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Jacob SS, Flanagan BM, Williams BA, Brown R, Hickey S, Gidley MJ, Smyth HE. Bringing back a forgotten legume-Sensory profiles of Australian native wattleseeds reveal potential for novel food applications. J Food Sci 2024; 89:656-670. [PMID: 38051014 DOI: 10.1111/1750-3841.16860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Documented as one of the oldest living civilizations, there is now evidence that Indigenous communities in Australia followed a sustainable lifestyle with well-designed agricultural practices and adequate physical activity. Commonly known as wattleseeds in Australia, unique cultivars of Acacia have been consumed by Indigenous Australians for over 60,000 years. This research used descriptive sensory profiling to develop a lexicon for the aroma and flavor profiles of four wattleseed species before and after being subjected to different processing techniques. The processing methods selected were pressure cooking, dry roasting, wet roasting, and malting. The species included were Acacia kempeana, Acacia adsurgens, Acacia colei, and Acacia victoriae. Sensory differences were observed between the different cultivars as well as between the different food processing techniques. Results show that wattleseed species diversity is a key driver in determining the aroma profile, while taste profiles are modified by the type of processing method applied. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study provides foundational knowledge on these culturally significant seeds, supporting practical opportunities to diversify the uses of wattleseeds in food products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sera Susan Jacob
- ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Uniquely Australian Foods, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Bernadine M Flanagan
- Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Barbara A Williams
- Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | | | | | - Michael J Gidley
- ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Uniquely Australian Foods, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Heather E Smyth
- ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Uniquely Australian Foods, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
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Hall SM, Tikku V, Heiger-Bernays WJ. Potential Policy and Community Implications of Equitable Organic Waste, Compost, and Urban Agricultural Systems in the United States. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2023; 131:115001. [PMID: 37966215 PMCID: PMC10648754 DOI: 10.1289/ehp12921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Urban organic waste diverted from landfills for use as compost feedstock may help mitigate and adapt to the effects of our changing climate. Yet, compost produced from urban food and yard waste is often a source of contaminants harmful to human and environmental health. Efforts by multiple municipalities are increasing residential and commercial food and yard waste collection; however, finished, tested compost is typically unavailable to those contributing the waste and whose gardens would benefit. OBJECTIVES This commentary evaluates the relative equity and safety of U.S. organic waste cycles in relation to urban and peri-urban agriculture (UA) and waste stewardship. We a) explore historical structures that have led to siloed food and waste systems and b) provide recommendations to promote safer compost production from urban organic waste inputs. The engagement of intersectional partners in the creation of equitable policies and contracts that integrate food and waste justice is crucial to this work. METHODS A 15-y relationship between community, academic, and government partners in Boston, Massachusetts, has increased access to health-promoting community gardens. Historical concerns raised by gardeners resulted in improvement to the quality of compost sourced from municipal organic waste and motivated a case study of Boston and three other cities (Seattle, Washington; San Francisco, California; New York, New York). This case study provides the approaches used to source, collect, process, test, and deliver urban organic waste as compost for UA. It informed recommendations to improve the safety and equity of organic waste-to-compost cycles. DISCUSSION Strict feedstock regulation and required compost safety testing are essential to produce safe, city-sourced compost. Balancing the needs of landfill diversion with equitable distribution to all contributors, particularly low-income and food-insecure people, will help concentrate UA benefits within marginalized communities. Adoption of a public health lens may help ensure the safety of nutrient-rich compost available for urban growers through legislation at state and local levels, along with explicit industry contracts. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12921.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha M. Hall
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Vidya Tikku
- The Trustees of Reservations, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Wendy J. Heiger-Bernays
- Department of Environmental Health, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Turner NJ. New Plants, New Resources, New Knowledge: Early Introductions of Exotic Plants to Indigenous Territories in Northwestern North America. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:3087. [PMID: 37687334 PMCID: PMC10490097 DOI: 10.3390/plants12173087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
Plants have always been important for the Indigenous Peoples of Northwestern North America. Collectively, these peoples named and used hundreds of different native plant species, along with diverse animal species. When traders and settlers from Europe and other parts of the world arrived in the region, they brought many new species of plants with them. Some (e.g., turnips (Brassica rapa) and onions (Allium cepa)), were from Europe, and some (e.g., potatoes (Solanum tuberosum)) were from South America or elsewhere. Other plants, like dandelion, Taraxacum officinale, probably arrived unintentionally, as weeds. Examining the ways in which the Indigenous Peoples have incorporated these new species into their lexicons and lifestyles provides insight into processes of acquiring and embracing new products and expanding the cultural knowledge base for human societies in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy J Turner
- School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada
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Buffalo on the Edge: Factors Affecting Historical Distribution and Restoration of Bison bison in the Western Cordillera, North America. DIVERSITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/d14110937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The historic western edge of the bison (Bison bison) range and the ecological processes that caused its formation are frequently debated with important implications for bison restoration across North America. We test the hypothesis that a combination of bottom-up habitat suitability and top-down harvest pressure from Indigenous peoples were important processes in forming the western edge of bison distribution. Using 9384 historical journal observations from 1691–1928, we employ MaxEnt ecological niche modelling to identify suitable bison habitat across the Western Cordillera from bottom-up climatic, land cover, and topographic factors. We then use mixed-effect logistic regression to test if bison occurrence in journal records can be in part explained by the abundance of humans, wolves, or grizzly bears, in addition to MaxEnt-derived habitat suitability. We find support for our hypothesis because of the limited suitable habitat in the Rocky Mountains that likely prevented westward bison dispersal from their core habitat, and there was a negative relationship between bison occurrence and human harvest pressure. On this basis, we propose that intensive human harvest from large populations in the Western Cordillera, subsidized by other wildlife, salmon, and vegetation resources, is an underappreciated socioecological process that needs to be restored alongside bison populations. Co-managing bison with Indigenous peoples will also mitigate the adverse effects of overabundant bison populations and maximize the ecological and cultural benefits of bison restoration.
