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Insects find their way onto Italian plates despite resistance

Posted on July 18, 2023 by dishanth

In a small room near the Alps in northern Italy, containers filled with millions of crickets are stacked on top of each other.

Jumping and chirping loudly – these crickets are about to become food.

The process is simple: they are frozen, boiled, dried, and then pulverised.

Here at the Italian Cricket Farm, the biggest insect farm in the country, about one million crickets are turned into food ingredients every day.

Ivan Albano, who runs the farm, opens a container to reveal a light brown flour that can be used in the production of pasta, bread, pancakes, energy bars – and even sports drinks.

Eating crickets, ants and worms has been common in parts of the world like Asia for thousands of years.

Now, after the EU approved the sale of insects for human consumption earlier this year, will there be a shift in attitudes across Europe?

“We will oppose, by any means and in any place, this madness that would impoverish our agriculture and our culture,” Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini wrote on Facebook.

But is that all about to change? Several Italian producers have been perfecting cricket pasta, pizza and snacks.

“What we do here is very sustainable,” says Ivan. “To produce one kilo of cricket powder, we only use about 12 litres of water,” he adds, pointing out that producing the same quantity of protein from cows requires thousands of litres of water.

Farming insects also requires just a fraction of the land used to produce meat. Given the pollution caused by the meat and dairy industry, more and more scientists believe insects could be key to tackling climate change.

At a restaurant near Turin, chef Simone Loddo has adapted his fresh pasta recipe, which dates back nearly 1,000 years – the dough is now 15% cricket powder.

It emanates a strong, nutty smell.

Some of the diners refuse to try the cricket tagliatelle, but those who do – including me – are surprised at how good it tastes.

Aside from the taste, cricket powder is a superfood packed with vitamins, fibre, minerals and amino acids. One plate contains higher sources of iron and magnesium, for example, than a regular sirloin steak.

But is this a realistic option for those who want to eat less meat? The main issue is the price.

“If you want to buy cricket-based food, it’s going to cost you,” says Ivan. “Cricket flour is a luxury product. It costs about €60 (£52) per kilogram. If you take cricket pasta for example, one pack can cost up to €8.”

That’s up to eight times more than regular pasta at the supermarket.

For now, insect food remains a niche option in Western societies, as farmers can sell poultry and beef at lower prices.

“The meat I produce is much cheaper than cricket flour, and it’s very good quality,” says Claudio Lauteri, who owns a farm near Rome that’s been in his family for four generations.

Diners at the Turin restaurant that serves the insect pasta are trying cricket-based products out of curiosity

But it’s not just about price. It’s about social acceptance.

Across Italy, the number of people living to the age of 100 and beyond is rising fast. Many point to the Mediterranean diet as the Holy Grail for a healthy lifestyle.

“Italians have been eating meat for centuries. With moderation, it’s definitely healthy,” says Claudio.

He believes that insect food could be a threat to Italian culinary tradition – which is something universally sacred in this country.

“These products are garbage,” he says. “We are not used to them, they are not part of the Mediterranean diet. And they could be a threat for people: we don’t know what eating insects can do to our bodies.

“I’m absolutely against these new food products. I refuse to eat them.”

While insect farming is increasing in Europe, so too is hostility towards the idea.

The EU decision to approve insects for human consumption was described by a member of Italy’s ruling far-right Brothers of Italy party as “bordering on madness”.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has referred to Italy as a “food superpower”, created a Made in Italy ministry when she was elected, with the aim of safeguarding tradition.

“Insect products are arriving on supermarket shelves! Flour, larvae – good, delicious,” she said in a tone of disgust in a video.

Amid concerns that insects might be associated with Italian cuisine, three government ministers announced four decrees aimed at a crackdown. “It’s fundamental that these flours are not confused with food made in Italy,” Francesco Lollobrigida, the agriculture minister, said.

Cricket tagliatelle served with zucchini, zucchini cream, crispy bacon, parmesan and basil

Insect food is not just dividing opinions in Italy.

In Poland, it has become a hot topic ahead of an election this year. In March, politicians from the two main parties accused each other of introducing policies that would force citizens to eat insects – the leader of the main opposition party, Donald Tusk, labelled the government a “promoter of worm soup”.

Meanwhile, Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands are more receptive to eating insects. In Austria, they eat dried insects for aperitivo, and Belgians are open to eating mealworms in energy shakes and bars, burgers and soups.

“Unfortunately there’s still a lot of misinformation about eating insects,” says Daniel Scognamiglio, who runs the restaurant that serves the cricket tagliatelle.

“I have received hate, I have been criticised. Food tradition is sacred for many people. They don’t want to change their eating habits.”

But he has identified a shift, and says more people – often out of curiosity – are ordering cricket-based products from his menu.

With the global population now exceeding eight billion, there are fears that the planet’s resources could struggle to meet the food needs of so many people.

Agricultural production worldwide will have to increase by 70%, according to estimates by the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation.

Shifting to eco-friendly proteins – such as insects – might become a necessity.

Until now, the possibilities for producing and commercialising insect food had been limited. With the EU’s approval, the expectation is that as the sector grows, the prices will decrease significantly.

Ivan says he already has a lot of requests for his products from restaurants and supermarkets.

“The impact on the environment is almost zero. We are a piece of the puzzle that could save the planet.”

Source BBC

Creating Biochar to Sequester Carbon and Fertilize Plants

Posted on July 14, 2023 by dishanth

The slash-and-burn agriculture technique grows food whereby forested land is clear-cut, and any vegetation is burned. The resulting layer of ash from the burnt vegetation provides a newly cleared land with a nutrient-rich layer that helps fertilize crops. Traditionally, the area was left fallow and reverted to a secondary forest of bush. Cultivation would then shift to a new plot.

Unfortunately, as we’ve shifted towards a fast-past world, these techniques are deemed harmful to the environment as modern slash-and-burn techniques are a significant source of carbon dioxide emissions, especially when used to initiate permanent deforestation. Moreover, many of these plots do not get replanted.

On a smaller scale, farmers are turning to create biochar to sequester carbon emissions and aid in growing their crops. Biochar is similar to slash-and-burn techniques, except it is created artificially through a process called pyrolysis. It is made when biomass, such as fallen tree branches and crop residue, is heated at 200-400°C with little or no oxygen.

Various types of biomass have been used on a commercial scale to produce biochar. This includes agricultural and forestry by-products (such as straw or tree bark), industrial by-products (such as paper sludge and pulp), animal wastes (such as chicken litter) and sewage sludge. Converting biomass to biochar offers an excellent method for reducing waste and using these by-products.

This process decomposes the organic waste into a solid residue of carbon. Farmers can apply it to the field where around 50 percent of the carbon is stored in stable forms as a soil additive to improve drainage, aeration, plant health, crop yield, and water and nutrient retention. Biochar helps process things that settle on it, such as soil’s water and nutrients that the plants can access when needed. Biochar can also absorb heavy metals, reducing the plants’ risk of accessing them.

There are a number of ways that small farmers can use biochar to sequester carbon:

Incorporate it into their soil: Biochar to sequester carbon can be added as a soil amendment. This can be done by broadcasting it on the soil’s surface or by mixing it into the soil.
Use it as a fertilizer: Biochar can be used as a fertilizer by mixing it with compost or other organic materials. This can help to improve the nutrient content of the soil and increase crop yields.
Use it to produce energy: Biochar can be used to produce energy by burning it in a stove or furnace. This can provide farmers with a renewable source of energy.

This process reduces emissions from organic waste that is burned or left to decompose, producing greenhouse gases. Studies have shown that only about 10 to 20 percent of the residue carbon is recycled into the soil when crop residue is left to decompose on its own.

Biochar increases soil fertility more than simple plant matter and reduces nutrients from leaching from the crop root zone, meaning they would have to use less chemical fertilizers to grow their crops. Using biochar to sequester carbon will also benefit farmers who cannot afford to buy fertilizers or invest in organic cultivation techniques that take a long time to establish. It also helps establish independence among smaller farmers as they would not have to depend on chemical fertilizer companies.

Creating biochar to sequester carbon is a sustainable way to fertilize plants and actively remove carbon from the atmosphere. According to the IPCC, biochar is one of the safest, most durable ways to remove carbon from the atmosphere. It helps create nutrient levels in the soil that are more stable and resistant to environmental degradation. This allows farmers to save money and resources, reducing their environmental impact.

