According to the latest report on the state of forests in the world, urgent action is needed to protect the biodiversity of forests, given the alarming rates of deforestation and degradation. The report reveals that around 420 million hectares of forest have been lost since 1990 due to the conversion of land to other uses, although the rate of deforestation has decreased in the past thirty years. 

Pakistani farmers are facing the worst invasion of locusts in recent history, which has already caused damage running into billions of dollars and will lead to serious long-term famines. The government declared a national emergency after insects started decimating winter crops. The first swarm arrived from the UAE in mid-2019 and a new infestation from Iran is expected in the coming weeks. 

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has announced that it has recently distributed 20 tons of fertilizers and equipment to 19 groups of farmers located in the districts of Voinjama, Quardu-Gboni and Zorzor, and Lofa County in Liberia. The aid should ensure continued access to essential agricultural services and provide inputs to improve production following the lockdown caused by Covid-19. 

While meat production is failing to meet demand in the United States due to the numerous outbreaks of COVID-19 that have erupted in slaughterhouses, consumption in Europe has fallen sharply. This is mainly due to the closure of restaurants and numerous events. Demand in supermarkets has also fallen. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, EU demand for pork will drop to a low of 20.3 million tonnes in 2020, with beef and chicken consumption falling to the lowest ever recorded in several years. 

This is revealed by recent research conducted by the Plymouth Marine Laboratory off the coast of the United Kingdom and the United States, which has found many more plastic particles in the water than previously thought. Scientists found that by sampling the water using 100 micron mesh nets, 2.5 times more plastic particles were collected than with the 333 micron mesh net normally used and ten times more than with 500 micron mesh nets. 

The European Commission has proposed a plan to transform the agricultural system of the European Union and make it more sustainable. The plan is intended to reduce pesticide use by 50 percent over the next decade, as well as to reduce sales of antimicrobials for farm animals and the use of fertilizers by 20 percent by 2030. The share of organic agriculture is expected to increase by 25 percent by 2030, compared to the current 8 percent.