Tag Archives: food security

Rush for mega-mergers puts Food Security at risk

DuPont and Dow Chemical are close to agreeing on a merger which would have a part focused exclusively on agricultural chemicals and seeds. Photograph: Seth Perlman/AP

Recent deals in the global agrochemical and seed industry, driven by financial motivations, are a threat to farmers, prices and the environment

May 5, 2016 — The global agrochemical and seed industry is undergoing profound upheaval, with a spate of mergers and attempted mergers consolidating the sector and raising concerns about the future of the food system.  Continue reading Rush for mega-mergers puts Food Security at risk

Climate change poised to hurt food supplies

FOOD PRODUCTION. A Filipino farmer sprays insecticide at a field in Taguig, Philippines, January 19, 2016. File photo by Francis R. Malasig/EPA
Global warming is threatening food production and may eventually lead to reduced consumption

PARIS, France (Mar. 3, 2016) — The effects of climate change on food production could cause 500,000 extra deaths by 2050 compared to a world without global warming, according to a study released Thursday, March 3.

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More than half a million could die as climate change impacts diet

Women selling vegetables at market in Guatemala. Fewer fruit and vegetables will be available as a result of climatic changes, the research found. Photograph: Alamy
New research shows global warming’s effect on the quality of food available could kill more than 500,000 people a year around the world by 2050

March 2, 2016 — Climate change could kill more than 500,000 people a year globally by 2050 by making their diets less healthy, according to new research published in the Lancet.

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DNA rice breakthrough raises ‘green revolution’ hopes

gene bank
AGRICULTURAL TREASURES. In this photograph taken on October 10, 2015, gene bank manager Flora de Guzman checks rice samples at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Laguna, south of Manila. Noel Celis/AFP
Over the next few years farmers are expected to have new genome sequencing technology at their disposal, helping to offset a myriad of problems that threaten to curtail production of the grain that feeds half of humanity

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines (Feb. 15, 2016) — Rice-growing techniques learned through thousands of years of trial and error are about to be turbocharged with DNA technology in a breakthrough hailed by scientists as a potential second “green revolution”.

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Nine Ways to Improve Nutrition and Tackle Climate Change

Image by FLH

December 14, 2015 —How should we deal with the serious threat climate change poses to nutrition and food security? Our panel of experts have their say:

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Who are protected by the Paris climate talks

crunch time
CRUNCH TIME. With only a whole day left before the final climate agreement is born, human rights advocates are hoping for a truly inclusive deal. File photo by Voltaire Tupaz/Rappler

LE BOURGET, France (Dec. 11, 2015) — What’s missing?

A quick word-search on the 27-page draft text of the United Nations climate pact reveals which areas are priorities and which ones are left out.

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Food security in ARMM’s poorest provinces

food on table
WHAT IS ON THE TABLE. Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, and Sulu in ARMM are among the poorest provinces in the Philippines. Graphic by Nico Villarete

MANILA, Philippines (Nov. 28, 2015) — The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) was put under the spotlight in 2015 for two reasons: the deadly Mamasapano incident and the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

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World’s first global standard for sustainable rice launched in PH

brown rice
ESSENTIAL GRAIN. More than half of humanity depends on rice for 20% or more of their calorie intake. Photo by Shutterstock.

MANILA, Philippines (Oct. 27, 2015) — The world’s first global standard for sustainable rice was launched on Tuesday, October 27 by a group of scientists, companies, and government officials convened by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP).

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