Aurel Keller Cuba has come a long way since the collapse of the Soviet Union, when the loss of imports crucial for the island nation’s industrial agriculture system—such as chemical pesticides and fertilizers—left Cuba with a severe food crisis in…
Category: Food & nutrition
Smart technologies key to youth involvement in agriculture
She is only 24 and already running her father’s farm with 110 milking cows. Cornelia Flatten sees herself as a farmer for the rest of her life.“It’s my passion,” says the young German. “It is not just about the money…
IFAD help improve small farmers’ agri output, access to markets
Dhaka – The Government of Bangladesh and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have signed a financial agreement to increase incomes and reduce extreme poverty and hunger for more than one million poor farming households in Bangladesh by increasing…
Bangladesh’s Tilapia safe: Experts
Dhaka – Experts here at a discussion on Wednesday claimed that no harmful chemical ingredient has been detected in the locally produced Tilapia fish.They came up with the assurance in response to propaganda against the locally produced Tilapia fish by…
Seed Treaty meanders toward revising its ABS system
The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture has tasked a Working Group to develop an effective system for benefit sharing by companies that use crop seeds from the Treaty’s Multilateral System. The current system uses a…
Can we feed 10 billion people on organic farming alone?
In 1971, then US Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz uttered these unsympathetic words: “Before we go back to organic agriculture in this country, somebody must decide which 50 million Americans we are going to let starve or go hungry.” Since…
19 food films to inform and inspire
Danielle Nierenberg If you’re craving good films on the food system, Food Tank has put together a list of documentaries and films to inspire, educate, and give viewers some food for thought. Each film explores a different topic in food…
Coakroach milk inspires food supplement
Bangalore – Milk secreted by a cockroach species, to feed its young, is the base for a potent nutritional supplement being developed by Indian and international scientists. “While cockroaches are oviparous (egg-laying animals), the Diploptera punctata species alone is viviparous…
Scientists say chemicals in food could harm human and dog fertility
Contaminants present in the environment and chemicals found in food could be harming the fertility of dogs, according to a new study that may help solve the puzzle of decline in human semen quality. Researchers found that sperm quality in…
Farmer managed seed systems in Morogoro, Mvomero – Tanzania
African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), in partnership with Mtandao wa Vikundi vya Wakulima Tanzania (MVIWATA) and Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania (SAT), has shared a new report, “Farmer managed seed systems in Morogoro and Mvomero, Tanzania: The disregarded wealth of smallholder farmers”.…
Modi urges action against cow vigilantes
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has criticised vigilantes who portray themselves as protectors of cows – an animal considered sacred by Hindus.Mr Modi, a Hindu nationalist, said such people made him “angry”, and any such attacks must be investigated, reports…
Fisheries catches threatens Caribbean marine life
Marine fisheries catches have been drastically under-reported in the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean, threatening the marine environment and livelihoods of the local community, reveals a recent study published in the open-access journal Frontiers in Marine Science.
Hunger doesn’t take a summer vacation
Danielle Nierenberg The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) is a federal initiative of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that provides funding for states to feed their children when schools are closed for the summer. The funds are available to…
Over 5000 farmers solvent by cultivating cucumber in Jhenidah
Day after day the demand of cucumber is increase in the middle class like the upper class. Cucumber is one of the most delicious salad items in our daily meal. As the demand of various areas over five thousand farmers…
Strengthening agriculture-biodiversity linkages for food security
Since 1993, the Trondheim Conferences on Biodiversity have provided a valuable forum for dialogue amongst stakeholders on key issues relating to implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Against the backdrop of the CBD’s Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020…
GMO wheat found in Washington state could affect US trade
Seattle (AP/UNB) — Genetically modified wheat not approved for sale or commercial production in the United States has been found growing in a field in Washington state, agriculture officials said Friday, posing a possible risk to trade with countries concerned…
Country now self-sufficient in food production: Matia
Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury on Thursday said that the country is now self sufficient in food production due to adoption of modern technology in the agriculture sector particularly during the regime of the present government.”The hybrid technology which was adopted…
A glass of cranberry juice a day can keep bacterial infections away
Scientists have now found a nutritious and tasty way to keep bacterial infections at bay. According to them, cranberry juice has properties that can tackle bacteria effectively. A research team at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and the University of Massachusetts…
20 foods with a story to tell
Danielle Nierenberg Indigenous and traditional crops are an important source of food and fiber for people around the globe. Often these crops are resilient to pests and disease or can tolerate high temperatures, drought, or flooding. And while millions of…
Control diabetes with natural food diet
Health Desk When blood sugar levels of a person rise than normal, he is said to be a diabetic. Diabetes is on full rise. Though nutritional diet is not a cure for diabetes, but food plays an important role in…
Bangladesh to attain self-sufficiency in fish production within 3 yrs
Bangladesh is expected to attain self-sufficiency in fresh water fish production within next three years with a target to meet the annual demand of 42 lakh tonnes fishes, the major protein source of the people.”In 2008-09, country’s fish production stood…
The scientific reason you hate or love coffee?
Health Desk Ever wonder why some people get the jitters after a cup of coffee, while others can down a double-espresso right before bed and sleep soundly through the night? The explanation may have to do with your genes, according…
Harvesting of parija paddy begins in Panchagarh
Dhaka-Farmers have started harvesting of Parija paddy in Panchagarh.This season farmers are getting new parija paddy which is indeed Aus paddy.
20 training kitchens cultivating skills world over
Danielle Nierenberg The food service industry is one of the fastest growing economic sectors. Since 2006, the industry in the United States has grown by more than 2 million employees, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor…
Jessore man making world’s biggest rashogollas
Dhaka, – A local sweetmaker is selling some of the world’s biggest roshogollas, each weighing at an astounding 2.5 kilograms, claimed a You Tube clipping, UNB news agency has reported.
Climate blight is harming the mango
Sopan Joshi Erratic rainfall and unexpected humidity, a fallout of increasingly unpredictable weather due to climate change, is hurting the cultivation and harvest of India’s favourite fruit There’s no one better than Vivek Bhide for information and lore about the…
Cabinet okays draft Bari Bill to streamline argi research
The Cabinet on Monday approved in principle the draft of ‘The Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (Bari) Bill, 2016’ aiming to increase the capacity of the institute alongside streamlining its research activities.
Seaweed gains ground as pillar of food security in South America
By Orlando Milesi Matanzas, Chile, (IPS) – Seaweed, a nutrient-rich foodstuff that was a regular part of the diet of several South American indigenous peoples, is emerging as a new pillar of food security in Latin America and is providing…
58 organisations fighting food loss and waste
Danielle Nierenberg It’s no secret that food loss and food waste are big problems. At least 1.3 billion tons of food is lost or wasted every year—in fields, during transport, in storage, at restaurants, and in markets in industrialized and…
UN agri fund mulls decentralised operations in Asia-Pacific
Hanoi – Government representatives and agricultural development specialists will gather in Hanoi 6-7 July to discuss the International Fund for Agricultural Development’s (IFAD) approach to decentralizing its operations in Asia and the Pacific. The workshop will inform an independent evaluation…