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Climate change could kill more than 500,000 people a year worldwide by 2050 by making diets less healthy, new research reveals. The study published on the 2nd of March in the journal Lancet assessed the impact of climate change on diet composition and bodyweight estimating the number of deaths these two factors will cause for […]

Salt pollution of freshwaters is increasing, negatively affecting human health and freshwater ecosystems, according to an article published in the February 26 issue of the journal Science. The study, conducted by an international team of scientists, reveals that human activities such as agriculture and the extraction of resources such as coal, minerals or gas, are

A growing number of pollinator species worldwide are facing extinction, threatening global crop production and millions of livelihoods, a UN body on biodiversity warned on Friday. According to a two-year study conducted by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), an estimated 16% of vertebrate pollinators are threatened with global extinction –

Organic farming continues to rise across the globe. A total of 43.7 million hectares were farmed organically at the end of 2014, representing a growth of almost 0.5 million hectares compared to the previous year. These are the latest figures of the statistical yearbook “The World of Organic Agriculture” published by the Research Institute of

Smallholder farmers could significantly increase their crop yields by attracting more bees and other pollinators to their land, new research suggests. The study, published in the journal Science, quantifies to what degree enhancing pollinator density and richness can improve yields, which may be especially important for the two billion people who rely on small farms,

Improved agricultural water management could help produce more food with the same amount of water and buffer potential climate change impacts on crop yields, according to new research published in the journal Environmental Research Letters. The scientists analysed the worldwide potential to increase food production by improving rainwater use and irrigation. “Smart water use can

Land degradation is on the rise, affecting around 3.2 billion people worldwide, yet insufficient efforts have been made so far to ensure sustainable land use and the protection of soils. This is the message of a new book presented at a press conference in Berlin last week. An international team of scientists from Bonn’s Center

New research indicates that so-called ‘green revolution’ agricultural policies aimed at alleviating poverty in Africa could be making things worse. A study by the University of East Anglia, published in the February issue of the journal World Development, found that forcing “modern” farming practices on rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa may contribute to increased landlessness,

France has become the first country in the world to ban supermarkets from throwing away unsold food under a new law that requires them instead to give unspoiled food to charities or food banks. The French senate unanimously approved the bill on Wednesday, following a lower house vote last year. The legislation stipulates that supermarkets

Organic farming can produce sufficient yields to feed a growing world population, be profitable for farmers, protect and improve the environment and be safer for farm workers. That is the conclusion of a large review study by Washington State University researchers, published in the February issue of the journal “Nature Plants”. The authors looked at