Blockchain is mostly known in finance as a technology linked to cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin. However one of the most innovative applications relates to the food sector, which can use this technology to get more transparent supply chains.
In Louisiana, an appetite for oysters shields retreating shores
In Louisiana, coastal cities have joined an oyster-shell recycling program aiming to help save the state’s shrinking shoreline
Forecasting trouble: How South Sudan’s weather service is failing farmers
Decimated by civil war, South Sudan’s met office is barely running, with inadequate funding, outdated equipment and untrained staff, experts say
Armed with coffee, Uganda’s women & young people look to secure land tenure
Like many young rural Ugandans, Christine Kyakunda needs more land. She and her husband farm 1.5 acres – some inherited, some bought, some borrowed from her widowed mother-in-law – but it is not enough to provide for her family.
Restaurants begin to take avocados off UK menus amid environmental concerns
Avocados, the soft, green superfood may be falling out of favour with some restaurants in Britain as they move to ban the trendy food from their menus, amid environmental and land concerns. Smashed on toast or artfully decorating plates, the fruit has gained popularity in Britain, becoming synonymous with hipster hangouts and millennials.
Now, some cafes in Britain are ditching avocados on ethical grounds, claiming that the water-intensive fruit is harming farmers and land in regions such as South America where is it grown.
New centre on Devon farm will boost rural economy
The Apricot Centre CIC at Huxhams Cross Farm in Dartington, Devon has launched a centre, also called the Apricot Centre, to support the rural economy.
The new Centre offers seasonal fruit and vegetables, eggs, flour and wheat grain in addition to farm produce processing, vocational training in sustainable farming, as well as Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) for children and young people.
Community farm seeks crowdfunding help to support organic pioneer’s legacy
A pioneering community shares scheme that saw an organic farm in Market Drayton saved from development has been reopened to raise cash to fund a unique build. England’s first community-owned farm, Fordhall Organic Farm in Market Drayton, is urgently seeking help further the legacy of its organic pioneer, Arthur Hollins.
‘What we’re eating is killing us’ – global nutrition report
Poor diets are among the top causes of ill health globally, accounting for nearly one in five deaths, according to a study published on Thursday (29th November 2018) that called on governments and businesses to do more to improve eating habits.
Eating unhealthy food, or not having enough food – including children unable to breastfeed – contribute to widespread malnutrition, said researchers behind the latest Global Nutrition Report.
France is most food sustainable country; US and UK faltering
France’s aggressive measures to tackle food waste, promote healthy lifestyles and adopt eco-farming techniques helped it top a ranking of nations, published this week (27th November 2018), which assesses their food sustainability.
The Netherlands, Canada, Finland and Japan rounded out the top five, and Rwanda scored highest among low-income countries in an index by the Economist Intelligence Unit and the Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition Foundation.
World hunger has risen for three straight years, and climate change is a cause
World hunger has risen for a third consecutive year, according to the United Nations’ annual food security report. The total number of people who face chronic food deprivation has increased by 15 million since 2016. Some 821 million people now face food insecurity, raising numbers to the same level as almost a decade ago.