Full Description
'A special, important book of hope, action and integrity.' Mark Diacono, food and garden writer
'After reading Adam's book, I won't look at a handful of seed the same way again!' Joe Swift, garden designer; writer; presenter, BBC's Gardeners' World
Across the world, chefs, farmers, plant scientists and backyard growers are doing something extraordinary: creating new generations of fruit, vegetables and cereals, all bred specifically to flourish locally, taste delicious, and contribute to our food future.
In The Accidental Seed Heroes, Adam Alexander dons his seed detective homburg to meet these twenty-first century seed heroes, who are not only championing traditional varieties but also breeding delicious new ones that will help create a sustainable future for our planet.
We don't all need to become backyard breeders or even, like Adam, accidental ones. We don't even need to eschew, as growers, the modern hybrid cultivars our seed catalogues are stuffed with or, as consumers, boycott those same uninspiring specimens that populate our supermarket shelves. Adam just wants that choice to be better informed and infinitely more diverse and enjoyable.
This story is a celebration of the locally and sustainably grown produce, whether traditional or innovative, that is at the heart of all our food cultures and empowers our rural communities and farmers. Adam believes these new varieties of fruits, vegetables and even grains will not just offer us all nutritious and delicious food but also be part of the solution to combating climate change and returning fertility to our soils and biodiversity to our land.
Contents
Foreword by Rekha Mistry xiii
Introduction 1
1: Breaking the Mould
A Brief History of Plant Breeding 11
2: Where Farmers' Varieties Reign Supreme
On the Trail of Deliciousness in Albania and Ethiopia 31
3: Using One's Loaf
The Bigger the Population, the Better 51
4: Setting Seeds Free
Plant Breeding for an Equitable Planet 75
5: A Future Full of Beans
A Solution to Save the World? 93
6: Cultivating Capsicums
A Tasty Future 114
7: Red Is Not the Only Colour
The Quest for Deliciousness in Every Bite 131
8: Perfecting the Perfect Pea
Sometimes Uniformity Can Be a Good Thing 151
9: Let Us Eat Leaves
And Other Bitter Beauties 173
10: Beautiful Brinjal
The Making of an Asian Love Affair 194
11: It's All in the Pip
Fruitful Labour for Apple Breeders 211
Conclusion: Holding Truth to Power 233
Acknowledgements 245
Glossary 248
Notes 255
Index 271
