The initiative is designed to help children follow a healthy diet. 

Malawi declared a State of Disaster following the torrential rains, severe flooding and devastation in most districts in southern Malawi. External events that affected the agricultural production, which in 2019 was expected to be above average. The Shire Valley, Malawi’s worst-affected region, accounts for just 4.8 per cent of the total area planted to food crops, therefore, there appears to be no immediate threat of shortage of food in the 2018/19 agricultural season. 

This is the data published in FAO’s global report on food crisis. Africa is the worst-hit region, because of wars and climate disasters. Instead, Yemen, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan and Syria are among the eight nations accounting for two-thirds of the total number of people worldwide exposed to the risk of famine. 

To Air Pollution A study published in Nature Sustainability shows how the cultivation of a single crop, corn, hugely contributes to air pollution in the United States. The researchers found that corn production accounts for 4,300 premature deaths every year. Ammonia from fertilizer application was by far the largest contributor. Today, corn is the largest agricultural crop in the United States.  

The analysis of 50 years of data shows woodlands, whose shade was expected to protect species from warming temperatures, are just as affected by climate change as open grasslands. The study shows that as average temperatures have risen, aphids are now emerging a month earlier, and birds are laying eggs a week earlier. The scientists said this could mean animals were becoming “out of sync” with their prey, with potentially serious ramifications for ecosystems. 

One of the most common pesticides used in agriculture will soon be banned by the European Union after EFSA declared that chlorothalonil potentially poses both health and environmental concerns. Chlorothalonil is a type of fungicide that prevents the growth of mold and mildew on crops and is widely used in the United States and the United Kingdom. 

Those who are not suffering from celiac disease should not follow a gluten-free diet. Food items such as wheat contain essential nutrients, including iron, fiber, calcium and riboflavin. Additionally, for production reasons, some gluten-free foods have higher sugar and fat content. Regular consumption of these lets the body accumulate more calories from fats and sugars. 

Rural areas are in crisis. Rural residents make up 45% of the world’s population but bear a disproportionate burden of poverty, malnutrition, and poor quality of life. 

Only 11 years left to prevent irreversible damage from climate change The United Nations website publishes the alarming warnings of world leaders at the UN’s General Assembly. 

MPs of the Pan-African Parliamentary Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition (PAPA-FSN) call for more action on food security and nutrition. Effective laws and policies are essential to achieving Zero Hunger by 2030.   

At the end of March, Parliament approved a new law banning single-use plastic items, such as plates, cutlery, straws and cotton bud sticks by 2021. 560 MEPs voted in favor of the agreement, 35 against and 28 abstained. 

FAO prepares to assist rural communities and revive agriculture following disastrous flooding.