PGR News from the Pacific

Posted 5:38 PM by Luigi

Cultivar Recognition in Micronesia: Banana, Breadfruit, Giant Swamp Taro and Pandanus

This is the title of a new paper by Lois Englberger, Maureen H. Fitzgerald, and Geoffrey C. Marks, just accepted by PGR Newsletter. Should be out before the end of the year. Here's the abstract:

There are many cultivars of the locally-grown staple foods, banana, breadfruit, giant swamp taro, and pandanus, in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), some varying greatly in nutrient content. The objective of this investigation was to document present cultivar recognition, in order to provide information for developing a food-based intervention for dietary improvement and alleviation of vitamin A deficiency. An ethnographic approach using key informant interviews in Kosrae and Pohnpei, two FSM states, explored recognition of the above-listed foods. Data are presented from three groups of informants: community informants, college students, and child caretakers (mostly women). Despite the trend in FSM towards consumption of imported foods, the findings indicated that there is still a considerable knowledge of the food cultivars investigated. Cultivar recognition varied by food and participant’s age, gender, and island. Cultivar recognition was greatest for banana, students naming eight cultivars on average. Caretakers easily named the banana and pandanus cultivars that they had eaten. In FSM, understanding cultivar recognition and cultivar differences (including cultivar-specific data on food composition) is important for assessing food-based interventions promoting vitamin A-rich cultivars and dietary assessment. Such understanding also represents cultivar biodiversity, food security, and cultural integrity. Cultivar recognition and cultivar differences are also likely to be important in other Pacific countries and elsewhere where these foods are eaten.



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DIVA-GIS	Thursday, August 19, 2004 Posted 5:38 PM by Luigi Cultivar Recognition in Micronesia: Banana, Breadfruit, Giant Swamp Taro and Pandanus This is the title of a new paper by Lois Englberger, Maureen H. Fitzgerald, and Geoffrey C. Marks, just accepted by PGR Newsletter. Should be out before the end of the year. Here's the abstract: There are many cultivars of the locally-grown staple foods, banana, breadfruit, giant swamp taro, and pandanus, in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), some varying greatly in nutrient content. The objective of this investigation was to document present cultivar recognition, in order to provide information for developing a food-based intervention for dietary improvement and alleviation of vitamin A deficiency. An ethnographic approach using key informant interviews in Kosrae and Pohnpei, two FSM states, explored recognition of the above-listed foods. Data are presented from three groups of informants: community informants, college students, and child caretakers (mostly women). Despite the trend in FSM towards consumption of imported foods, the findings indicated that there is still a considerable knowledge of the food cultivars investigated. Cultivar recognition varied by food and participant’s age, gender, and island. Cultivar recognition was greatest for banana, students naming eight cultivars on average. Caretakers easily named the banana and pandanus cultivars that they had eaten. In FSM, understanding cultivar recognition and cultivar differences (including cultivar-specific data on food composition) is important for assessing food-based interventions promoting vitamin A-rich cultivars and dietary assessment. Such understanding also represents cultivar biodiversity, food security, and cultural integrity. Cultivar recognition and cultivar differences are also likely to be important in other Pacific countries and elsewhere where these foods are eaten. * Comments: Post a Comment	Archive October 2002 November 2002 December 2002 January 2003 February 2003 March 2003 April 2003 May 2003 June 2003 July 2003 August 2003 September 2003 October 2003 November 2003 December 2003 January 2004 February 2004 March 2004 April 2004 May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007 January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 December 2008 January 2009 February 2009 March 2009 April 2009 May 2009 June 2009 July 2009 August 2009 September 2009 October 2009 November 2009 January 2010 RSS Feed Alternative feed Contact Tevita Something new: Agrobiodiversity Weblog: For discussions of conservation and sustainable use of the genetic resources of crops, livestock and their wild relatives. 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