News

Monsanto is to abandon the construction of a huge seed treatment plant for genetically modified maize seeds in the province of Córdoba, Argentina, following fierce protests from local residents over the past three years. According to media reports published in early August, the first part of the not even half-built plant in the rural town […]

Agriculture and the overexploitation of plants and animal species are more significant drivers of biodiversity loss than climate change, according to new research published in the journal Nature on August 11th. The team led by scientists from the University of Queensland, Australia found that almost three-quarters of the world’s endangered species faced these threats, compared

August 8th marks Earth Overshoot Day this year – the day humanity has used up the natural resources the world can supply in a year, according to data from Global Footprint Network, an international sustainability think tank. The date is calculated each year by contrasting the world’s demand on nature (ecological footprint) with the biocapacity

Italy has adopted a new law designed to drastically reduce food waste across the country. The Italian Senate passed the bill on Tuesday with an overwhelming majority of 181 votes in favour by only 16 abstentions. The new regulations, which come six months after a similar bill was passed in France, aim to cut food

Vulnerable tropical forests and species on four continents face increased risk of loss due to growing global demand for palm oil, a new study finds. As palm oil production expands from Southeast Asia into the Americas and Africa, large areas of tropical forest are being converted into oil palm plantations in 43 countries, according to

The European Union uses far more than its fair share of global agricultural land, with high environmental and social impacts in other world regions. According to a new report published on 27 July by Friends of the Earth Europe, the EU requires almost 270 million hectares of agricultural land to sustain its unsustainable food production

Land use and related pressures have pushed biodiversity loss beyond safe levels in most of the world, threatening key ecosystem functions and long-term sustainable development, an international team of researchers has found. According to a comprehensive study published in the journal Science on July 15, habitat destruction has reduced the variety of plants and animals

TTIP will promote the expansion of industrial meat production, lower standards that protect public health, and undermine governments’ ability to create essential labour, environmental and animal welfare reforms in the future. This is the warning of a new report launched by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) Europe, Arbeitsgemeinschaft bäuerliche Landwirtschaft, Compassion in

Vast amounts of fresh produce grown in the United States is being thrown away because of unrealistic cosmetic standards for food according to research released by The Guardian. Due to retailers’ and consumers’ demand for perfect fruits and vegetables, still edible high-value and nutritious food is left in the field to rot, fed to livestock

Farm input subsidy programmes in Africa have failed to ease rural poverty and benefit small-scale farmers, new research shows. According to a report released by the African Centre for Biodiversity on Monday, ten African governments alone have spent more than US$ 1 billion, almost 30% of their agricultural budgets, on large-scale farm input subsidy programmes