Rice is a staple food crop of 20 percent of the world’s population. It’s also grown on every continent except Antarctica. While it’s an important part of our diets, new research shows that rice plants can be used in a different way,… Read More
There’s a revolution going on in the ground below us. A growing group of passionate farmers have been experimenting with complex combinations of cover crops seed species which may have as much influence as cash crops on the future of sustainable fa… Read More
Global warming increases frost damage on trees in large areas of Central Europe, according to a new Finnish-Chinese study by researchers from the University of Eastern Finland, the Chinese Academy of Science and Zhejiang A&F University. Late fros… Read More
On 28 November, the agri-food chain coalition held an event in the European parliament to look at the contribution of the agri-food chain to achieving the SDGS. Hosted by MEP Eva Kaili, the event brought together representatives of the FAO, KeyGene, … Read More
A new report by James Hutton Institute scientists has found that climate change, along with variations in machinery and farming practices, is likely to increase the susceptibility of Scottish soils to erosion or damage by compaction. The publication,… Read More
For bees, being social is everything. Whether it’s foraging for food, caring for the young, using their bodies to generate heat or to fan the nest, or building and repairing nests, a bee colony does just about everything as a single unit. While… Read More
Extreme drought is one of the effects of climate change that is already being perceived. This year, the decrease in rainfall and the abnormally hot temperatures in northern and eastern Europe have caused large losses in cereals and potato crops and… Read More
Rothamsted is trialling a new phosphorous fertiliser made from abattoir waste and industrial by-products as part of a ten-month EU funded project. Concerns over cadmium build-up in soils means that many naturally occurring sources of phosphate could … Read More
Data collected by Bumblebee Conservation Trust (BBCT) volunteers to assess the country’s changing bumblebee populations have been analysed in a new way for the first time at the University of Kent – and show mixed results about their decl… Read More
With bee pollinators in decline and pesky crop pests lowering yields, sustainable and organic farmers need environmentally friendly solutions. One strategy is to border crops with wildflower plantings to attract pollinators and pest predators. But sc… Read More
After the summer of 2018, we can get a sense of how the future summer climate of Europe might be: lots of heat and serious drought – and crops that wither and die. The risk of experiencing a summer such as the one we have just been through will… Read More
The Government has announced a review to deliver fair funding for farmers in all four parts of the UK when they leave the EU. The Secretary of State announced that an independent advisory panel will look at what factors should determine the distribut… Read More
Urban farmers growing vegetables to feed millions of people in Africa’s ever-growing cities could unwittingly be helping to spread disease by irrigating crops with wastewater, a new study reveals. Experts discovered that wastewater collected fr… Read More
FAO and the African Union today launched a new framework document that aims to increase agricultural efficiency and reduce drudgery by helping countries in Africa to develop strategies for sustainable farm mechanization. The Sustainable Agricultural … Read More
