A publication written by Sergio Giani and Rokia Sanogo dedicated to the integration of traditional medicinein health systems has been published in the latest issue of Universitas Forum.

The abstract is copied below. Following this link it can be found in English, French and Italian along with the link for downloading the full publication in French

Reflecting on their experiences in Mali, the authors argue that the action-research methodology (AR) is particularly suited to promoting traditional medicines, for three main reasons: systemic approach, flexibility and stakeholder participation. The aim of AR is also the creation and the appropriation of knowledge by local actors: it is not the acquisition or the transmission of knowledge, but the mastering of the process of knowledge creation. Thus, participation in AR is also formative for all participants, including researchers. The authors also underline the importance of dynamic exchange and intercultural communication, gender analysis and the empowerment of local actors. The use of the methodologies and approaches
illustrated has achieved some positive results in various fields, such as: promoting good care during pregnancy and safe delivery, traditional treatment of trauma and malaria, and also strengthening of local health systems, safeguarding of biodiversity and improving the work of herbalists.

AIDEMET is a Malian based NGO involved with TM, improving livelihoods and much more.

To read more about this organisation and the work it is doing click on the links below

• La Valorisation de la Médecine Traditionnelle et les Nouvelles Technologies de l’Information et de la Communication
• Aidemet Ong: Aide au Développement de la Médecine Traditionnelle
• Ethno-pharmacology, traditional medicine and the effort that Aidemet, a Malian based NGO is making!
  Read about it in French and in English

The first comprehensive review of sesame and its close relative.
Sesame: the genus Sesamum covers ethnographic data, modern use, linguistic analysis of sesame names from around the world, market size, export and import data, geographical sources, use in the food and cosmetic industries, and much more. The book includes a historical review of the genus Sesamum that reveals its place in present-day traditions and cultivation in Africa and Asia.
Expanding coverage from archaeological and anthropological literature from India, Mesopotamia, and Egypt, this ethobotanical monograph draws on folk sources, reviews the phytochemistry of Sesamum, and presents extensive references.

Here the link to the publication “Sesame: The genus Sesamum” (2010) and more about the author can be found here:

Dorothea Bedigian’s publications on Sesame and from the db on projects: Open SESAME (Sustainability and Ecology of Sesamum in Africa and the Middle East)

Here is a new book on the diversity and ethnobotany of taro (Colocasia esculenta), one of the world’s most ancient food crops

We were particularly impressed by the chapter of Peter J. Metthews, an excell

ent account of taro’s history, with much useful information on its earliest uses over 20,000 years BP, a comprehensive section on taro’s nutritional qualities, the methods employed to remove anti-nutri tional factors, and the food culture associated with taro.

Highly recommended!

The Abstract (copied further down) and the link to downlaod plus other information is available on Bioveristy International’s web site here

======================================

Abstract:

Taro is a staple crop for several hundred million small farmers and planters throughout the tropical world. Often associated with Asia and Pacific, it is also important in the Americas and Africa. This book explores the diversity of taros and their uses as well as the status of  taro genetic resources in all the major geographic regions where it is grown. While new market opportunities and taro’s versatility are responsible for its growing popularity in markets, diseases and climate change also pose ever greater threats to its production and distribution. By taking a global approach to the crop, the authors highlight ways to address new outbreaks of pathogens such as the Taro leaf blight in Africa. Diversity in cultivars is also important in coping and adapting to climate change especially when genetic diversity science and farmer knowledge can be brought together.

From Robert Freedman, Tucson, Arizona:

I am doing ethnobotanical research on a little-known category of underutilized plants – Specifically, the data I am coordinating documents food plants used throughout the world, during periods of drought-induced famine and food scarcity. These data are accessible, on the Web, at: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/FamineFoods/ff_home.html

My intention, in coordinating these data, is to provide a resource, of  proven drought-resistant food plants, some of which, because of known high nutrient content, have a potential for improvement, that would make possible the development of new crops, for populations relying on non-indigenous and environmentally at-risk spp.. This idea is articulated further, on the Web, at ‘Notes on the Famine Food Web Site’: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/FamineFoods/faminefoods.html

Based on what is known of those famine food plants, which have been analyzed in the laboratory, these data also provide a large corpus of spp.., still in need of nutritional analysis, to ascertain which may have nexpectedly high nutritional values and thereby become candidates for growth trials and selection. I would like to contact other specialists, who have an interest in arid land subsistence; and development of underutilized food plants. If you could suggest any individuals and organizations whom I can contact, I will be most appreciative.

For more information please contact Bob Freedman at email hidden; JavaScript is required

Ethnobotany of Pohnpei examines the relationship between plants, people, and traditional culture on Pohnpei, one of the four island members of the Federated States of Micronesia. Traditional culture is still very strong on Pohnpei and is biodiversity-dependent, relying on both its pristine habitats and managed landscapes; native and introduced plants and animals; and extraordinary marine life. This book is the result of a decade of research by a team of local people and international specialists carried out under the direction of the Mwoalen Wahu Ileilehn Pohnpei (Pohnpei Council of Traditional Leaders). It discusses the uses of the native and introduced plant species that have sustained human life on the island and its outlying atolls for generations, including Piper methysticum (locally known as sakau and recognized throughout the Pacific as kava), which is essential in defining cultural identity for Pohnpeians. The work also focuses on ethnomedicine, the traditional medical system used to address health conditions, and its associated beliefs.

Published in association with The New York Botanical Garden March 2009
ISBN 978-0-8248-3293-3 / $28.00 (PAPER)

Here the University of Hawaii Press link to the book’s webpage: www.uhpress.hawaii.edu

Here the link to a notice on the University of Hawaii Press blog: uhpress.wordpress.com