Sustainability

10/24/2020 SOURCE: sciencebusiness.net

Member states want commission to decide on the use of gene editing in animal and plant breeding

The EU should make use of innovative breeding technologies to boost sustainability of food production, agriculture ministers agreed on Monday, as they gave their stamp of approval to the European Commission’s ‘Farm to Fork’ plan to reduce the use of fertilisers by 30 per cent and turn 25 per cent of agricultural land over to organic farming. The ministers called for the use of “new innovative ingredients and techniques” to boost sustainable food production, as long as they are shown to be safe for humans, animals and the environment. This was with reference to precision breeding using gene editing, which enables genetically modified organisms to be generated without introducing genes from other species. As things stand, the technology cannot be used in the EU, following a 2018 ruling by the European Court of Justice, which founds genome editing is subject to the 2001 EU directive banning genetically modified organisms. Researchers in 120 institutes across Europe have asked the commission to reverse the court ruling, arguing precision breeding and genome editing are a speeded-up equivalent of traditional breeding techniques and could increase the genetic diversity of crop plants, reduce use of pesticides, and further the development of healthy food. Agriculture ministers want the commission to complete its study of the status of novel genomic techniques under EU legislation by April 2021. The commission’s view is that precision farming technologies should underpin the transition to eco-friendly food production. Frans Timmermans, the commission’s executive vice-president for the European Green Deal said the EU aims to give farmers the tools to adopt precision agriculture and to leverage scientific discoveries to optimise seeds. “That's how we limit our dependency on pesticides,” Timmermans told delegates at the EU Green Week conference last week. “Going to ecological farming doesn't mean we all have to munch on grass and live in caves, we need to use the latest technology to get us ther...

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10/23/2020 SOURCE: blog.creaf.cat

Six essential techniques to discover regenerative agriculture! - CREAF

The Life-Polyfarming regenerative agriculture project, coordinated by Planeses and CREAF, has recently published six videos in which they explain, in an informative tone, the agricultural and livestock techniques carried out in the pilot farm in La Garrotxa, Catalonia. These techniques aim to recover fertile and profitable soil in a way that respects the environment.  Mobile pens …

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Nancy Kavazanjian Nancy Kavazanjian
shared this article 4 years ago
Topics: Corn/Maize, Ethanol/Biofuel, Sustainability, Renewable Energy (Solar/Wind),

California E15 Testing to Start

With more than 15 million cars registered in the state, California has almost twice as many vehicles on the road than any other state in the nation, which makes it the number one market for growing domestic ethanol demand. To that end, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), state corn org

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10/23/2020 SOURCE: www.smithsonianmag.com

Are the Great Plains Headed for Another Dust Bowl?

Researchers say atmospheric dust in the region has doubled in the last 20 years, suggesting the increasingly dry region is losing more soil skyward

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John LaRose Jr. John LaRose Jr.
shared this article 4 years ago
Topics: Agriculture US, Young Farmers, FFA/4-H, Sustainability,

With farmer's help, interest among Villa Grove students is growing

Denny Reifsteck over the last three years has donated the use of 3 acres of his farm ground, where he allows the high school's FFA chapter to grow crops.

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John LaRose Jr. John LaRose Jr.
shared this article 4 years ago
Topics: Agriculture US, Agriculture Global, Economics, Sustainability, World Hunger, World Population, Coronavirus/COVID,

Building a better future

How gender research supports rural women during times of crisis.

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John LaRose Jr. John LaRose Jr.
shared this article 4 years ago
Topics: Precision AG , Agriculture US, Crop Consultant, Agriculture Global, Poultry, Sustainability, Ag Global Specialty Food, Ag Innovation, World Hunger, World Population, Coronavirus/COVID,

5 poultry innovations ready to change the industry in 2021

COVID-19 posed numerous challenges for the poultry industry, from worker shortages to interruptions throughout the supply chain. New technologies can help the industry solve these issues and look forward to future opportunities to thrive and succeed.

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John LaRose Jr. John LaRose Jr.
shared this article 4 years ago
Topics: Agriculture Global, Food/Nutrition, Food Waste, Sustainability, World Hunger, World Population, Ag South America,

Latin America poised to lead the next 50 years in food systems and agrobiodiversity research

CGIAR centers make strong case for Latin America as the best place for investing in solutions to overcome challenges to global agriculture from climate change, pandemics and more.

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John LaRose Jr. John LaRose Jr.
shared this article 4 years ago
Topics: Soil Health, Sustainability, World Hunger, World Population, Regenerative Agriculture, Ag Middle East,

The Story of Al Baydha: A Regenerative Agriculture in the Saudi Desert. قصة مشروع البيضاء

The final update from Al Baydha Project Co-founder Neal Spackman, 9 years in. How desertification resulted from the loss of an indigenous land management sys...

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