Agriculture News and Research

RSS

Green exercise decreases risk of mental illness, improves sense of well-being

How much "green exercise" produces the greatest improvement in mood and sense of personal well-being? A new study in the American Chemical Society's semi-monthly journal Environmental Science & Technology has a surprising answer.

3 May 2010

Differing views on organic food and its health benefit

There is a rising debate on the benefits, utility, authenticity and cost issues of organic foods over conventional produce. There are industry spokespeople who claim that organic foods can do wonders for health. They claim that the pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers used in conventional production can do more harm than we know.

3 May 2010

Foreign Policy examines global food security

One article, Robert Paarlberg, a professor of political science at Wellesley College, who has written a book about food security, argues that "[p]overty - caused by the low income productivity of farmers' labor - is the primary source of hunger in Africa, and the problem is only getting worse." Paarlberg writes about the need for "greater resources" to be put towards "farm technology, irrigation, and rural roads" in order to benefit small farmers in Africa.

3 May 2010

Researchers study effects of low-moderate alcohol consumption on bone health in women

For as long as our ancestors have been drawing pictograms or writing prose about food and culture, humans have been imbibing various forms of alcohol. Once simply a process by which nutritious beverages could be preserved and stored for later use, there is no doubt that the production and consumption of wines, beers, and spirits now provides integral texture to the fabric of many cultures.

30 Apr 2010

Mass. legislation to push poor seniors into managed care plans stirs concerns

Legislation that could push more than 100,000 low-income senior citizens in Massachusetts into managed care health plans spurred intense lobbying yesterday, as consumer advocates argued the measure would strip patients of their freedom to stay in traditional Medicare, while proponents said it could save the state significant money.

29 Apr 2010

Cambodia closes 64.9 percent of illegal pharmacies

In a major crackdown, Cambodia has forced nearly 65 percent of illegal pharmacies operating in the country to close within the past five months. Led by an Inter-Ministerial Committee to Fight against Counterfeit & Substandard Medicines (IMC), the shops were targeted because of evidence that they were among the primary sources of substandard and counterfeit medicines in the country.

29 Apr 2010

New statewide WIC nutrition education curriculum encourages healthful eating

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, about half of U.S. children between birth and age 5 receive services from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children.

28 Apr 2010

Kaiser Permanente approves over 250 grants and donations totaling $7 million

Kaiser Permanente, one of America's leading health care providers and nonprofit health plans, announced today it approved more than 250 grants and donations nationwide totaling approximately $7 million in the first quarter of 2010. The grants focused on expanding access to nutritious food, providing safe spaces for all ages to increase physical activity, increasing opportunities for continuing education, and eliminating health disparities.

28 Apr 2010

Canadian government says Canada's G8 maternal, child health plan will not include abortion

Canada on Monday at a meeting of G8 development ministers in Halifax, Canada, said its maternal and child health initiative, which is expected to be a "centerpiece issue" at the G8 summit in late June, will not include funding for abortion, the Associated Press/Washington Post (Gillies, 4/26).

28 Apr 2010

Opinions: G8 summit; World Malaria Day; Family planning; Global Food Security Act

As G8 development leaders gather in Halifax, Nova Scotia, this week to discuss priorities for the upcoming summit, Josette Sheeran, executive director of the WFP, calls for world leaders to focus on the nutritional needs of mothers and children in developing countries in a Toronto Star opinion piece.

27 Apr 2010

Phytonutrient intake may help decrease risk for certain chronic diseases: Study

Topping that bowl of cereal with raspberries instead of strawberries, or saut-ing kale instead of spinach for dinner can boost phytonutrient intake, which may help decrease risk for certain chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes.

27 Apr 2010

Chokeberry extract reduces weight gain in insulin-resistant animals

Chokeberry bushes have for centuries been residents of eastern deciduous forests where their bright red and dark purple fruits continue to be favorite snacks of local bird species. Native Americans have also traditionally eaten dried chokeberries and prepared teas from parts of the plant, and several domesticated varieties now grace contemporary lawns and gardens from coast to coast.

26 Apr 2010

New research project to make anti-malarial drugs more affordable in Third World countries

Dr Geoff Brown, from the University of Reading's Department of Chemistry, is beginning a £400,000 project that could prove vital for the developing world in its ongoing fight against malaria. His research aims to make anti-malarial drugs more affordable in Third World countries where more than 1.5 million people die of the disease every year.

24 Apr 2010

U.S., other donors commit $880M for new World Bank-hosted Global Food Security fund

The U.S. Treasury Thursday announced $880 million in contributions from the U.S., Canada, Spain, South Korea and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for the new World Bank-hosted Global Agriculture and Food Security Program, Reuters reports (Lawder, 4/22).

24 Apr 2010

Recent releases in Global Health

"What is still needed [to fight malaria] is the only tool that has ever truly conquered any infectious disease: an effective and affordable vaccine. And here, the global malaria community has been too complacent," a Lancet editorial asserts in an article highlighting achievements and drawbacks in attempting to provide universal access to malaria prevention and treatment.

24 Apr 2010

Water, sanitation funding decline as share of overall development aid, WHO report finds

"Even as the world's deadline for" reaching the "Millennium Development Goals approaches in 2015, countries are not making water and sanitation a priority, which in turn impacts other developmental goals like health and education," according to a WHO report released Wednesday, Press Trust International/Business Standard reports (4/22).

23 Apr 2010

Opinions: New U.S.-backed global food, agriculture program; Foreign aid to Africa; Medicines in Africa

In a Wall Street Journal opinion piece, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner and Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, announce the launch of the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program, a fund "to help the world's poorest farmers grow more food and earn more than they do now so they can lift themselves out of hunger and poverty."

23 Apr 2010

Report recommends increasing investment in small-scale farms run by women to achieve hunger MDG

An ActionAid report released on Wednesday recommends that major aid donors increase their support of small-scale farms run by women in developing countries to maximize the chance of meeting the U.N. Millennium Development Goal of halving hunger by 2015, Reuters reports.

23 Apr 2010

Study uses new BL-DMAC method to measure PAC levels in cranberry products

Natural compounds in cranberries are linked to the prevention of urinary tract infections (UTIs) but inconsistencies in methods currently used commercially to measure levels can result in the over- or under-estimation of potency levels, leaving product manufacturers and consumers without good data. A study published today in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture outlines a new, commercially viable method of measuring these compounds.

22 Apr 2010

GfK Kynetec announces acquisition of AIS

GfK Kynetec, the global leader in market research for the crop protection, biotechnology and animal health industries, announced today the acquisition of the non-crop business of Agricultural Information Services, London, UK. The acquisition enables GfK Kynetec to serve as the sole supplier of detailed data on the total global usage of crop protection products - within agriculture and in all other applications.

22 Apr 2010

Agriculture News and Research

Green exercise decreases risk of mental illness, improves sense of well-being

Differing views on organic food and its health benefit

Foreign Policy examines global food security

Researchers study effects of low-moderate alcohol consumption on bone health in women

Mass. legislation to push poor seniors into managed care plans stirs concerns

Cambodia closes 64.9 percent of illegal pharmacies

New statewide WIC nutrition education curriculum encourages healthful eating

Kaiser Permanente approves over 250 grants and donations totaling $7 million

Canadian government says Canada's G8 maternal, child health plan will not include abortion

Opinions: G8 summit; World Malaria Day; Family planning; Global Food Security Act

Phytonutrient intake may help decrease risk for certain chronic diseases: Study

Chokeberry extract reduces weight gain in insulin-resistant animals

New research project to make anti-malarial drugs more affordable in Third World countries

U.S., other donors commit $880M for new World Bank-hosted Global Food Security fund

Recent releases in Global Health

Water, sanitation funding decline as share of overall development aid, WHO report finds

Opinions: New U.S.-backed global food, agriculture program; Foreign aid to Africa; Medicines in Africa

Report recommends increasing investment in small-scale farms run by women to achieve hunger MDG

Study uses new BL-DMAC method to measure PAC levels in cranberry products

GfK Kynetec announces acquisition of AIS

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

Latest News