondeurs-du-sous-sol-tunisie »
« ▻http://www.scribd.com/doc/179884156/Mensonges-Gaz-de-Schiste-OTE-2013 »
« ▻http://platformlondon.org/carbonweb/documents/drc/A_Lake_of_Oil_Congo_DRC_Tullow_PLATFORM_May_2010.pdf »
« If #Société_générale was genuine about its own social and environmental principles, there’s no way they would remain involved in the Alpha Coal project »
▻http://multinationales.org/If-Societe-Generale-was-genuine
Alpha Coal: it is the name of a megaproject in Queensland, #Australia. Alpha Coal would involve extracting millions of tonnes of coal, transporting them by rail over hundreds of kilometers and then exporting them to Asia through a new giant terminal at Abbot Point - in the middle of the Great Barrier Marine Park. Société Générale, one of France’s largest banks, is among the last backers of this project within the international financial community. Julien Vincent and Tony Brown, as representatives (...)
/ #Extractive_Industries, #Fossil_fuels, Société générale, Australia, #Finance_and_Banking, #Extractive_Industries, #biodiversity, #local_communities, #greenhouse_gas, #social_impact, #environmental_impact, #extractive_industries, #climate_change, socially responsible (...)
#socially_responsible_investment #commodities
“►http://www.marketforces.org.au”
“►http://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/business/2014/04/26/the-end-coal/1398434400”
“►http://www.ieefa.org/press-release-the-beginning-of-the-end-of-imported-coal-in-india-report-expos”
Amazonian dams: #EDF and GDF Suez are “studying” indigenous lands with the support of the army
▻http://multinationales.org/Amazonian-dams-EDF-and-GDF-Suez
After Belo Monte, the Tapajós river, one of the Amazon’s main tributaries, and its basin are the latest target for builders of #Large_Dams. The Brazilian government would like to build at least four new dams in this pristine area, of unique #biodiversity. It has enlisted help from a group of companies, including French companies EDF and GDF Suez, to carry out #environmental_impact studies. These companies have been granted the support of the army, to help them sniff out any rebellion from the (...)
/ #Energy, #Brazil, EDF, #GDF-Suez, Large Dams, #State_as_shareholder, biodiversity, #local_communities, #social_impact, environmental impact, #energy, workers’ (...)
#workers'_protest
“►http://lab.org.uk/public-consultation-more-of-a-pr-exercise”
“►http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/12/amazon-villagers-incensed-over-energy-plans-20131223103351496119.html”
“►http://www.grupodeestudostapajos.com.br”
“►http://youtu.be/9liW4bQP03w
Large-scale coal mining backed by French bank #Société_générale threatens the Great Barrier Reef
▻http://www.multinationales.org/Large-scale-coal-mining-backed-by
Northeastern #Australia's enormous coal deposits attract interest from all directions. Nine huge mining projects are underway in Queensland – along with train tracks and freight terminals, CO2 emissions by the millions, and a vital threat to the coastline’s unique world heritage site: the Great Barrier Reef. A French bank, Société Générale is in charge of advising investors for the most advanced of these mining project, Alpha Coal. This article was originally published in French. Translation : Guy (...)
#News
/ Australia, Société générale, #Energy, #Extractive_Industries, #Extractive_Industries, #Finance_and_Banking, #environmental_impact, #corporate_social_responsibility, #greenhouse_gas, #biodiversity, #climate_change, extractive (...)
#extractive_industries
►http://www.prix-pinocchio.org
▻http://rse.societegenerale.com/accueil/environnement-achats/politique-environnementale/bilan-de-la-strategie-carbone-2008-2012
►http://www.greenpeace.org/australia/Global/australia/images/2012/Climate/Galillee_Report.pdf
Spotted a #bat hunting in circles at dusk over my backyard in #Courbevoie - #biodiversity is picking up here !