With an ageing population and youth reluctance forcing up the average age of farmers in Europe, how can they be incentivised to stay in a physically demanding job for longer?
Peanuts are by far the most consumed nut (technically a legume) globally, but a recent shortage has caused concern for manufacturers. How serious is the issue and how long will it last?
As climatic conditions shift, key crops must face the challenges imposed by the weather’s new regime. Potatoes, one of our most beloved crops, are also highly sensitive to these changes.
The rise of extreme weather events across the globe is posing a major threat to food security. So how can we create more resilient supply chains to ensure food supplies in the future?
Human activity has significantly altered the freshwater cycle. But is this change reversible, and if not, what does it mean for the future of food and water supplies?
We’ve all heard of the rallying World War Two cry, ‘Dig for Victory’, urging citizens to combat food shortages by growing fruits and vegetable in their allotments and gardens. Well, now people are being urged to make food swaps to stop biodiversity loss....
Extreme weather events are becoming commonplace across the globe as the effects of climate change really start to bite. But what does this mean for food production, and ultimately, the future of food security?
Potassium deficiency in soil has been revealed as a major threat to livestock and agricultural farming. So what does this mean for global food security and can the current threat be reversed?
DEFRA is putting onions high on the agenda with a new research project aimed at detecting, managing and preventing onion crop loss to fusarium basal rot. So what’s the plan and what does it mean for farmers?
Palm oil is cheap to produce in large quantities but unsustainable production methods, notably deforestation, means the bad can far outweigh the good. As a result, brands are increasingly distancing themselves from the use of irresponsible palm oil in...
The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has announced that plans to cut pesticide use across the European Union have been dropped but environmentalists say the battle is far from over.
Research revealing bees’ ability to synthesise specific nutrients, to support the colonisation of their gut bacteria, offers insights into the symbiotic relationship they have with their gut microbiota. But changes to their habitat is placing this delicate...
As Ever.Ag and SPX Flow release AI-powered optimization tools for dairy producers, we look at what’s currently on the market – and what could be the next big thing.
Just over one month has passed since COP28 closed its doors in Dubai, UAE, giving members of the Food4Climate Pavilion time to reflect on the climate change conference. Was food high enough on the agenda? And what’s on the menu for COP29?
Ahead of the European elections in June 2024, The European Liaison Committee for Agricultural and Agrifood Trade (CELCAA) calls for better integration of agrifood trade interests in EU policy.
At COP28, six global food majors have committed to publicly disclosing their dairy-related methane emissions and drawing up detailed plans of action, but the firms won’t be tied to a specific methane reduction target.
Vegetables grown indoors, without any soil, may not sound as appealing to consumers as their sun-blushed counterparts cultivated in open fields. But according to fresh research, they taste just as good.
The New Zealand dairy co-operative has set its on-farm emissions target following lengthy discussions with farmers. Its approach mirrors that of other dairy giants, but is it optimal for tackling climate change?
The project conducted at Bel Group-supplying farms in France has shown ‘promising results’ about the rate of methane emissions reductions achieved by administering dsm-firmenich’s feed additive.
From staple crops like potatoes and maize, to cash crops for wealthier customers like cocoa and coffee, climate change is having a widespread impact on global agricultural production.
Branston, one of the UK’s largest suppliers, has begun trials to assess the viability of creating net zero potatoes. Field Technical Manager Andrew Blair shares his insights into the methods the company is following and how it hopes to establish a process...
Despite the ever-expanding presence of new agricultural land across the world, a lot of agricultural land is abandoned. Between 1992 and 2020, there were roughly 101 million hectares of cropland abandoned, an amount greater than the size of Egypt. A new...
Having led the farming union through Brexit, COVID-19 and the uncertainties brought about by Russia's war in Ukraine, Batters has been one of British agriculture's most respected voices.
The abilities of AI are numerous, and one of its key abilities is discovery. In a new partnership between Israeli companies Agrematch and ICL, it will be used to discover new compounds and biostimulants for crop nutrition, compounds that can optimise...
While there are a wide range of edible crops in the world that have the potential to become part of our diets, humans tend to rely on only a tiny handful of them in large numbers. Could diversifying what we eat by introducing new crops to the global market...
Efforts to reduce methane emissions are urgently needed if we are to meet global climate change goals. Could innovation, informed by study findings, help move the needle? We look at the latest research promising emission reductions from agri-food production.
The removal of an aquatic vegetation known as hornwart along the Senegal River, Senegal has reduced the presence of parasitic infections in the area, which are carried by aquatic snails, and helped food production recover. The removal was part of a study,...
Gipsy Hill Brewery claims a world first in creating carbon negative beers without the use of offsets. And the concept, based on regenerative farming, could go well beyond its pints served in London. “By truly embedding sustainability into our brewing...
Arla Foods Ltd has said milk supply could be in danger if the UK government doesn’t play its role in fostering a more joined-up approach to tackling agriculture's skills shortage.
Rice is one of the world’s most popular staple crops, feeding more than 3.5 billion people around the globe. It is also a significant greenhouse gas emitter, contributing 10% of the world’s methane emissions. To make rice sustainable, emissions need to...
Since agriculture first developed around 8,000 BC, fences have been vital to keep livestock reigned in. For Norwegian company Nofence, however, physical barriers are not necessary. Its technology uses GPS to provide an invisible barrier, or ‘virtual fence’,...
The world is not a stable place. Conflicts, both civil and international, as well as deglobalisation and the looming threat of climate change, are just some of the things that have the potential to radically disrupt the food system. At the City Food and...
Start-ups in Europe with a bent towards finding solutions that promise to reduce the environmental footprint of the food system are resisting the rise of investor retrenchment globally, a new report claims.
By examining barn microclimates and tracking dairy cows’ physiological status, researchers will gain unique insight into the importance of shed design in mitigating heat stress.
On Monday 20 March, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released the final part of its Sixth Assessment Report. The report was clear about the catastrophic effect that climate change could have on the food supply worldwide, devastating agriculture...
Stakeholders across the food system – from farmers to CPG manufacturers – must embrace science and technology more deeply to better meet consumer demand for healthy, sustainable food choices and to reinforce supply chains and food security with climate-smart...
Arla Foods has signed a memorandum of understanding to continue its work on providing training and employment opportunities for the local dairy market, where commercial farming is under-developed and demand for milk is outstripping supply.
A coalition of 286 civil society organisations have come together to urge the European Commission to follow through on its plans to legislate for a more sustainable food system. The move, they say, is necessary in the face of ‘political resistance’ that...
A recent Food Tech Challenge winner, the UK’s Aquagrain tells FoodNavigator it is optimistic that its soil improver will help cut food industry emissions and boost food and water security for millions.
Leveraging Foundation Earth’s data-driven ecolabels, the Dutch multi-national says its ISO-accredited sustainability service will offer animal protein producers an easy way to convey the value of their sustainability efforts to consumers.
During the Dakar 2 African Food Summit, the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) and the Canadian government announced the establishment of a special fund to support Africa’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the agriculture sector.
Nutri-tech start up Novella plans to meet increasing demands for plant bioactives through cultivation, eliminating the need for whole-plant growth in the face of current climate and sustainability threats.
Be it a feasible game plan or just a pipedream, the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) is determined to make good on its pledge to eradicate hunger in Africa by 2030 by mobilising political support ahead of the African Food Summit.