news 2024

Researchers breed tomato plants that contain the complete genetic material of both parent plants In a new study, led by Charles Underwood from the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research in Cologne, Germany, scientists established a system to generate clonal sex cells in tomato plants and used them to design the genomes of offspring.

In an age of abundance and variety in food options, are Canadians eating better than they were half a century ago' According to a recent paper by researchers at McGill University and the International Food Policy Research Institute, those relying on Canada's food supply for their dietary needs not only face deficiencies in healthier alternatives, but they also contribute to the disproportionate levels of environmental degradation caused by Canadian agricultural and food distribution policies.

Bird flu control for pandemic prevention must start before poultry reach wet markets, new research finds Research published today reveals the speed at which avian influenza ('bird flu') can spread in Asia's live bird markets and the urgent need to pivot pandemic prevention strategies. The paper, from senior scientists in the GCRF One Health Poultry Hub, describes how a computer model of avian influenza virus transmission was for the first time input with biological data obtained from chickens in live bird markets (also known as wet markets).

New research from the Global Challenges Research Fund's (GCRF) One Health Poultry Hub, including researchers from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has, for the first time, modelled the transmission of avian influenza ('bird flu'), revealing the speed at which it can spread in Asia's live bird markets.

In Europe, 1.55 million people die every year due to malnutrition. This is the conclusion of a recent study by Friedrich Schiller University Jena, the Institute of Sustainable Agriculture and Food (INL) and the nutriCARD competence cluster. The researchers analyzed the importance of nutrition for cardiovascular-related deaths in the period between 1990 and 2019.

In Europe, 1.55 million people die every year due to a poor diet. This is the conclusion of a recent study by Friedrich Schiller University Jena, the Institute for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Economics (INL) and the nutriCARD Competence Cluster. The researchers analysed the importance of nutrition for cardiovascular-related deaths in the period between 1990 and 2019, and have published their findings in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

National study finds that cost and impact of eating disorders in children and youth during COVID-19 has been vastly underestimated. A new pan-Canadian analysis on the cost of eating disorders in children and youth before and during the COVID-19 pandemic shows a sharp increase that the researchers say is only the tip of the iceberg.

Emulsifiers are among the additives most widely used by the food industry, helping to improve the texture of food products and extend their shelf life. Researchers from Inserm, INRAE, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Université Paris Cité and Cnam, as part of the Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (CRESS-EREN), studied the possible links between the dietary intake of food additive emulsifiers and the onset of type 2 diabetes between 2009 and 2023.

How can we know what chickens are feeling? An INRAE research team were able to uncover various degrees of redness on chickens' faces depending on their emotional state, while, at the same time, demonstrating that the skin of chickens that were used to humans stayed lighter in colour, thereby indicating a calmer state when humans were nearby.

Emulsifiers are among the additives most widely used by the food industry, helping to improve the texture of food products and extend their shelf life. Researchers from Inserm, INRAE, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Université Paris Cité and Cnam, as part of the Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (CRESS-EREN), studied the possible links between the dietary intake of food additive emulsifiers and the onset of type 2 diabetes between 2009 and 2023.

For the first time, a study by a multi-disciplinary team of researchers from Aix-Marseille Université and Sorbonne Paris Nord University, including specialists in the fields of communication, nutrition, epidemiology and public health, has shown that displaying the Nutri-Score on food products in advertisements would lead consumers to choose healthier foods.

Wind power is an affordable and renewable energy source. Yet decision-makers are reluctant to invest in this sector because they generally believe that wind farms require more land than fossil fuel power plants. A McGill University study assessing the extent of land occupied by nearly 320 wind farms in the USA - the largest study of its kind - paints a very different picture.

A study by the University of Southampton has found that market forces have provided good food price stability over the past half century, despite extreme weather conditions. Research into US wheat commodities by economists at Southampton, in collaboration with UCL, also suggests high uncertainty about the state of future harvests hasn't destabilised the market.

Farmers don't have to choose between lowering environmental impact and improving welfare for their pigs, a new study has found: it is possible to do both. But this is not reflected in the current food labelling schemes relied on by consumers. The way we classify farm types and label pork isn't helpful for making informed decisions when it comes to buying more sustainable meat.

Global study: Diversified agriculture strengthens food security and biodiversity . Mixing livestock farming and arable farming, integrating flower strips and trees, water and soil protection and much more: a comprehensive global study led by the Universities of Copenhagen and Hohenheim and with the participation of the University of Göttingen has investigated the effects of diversified agriculture.

When crops grow in arsenic-contaminated soil, this toxic element accumulates in the food chain. A study involving the University of Basel has now discovered a mechanism used by corn plants to reduce arsenic uptake: the key factor is a special substance released into the soil by the roots. Arsenic is a toxic metalloid of natural origin.

Key Takeaways Until now, sugarcane's complicated genetics made it the last major crop without a complete and highly accurate genome. Researchers combined multiple techniques to successfully map out sugarcane's DNA and identify key areas - including several related to sugar production and transport as well as disease resistance to brown rust.

INRAE, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, CNRS, Université de Bordeaux and Université de Bourgogne have analysed trends to come in current and developing winegrowing regions around the world to adapt wine production to climate change. The results of the study, published in Nature Reviews Earth and Environment, show that some 90% of coastal and low-altitude regions in southern Europe and California may no longer be able produce good wine in economically sustainable conditions by the end of the century if global warming exceeds +2°C.

Too much livestock on a given amount of land can lead to carbon losses, but appropriate numbers can actually help sequester the carbon. When it comes to global climate change, livestock grazing can be either a blessing or a curse, according to a new study, which offers clues on how to tell the difference.

A study by the University of Bonn shows: Banners with information on animal welfare have no influence on purchasing behavior How can we encourage consumers to pay more attention to animal welfare aspects when they purchase meat? It now appears that this cannot be achieved solely by making the animal husbandry labels more visible.