Global Scans · Food & Agriculture · Weekly Summary

• To better protect people globally from the devastating effects of climate change on health, solutions that draw across climate, health, and agricultural science will be needed. ReliefWeb
• After a short conceptual review of WEF & B security, the dominant nexus is explored for Mexico, addressing first the feedbacks between water and biodiversity, and later changes in land use, food production and social vulnerability. SpringerLink
• The significant genome editing studies for increasing the yield of major food staple crops and other essential crops indicate the substantial potential of GMs in contributing towards SDG-2, which aims to end hunger and achieve food security. PubMed Central (PMC)
• Multiple areas of food production - including wheat, dairy, vegetables and lamb - will be under pressure from shrinking supply and increased prices due to the persistent wet weather in the UK during the early months of 2024. The Guild of Fine Food
• In Japan, it could be observed that the willingness to try score was generally higher for plant-based meat above cultured meat, insect protein, and 3D-printed foods, and plant-based meat was regarded as the most similar group to conventional food. PubMed Central (PMC)
• Ruminant meat productivity has increased globally, but not at a sufficient rate (based on the expected increase of 27% per hectare by 2030) and ruminant meat consumption in high-consumption regions is not expected to decline to a sufficient degree by 2030. PubMed Central (PMC)
• Messages describing the health and environmental harms of red meat could be a promising strategy for discouraging red meat consumption among US parents of young children. PubMed Central (PMC)
• Senoptica Technologies (Ireland) has developed a groundbreaking oxygen sensor that will help reduce food waste and can be printed into active packaging (Modified Atmosphere Packaging, Vacuum Packaging and Vacuum Skin Packaging). BakeryAndSnacks.com
• Bioprocess data management Integrating BioRaptor's AI operating system into Aleph Farms' process development will help to advance scalability and reduce costs in the production of Aleph Cuts in preparation for production in large-scale plants. .foodingredientsfirst.com/
• Bees are threatened by a number of factors including the use of pesticides, their loss of habitat, and intensive farming. Sky News
• With a California law - Assembly Bill 418 - prohibiting the use of four food additives including Red Dye 03, set to take effect in 2027, confectionary companies may need to rethink the types of ingredients they are using. Food Dive
• Manufacturers can mitigate risks, uphold consumer trust, and ensure that canned foods remain a safe and reliable food choice for consumers worldwide. Food Business Review
• Food prices will continue to skyrocket, just as they have over the last decade, far outpacing the rate of inflation and boosting corporate profits to unprecedented new heights. Los Angeles Times
• Hefty new charges on some imported food products will come into effect, threatening to reduce consumer choice and push up prices not long after UK food inflation fell from double-digit rates. CNN
• Even if global carbon emissions rapidly decrease, climate disruption poses a serious and growing threat to the world's ability to produce essential commodities - including food as well as materials that are themselves essential to the net zero transition. PwC
• The research aims to address GHG emission data gaps and evaluate Canada's existing food loss and waste policies with the ultimate goal of reducing food waste and reaching net zero emissions in Canada by 2050. DLA Piper
• Argentina needs to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the new global scenario to develop in food, industry 4.0, mining, and energy. MercoPress
• Further geopolitical tensions - including a possible reescalation of the war in Ukraine - could constrain cross-border flows of food, fuel, and fertilizer, causing additional price volatility and undermining business and consumer sentiment. IMF eLibrary
• Global heating will inflict economic losses on the global economy of $38 trillion a year by 2049 as extreme weather ravages agricultural yields, harms labour productivity, and destroys infrastructure. CleanTechnica
• Throughout the world, farmers add nitrogen fertilisers to their crops to improve yields; plants need nitrogen, and they will grow better if they have the right amount of it. PubMed Central (PMC)
• Nearly 80% of consumers in the U.S. agree that nutritious foods are good for health and can reduce the risk of illness and disease. Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc.

Last updated: 14 May 2024