Update: Plant Health News (22 Apr 15)
Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including the celebration of ecologically farmed food in Kenya, the new fertilization method that has resulted in a 20% rise in ginger yields and greenhouse technology introduced providing a way to grow off-season crops in Pakistan. Click on the link to read more of the latest…
This Earth Day, think agriculture
On April 22nd, 1970- the date of the first Earth Day– 20 million people marched for clean air, clean water and improved environmental protections. These actions were designed to draw public attention to the environmental agenda and move environmental issues up the priority list of policy makers. The question is: What will unite us this…
Closing the gender gap for a food-secure future #AgGenderGap [Video]
In the video below, inspiring women share their views on closing the gender gap in farming under climate change.
Experts counting down to the “triple COPs” of the Rotterdam, Stockholm and Basel Conventions
Contributed by Melanie Bateman Three international conventions address issues related to chemicals and hazardous waste at the global level: the Stockholm Convention seeks to protect human health and the environment from persistent organic pollutants; the Rotterdam Convention supports information exchange on hazardous chemicals and ensures that trade in certain hazardous chemicals only occurs with countries’…
Citrus canker – a threat to orange production in Pakistan
Last week, key players in Pakistan’s orange production came together for the first Orange Exporters Awards, organised by the Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Association and the Department of Plant Protection. During this meeting, Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan, Pakistan’s Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, announced that orange farms in the Sargodha region of…
Welcome to National Gardening Week 2015
“Gardens are one of the greatest things about the UK and we at National Gardening Week are passionate about them”, say the organizers of the country’s biggest celebration of gardening, which takes place from 13-19 April 2015. The National Gardening Week was launched four years ago and offers plenty of events and activities being run…
Update: New Pest & Disease Records (15 Apr 15)
We’ve selected a few of the latest new geographic, host and species records for plant pests and diseases from CAB Abstracts. Records this fortnight include the first reports of Phakopsora pachyrhizi on soybean in Costa Rica and Malawi, the first report of corynespora leaf spot of Eucalyptus in China and a new report of sweet…
Update: Plant Health News (10 Apr 15)
Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including the identification of genes that increase resistance to potato late blight, improved onion storage in Burkina Faso and the identification of a natural bacterium that kills plantain moth larvae. Click on the link to read more of the latest plant health news!
Yesterday’s bread against food waste
Contributed by Äss-bar New initiative against food waste launches in the Swiss capital According to a recent report by UNEP and the World Resources Institute (WRI), each year about 1/3 of all food produced worldwide, worth around US$1 trillion, gets lost, spoiled or wasted in food production and consumption systems. This means not only an…