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The importance of this technique lies in its applicability to cereal crops, which are fundamental to global food security. Photo: Pixabay Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication licensePixabay Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication license

Researchers have turned cereal plants into pollution sensors

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US researchers have developed a genetic circuit that activates upon the presence of contaminants in cereal crops by inducing grasses to produce a visible pigment
59% of global deforestation is caused by meat production and 33% by soy production, both occuring in the Amazon. Photo: Ben Lamb Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 DeedBen Lamb Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 Deed

Meat and soybean (plus coffee) are driving deforestation in the Amazon

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The latest WWF report identifies the main factors behind the ongoing phenomenon in the Amazon. Meat and soy top the list in terms of impact, ahead of cocoa, palm oil, and coffee
Agricultural areas in 155 countries depend on forests in other countries for up to 40% of their annual rainfall. Photo: Peter Prokosch Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 DeedPeter Prokosch Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 Deed

“Forests and agriculture are not in competition,” FAO says amid COP30

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At the Climate Conference, FAO promotes integration between sectors: “Food security depends on forests; conservation and restoration are crucial actions for increasing productivity.”
Understanding how rice maintains productivity with the support of the microbiome under conditions of nutritional deficiency can help develop new strategies in precision agriculture. Photo: IRRI Photos Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 DeedPhoto: IRRI Photos Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 Deed

Root bacteria help reduce the environmental impact of rice cultivation

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A Japanese study has identified some bacteria in rice roots that are responsible for nitrogen fixation and can spread in soil without fertilizers or pesticides. This helps the plant adapt and grow
il Parco Nazionale di Doñana National Park in Spagna è una delle aree più colpite dagli effetti della siccità. FOTO: Ministero spagnolo per la Transizione ecologica e la Demografia (MITECO), 2022.

Drought, the Mediterranean in the hotspot in the world is small

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Un nuovo rapporto dell'UNCCD ha individuato gli impatti, ambientali, sociali ed economici della siccità nelle zone più colpite nel biennio 2023-2024. Tra loro, Spagna, Marocco e Turchia. "Una catastrofe globale che si estende su milioni di km quadrati e colpisce milioni di persone"
A seaweed culture at the Tjärnö Marine Laboratory in Bouslän. Photo: Chalmers University of Technology, Sophie Steinhagen press releaseChalmers University of Technology, Sophie Steinhagen press release

Seaweed can be a sustainable protein source

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By using circular strategies, it is possible to harness the potential of seaweed to produce protein food in a sustainable way. The findings of the Swedish project
Worldwide, 18.5 billion tons of often still edible bread, or one-tenth of total production, is wasted every year. Photo: shoehorn99 Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic CC BY-NC 2.0 Deedshoehorn99 Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic CC BY-NC 2.0 Deed

Solid state fermentation turns waste bread into new protein food

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Scientists at Aberystwyth University have proposed a circular solution for recovering the discarded but still edible bread. With fermentation, nutritional content increases
The agri-food sector also plays a key role in achieving climate neutrality in the EU by mid-century. Photo: GRID-Arendal Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 DeedGRID-Arendal Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 Deed

Soil health and living labs are the pillars of EU agriculture of the future

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The EU Commission released the Vision for Agriculture and Food 2040: Soil care, innovation and research are crucial to achieving climate neutrality by mid-century
Rice quality in China and Japan is likely to decline further in the future due to climate change. Photo: Park Misoo CC0 1.0 Universal CC0 1.0 DeedPark Misoo CC0 1.0 Universal CC0 1.0 Deed

Climate change reduces rice quality in China and Japan

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According to a Chinese study, the quality of rice has been deteriorating for decades, and the phenomenon is unlikely to slow down over this century
In some areas of Canada, a pathogenic fungus has reduced canola crop yields by up to 50 per cent. Photo: Ayrcan Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic CC BY-NC 2.0 DeedPhoto: Ayrcan Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic CC BY-NC 2.0 Deed

High soil pH stimulates the growth of a pathogenic canola fungus

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According to Canadian research, alkaline soils especially favour the growth of the fungus, which damages plant tissue by interfering with water and nutrient uptake