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food and agriculture > newsfile
Global warming will hit developing country agriculture
by John Rowley
Global warming will cause great damage to agriculture in the developing world, with falls in productivity between 9 and 21 per cent by 2080, says a detailed new study. The impact will be less in developed countries, but the planet's total agricultural productivity will still decline by between 3 and 16 per cent, as a result of climate change, the research shows. ... more
UN backs organic farming
The organic food movement has received endorsement from the United Nations leading agency on food and agriculture, the FAO. In a new report, it says that organic farming fights hunger, tackles climate change, and is good for farmers, consumers and the environment. Sam Burcher reports. ... more
Global food crisis looms as climate change and population growth strip fertile land
Malthusian fears that population growth will outstrip food supplies have been widely dismissed as food production kept well ahead of growing human numbers in the last half century. But experts now warn of a possible food crisis, as the climate heats up, fertile land shrinks and the population continues to surge. This report is by Ian Sample, Science correspondent of The Guardian. ... more
Organic farming 'can feed the world'
Organic farming can feed the world's growing population, according to new findings from one of America's leading universities. They say that organic farms in developing countries can yield up to three times as much food as low-intensive methods on the same land. ... more
'Environmental decay a root cause of Sudan strife'
Sudan is unlikely to see a lasting peace unless widespread and rapidly accelerating environmental degradation is urgently addressed, says a new assessment of the country, including the troubled region of Darfur. ... more
Hunger problem on the rise, says UN
by Kanaga Raja
Our world produces food that could feed twice the entire global population, yet the millions suffering from malnutrition and hunger are on the rise, says a UN report. ... more
Ethanol drives up world food prices
by Lester R.Brown
If you think you are spending more each week at the supermarket, you may be right. The escalating share of the US grain harvest going to ethanol distilleries is driving up food prices worldwide. ... more
Nomadic herders win plaudits for productivity
Traditional nomadic lifestyles have received a boost from a new report on global pastoral farming, which shows how important - and productive - nomadic herders are. ... more
Rivers running dry UN expert warns
A leading UN advisor has questioned whether the world's rivers can support the increasing demands for food of the growing human population. ... more
Ethanol demand could send grain price soaring
by Lester R. Brown
Investment in fuel ethanol distilleries in the United States has soared since the late-2005 oil price hikes, but data collection in this fast-changing sector has fallen behind. Because of inadequate data collection on the number of new plants under construction, the quantity of grain that will be needed for fuel ethanol distilleries has been vastly understated. ... more
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