Sustainability & Climate Change
Food production needs are expected to roughly double over the next 35 years as the world population grows and people in under developed countries become more affluent and demand more calories. Healthy ecosystems are vital to the survival of all organisms. How can we grow crops without harming the environment? How can we balance technology and global food security? What is the right balance of organic and conventional farming? What role can genetics and biotechnology play without compromising the needs of tomorrow?
Below is the complete archive of related articles sorted by date.
What impact can regenerative farming have on climate change?
Regenerative agricultural practices are a set of rejuvenating farming and agricultural sustainable practices that seek to boost soil health, water resources, soil organic ...
The hornet has landed: Scientists combat new honeybee killer in US
In early August 2023, a beekeeper near the port of Savannah, Georgia, noticed some odd activity around his hives. Something ...
35% greenhouse emissions: Agriculture is one of the largest contributors to climate change. How can we turn that around?
Plants rely on nitrogen to grow, but they fail to take up a lot of the nitrogen in fertilizers applied ...
How has climate change reduced crop yields over the past quarter century
Agriculture is arguably the industry most sensitive to changes in the climate. Crops need CO2, water — not too little ...
How to improve crop yields
Conventional plant breeders [have] already optimized factors like plant size and [are] working on disease resistance. Based smack in the ...
Viewpoint: Facing steep agricultural challenges, Spain turns to technological innovation
The panorama of biotechnology ... such as genetic editing [enables] development of crops resistant to pests and diseases, and the optimization ...
The first AI-guided garden where the plants tell you when they are thirsty
Have you ever joyously stepped out to your backyard garden, freshly brewed coffee in hand, only to find your meticulously cared-for ...
European Green Deal: European Union rolls out sustainable food agriculture monitoring platform
Transforming the food system is an urgent challenge to achieve the sustainable development goals and key EU policy priorities, among ...
Gene-edited soybeans are the latest plant to pave the way towards sustainable agriculture
A new experiment in soybeans is genetically engineering soybean plants in ways that improve their resistance to differing stresses like ...
The global food system is already under stress from climate change. Here’s what the future might hold
The impact of climate change on yields will depend on several factors: the type of crop, how much warmer the ...
Breakthrough Institute report: New technologies are poised to reduce the carbon footprint of agriculture — if public financing is forthcoming
In recent years, startups, university researchers, and government laboratories have developed a suite of new technologies capable of revolutionizing agriculture ...
With climate change threatening commodity foods, these technologies are coming to the rescue
Food staples like coffee and cocoa are already suffering the effects of severe weather brought on by climate change and ...
As risks in agriculture from climate change escalate, gene editing offers potential remedies
In the words of Luis Planas, Minister of Agriculture [of Spain]: “ The future demands producing more and better and ...
Podcast: Scientists harness gene editing to engineer disease- and climate-resilient wheat
By 2030, Africa will account for 53 percent of the world’s population living in hunger, primarily due to climate change and ...
Viewpoint: Why the entrenched environmental movement is incapable of solving the climate change crisis
Photo credit to Seaver Wang Every now and again, a series of events unfolds in such serendipitously perfect succession as ...
New Scientist viewpoint: We must use genetic technologies now to avert the coming food crisis
There are two monumental problems with the world’s food system. Firstly, hundreds of millions of people can’t afford to buy ...
Viewpoint: Land sharing vs land sparing — How can we increase crop yields without sacrificing climate and biodiversity goals
It is 12 months since I highlighted the scientific evidence pointing to the urgent need to take forward a land sparing ...
From genetics to the generation: What does the future hold for agrifood systems and food culture
Today we stand at the dawn of a new era. The challenges we face now – the climate crisis, biodiversity ...
Urban farming is getting a modern makeover
Urban farming is [getting] a modern makeover thanks to technology. From beautiful gardens on top of tall buildings to sleek ...
‘Climate change is happening so fast that classical breeding approaches are not enough’ — The case for genetic engineering
“Scientists and engineers want to be ready when new crops are needed,” [Hiroshi] Maeda said. “Of course, we shouldn't push ...
Humans are adapting to global warming. What are the policy implications
On [September 23rd, 2024], the New York Times ran a David Wallace-Wells column called “Our Adaptation to Global Warming Is Largely Fictional” featuring ...
FAO chief: Gene editing key to protecting traditional foods
The “genetic revolution” in agriculture powered by gene editing can help preserve access to traditional foods in the future, protecting ...
As farming becomes more unpredictable, agricultural technology is stepping up to meet the challenge
Today’s farms and other agricultural operations work far differently than those of just a few decades ago, primarily thanks to ...
Citing the precautionary principle, South African high court rescinds approval of drought tolerant GMO corn
South Africa’s Supreme Court delivered a ground-breaking ruling that reversed the approval of [genetically] modified organisms (GMOs), specifically, a drought-resistant ...
Threatened by warming temperatures, wineries may be forced to turn to gene editing
Warmer temperatures are advancing grape ripening and harvest dates by 2-3 weeks compared to 40 years ago. Higher temperatures are ...
Viewpoint: Is the age of environmental activism coming to an end?
For the last 50 years, from the time of Greenpeace activists chasing whaling ships to today’s green NGO coalitions directing ...
Western diets need to change to meet sustainability challenges. How resistant will consumers be to munch on insects or plant-based meats
What will the diets of the future look like? The answer depends in part on what foods Westerners can be ...
