Brussels, Aug 7 (AP/UNB) – The European Union has notified food safety authorities in Britain, France, Sweden and Switzerland as a precautionary measure that some eggs contaminated with an insecticide might have entered their territory.
Category: Food & nutrition
Tanguar Haor’s unique biodiversity under threat
Dhaka, Aug 8 – Blue skies above, green fields underneath the clean water of the depression and chirping of domestic and migratory birds attract nature lovers and tourists to Tanguar Haor, one of the many wetlands located in Sunamganj a…
Which country is the most sustainable?
Danielle Nierenberg The Food Sustainability Index (FSI), developed by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) with the Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition (BCFN) Foundation, ranks countries on food system sustainability based on three pillars: food loss and waste, sustainable agriculture,…
Yemen food crisis is man-made, partly as a war tactic: UN
UN, Aug 2 (AP/UNB) — The crisis in Yemen that has left millions hungry and on the brink of famine is “a man-made disaster” driven not only by decades of poverty and lack of investment but also by economic strangulation…
Adoption of time-befitting tech stressed for sustainable agriculture
Speakers at a programme underscored the need for adopting and promoting farmers-friendly crops and technologies for making the agriculture sector in Barind area sustainable. They also opined that the people should raise their voice against climate change for protecting environment…
Bagerhat fish farmers bear the brunt of incessant rain
Incessant rain and unusually strong tide caused 10,560 fish enclosures of 10 upazilas in Bagerhat, which is famous for its White Gold shrimps, to go under water resulting in a loss of more than Tk 50 crore for the fish…
‘Arrest price hike of essentials’
Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed on Wednesday asked the deputy commissioners to ensure so that the prices of various products remain within people’s purchasing capacity. He gave the directives while speaking at the 2nd working session of the 2nd day of…
The high costs of pesticides to society
A new study warns of the “very high costs” of current levels of exposure to pesticides in food, especially for children and pregnant women. It suggests that the damage caused by pesticides across the European Union amounts to at least…
As hunger threat grows across Africa
Rome 25 July – Gilbert Houngbo, the President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), will travel to Japan this week to meet with senior officials at the Foreign Affairs, Finance and Agriculture ministries to discuss ways to strengthen…
The birds, the bees, and sustainability
Q&A with Robert Engelman: We asked Worldwatch researcher Robert Engelman, author of the “Our Bodies, Our Future: Expanding Comprehensive Sexuality Education” in Worldwatch’s EarthEd: Rethinking Education on a Changing Planet, about what motivated him to explore sexuality education to move…
GM crops bounce back with gains in production areas
Manila – Global acceptance of genetically modified (GM) crops sprang back in 2016 after suffering a decline in 2015, according to estimates by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA).
Brazil joins hands with EU, strikes death blow to G20
Geneva (D. Ravi Kanth) — Brazil has finally struck a death blow to the G20 coalition of developing countries that it had created in 2003 for reforming the global agriculture, after joining hands with its erstwhile foe – the European…
UK farmers will get subsidies if they protect environment
Farm subsidies will have to be earned rather than just handed out in future, UK Environment Secretary Michael Gove has said in a speech. Farmers will only get payouts if they agree to protect the environment and enhance rural life,…
Twenty initiatives saving seeds for future generations
Danielle Nierenberg By saving, exchanging, and re-using seeds over thousands of years, farmers and gardeners carefully selected crops for various traits adapted to many growing conditions and climates, creating a rich genetic plant heritage that formed the base of the…
Mass dolphin deaths off France and England
British and French researchers say the number of dead dolphins washing up on their shores is at its highest level in more than 14 years. In the first six months of this year, more than a thousand dolphin carcasses have…
Could slow fashion improve your health
You need to slow down, stat! We have trouble with the concept of slow, don’t we? Given the frenetic pace of modern life, it’s not surprising. We are feeding the lie that busier lives are better lives, and in doing…
Agroecology builds climate resilience in India
The vulnerability index developed under the National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) describes 115 districts across 15 states in India as “highly vulnerable”to climate change effects. There is increasing evidence that agroecological approaches help in coping with climate change.…
Asia’s future farms
by Mahfuz Ahmed Manila – Food shortages are a distant memory for many people in Asia. But as the region struggles to feed and nourish a booming population, they could become a painful fact of life again.
Hidden hunger
World Food Programme Seeking To Avoid Catastrophe In Yemen: Currently in the midst of an ongoing conflict, Yemen is at risk for a nutrition catastrophe: 3.3 million children, along with pregnant women and new mothers, suffer from acute malnutrition and…
BD blacklists 16000 millers for illegal rice hoarding
The government has blacklisted 16,000 rice millers for hoarding in an effort to manipulate prices.Food Minister Qamrul Islam said on Thursday that they will not procure rice from these millers for the next three years. “The only reason behind spiralling…
Inspiring change: 21 lifelong food heroes
Danielle Nierenberg Building a better food system requires hard work and perseverance. At Food Tank, we are continuously inspired by the people who have dedicated their lives to making food more sustainable, equitable, and nutritious. Food Tank is recognizing these…
EU – Brazil against ending “green box” cotton payments
Geneva, 5 Jul (D. Ravi Kanth) — The European Union and Brazil opposed the elimination of a range of green box direct payments for cotton as demanded by the Cotton-4 countries – Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Chad – in…
Indian Supreme Court stays ban on cow slaughter
India’s top court on Tuesday stayed for three months a ban introduced by the Hindu nationalist government on the sale of cows and buffaloes for slaughter.The Supreme Court approved a lower court ruling that said people have a basic right…
3-zone biosecurity offers new hope to Indonesian farmers
By Kanis Dursin Jakarta, Indonesia, Jul 10 (IPS) – Poultry farmer Bambang Sutrisno Setiawan had long heard about biosecurity but never gave serious thought to it, even when the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 forced him to cull thousands of…
BAU approves Tk 282.42 cr annual budget
Mymensingh – The Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) Syndicate on Monday approved the annual budget for the fiscal year 2017-18 with a small allocation for academic purpose.
GM crops to meet 50% increase of food demand by 2050
Dhaka – Agricultural scientists attending a seminar here today said introduction of Genetically Modified (GM) crops would help meet 50 per cent increase in food demand by 2050. “Traditional technology is not enough for solving future problems in agricultural production…
BD’s agri produces have greater export prospect: Amu
Dhaka – Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu on Saturday said Bangladesh’s agricultural produces, such as vegetables, spices and fruits have huge untapped potential and could potentially be exported to other countries, including India, as they expand operations. -UNB
Water use innovations ‘crucial’ to face climate change
By IPS World Desk Rome, Jul 5 (IPS) – In the Near East and North Africa region, the per capita renewable water availability is around 600 cubic metres per person per year –only 10 per cent of the world average-…
Govt to import 5 lakh mts crude salt
Dhaka – The government will import some 5 lakh metric tonnes of crude salt to meet the domestic demand, keep its price and supply stable in the market as its local production has marked a fall. -UNB
Intensive aquaculture for sustainable shrimp industry
by Leon Kaye Once a rare delicacy, aquaculture has allowed shrimp to become a popular and affordable form of animal protein. Emerging economies such as China, Indonesia and Bangladesh view shrimp production as one path towards boosting jobs and exports.…