Food and Agriculture News

September 5, 2024

Top Headlines

Climate Change Increases Foodborne Illness Risk from Raw Produce

Aug. 29, 2024 — Salmonella enterica causes disease in 1.2 million people in the U.S. every year. A new study found that Salmonella contamination is enhanced by high humidity and plant ...

Global Timber Supply Threatened as Climate Change Pushes Cropland Northwards

Aug. 29, 2024 — Climate change will move and reduce the land suitable for growing food and timber, putting the production of these two vital resources into direct competition, a new study has ...

Can Fungi Turn Food Waste Into the Next Culinary Sensation?

Aug. 29, 2024 — Fungi can transform plant and animal products into delicious foods like cheese, miso and beer. A researcher argues that a type of filamentous mold -- Neurospora intermedia -- could also turn food waste into culinary treats. Currently, only ...

Are Crops Worldwide Sufficiently Pollinated?

Aug. 26, 2024 — Scientists have analyzed crop yields of more than 1,500 fields on six continents, and found that production worldwide of important, nutritionally dense foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes is being limited by a lack of ...

Latest Headlines

updated 11:16pm EDT

A New Pandemic Could Ride in on Animals We Eat, Researchers Warn

Aug. 21, 2024 — Researchers warn the animals we eat could be the gateway for a pandemic in the form of antimicrobial resistance, unleashing a wave of deadly superbugs. The World Health Organization estimates that ...

Honey Bees May Play Key Role in Spreading Viruses to Wild Bumblebees

Aug. 21, 2024 — Honey bees may play a role in increasing virus levels in wild bumble bees each spring, according to researchers who analyzed seasonal trends of parasite and virus transmission in ...

Killing Giant Ragweed Just Got Harder for Some Wisconsin Farmers

Aug. 21, 2024 — When giant ragweed takes hold in a crop field, the towering weed reduces yield and sends plumes of its famously allergy-inducing pollen into the air. There are few tools available to thwart the ...

Researchers Uncover the Secrets of 'Plant Puberty'

Aug. 20, 2024 — Researchers have identified the genetic changes linked to why plants go through a developmental change similar to 'puberty' at different rates, a discovery which could lead to better crop ...

Researchers Develop an Instant Version of Trendy, Golden Turmeric Milk

Aug. 19, 2024 — If you've visited a trendy cafe in the past few years, you might have noticed 'golden' turmeric milk on the menu. This fancy drink is caffeine-free, coffee-free and can even be vegan. And now, ...

Researchers Develop Index to Quantify Circular Bioeconomy

Aug. 19, 2024 — As the world faces the challenges of mitigating climate change and providing resources for a growing population, there is increasing focus on developing circular economies for sustainable production. ...

The Bee's Knees: New Tests Created to Find Fake Honey

Aug. 18, 2024 — Researchers have developed new ways to detect sugar syrup adulteration in honey, paving the way for fast and accurate tests to discover fake ...

Changing Food Consumers' Choices May Help Cut Greenhouse Gases

Aug. 13, 2024 — Planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions associated with the global food supply chains induced by diets could fall by 17% if people change their food choices towards more plant-based ...

Could Manure and Compost Act Like Probiotics, Reducing Antibiotic Resistance in Urban Soils?

Aug. 14, 2024 — Research suggests that, in some cases, boosting urban soil health with compost and treated manure may reduce the amount of pathogenic and anti-biotic ...

Reduce, Reuse, 'Re-Fly-Cle'

Aug. 13, 2024 — Black soldier flies are now commercially used to consume organic waste -- but genetic modifications proposed by bioscientists could see the insects digesting a wider variety of refuse, while also ...

Unlocking the Secrets of Salt Stress Tolerance in Wild Tomatoes

Aug. 8, 2024 — As our climate changes and soil salinity increases in many agricultural areas, finding crops that can thrive in these challenging conditions is crucial. Cultivated tomatoes, while delicious, often ...

Healthier Nutrition in Hospital Possible Thanks to Modified Menus

Aug. 1, 2024 — Food in hospitals often does not enjoy a good reputation. The proportion of meat on the plate in particular is too high. Clinics can do a lot to motivate patients to choose a healthier menu, as two ...