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Abstract
This paper deals with the question about how early humans managed to feed themselves, and how they preserved and stored food for times of need. It attempts to show how humans interacted with their environments and demonstrate what lessons can be learnt from the about 3.4 million years of food processing and preservation. It includes a discussion about how hominins shifted from consumption of nuts and berries toward meat and learnt to control and use fire. Cooking with fire generated more food-related energy and enabled humans to have more mobility. The main trust of the paper is on historical food preservations, organized from the perspectives of key mechanical, thermal, biological and chemical processes. Emerging food processes are also highlighted. Furthermore, how humans historically dealt with food storage and packaging and how early humans interacted with their given environments are discussed. Learnings from the history of food preservation and culinary practices of our ancestors provide us with an understanding of their culture and how they adapted and lived with their given environments to ensure adequacy of food supply. Collaboration between food scientists and anthropologists is advocated as this adds another dimension to building resilient and sustainable food systems for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dietrich Knorr
- Food Biotechnology and Food Process Engineering, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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Local communities’ perceptions of wild edible plant and mushroom change: A systematic review. GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gfs.2021.100601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Dick CA, Sewid-Smith D, Recalma-Clutesi K, Deur D, Turner N. “From the beginning of time”: The colonial reconfiguration of native habitats and Indigenous resource practices on the British Columbia Coast. Facets (Ott) 2022. [DOI: 10.1139/facets-2021-0092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Indigenous Peoples’ lives, cultures, and values are defined largely by their long-term relationships with the lands, waters, and lifeforms of their territories. Their stories, names, ceremonies, and connections with the plants and animals on which they have depended over countless generations are cornerstones of their knowledge systems, systems of governance and decision-making, traditions of intergenerational knowledge transmission, and values and responsibilities associated with natural and human domains alike. For First Nations of North America’s Northwest Coast, as for many other Indigenous Peoples, the arrival of European newcomers disrupted both the natural world and associated cultural practices in interconnected ways. The industrial exploitation of lands and resources had wide-ranging effects: traditional land and resource appropriation; impacts on culturally significant habitats by industrial-scale fishing, logging, and mining; and discrimination and marginalization contributing to resource alienation. This paper documents some experiences of Kwakwaka’wakw and other Coastal First Nations in coping with the cultural effects of environmental loss. It highlights their concern for the ecological integrity of lands and waters formerly under their stewardship but reshaped by non-Native extractive economies, and describes how these losses have affected the cultural, social, and physical health of Kwakwaka’wakw peoples up to the present time.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Douglas Deur
- Department of Anthropology, Portland State University, Portland, OR 97207-0751, USA and Kwakwaka’wakw Nation, British Columbia, Canada
| | - N.J. Turner
- Emeritus Professor, School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, and Kwakwaka’wakw Nation, British Columbia, Canada
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McAlvay AC, Armstrong CG, Baker J, Elk LB, Bosco S, Hanazaki N, Joseph L, Martínez-Cruz TE, Nesbitt M, Palmer MA, Priprá de Almeida WC, Anderson J, Asfaw Z, Borokini IT, Cano-Contreras EJ, Hoyte S, Hudson M, Ladio AH, Odonne G, Peter S, Rashford J, Wall J, Wolverton S, Vandebroek I. Ethnobiology Phase VI: Decolonizing Institutions, Projects, and Scholarship. J ETHNOBIOL 2021. [DOI: 10.2993/0278-0771-41.2.170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alex C. McAlvay
- Institute of Economic Botany, The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY 10458
| | | | - Janelle Baker
- Anthropology, Athabasca University, Athabasca, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Samantha Bosco
- 5 Horticulture Section, School of Integrated Plant Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | - Natalia Hanazaki
- Departamento de Ecologia e Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Leigh Joseph
- 7 School of Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, BC, Canada
| | | | - Mark Nesbitt
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, UK
| | - Meredith Alberta Palmer
- Science and Technology Studies Department, American Indian and Indigenous Studies Program, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
| | | | - Jane Anderson
- Equity for Indigenous Research and Innovation Coordinating Hub, Anthropology and Museum Studies, New York University, New York, New York
| | - Zemede Asfaw
- Department of Plant Biology and Biodiversity Management, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Israel T. Borokini
- Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology Graduate Program, Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada
| | - Eréndira Juanita Cano-Contreras
- Centro de Investigaciones Multidisciplinarias sobre Chiapas y la Frontera Sur, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Chiapas, México
| | - Simon Hoyte
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Maui Hudson
- Te Kotahi Research Institute, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
| | - Ana H. Ladio
- INIBIOMA (CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue), San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | | | - Sonia Peter
- 20 Biocultural Education and Research Programme, St. James, Barbados
| | - John Rashford
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, College of Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Jeffrey Wall
- Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Steve Wolverton
- Department of Geography and the Environment, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas
| | - Ina Vandebroek
- Institute of Economic Botany, The New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY 10458
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