COUNTRY COMPASS 37 %ARMENIA In addition, 20 percent VAT (value-added mad cow disease scare, stringent food tax) is also tacked on. This further safety regulations have required importers Armenian tea isn’t appreciated in Armenia complicates matters for the small-scale to prove that products are not new, or face When the thyme leaves blossom, residents producer, says Chilingaryan. “We have shipments being impounded. South of nearby villages begin to harvest the herb packaged and stored away much of our American countries have called the EU's from the lofty meadows around Sisian, product line but it’s been a year already policies protectionist and appealed to the Kapan and Goris. The fragrance of the that we haven’t been able to sell it. Our World Trade Organization for fairer access thyme is pronounced in these areas and the thyme and rose hip items are stored but to EU markets for traditional foods. oil content of the herb is rich. haven’t yet been packaged. At the same The rarity of native food exports has “Bio Universal” LLC, purchases the thyme time we’re ready to produce more and created uncertainty for sellers and buyers from the residents in its dried state and expand our production that today only and hobbled the export trade, Ms Hess- produces tea, oil, syrup, tinctures and amounts to 25–30 percent of total Buschmann said. But she hopes her seasonings from the herb. “Some 3 200 capacity.” research, combined with regulations herbs grow in Armenia, of which 1 500 are The Armenian market for Bio Universal’s expected soon, will open up the gate. medicinal plants. Many such plants are product line is fairly small. Thus, the Not all barriers to the rise of native only to be found in Armenia,” says Yuri company views any future growth solely foods have been international. Australians Chilingaryan, the firm’s director. “Based on linked to the foreign market and orders have also been guilty of what some call a this fact, we’ve decided to select the better- with foreign buyers are at present being culinary cringe when it comes to our known varieties and produce teas, negotiated. (Source: Hetq Online [Yerevan, indigenous produce. essential oils and condiments from them.” Armenia], 4 February 2008.) The Commonwealth Scientific and Tea is produced from thyme flowers and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) oil from the stems. The rest of the herb is has estimated the industry's value "at the used to make seasonings for appetizers farmgate" at $A14 million a year, not and cheese that is aged underground. One including the macadamia industry. But an gram of thyme essential oil can cure 100 kg industry spokeswoman, Martha Shepherd, of meat. It neutralizes the meat’s odour said this figure was growing. An industry and prolongs its shelf-life. group, Australian Native Food Industry Ltd, These products are also used for began life only last year. It is now focused curative purposes. Thyme tea regulates the on getting about a dozen of the most body’s metabolism, cleanses it of the commonly available native foods registered negative properties of alcohol and narcotics with the EU – a list that includes lemon and stabilizes blood pressure. Thyme oils myrtle, the quandong, the bush tomato, refresh and rejuvenate the skin. Joint pain wattle seed and the desert lime. Some of can be eased when the affected areas are these "priority foods", such as the massaged with thyme essential oil. These Tasmanian pepperberry and the Kakadu items are also used to produce medicinal and Illawarra plums, are among a list remedies since the herbs contain %AUSTRALIA identified by Food Science Australia as potassium, calcium and magnesium, having vitamin and antioxidant contents up among other elements. Europe a weak link in the native food chain to five times that of blueberry. Bio Universal began operations two Indigenous Australians have eaten them for The chef Mathew Cribb says that the years ago. During this period, teas, syrups tens of thousands of years and scientists industry is a victim of its infancy, which and oils made from blackthorn, hawthorn, are now telling us they are among the means the prices of emu and crocodile can rose hips, mint, peppermint and other world's best sources of vitamins and run to $A70/kg. "Some of the ingredients medicinal herbs have been added to the antioxidants. But sales of Australian native are so expensive to buy that no one wants product list sold under the Manana brand foods are being hindered by stringent to take the risk." name. international laws that treat them as "novel Once that cycle is broken, they are While these herbs were traditionally foods" alongside genetically modified crops confident that the times will suit Australian used in Armenian medicine, Armenian and food engineered by state-of-the-art native foods – here and abroad. (Source: consumers today are more attracted to the nanotechnology. It is one of the reasons, Sydney Morning Herald [Australia], 27 black and green tea varieties