Cheese of the Future: Consumers Open to Animal-Free Alternatives

Aug. 1, 2024 — Companies and institutes are currently working on biotechnological processes for the production of 'dairy products' without the use of cows: In so-called precision fermentation, egg and ...

Cracking the Carb Code: Researchers Create New Glycemic Index Database to Improve Dietary Awareness

July 31, 2024 — Researchers create the first national glycemic index database, revealing how common foods impact health and contribute to chronic ...

Local Food Production Saves Costs and Carbon

July 29, 2024 — Emphasizing local food production over imported substitutes can lead to significant cost and carbon savings, according to data from the Inuvialuit Settlement Region in the Canadian Arctic. The ...

Bold Moves Needed for California Agriculture to Adapt to Climate Change

July 29, 2024 — California needs urgent and bold measures to adapt its $59 billion agriculture sector to climate change as the amount of water available for crops declines, according to a new report. The report ...

Scientists Study How to Bring You 'Climate-Smart Coffee'

July 25, 2024 — Coffee beans consumed across the globe come from two species: Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora. By 2050, about 80% of Arabica production is predicted to decrease because of climate change. ...

Groundcherry Gets Genetic Upgrades: Turning a Garden Curiosity Into an Agricultural Powerhouse

July 18, 2024 — Imagine a small fruit that tastes like a cross between a tomato and a pineapple, wrapped in its own natural paper lantern. That's the groundcherry (Physalis grisea) -- a little-known relative of ...

Researchers Predict Fewer, Pricier Strawberries as Temperatures Warm

July 17, 2024 — Strawberries could be fewer and more expensive because of higher temperatures caused by climate change, according to new ...

Smart Soil Can Water and Feed Itself

July 17, 2024 — A newly engineered type of soil can capture water out of thin air to keep plants hydrated and manage controlled release of fertilizer for a constant supply of ...

Could Intensive Farming Raise Risk of New Pandemics?

July 16, 2024 — Industrialized farming is often thought to reduce the risk of zoonotic diseases because of better control, biosecurity and separation of livestock. A new study examines the effect of social and ...

Researchers Create Groundbreaking Cotton Quality Model to Aid Farmers

July 12, 2024 — Researchers have produced a cotton quality module -- a part of a larger forecasting tool -- allowing cotton producers to better monitor crop quality under changing environmental ...

Air Pollution Harms Pollinators More Than Pests, Study Finds

July 11, 2024 — Pollinators experienced a 39-percent decline in foraging efficiency after being exposed to elevated air pollution levels. In contrast, plant-eating aphids and other pests were not significantly ...

Urban Seagulls Still Prefer Seafood

July 11, 2024 — Seagull chicks raised on an 'urban' diet still prefer ...

Archaeologists Report Earliest Evidence for Plant Farming in East Africa

July 10, 2024 — A trove of ancient plant remains excavated in Kenya helps explain the history of plant farming in equatorial eastern Africa, a region long thought to be important for early farming but where scant ...

Why the U.S. Food System Needs Agroecology

July 5, 2024 — Agroecology -- a science, practice, and movement which seeks social, political, economic, and environmental sustainability in the global food system -- is gaining momentum in the U.S., according to a ...

Wastewater Is a Viable Medium for Growing Lettuce in Hydroponic Systems

July 3, 2024 — Urban agriculture has the potential to improve food security through local, efficient, and sustainable food production. Examples of urban food systems include hydroponics, where plants grow in a ...

Choose Where to Plant Energy Crops Wisely to Minimise Loss of Biodiversity

July 1, 2024 — In the fight to protect biodiversity and limit climate change, the world will reap what it ...

Groundbreaking Discovery: Zinc Can Make Crop Yields More Climate-Resilient

June 27, 2024 — Climate change, drought, increased temperature and other stressors challenge agricultural sustainability. Researchers have now made an unexpected discovery: zinc plays a pivotal role in the plant ...

Scientists Discover Genetic 'Off Switch' in Legume Plants That Limits Biological Ability to Source Nutrients

June 26, 2024 — A genetic 'off switch' that shuts down the process in which legume plants convert atmospheric nitrogen into nutrients has been identified for the first time by a team of international ...