The El Ceibo organization, which groups nearly 1300 small Bolivian producers, received technical support from FAO to improve production of the famous “Criollo” cocoa variety. In addition to cocoa, farmers can use agro-forestry techniques to grow yucca, bananas, citruses, coffee and other local produce to sell on the local markets. They are also developing new sustainable solutions to fight plant disease and overcome the challenges threatening local cocoa production.
The Sahara desert has grown by nearly 10% in the last century. This is the conclusion of a new study, published in the Journal of Climate, written by the scientists of the University of Maryland who, for the first time, have assessed the changes in scale that took place in the last century. The result suggests that both man-made climate change and natural climate cycles like the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), caused the expansion of the desert.
AB InBev informed that they developed a new brewing method that can cut CO2 emissions by 5% a year. The new method is used before grain fermentation, using less water and energy in the formation of the typical bubbles in the final product. The water and hop infusion is heated without reaching boiling point, with later addition of CO2 and nitrogen in the vat. According to the brewer, who has carried out numerous tests, the taste of the beer remains unaltered.
Workers exposed to high noise levels on their workplace are more likely to have high pressure and high cholesterol levels. This was the conclusion of a recent study published by the National Institute for Health and Safety at work in Cincinnati, Ohio. According to researchers, a noisy workplace not only causes hearing difficulties (recorded in 58% of cases analyzed), but is also linked to hypertension (14%) and hypercholesterolaemia (9%).
The grants will help develop the aquaculture industry in the United States, with a view to making it more profitable and increasing domestic food security.
The FAO has launched a debate, which is open until 24 April, to reflect on the link between poverty and food security.
FAO poses 5 questions to start the debate, building on the fact that in the world 11 out of a hundred people live on less than $1.90 a day (World Bank 2016) and the first Sustainable Development Goal is about eradicating poverty.
The audio recordings of the 2nd International Symposium on Agroecology are online on the FAO website. Scaling Up Agroecology to Achieve the Sustainable Development) took place in Rome from 3 to 5 April.
To mark the 2° Symposium on Agroecology, Farming First published a contribution by J. Scott Angle, Chairman and CEO of the International Fertilizer Development Center, focusing on Integrated Soil Fertility Management.
Until the end of 2019, sustainable long term development will be at the center of the UN mission for justice support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH).