news 2024

In mice, partial substitution reduces refined sugar digestion, intestinal glucose absorption and lipid accumulation in the liver Replacing some of the refined sugar we consume every day with maple syrup could alleviate some of the negative effects of a diet rich in fats and sugars. At least, that's what a study published by a Laval University team in the American Journal of Physiology - Endocrinology and Metabolism suggests.

The scientific community has been sounding the alarm over the effects of pesticide use on human health and the disappearance of numerous species in agricultural environments for half a century. As early as 1962, Rachel Carson's pioneering work predicted "silent springs" caused by the decline of birds, the collateral victims of pesticides via the poisoning of environments and the disappearance of insects.

Babies who are breastfed, or partially breastfed, for more than six months are less likely to be given sugar-sweetened drinks and sweet or salty snacks before they are 12 months-old, according to new research. The latest study, led by the University of Glasgow and published in the Maternal and Child Nutrition journal, looked at the links between breastfeeding and complementary feeding, otherwise known as the weaning process, where babies receive only part of their nutrients from milk and need to consume an increasingly varied diet.

Researchers at INRAE analysed the market and non-market impacts of the European Green Deal on the European agrifood system. Substantial positive impacts on the climate, the environment and public health require simultaneous action on agricultural production, food losses and waste, and eating patterns.

Potassium deficiency in agricultural soils is a largely unrecognised but potentially significant threat to global food security if left unaddressed, finds new research involving researchers at UCL, University of Edinburgh and the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. The study, published in Nature Food, found that more potassium is being removed from agricultural soils than is being added, throughout many regions of the world.

Agroscope has been granted approval by the Federal Office for the Environment for a field trial with spring barley. The focus is on a barley gene that has been disabled by new breeding techniques. The trial, which will be launched in spring 2024 on the Protected Site in Zurich-Reckenholz and will run for three years, aims to determine whether yields can be increased in this manner.

The team used machine learning to analyze satellite and roadside images of areas where small farms predominate and agricultural data are sparse. Crop maps help scientists and policymakers track global food supplies and estimate how they might shift with climate change and growing populations. But getting accurate maps of the types of crops that are grown from farm to farm often requires on-the-ground surveys that only a handful of countries have the resources to maintain.

Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) contain more calories, fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt than minimally-processed foods - but not all'UPFs are unhealthy, according to new research from UCL. For the study, published in The British Journal of Nutrition , scientists wanted to investigate whether food processing information could be a useful indicator of what is healthy to eat.

As heatwaves intensify in France, we need to adapt our crops. A new study by INRAE and Institut Agro reveals the genome regions involved in tolerance to extreme temperatures in grapevines - thanks to an experiment using the exceptional canicular episode of June 2019. Results published on February 7 in New Phytologist.

Climate change poses a threat to yields and food security worldwide, with plant diseases as one of the main risks. An international team of researchers surrounding Prof. Senthold Asseng from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has now shown that further spread of the fungal disease wheat blast could reduce global wheat production by 13% until 2050.

A study led by the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM) has revealed how the intensification of agriculture is drastically altering the composition and functional diversity of bird communities in cereal agroecosystems in Europe. The research, which analyzes the impact at field and landscape level, reveals a predominance of smaller and shorter-lived bird species, with a reduction in the diversity of parental investment strategies and an increase in generalist species.

Social systems where influence is centred around one or two individuals can lead to pack mentality and group think in farming communities, according to new research. Social systems where influence is focused around one or a few individuals may create environments where new ideas are ignored, and innovation is hindered.

Undergraduate research conducted in a kitchen during lockdown could reduce food waste and help keep veg in prime condition for longer Published on Wednesday 24 January 2024 Last updated on Wednesday 24 January 2024 Chopped carrot pieces are among the most universally enjoyed foods and a snacking staple - a mainstay of school lunchboxes, picnics and party platters year-round.

Karolane Bourdon, a doctoral student at Université Laval's Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, shows that the application of straw or wood shavings could regenerate soils and restore their yield . Half of the field vegetable sector's sales come from production in organic soils, but if these are not protected from degradation, they could disappear within 50 years.

At the current population sizes, the practice of scaring geese off pastures in the province of Friesland probably ends up costing more than it saves. Utrecht University ecologist Monique de Jager and colleagues from Wageningen University and Research, the University of Amsterdam, and the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) conclude this based on a model study , that was conducted as part of the Dutch contribution to European goose management.

Researchers from the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM), CIBERESP and IMDEA Alimentación have associated the Atlantic diet with a reduction in mortality in countries such as Spain, the Czech Republic, Poland and the United Kingdom. The results, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology , open up new possibilities for the development of nutritional guidelines adapted to this diet in Europe.

Replacing a daily serving of processed red meat with a serving of legumes or nuts reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes by 41% . If, at the start of 2024, you're looking for a simple resolution that will produce long-term health benefits, it wouldn't hurt to consider reducing your red meat intake. Indeed, a study just published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition confirms that there is a direct link between red meat consumption and the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Biodiversity-friendly livestock farms could be a real source of inspiration! Some positive news for the planet drawn from the conclusions of a study revealing how farm design and management can provide a window of opportunity for nature. Results published in the January 2024 issue of Agricultural Systems.