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	Podcast:		The Documentary
	Episode:		Ark of the dry lands
	Category:		Society & Culture
	Duration:		00:26:29
	Publish Date:		2025-07-10 00:30:00
	Description:		Researchers in Morocco are developing dry-land agriculture at ICARDA (the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas). It is home to a gene bank, in which around 150,000 different seed-types are kept in perfectly calibrated cold vaults, and duplicated to protect them from ‘fire, earthquake and war.’ They’re used for the creation of new varieties - such as wheat or lentils resistant to drought or disease, without pesticides. The gene bank is a public good - anyone, anywhere, can request seeds free of charge. Laaziza Atmani, head of the Al Amal women’s farming co-operative in the middle Atlas Mountains, uses ICARDA seeds and expertise to develop her couscous business. ‘Setting up the co-op changed our lives,’ she says.
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