Hitting the Books: 'Miracle Rice' fed China's revolution but endangered its crop diversity

Feeding the planet's 8 billion people is challenge enough and our current industrialized commercial practices are causing such ecological damage that we may soon find ourselves hard-pressed to feed any more. For decades, scientists have sought out higher yields and faster growth at the expense of genetic diversity and disease — just look at what we've done to the humble banana. Now, finally, researchers are working to revitalize landrace and heirloom crop varieties, using their unique, and largely forgotten, genetic diversity to reimagine global agriculture. In his new book, Eating to Extinction: The World's Rarest Foods and Why We Need to Save Them, BBC food journalist Dan Saladino scours the planet in search of animals, vegetables and legumes most at-risk of extinction, documenting their origins and declines, as well as the efforts being made to preserve and restore them. In the excerpt below, Saladino takes a look at all-important rice, the cereal that serves as a staple crop for more than 3.5 billion people around the world.Farrar, Straus and Giroux publishingExcerpted from Eating to Extinction: The World's Rarest Foods and Why We Need to Save Them by Dan Saladino. Published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Copyright © 2021 by Dan Saladino. All rights reserved.Whereas the global Green Revolution was largely steered by American science and finance, China’s push for greater food production was more self-contained. Both efforts happened more or less in parallel. Mao’s... Continue reading at 'Engadget'

[ Engadget | 2022-02-05 16:30:43 UTC ]
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Quercus bags book on how 'male-centric' medicine endangers women's lives

Quercus is publishing Sex Matters by Dr Alyson McGregor, about how "male-centric" medical research studies and testing protocols impact on women's healthcare. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-02-21 02:40:12 UTC ]
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Book-ish closes for day after Storm Dennis hits

Crickhowell store Book-ish in south Wales was forced to close on Monday after flooding in the town from storm Dennis meant bookselling staff could not get to the shop. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-02-18 10:27:11 UTC ]
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Tariffs On Most Books from China Now 7.5%

Following the signing of a phase one trade deal between the U.S. and China, books that were subject to a 15% tariff had the duty lowered to 7.5% on February 14. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-02-18 05:00:00 UTC ]
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US halts new book tariffs after China agreement

Planned US tariffs on Chinese products including children’s books have been halted after the two countries reached a preliminary trade agreement. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-12-16 22:13:40 UTC ]
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China’s Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair Reports 16,145 Trade Visitors

Organizers of the 2019 China Shanghai International Children's Book Fair say that 1,498 rights trade agreements were made during the fair. The post China’s Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair Reports 16,145 Trade Visitors appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-12-03 08:30:46 UTC ]
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Nobody Looks Like Me: Seeking Diverse Book Covers

For young people of color, it has been historically difficult to find diverse YA book covers. But now? It's gettting better. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2019-11-22 11:40:38 UTC ]
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Author hits back after West Virginia library removes LGBT picture book from shelves

‘Gay adults grew up reading straight romances,’ says writer Daniel Haack after US library withdraws Prince & Knight from shelvesThe author of a rhyming picture book removed from the shelves of a West Virginia library has hit back at protesters, suggesting that anyone concerned the book could... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2019-11-20 12:31:16 UTC ]
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Charlotte's Web tops children's book sales in China

The bestselling children's book in China this year is still Charlotte's Web, as consumers continue to buy old favourites and the number of new titles is expected to fall. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-14 20:36:16 UTC ]
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NaNoWriMo Has The Writers To Solve The Book Industry’s Diversity Problem

As the writing challenge turns 20, it’s time for the publishing industry to challenge itself. Continue reading at HuffPost

[ HuffPost | 2019-11-01 09:45:13 UTC ]
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Yang Hongying: One of China’s Bestselling Children’s Book Authors

One of Yang Hongying's most successful series now is 12 years old and has sold more than 70 million copies. Her total unit sales exceed 160 million units. The post Yang Hongying: One of China’s Bestselling Children’s Book Authors appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-11-01 05:30:25 UTC ]
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This gorgeous book teaches kids about the plight of endangered animals

‘A Wild Child’s Guide to Endangered Animals’ tells the story of European eels, tiger tail shrimp, and pangolins so kids can learn about conservation. Millie Marotta, a New York Times bestselling author of wildlife-focused coloring books, has been “obsessed with animals of every kind” since she... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2019-10-19 06:00:12 UTC ]
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To Sell More Books, S&S Hits the Road

The S&S Selects PrePub Tour sends authors of books due out next season from Simon & Schuster’s five adult imprints across the country to schmooze with literary tastemakers around the country. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-10-18 04:00:00 UTC ]
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W H Smith's Pete Selby says lack of diversity means book industry is ‘failing’ children

Pete Selby, head of books for W H Smith, has called on the book industry to make the high street more diverse and inclusive for young readers, saying that diversity is going to become a "significant" part of WHS' strategy. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-09-22 19:12:13 UTC ]
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Oneworld to publish book on China's European influence

Oneworld has scooped a book on the “warning signs” behind China’s influence in Europe and North America from once-censored author Clive Hamilton.   Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-09-17 14:05:59 UTC ]
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‘Do black people read?’ What my years in publishing have taught me about diversity in books | Natalie Jerome

Malorie Blackman laments the lack of BAME children’s characters. I know – it’s a real battle to get writers of colour publishedMy daughter, like me, is of mixed heritage. She has wildly curly hair, as have I. When she was born four years ago I was given five copies of the same kids’ picture book... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2019-08-17 07:00:41 UTC ]
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Bibles exempt from Trump China tariffs as charges on children's books delayed

New US tariffs on books imported from China will not include Bibles and other religious titles, while charges on children’s publications will be delayed, it has been announced. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-08-14 16:39:10 UTC ]
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AAP Objects to Trump’s China Shift: Only Children’s Book Tariffs Delayed

'A wide range of other books remain on the list' for near-term tariffs, notes AAP's Maria A. Pallante, 'including American fiction and nonfiction.' The post AAP Objects to Trump’s China Shift: Only Children’s Book Tariffs Delayed appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-08-14 03:15:19 UTC ]
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J.D. Salinger, E-Book Holdout, Joins the Digital Revolution

“The Catcher in the Rye” and other Salinger novels are coming out in digital formats, and the writer’s son plans to release more from his archives. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2019-08-11 09:00:01 UTC ]
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China’s Book Market in the First Half of 2019: Up 10.82 Percent

In another period of double-digit growth for China's book market, children's books are the largest category by sales and online retail is still growing. The post China’s Book Market in the First Half of 2019: Up 10.82 Percent appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-08-09 13:15:13 UTC ]
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Industry 4.0: The Next Revolution in Book Publishing and Manufacturing

As we enter the fourth industrial revolution, book publishing and manufacturing are being affected by automation, data exchange, artificial intelligence, and more. This webinar will explore what it means for publishers and manufacturers, what industry leaders are already doing, and how they plan... Continue reading at Publishing Executive

[ Publishing Executive | 2019-08-05 15:22:41 UTC ]
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