The International Foundation for Science (IFS) is looking for young scientists in developing countries for IFS Research Grants to do research on the sustainable management, use, or conservation of biological or water resources. This broad statement covers natural science and social science research on agriculture, soils, animal production, food science, forestry, agroforestry, aquatic resources, natural products, water resources, etc. Applications are accepted all year and are to be made on an IFS Application Form.

Closing Date: Until filled

The full guidelines, eligibility criteria, and instructions to apply are available here:  www.ifs.se/Programme/granting_programme.asp

• Mkamilo, G.S. and D. Bedigian. 2007. Sesamum indicum L. In H.A.M. van der Vossen and G.S. Mkamilo, eds. Vegetable Oils. Plant Resources of Tropical Africa [PROTA] Vol. 14: 153-158. PROTA Programme, Wageningen University, the Netherlands. http://database.prota.org/PROTAhtml/Sesamum%20indicum_En.htm
• Bedigian, D. 2006. Assessment of sesame and its wild relatives in Africa . Pages 481-491 In S.A. Ghazanfar and H.J. Beentje, eds. Taxonomy and Ecology of African Plants, their Conservation and Sustainable Use. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
• Bedigian, D. 2006. Pedaliaceae. Pages 846-849 In A. Akoègninou, W.J. van der Burg and L.J.G. van der Maesen, eds. Flore Analytique du Bénin. Backhuys, Cotonou, Benin and Wageningen, the Netherlands.

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Erika Vohman, not a new face to many of us from the Equilibrium Fund is a CNN hero!
She works with people teaching them to sustainably use the forests and the Maya nut (Brosimum alicastrum) that grows in Latin America and elsewhere. The fruit of this plant  is an undervalued treasure, also from the people that inhabit the forest itself!
Read and watch the video and if you have heroes to suggest, let us know or contact CNN directly!

edition.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/04/16/cnnheroes.erika.vohman/

More about Maya nut

• Seeds of inspiration – website including movie
• Seeds of inspiration – pdf information
• Maya Nut (Botany Photo of the Day – In science, beauty. In beauty, science. Daily.)
• Maya Nut (GFU Species Brochures)
• Seed initiative
• GFU Maya Nut post
• Centro de recursos the informacíon sobre Brosimum alicastrum
• Maya Nut Trees Make A Comeback (WRI)
• Feature story from the GFU web site

The ACACIAGUM project provides a unique north-south collaboration where relevant expertise and resources are being availed for addressing problems of food security and livelihood faced by developing countries. The European and African partners in a more or less balanced way are sharing the various work packages and tasks. There is thus a strong complementarity between research teams from the two regions resulting in high quality multi-disciplinary research approach.

• Various innovative approaches are going to be implemented:
• Innovative approaches to the study of water-use and photosynthate allocation within trees are particularly apt for this study of an exsudate-producing crop. Physiological measurement systems of tree water (stem sap flow, leaf gas exchange, soil water content) will be conducted in relation to gum production;
• Tree management (shoot and root) for optimization of gum-arabic production in relation to soil microbial populations present in the rhizospheric area in differing environmental conditions will form an important topic for improvement of the financial profits of the populations concerned in gum-arabic production.
• The innovative linking of genetics with quality attributes of verified A. senegal trees will yield a tool to ensure that future tree plantings produce high quality gum.
• An innovative and novel, certified marketing system that provides equitable returns to producers and rural populations and assures importers of the source, bio safety, hygiene and quality of the product will be developed and proposed to policy makers and commerce.
• The relationship between soil fertility and sustainable gum-arabic production will be developed and quantified with the final objective to produce gum arabic with a green label.
• The topic of dissemination of results and information has been granted particular importance and a work package has been dedicated to dissemination issues to try to maximize impact amongst end users. Dissemination plans will be developed for different audiences: to Government Departments in DC’s countries involved in the study to national and international agencies involved in natural resource management, NGOs, all actors in the production/marketing chain from local populations through farmers, and the scientific community.

Visit the projects website: inco-acaciagum.cirad.fr

Quoting from the Abstract of this new publication
“Carotenoid and vitamin content of Micronesian atoll foods: pandanus (Pandanus tectorius) and garlic pear (Crataeva speciosa) fruit”
by Lois Englberger, Joseph Schierle, Peter Hoffman, Adelino Lorens, Kiped Albert, Amy Levendusky, Yumiko Paul, Edgar Lickaneth, Amato Elymore, Marie Maddison, Ione deBrum, Janet Nemra, Julia Alfred, Nancy Vander Velde, Klaus Kraemer.  2009.  J Food Comp Anal 22:1-8.

[  ... The fruit of pandanus (Pandanus tectorius) and garlic pear (Crataeva speciosa) are important indigenous Micronesian atoll foods, but are increasingly neglected due to dietary and lifestyle changes  ...  ]
[  ... These cultivars and foods should be promoted in Micronesia and possibly elsewhere in the Pacific and other contexts in order to reduce vitamin A deficiency and provide further health benefits and enjoyment.  ...  ]

For more information you may want to follow the link below or find out directly with Lois, network coordinator of the “Island Food Go Local Network “

Dr. Lois Englberger, PhD
Island Food Community of Pohnpei
P. O. Box 1995
Kolonia, Pohnpei 96941 FM
Federated States of Micronesia
Website: www.islandfood.org