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SUMMARY:African Superfoods and Usable Pasts - Amanda L. Logan\, Department
  of Anthropology Northwest​ern University
DTSTART:20251104T130000Z
DTEND:20251104T140000Z
UID:TALK240259@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:134158
DESCRIPTION:In January 2024\, the New York Times published an article call
 ed “A Revolutionary Way to Feed the World That’s Very Old.” The auth
 ors spotlighted a new push by the US State Department to promote a return 
 to traditional crops in Africa. Many of these crops – like pearl millet 
 and sorghum – are both resilient to climate change and nutrient dense. E
 ven though their cultivation has decreased substantially in recent decades
 \, some experts predict that African foods will be the next global "superf
 oods\," raising questions about who will benefit. In this work-in-progress
  discussion\, I consider the potential of archaeological data to address s
 ome key issues raised by this growing superfood craze in Africa. First\, a
 rchaeological records of crop use can be compared against major climatic a
 nd economic changes that may inform scenario planning for future food syst
 ems. Second\, archaeological data are well-suited to understand how - and 
 why - key resources are abandoned\, with implications for their future ado
 ption. And third\, archaeological plant remains help establish the develop
 ment of African germplasms and establish evidence for intellectual propert
 y. 
LOCATION:Garrod Seminar Room\, MacDonald Institute for Archaeological Rese
 arch
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