more say industry experts, that a dozen December 2007.) commonly found on the market. One of the Australian "superfruits" are still a novelty reasons is that Armenian teas are on menus from Paris to London and expensive when compared with other tea Montreal. %AZERBAIJAN types. One packet of thyme tea, for Sibylla Hess-Buschmann, a native foods example, has an intrinsic value of 1 300 grower and researcher, has spent the past Originating centre and domesticating drams and is sold in stores for 1 560 18 months collecting documentation to history of sea buckthorn (Hippophae drams. One gram of thyme essential oil is prove that ancient Australian foods such as rhamnoides L.) in Azerbaijan valued at around US$5. This cost factor lemon myrtle and Kakadu plum are not The Genetic Resources Institute of the does not allow for large quantities of the novel exports to the European Union (EU). Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences is product to be sold on the Armenian market. Since the establishment of the EU and the one of the leading institutions in the region NON-WOOD NEWS No. 17 July 2008 38 COUNTRY COMPASS and houses, among others, a Fruit, Berry to be less fertile, with a short vegetation and Grapevine Laboratory. The laboratory period and with low tolerance to diseases works on collections, reproduction studies, and pests. documentation and conservation of the Because of its national economic gene pool of local resources of berry importance as a source of biologically plants, including sea buckthorn. active substances, the Genetic Resources There are natural brushwoods of sea Institute of the Azerbaijan National buckthorn within 15 regions of the country Academy of Sciences has begun to resort Sheki-Zagatala, Quba-Khachmaz, Shirvan, to the gene pool collection of 1972, in order Karabakh and Nakhchivan zones are to create high-yielding and qualitative especially rich in sea buckthorn. These varieties of sea buckthorn from local forms ancient floristic regions of Azerbaijan are and introduced Altai varieties. The use of the origin of several families and genera, ecologically separated forms of sea including oleaster (Elaeagnus L.) and sea buckthorn for hybridization allowed us to buckthorn, which are representatives of the create a rich hybrid material. As a result, % BOLIVIA Elaeagnaceae Lindl. family. It is thought and appropriate to local soil and climatic that migration to the north of these genera conditions, the following cultivars have Valorización de productos forestales started from here. been created: Shafa, Zafarani and no madereros utilizados para crear Sea buckthorn used to be a tree-shaped Tozlayan. These are high-yielding varieties artesanías plant in subtropical conditions. As a result (18–25 tonnes/ha), big-fruited (the weight Los recursos forestales no madereros of a colder climate in the Pleistocene and of each fruit is 50–60 g), weak-thorned existentes en la amazonía boliviana later periods, the bush shape began to (Zafarani and Tozlayan) and even without alcanzan un potencial poco estudiado. develop. However, sea buckthorn kept its thorns (Shafa). Los pocos productos no madereros que se biological and morphological peculiarities, In the natural brushwoods of Azerbaijan, conocen tienen buena aceptación entre la which are characteristic of tropical sea buckthorn fruits mature towards the gente. Al ser valorados representan una aboriginal wooden plants. Towards the end end of October. The new cultivars have alternativa para generar ingresos of the Cretaceous period, the Caucasus different maturation periods (beginning of económicos adicionales para muchas with its humid climate was covered by August to the second half of October) and personas que dependen de estos recursos tropical and subtropical forests, but during are resistant to diseases and pests. These naturales. freezing periods these tropical forests were new sea buckthorn varieties are of Las etnias indígenas que habitan las nearly destroyed. However, the Talysh universal character: they can be used as zonas bajas de la llanura tropical han Mountains were not very exposed, which fresh fruits, to prepare jam, juice, liqueur, aprendido a manejar sus recursos de resulted in conditions to maintain the stewed fruit and much more. Thanks to forma sostenible. Un ejemplo de ello es tropical forest components of the Hirkan their positive bioeconomic peculiarities, que para facilitar varias actividades flora. This is the reason why the Talysh the profitability level is high (414–448 cotidianas han adoptado productos de Mountains play an exceptional role in the percent). origen vegetal, entre ellas se señala el uso country’s present very rich vegetation From a recent hybridization between de las fibras vegetales. cover. Taking into account Hirkan flora’s forms of different origin (Siberia x El uso de estas fibras ha permitido autochthonous origin, we believe that sea Azerbaijan), three varieties of sea facilitar distintas actividades domésticas.