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BGI, UC Davis partner to create new sequencing facility in Sacramento

The University of California, Davis, and BGI, the world's largest genomic institute, based in China, have signed a historic agreement that will change the landscape of genomic sciences in California and the Western states, and foster critical breakthroughs in the areas of food security and human, animal and environmental health.

27 Oct 2011

Challenging the view that the world's growing population represents power, prosperity

As the world's population approaches seven billion, Joel Cohen, a mathematical biologist and the head of the Laboratory of Populations at Rockefeller University and Columbia University, examines the implications of "the enormous increases in households, cities, material consumption and waste" on health, agriculture, water security, the environment and poverty in this New York Times opinion piece.

24 Oct 2011

U.N. calls on international community to provide food aid to North Korea

"Wealthier countries need to put aside politics to help millions of North Koreans going hungry from food shortages, the U.N.'s top relief official said Friday, renewing an appeal for assistance that has largely gone unmet," the Associated Press/CBS News reports.

22 Oct 2011

U.N., U.S. Peace Corps sign agreement to work together to tackle food insecurity in 76 countries

"The United Nations and the United States Peace Corps signed an agreement [Thursday] to cooperate in combating worldwide hunger by increasing food security in the 76 countries where the more than 8,600 U.S. volunteers currently work," the U.N. News Centre reports.

22 Oct 2011

FAO, IDF and IFCN develop world map of animal feeding systems in dairy sector

The International Dairy Federation (IDF), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Farm Comparison Network (IFCN) have developed, in partnership and with support from the animal feed industry, a world map of animal feeding systems in the dairy sector. The first results will be presented at the Sustainable Feed Security Conference at the IDF World Dairy Summit, on 18 October 2011.

22 Oct 2011

Energy Star- equivalent nutrition rating system for foods and beverages

Federal agencies should develop a new nutrition rating system with symbols to display on the front of food and beverage packaging that graphically convey calorie counts by serving size and a "point" value showing whether the saturated and trans fats, sodium, and added sugars in the products are below threshold levels.

21 Oct 2011

Emergency humanitarian response in Horn of Africa must shift to community development

Though emergency humanitarian assistance has helped keep people alive in the Horn of Africa, "this effort is not sustainable," David Morley, president and CEO of UNICEF Canada, writes in a Globe and Mail opinion piece.

20 Oct 2011

Population growth calls for new technologies, reduction in fertility rates

The world's population is expected to reach seven billion this month, which is "cause for profound global concern" and begs the question of "can we enjoy 'sustainable development' on a very crowded planet?" Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, writes in a CNN opinion piece.

19 Oct 2011

Topical corticosteroids show promise against bacterial corneal ulcers

A UCSF study gives hope to those suffering from severe cases of bacterial corneal ulcers, which can lead to blindness if left untreated. The use of topical corticosteroids in a randomized controlled trial was found to be neither beneficial nor harmful in the overall patient population in the study. However, it helped patients who had more serious forms of bacterial corneal ulcers, according to UCSF researchers.

19 Oct 2011

With clock ticking, super committee weighs suggestions, battles doubts

Last week the deficit-reduction panel received a slew of recommendations from across Capitol Hill on how to tame the nation's deficit problems. The input evidenced partisan differences and intra-party fissures. All the while, questions persist about the committee's ability to actually reach a deal.

18 Oct 2011

Agencies mark World Food Day, call for increased transparency in commodity markets

At a ceremony marking World Food Day on Monday, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) "called for more transparency on commodity markets to prevent sharp spikes in global food prices and deplored the scale of world hunger," Agence France-Presse reports.

18 Oct 2011

Rural women need same access to resources as men to help increase food production, Ban says

"Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling on the international community to give rural women the same access to productive resources as men, noting the huge benefits that would ensue, from increased food production to a drop of 150 million in the number of the world's hungry people," the U.N. News Centre reports.

18 Oct 2011

FDA may be lax when it comes to laws on sea food safety: Study

Due to the last year’s BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, a new study contends that current federal standards underestimate the risk to pregnant women and children of cancer-causing contaminants that can accumulate in seafood from such spills.

16 Oct 2011

Broken biogeochemical cycle of phosphorus will impact food security

Should the periodic table bear a warning label in the 21st century or be revised with a lesson about elemental supply and demand? If so, that lesson could start with one element considered a staple of life - but growing endangered, like the Asiatic dhole - phosphorus.

15 Oct 2011

Panel gets earful of advice on taming the federal deficit

Among the messages to the super committee members: caution. Meanwhile, Democratic governors expressed fears about deep cuts in federal aid to their states, especially regarding Medicaid and other entitlement programs. Hospital advocacy groups also carried a similar message about treading lightly in regard to trimming Medicaid funding.

15 Oct 2011

Research provides data on nutritional content of broccoli for breeders

Research performed by scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and published recently in the journal Crop Science has demonstrated that mineral levels in new varieties of broccoli have not declined since 1975, and that the broccoli contains the same levels of calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, potassium and other minerals that have made the vegetable a healthy staple of American diets for decades.

14 Oct 2011

Scientists conclude pesticide contamination as a major problem in Europe

Pesticides are a bigger problem than had long been assumed. This is the conclusion of a study in which scientists analysed data on 500 organic substances in the basins of four major European rivers. It was revealed that 38 per cent of these chemicals are present in concentrations which could potentially have an effect on organisms.

14 Oct 2011

Researchers design global plan for sustainable agriculture

The problem is stark: One billion people on earth don't have enough food right now. It's estimated that by 2050 there will be more than nine billion people living on the planet. Meanwhile, current agricultural practices are amongst the biggest threats to the global environment. This means that if we don't develop more sustainable practices, the planet will become even less able to feed its growing population than it is today.

13 Oct 2011

Food crises jeopardizing efforts to meet MDG of halving global malnutrition, report says

"Food crises are jeopardizing efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of halving the proportion of people who suffer from hunger by 2015, United Nations (U.N.) food experts warned" on Monday, according to the Guardian.

11 Oct 2011

FAO report warns increases in cereal production may not be enough to offset global economic downturn

Worldwide cereal production is expected to increase in 2011-2012, but "there is uncertainty about the improvement's impact on food security because of the global economic slump and increased risks for recession," according to a U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report released on Thursday, the Associated Press/Washington Post reports.

7 Oct 2011