World Vegetable Center

Sometimes it seems that the BIG crops get all the attention and you begin to wonder who's paying the least bit of attention to all those other crops humans eat.  Good nutrition depends upon the diversity of foods, not to mention making food more interesting.  Nothing will convince you that you still have lots to learn about food plants more quickly than a visit to a farmer's market in Asia.  Via the Agriculture Biodiversity Blog, here's the link to the World Vegetable Center web page; people who are paying attention to things like cucumbers, okra, and various other fruits and veggies.  This organization first came to the Phactor's attention during one of my several working visits to Thailand.  At the time it wasn't clear to me that this was an international effort, but it is truly a world organization now.  This is an international, nonprofit research and development institute, that (to quote their mission statement) "is committed to alleviating poverty and malnutrition in the developing world through the increased production and consumption of nutritious and health-promoting vegetables".  Hard to argue with that.  And you can help support them by being the first person in your neighborhood to have a nice field hat or a hand painted fan.