Source Happy Eco News

Supermarket food could soon carry eco-labels, says study

Posted on August 10, 2022 by dishanth

Supermarket shoppers could soon be checking the environmental impact of food before putting it in their trolleys, thanks to new research.

Reliable information of this kind hasn’t been available.

That’s because UK manufacturers only have to list their main ingredients, and that’s by percentage, not amount.

Scientists have overcome the problem by using public databases to estimate the composition of thousands of food products and their impact.

Many consumers want to know how their weekly food shop affects the planet, even though rising prices will likely be a more immediate concern for most.

Prof Peter Scarborough from Oxford University told BBC News he hopes that the research leads to an eco-labelling system for customers, but he believes that the bigger impact would come if the food industry uses it to cut its environmental footprint.

He said the food industry has also been “crying out” for the new tool and that the algorithm is already being used by some manufacturers and caterers to make their meals more sustainable.

“It fills a huge gap. Manufacturers, caterers and retailers have targets for reaching net zero [emissions] and they don’t have the tools they need to get there.”

“Now they have this data, and some of them are talking to us about things they can do to help people move towards more sustainable food purchasing. The data could help manufacturers adjust their formulations.”

The analysis has limits. Ingredient lists don’t tend to show sourcing information such as country of origin or agricultural production method. But Dr Mike Clark, who led the research at Oxford University, called the tool “a significant step towards providing information that could enable informed decision-making”.

The Oxford team estimated the composition of 57,000 foods and drinks in supermarkets in the UK and Ireland. It then assessed the impact of growing methods, processing and transport, against key environmental measures including greenhouse gas emissions and impacts on nature.

The team developed an algorithm to calculate an eco-score for the environmental impact of individual food and drink products.

Catering firm Compass Group began working with the researchers in January.

Its Culinary Director for Business and Industry Ryan Holmes, told BBC News that use of the algorithm “made us think about how we approach sustainability within the workplace” as the company sought to achieve net zero emissions by 2030.

He said the company took out some meat, increased proteins from other sources such as lentils and used more whole grains and vegetables and obtained a better score for many of its meal options for staff canteens.

Meat and dairy score high

Under the algorithm, the higher the score, the higher the environmental impact. As expected, foods containing more meat and dairy score much higher than those with more plant-based ingredients. By contrast, many meat alternatives such as plant-based sausages or burgers, had between a fifth and less than a tenth of the environmental impact of meat-based equivalents.

But there was also wide variation within specific categories.

For example, the highest-impact pork sausage scored about a third higher than the least impactful. And the impact of biscuits rose the more chocolate they contained, showing that small recipe changes could make big differences, according to Prof Scarborough.

“If you look at the government strategy on achieving net zero [emissions by 2050] around food systems, they are not measuring the actual greenhouse gas emissions, instead the recommendation is to reduce meat consumption.

“That’s OK, because meat has the biggest greenhouse gas emissions, but you miss a massive amount in multi-ingredient foods which had previously had no reduction targets based on them whatsoever.”

The food firm COOK is assessing whether eco-labelling would help its customers move to a more sustainable diet Source: COOK

COOK, a Kent-based frozen food producer looking to diversify away from meat, has also worked with the researchers. It wants to explore whether measures like putting eco-labels on its products would help customers embrace a more sustainable diet.

“The tool could help us by ensuring that as we are developing new recipes there is a delicious option for someone who is actively looking to reduce their environmental impact through what they eat,” said Andy Stephens, COOK’s head of sustainable food.

The researchers don’t foresee eco-labelling becoming compulsory in the near future. They want firms to adopt it voluntarily, something they believe would lead them to compete over the sustainability of their food and drink products.

A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs welcomed the initiative.

“We want to give everyone the information to make healthier, greener or more sustainable choices with the food they buy, if they want to. Voluntary industry schemes are really positive and through our Food Strategy we’re also looking at how we can better support them in future.”

The research has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Source BBC

How Singapore is turning multi-storey car parks into farms

Posted on August 3, 2022 by dishanth

Eyleen Goh runs a farm from the top deck of a car park in Singapore.

And this is not a small operation – it supplies nearby retailers with up to 400kg of vegetables a day, she says.

“Singapore is quite small but we have many car parks. It is pretty much the dream to have farms [here] to meet the needs of residents in the community,” she says.

