Dry landscape in a field in the town of Walgett, Australia. Photo: AFP/VNA Ms. Mami Mizutori, the UN Secretary-General’s special representative for disaster risk reduction, said that drought risks becoming the next great disaster and there is no cure. A United Nations report released on June 17 found that drought caused at least $124 billion in economic losses and affected more than 1.5 billion people between 1998 and 2017. United Nations, now that global warming has increased droughts in Southern Europe and West Africa and the number of victims will “increase significantly” unless the world acts, Ms. Mizutori said. Some 130 countries could face a major drought risk this century under the UN high-emissions scenario, another 23 would face water shortages because of population growth, and 38 countries are affected by both factors. Ms. Mizutori likens drought to a virus – which tends to be long-lasting, has a wide geographic range and causes severe damage. Countries are not affected by drought but are still affected indirectly through food insecurity and rising food prices.” The United Nations forecasts that droughts will be more frequent and severe in most of Africa, Central and South America, Central Asia, South Australia, Southern Europe, Mexico and the United States. More than 40% of European Union (EU) agricultural imports could be “vulnerable” to drought by mid-century due to climate change, according to a study published in Nature Communications in the journal Nature Communications. this week.

The Dahomey Amazons Women’s Troops. Photo taken in the 1890s Well trained From the 17th century until 1904, the Kingdom of Dahomey in West Africa included a large area, today known as the Republic of Benin. The kingdom had a prosperous economy, a complex tax system, and a powerful military. But most impressive of the pre-colonial strength of Dahomey was the brave female warriors. Known as Mino, or “mothers,” and Ahosi or “king’s wife,” this legion of more than 3,000 female soldiers defended the Kingdom of Dahomey for centuries. One scholar has traced these famous warriors back to the early days of Dahomey. At that time, the king recruited bodyguards from “third-rate” wives, or women he considered too unattractive to have sex with him. These female bodyguards have an advantage over the male soldiers. Since they were married to the king, though mostly in name only, their loyalty was guaranteed. They could patrol the palace grounds at night, when men were forbidden to enter. In the mid-19th century, the Dahomey Amazons made up 40% of the kingdom’s army. Arthur Eardley Wilmot, a British naval officer, visited Dahomey in 1862 and found women outnumbered men in the towns – a phenomenon he attributed to military losses and the consequences of the trade. sell slaves. Divided into several units, each unit has a female commander, wearing a military uniform and carrying a characteristic weapon. Among these, the famous gbeto, made up of female hunters, was the oldest unit of the female army. In the 1850s, a French tourist reported that a group of 20 women armed with curved daggers and tied with antelope horns had attacked a large herd of elephants. Despite being the king’s “pet” army, these female soldiers also had to pass a series of challenging tests, from demonstrating physical strength, to acts of torturing enemies. But the most brutal tests belong to the so-called “insensitivity training”. Most of the recruits had never killed before joining the army, so the king wanted the warriors to execute prisoners to show their bravery. In one test, the women were ordered to throw bound prisoners from a raised platform. In another challenge, the recruits had to use blades to execute prisoners. In 1861, an Italian monk, Francesco Borgero, described an exercise in which thousands of barefoot women climbed thorny acacia trees without flinching. In 1889, Jean Bayol, the officer in charge of the French colony, described the scene he witnessed: “A young woman of the Amazons in training approached a prisoner. She happily stepped forward, raised her sword with both hands three times, then calmly cut off the flesh that was still attached to the prisoner’s head and body. Then she wiped the blood off the weapon and swallowed it.” After passing the tests, the female recruits will enjoy a lavish life in the king’s palace, drinking alcohol and tobacco given by the king. According to one scholar, “when the Amazons came out of the palace, ahead of them was a slave girl carrying a bell that sounded to all men to get out of their way, to take a step back. and look the other way”. Failure to comply will result in the violator being punished with death. Female soldiers practice. Photo taken circa 1890. Fight till the end In late 1978, a Benin historian met an elderly woman in the village of Kinta, named Nawi. She claimed to have fought against the French in 1892. She died in 1979, aged over 100 years. Perhaps this is the last female soldier of the army of Dahomey Amazons. In 1890, during the First Franco-Dahomey War, the French prevailed thanks to more advanced rifles. What makes Dahomey’s female warriors legendary is that they fought, willingly died for the king and country. In the final battles against the superiorly armed French army, about 1,500 women went to battle and only about 50 were fit to carry out the final mission. A French legionnaire named Bern praised them as “warriors who fought with great courage, always ahead of other armies. They are very brave, well trained and very disciplined.” One French marine, Henri Morienval, said, “…they were ready to throw themselves at our bayonets with extraordinary courage.” After Dahomey fell to the French, the female warriors continued to fight. They mingled with the women captured by the French, sneaking out at night to kill French officers. The French were terrified, outlawed the Amazons and banned Dahomey women from serving in the army or carrying weapons. But the Dahomey Amazons haven’t completely disappeared. Most sources suggest that the last female warriors died in the 1940s, but Stanley Alpern, author of Amazons of Black Sparta: The Women Warriors of Dahomey (Dahomey’s Women Warriors) opposes this. He pointed out that, “a woman who fought France as a teenager would not be older than 69 years old in 1943. It is likely that one or more will survive long enough to see their country regain its independence. in 1960”.

