Category Archives: Agriculture

Quiz on Identifying Ancient Egyptian Plants

Posted on 23/04/2013 by

Below are results, to date, of the quiz: Can You Identify These Plants from Ancient Egypt? I have entered the suggestions that have been sent in, together with a small picture of each one.  For larger pictures (or for the reference) go to … Continue reading →

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Posted in Agriculture, Agroforestry, Art in Africa, Egypt-Ancient, Gardens, Graeco-Roman | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Can You Identify These Plants from Ancient Egypt?

Posted on 11/04/2013 by

Plants of all kinds were much beloved in ancient Egypt, and here is a selection  from tiles, tombs and wall inscriptions.  Can you identify them?  Over the next few days I will put up a blog giving their identity and function … Continue reading →

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Posted in Agriculture, Agroforestry, Egypt-Ancient, Food, Indigenous crops & medicinal plants | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Contract Farming in the Village: Farmer-Friendly Strategies

Posted on 25/03/2013 by

I have received several emails asking about the contract farming project in the village, which has been organized with the Hotel Club du Lac Tanganyika.  We are hoping to invigorate the activity during this rainy season – before the rains … Continue reading →

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Posted in Africa-Central, Agriculture, Contract-Farming, Hotel Club du Lac Tanganyika2 | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Agriculture; Livestock; Indigenous Plants; Agroforestry – Links

Posted on 20/03/2013 by

  FAO will be convening an International Conference on Forests for Food Security and Nutrition, that aims to: … increase understanding of the crucial role that forests, trees on farms and agroforestry systems can play in improving the food security and nutrition … Continue reading →

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Posted in Agriculture, Agroforestry, Burundi, Colonialism, Egypt - Medieval, Food, Food Security, Indigenous crops & medicinal plants | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Social Life of Beans in Burundi – Part 2

Posted on 09/03/2013 by

Part 1 of this blog discussed the different steps used by smallholders here in Burundi in cultivating, harvesting and processing beans.  Below, a few more notes on these steps – together with thoughts on the challenges of emergency seed distribution following … Continue reading →

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Posted in Africa-Central, Agriculture, Burundi, Food, Food Aid, Hotel Club du Lac Tanganyika2, Humanitarian Assistance, Imbo Plain, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

The Social Life of Beans in Burundi – Part 1

Posted on 01/03/2013 by

Dry beans are the most important food in Burundi.  Being Burundian is associated with beans – their growing, processing, sales and eating.  Consumption of beans  cuts across all socioeconomic and ethnic lines in the country; they are a truly unifying, … Continue reading →

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Posted in Africa-Central, Africa-General, Agriculture, Burundi, Colonialism, Crop harvests, Cuisine, East central Africa, Social Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Cuisines and Crops of Africa, 18th Century: Food and Farming in Timbuktu

Posted on 02/02/2013 by

In about 1789, the merchant and voyager Abd Salam Shabeeny  set out from his home city, the Moroccan port town of Tetuan (above picture), for Germany in order to procure items for use in his trans-Saharan caravan trade business.  On the way he … Continue reading →

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Posted in Africa-North, Africa-West, African rice, Agriculture, Caravan routes, Colonialism, Cuisine, Egypt-Recent, Explorers & exploration, Food, History, History-Recent, Indigenous crops & medicinal plants, Livestock, Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments