Agriculture News and Research

RSS

Lake sworn in as UNICEF executive director

Anthony Lake, who "has been a foreign policy advisor to several Democratic U.S. presidents and presidential candidates," has officially become the executive director of UNICEF, Agence France-Presse reports (5/2). Lake was sworn into office Monday by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the U.N. headquarters in New York, according to a UNICEF article (5/3).

5 May 2010

AU chair discusses proposed food security compact ahead of World Economic Forum on Africa

Malawi's President Bingu wa Mutharika "said he planned to work with other African leaders to devise a programme on food security that was sustainable 'regardless of who is looking at it,' and set up what he called an African compact on food security to act as an independent advisory body to the African Union on agriculture and food issues," the Guardian's "Katine" blog reports.

5 May 2010

Biotech industry reviews effects of the recession

Minneapolis Star Tribune, on the Biotechnology Industry Organization's convention in Chicago: "The biotechnology industry, hurt by the recession, is looking for inspiration from Charles Darwin. Leading executives say unless biotech companies adapt to a less-robust economy and changing industry standards, they won't survive the downturn. Biotech start-ups, seen as the lifeblood of the industry, have been among the worst hit by a decline in venture capital investments."

5 May 2010

Kaiser Permanente introduces Sustainability Scorecard for medical equipment, products

Kaiser Permanente, committed to improving the health of its patients, workforce and communities, announced today that it will require suppliers to provide environmental data for $1 billion worth of medical equipment and products used in its hospitals, medical offices and other facilities.

4 May 2010

New breakthrough in nutritional plant breeding may save children’s eyesight

Two Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists are part of an international team that has found a way to boost the nutritional value of corn. This has the potential to reduce the number of children in developing countries who lose their eyesight, become ill or die each year because of vitamin A deficiencies.

4 May 2010

Landec announces acquisition of Lifecore Biomedical from Warburg Pincus Private Equity

Landec Corporation, a materials science company that develops and markets patented polymer products for food, agriculture, personal care and drug delivery applications, today announced that it has acquired Lifecore Biomedical, Inc. from Warburg Pincus Private Equity IX, LP. When acquired by Warburg Pincus in March 2008, Lifecore was comprised of two divisions, the Dental Division and the Hyaluronan Division. The Dental Division was merged into a Warburg Pincus portfolio company.

3 May 2010

Report highlights lack of humanitarian access to Cyclone Nargis survivors in Myanmar

"Almost two years after Cyclone Nargis killed nearly 140,000 people in Myanmar, the repression of rights in areas hit by the cyclone continues and the humanitarian space in the country is shrinking instead of growing as originally hoped, a [Human Rights Watch] report released on Thursday said," Reuters AlertNet reports.

3 May 2010

FDA sets new safety standards for transportation of food

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is asking commercial food transporters to follow new guidance the agency is issuing today to reduce the chances of physical, chemical, biological and other risks during transportation of foods while the agency reviews current food safety transportation regulations.

3 May 2010

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