Ackee and salted fish are two dishes associated with Jamaican culture. According to the BBC, Usain Bolt, the fastest man in the world, usually eats this dish in the morning. However, many people wonder how the dish including the poisonous fruit of West Africa and the fish from the North Atlantic become the “wet country” in Jamaica? Photo: Melting Pot. Writer Brendan Sainsbury said this story is tied to the “triangle of the slave trade” between England, West Africa and the Caribbean colonies in the 18th and 19th centuries. Ackee looks like lychee, originating from Ghana. Salted fish comes from the windy waters of Northern Europe and Eastern Canada. Photo: Getty. Ackee is suitable for the tropical climate of Jamaica so it has developed strongly since then. Today, across the country you’ll find large, overgrown ackee trees. Photo: BBC. Meanwhile, salted fish (mainly cod) is preserved by salting because in mid-17th century, freezer appeared. It was transferred mainly from Nova Scotia (Canada) to the British Caribbean colonies (including Jamaica). Somehow, the perfect recipe for these two was born. Photo: Getty. Cuthbert Binns, the head chef of a long-established Jamaican restaurant, shares the recipe: “First, boil ackee and salted fish together for 20 minutes before draining, filter the fish bones. Sour, spring onion, chili in a separate pan. Add boiled ackee with salted fish and sprinkle with thyme, black pepper. Photo: WordPress. Despite having a showy green crust, ackee hides a terrifying toxin. This fruit is extremely toxic if eaten unripe. If you eat, you will vomit, or die (quite rarely). Before that, Time magazine once listed ackee on the list of the most dangerous foods in the world. Ackee trading and importing is controlled very carefully. In Haiti, many cases have been recorded death from eating unripe ackee fruit due to lack of food. Photo: Serious Eats. However, the Jamaican people did not heed these dangerous warnings. “We know when it is safe to pick ackee fruit. You can only pick it when the fruit is open naturally, with a clear look at the yellow inner skin. This fruit contains toxic gas and it will release itself at ripe” Jamaican resort owner Janet Crick told the BBC. Photo: Elle Adventures.

Coffee stenophylla is said to have a great taste. Photo: RBG KEW. In the dense rainforest of Sierra Leone, scientists have rediscovered a species of coffee that has disappeared in the wild for decades. This is a plant that can help ensure the future of coffee, which is already affected by climate change. In 2050, climate change halves coffee production On April 19, researchers said, this coffee tree has a name Coffea stenophylla , is able to withstand higher temperatures than Arabica coffee accounts for 56% and Robusta coffee accounts for 43% of global production. Stenophylla has been shown to have a premium taste, similar to Arabica. Botanist Aaron Davis, who leads research on the anti-climate change stenophylla coffee. Photo: Inews. Botanist Aaron Davis, who led the study published in the journal Nature Plants , said, before disappearing, stenophylla plants were grown in regions of West Africa and exported to Europe until the early 20th century. According to Mr. Davis, the stenophylla coffee tree has not been seen in the wild in Sierra Leone since 1954 and in the Ivory Coast since the 1980s. This is given as an evidence. Climate change is a pressing concern for the billion-dollar coffee industry. Many coffee farmers around the world are experiencing the negative effects of this phenomenon. The taste of Arabica is considered excellent and offers a higher price than robusta, which is mainly used for instant and blended coffee. But Arabica has a limited tolerance to climate change, and research has shown that global production of this coffee can drop by at least 50% by mid-century. The fruit of the stenophylla tree is dark black. Photo: Reuters. Unlike the red and sometimes yellow berries of Arabica and robusta, the stenophylla fruit is dark black. The coffee beans are inside the fruit. The stenophylla coffee grows at an average annual temperature of 24.9 ° C, 1.9 ° C higher than Robusta and up to 6.8 ° C higher than that, the researchers said. arabica coffee. Rediscovered stenophylla “proves the future” of the coffee industry Dr Davis said the rediscovery of stenophylla could help “prove the future” of the coffee industry, to support the economies of some tropical countries and provide livelihoods for more than 100 million farmers. people. Stenophylla can be used with minimal domestication, as a high value coffee for farmers in warmer climates. “In the long run, stenophylla provides us with an important resource for breeding a new generation of climate resistant coffee, as it has great taste and good heat resistance. “If historical reports on coffee leaf rust resistance and drought tolerance are believed to be correct, this will be a useful asset for coffee plant breeding”, Mr. Davis added. This study also included the evaluation of 18 coffee tasters on the taste of stenophylla species. A small sample of this coffee bean has been roasted and made into coffee, then enjoyed by a group of coffee connoisseurs. The report showed that more than 80% of the judges were unable to distinguish the difference between