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The Patrica plant in Lazio is an example of the potential of the circular bioeconomy: Novamont has transformed a historic Italian chemical hub into a highly renewable biopolyester production centre, obtained from materials of vegetable origin. PHOTO: NovamontNovamont

Circular bioeconomy, biobased industries need specific codes

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Interview with Giulia Gregori, Strategic Planning and Corporate Communication manager of Novamont: "We will thus be able to enhance the contribution of biobased products to decarbonisation and soil protection"
In Ukraine the agricultural sector is an important source of livelihood for about 13 million people. Photo: Ilya Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)photo: Ilya Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)

War affects one in four farmers in Ukraine, says FAO

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The Russian invasion of Ukraine has forced 25 percent of the country's rural households to reduce or stop production. War damage to the sector already exceeds $2 billion, says FAO
Pandemic outbreak in 2020 has not slowed deforestation globally. Photo: Astro_Alex ESA/A.Gerst, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGOAstro_Alex ESA/A.Gerst, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO

Global lockdowns during Covid-19 outbreak did not curb deforestation

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Alliance of Biodiversity study: deforestation in 2020 followed expected trends based on historical data. A sign of how closures have not affected the phenomenon
Grazing may have negative effects in warmer arid areas with highly seasonal rainfall and lower biodiversity Photo: John Coppi, CSIRO Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)John Coppi, CSIRO Attribution 3.0 Unported (CC BY 3.0)

Climate and biodiversity impact the effect of grazing on soil

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Positive impacts of grazing on soil become negative as temperatures rise, an international research says. A more diversified vegetation presence helps offset the issue
BNP Paribas is the bank that has contributed the most to deforestation in the Amazon with i456 million euros invested in a decade in the soybean, beef and palm oil sectors. PHOTO: Can Pac Swire CC BY-NC 2.0.PHOTO: Can Pac Swire CC BY-NC 2.0.

French banks criticized as they financed deforestation with more than €700 mln

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NGO's accusation: banks BNP Paribas, Société Générale, Crédit Agricole and the Banque Populaire et Caisse d'Epargne group allegedly financially supported the beef and soy bean giants responsible for Amazon deforestation
A fungus, called Metarhizium robertsii, is reportedly able to remove mercury around plant roots. Photo: Chengshu Wang and Yuxian Xia Attribution 2.5 Generic (CC BY 2.5)Chengshu Wang and Yuxian Xia Attribution 2.5 Generic (CC BY 2.5)

Mercury pollution is not a problem (as long as we use this fungus)

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A fungus that can break down mercury-based organic forms into less toxic inorganic substances protects plants by allowing them to survive in contaminated soils, a Sino-American study has found
MRIDA, or soil in Hindi, is an application developed to estimate carbon sequestration potential. Photo: AS Rao, ICRISAT Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC 2.0)AS Rao, ICRISAT Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC 2.0)

A new soil app from India can teach you climate-smart agriculture

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Helping farmers and decision makers in developing climate-smart practices in soil management. That's the goal of MRIDA, the new app created in India to assess the carbon sequestration potential of different agricultural strategies
Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (photo) have developed a new method of analyzing soil microbes. Image: LLNL Public Domain-Merket 1.0LLNL Public Domain-Merket 1.0

A new research technique may unlock the secrets of soil microbes

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A study from the US paves the way for more in-depth investigations into the role of soil microbes. By improving the stable isotope survey, researchers highlighted the "food web" of interactions stimulated by soil microorganisms
Sustainable agriculture made a crucial contribution to the development of the Maya society. Photo: Diego Delso Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)Diego Delso Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Sustainable agriculture was crucial for ancient Maya’s society

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Proper soil and agricultural management enabled the growth of settlements originating in southern Mexico in ancient times, environmental DNA study by U.S. researchers has found
Over two decades, trees in Finnish forests have promoted carbon sequestration in the soil with an average growth of 36 grams per square meter. Photo: Ajattokoj Ahyaj Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0)Ajattokoj Ahyaj Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Forests, climate and carbon storage: the lesson of Finnish trees

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A 20-year survey by the Helsinki Ministry of Agriculture highlights the role of trees in promoting soil carbon storage. Logging reduces the amount retained. Some species prove more successful than others in sequestration