Tropical farmers will struggle to meet rising food demands unless they sustainably increase yields on the same surface area they use today. This is due to forest protection and carbon credit policies intended to fight climate change. That is according to a report by think tank Orbitas, which looked at the financial risks to tropical farmers and agricultural businesses - including palm oil, soybean and beef. 

The number of heat-related deaths in the UK among older people has more than doubled since the early 2000s according to a new report published in The Lancet. The picture is similar around the globe, with experts warning that climate change will overwhelm health care systems unless urgent action is taken. 

The number of countries planting genetically modified crops on the African continent has grown from three in 2018 to six in 2019. Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Malawi are now among the African countries using this variety alongside South Africa, Sudan and Swaziland. The data is provided in a report by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA). According to the report, the six countries grew maize, soybean and cotton on approximately three million hectares in 2019. 

The richest 1% in the UK produce 11 times the emissions of the poorest people. These estimates released ahead of an international climate event hosted by Boris Johnson show that people with an income of at least £92,000 after tax are responsible for 7% of the pollution recorded over a 25-year period. The 1%, made up of 657,840 people, are also the only group whose total consumption emissions did not fall between 1990 and 2015. Their carbon footprint is six times that of the national average. 

Beijing’s plans for a new dam have led New Delhi to consider building a similar project on the Brahmaputra river in India. Analysts warn that such a race could spin out of control, with repercussions not just for both countries but also Bangladesh. 

The well-known potato chip maker Walkers has adopted a technique it says will slash CO2 emissions from its manufacturing process by 70%. The technology will use CO2 captured from beer fermentation in a brewery, which is then mixed with potato waste and turned into fertilizer. It will then be spread on fields in the UK to feed the following year's potato crop in a virtuous circle.