Stenophylla and Arabica when tasted. Accordingly, this species has a complex flavor, with a natural sweetness, high average acidity, and a fruity taste when sipping in the mouth. The rediscovered stenophylla grows wild in Sierra Leone. Photo: RBG KEW. From December 2018, Dr. Davis and study co-author Jeremy Haggar of the University of Greenwich and coffee developer Daniel Sarmu searched wild stenophylla in Sierra Leone, where it is historically grown as a coffee tree about a century ago. Initially, they discovered a single tree in central Sierra Leone. They then discovered a healthy population of wild stenophylla some 140 kilometers southeast of Sierra Leone. “Both sites are tropical rainforest, but stenophylla tends to appear on drier, more open areas: ridges, slopes, and rocky areas,” said Dr. Davis. According to Davis, stenophylla is threatened with extinction amid massive deforestation in three countries where it is growing wild: Sierra Leone, Guinea and Ivory Coast. “I think we are extremely optimistic about the future,” said Jeremy Torz, co-founder of the Union Hand-Roasted Coffee special coffee business in East London, which hosts the tasting of the coffee. stenophylla can deliver ”. Dr. Davis hopes one day that stenophylla will be re-grown in Sierra Leone on a large scale. “I think within five to seven years we will see stenophylla enter the market as a niche, high-value coffee, and then I think it will be more popular,” he said.

The new coffee variety Coffea Stenophylla has been forgotten for decades and has just been rediscovered. Photo: Reuters. In the dense rainforests of Sierra Leone, scientists have rediscovered a new species of coffee that has not been seen in the wild for decades – a species they think could help secure the future. of valuable items but are being affected by climate change. On April 19, researchers announced that the new coffee species, Coffea stenophylla, was more resistant to temperatures than Arabica (56% of global production) and Robusta (43%). ). Stenophylla has been shown to taste superb, they added, to be similar to Arabica. Botanist Aaron Davis, who led the study, was published in the journal Nature Plants According to the report, the new species of coffee Stenophylla was grown in parts of West Africa and exported to Europe until the early 20th century, and then abandoned after Robusta coffee was popularized. Many farmers around the world coffee belt are experiencing the negative effects of climate change – a pressing concern for a multibillion-dollar industry. The taste of Arabica coffee is considered excellent and offers a higher price than Robusta, which is mainly used for the production of instant and blended coffee. But Arabica coffee is less resistant to climate change. Research has shown that its global output could decline by at least 50% by the middle of this century. Stenophylla grows at an average annual temperature of 24.9 degrees C – 1.9 degrees C higher than Robusta and up to 6.8 degrees C higher than Arabica, the researchers said. . The rediscovery of Stenophylla coffee could help in the “future proof” of the coffee industry that supports the economies of some tropical countries and provides livelihoods for more than 100 million farmers, Mr. Davis – coffee research team leader at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew – said. “The idea is that Stenophylla can be used with minimal domestication, as a high value coffee for farmers in warmer climates,” he said. Stenophylla coffee provided us with an important resource for breeding a new generation of climate-resistant coffee trees, as it has excellent taste and high heat resistance. “If historical reports on the coffee’s resistance to rust (a fungus that ravaged coffee trees in Central and South America – PV) and the coffee plant’s drought tolerance is correct, then it is.” This means that it becomes even more useful to propagate the coffee plant, “Davis added. The study included taste assessments with 18 coffee tasters. Stenophylla has been found to have a complex flavor, with a natural sweetness, a medium high acidity, and a fruity taste when felt in the mouth. In December 2018, Davis and study co-author Jeremy Haggar of the University of Greenwich and coffee developer Daniel Sarmu looked for Stenophylla in nature. Initially, they discovered a single tree in central Sierra Leone. About 140 km (87 miles) southeast of Sierra Leone, they found a healthy population of Stenophylla. “Both sites are rainforest, but Stenophylla tends to appear on drier, more open areas: ridges, steep slopes and rocky areas,” Davis claims. Stenophylla has not been seen in the wild in Sierra Leone since 1954 and anywhere since the 1980s in Ivory Coast, he added. Stenophylla is threatened with extinction amid massive deforestation in three countries where it is known to grow wild: Sierra Leone, Guinea and Ivory Coast, the study’s new study author wrote. Unlike the red and sometimes yellow fruit of Arabica and Robusta, the fruit of the Stenophylla tree is dark black. The coffee beans are inside the fruit. Jeremy Torz, co-founder of Union Hand-Ro Rang Coffee special coffee business in East London, where part of the flavor test took place, said: “I think we are extremely optimistic about the future Stenophylla can bring “.