Urban farmer Eyleen Goh farms among high-rise buildings. BBC

At least a dozen of these rooftop farms have now sprouted up across the South East Asian city state.

The government started leasing out the unusual plots in 2020 as part of its plans to increase local food production. The country of 5.5m people currently imports more than 90% of its food.

But space in this densely populated island nation is scarce and that means land is not cheap. Singapore has some of the world’s most expensive property.

One farmer told the BBC that the high cost of his first car park plot meant that he had to give it up and move to a cheaper location.

When BBC News visited Ms Goh’s farm, which is about the third of the size of a football field, operations were in full swing.

Workers were picking, trimming and packing choy sum, a leafy green vegetable used in Chinese cooking.

At the other end of the facility meanwhile, another employee was busy re-potting seedlings.

“We are harvesting every day. Depending on the vegetables we are growing, it can range from 100kg to 200kg to 400kg per day,” Ms Goh says.

She says starting the farm cost around S$1m ($719,920; £597,720), with much of the money being spent on equipment to help speed up harvesting.

Workers harvesting vegetables at Eyleen Goh’s rooftop farm. BBC

Although she has received some subsidies, Ms Goh says her business is not profitable yet.

She has 10 employees and pays a rent of around S$90,000 a year for the space and another car park site, which is still being set up.

“Our setting up period happened during the Covid pandemic, so logistics were way more expensive and took a longer time,” Ms Goh explains.

“Moreover, this was the first rooftop car park tender awarded [by the government] so the process was very new to everyone,” she adds.

Singapore’s rooftop farmers are also finding other ways to make money.

Nicholas Goh, who is not related to Ms Goh, says he has managed to turn a profit by charging people a monthly fee to harvest vegetables at his urban farm.

He says the idea is particularly popular with families who live nearby as “it is a community kind of approach, rather than a commercial approach”.

However, another urban farmer, Mark Lee, says high costs have driven him to move to an industrial building that charges a “negligible” i.e. lower rent.

“Vegetables are ultimately just vegetables. You can get it at the freshest and best quality but there is limitation to how much one would pay. We’re not talking about truffles here,” Mr Lee says.

‘Existential issue’

Rooftop farms are not the only way Singapore aims to increase the amount of food it grows.

Most of the country’s home-grown produce comes from high-tech facilities that are heavily subsidised by the government. It had 238 licensed farms in 2020, according to official figures.

Some of the farms are already profitable, and can expand their production to increase profits, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) says.

“Food security is an existential issue for Singapore. As a globally connected small city-state with limited resources, Singapore is vulnerable to external shocks and supply disruptions,” an SFA spokesperson tells BBC News.

“This is why it is important that we continuously take steps to secure our essential resources,” the spokesperson adds.

The farms are located in public housing estates. NATURE’S INTERNATIONAL COMMODITY

Earlier this year, the issue of food security came into sharp focus in Singapore when several countries in the region banned or limited exports of key foods.

Governments reliant on imports tried to protect their food supplies as the Ukraine war and the pandemic pushed up the cost of everything from staple foods to crude oil.

By 2030, Singapore aims to produce 30% of the food it consumes itself – more than three times the current amount.

Professor William Chen of Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University says more support should be offered to urban farms.

“There are measures in place such as productivity grants from SFA, and regular farmers’ markets to encourage consumers to buy more local produce,” says Prof Chen, who is a director of the university’s food science and technology programme.

“Perhaps helping local farmers to adopt simple technologies… may be considered,” he says.

However, Sonia Akter, an assistant professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, believes high operating costs are likely to remain a major challenge for urban farmers.

“Singapore is offering a lot of subsidies and financial support to entrepreneurs who are working in this space,” she says.

“The question is whether these farms will be able to operate and be commercially viable when the government support stops flowing.”

Back on a rooftop surrounded by tower blocks in the midst of Singapore’s urban sprawl, Ms Goh may seem a world away from traditional agriculture.

However, she echoes the sentiments of generations of farmers who have come before her: “Giving up is not an option. The more challenging it is, the more rewarding it will be.”

Source BBC

Environment to benefit from ‘biggest farming shake-up in 50 years’

Posted on December 1, 2020 by dishanth

Wildlife, nature and the climate will benefit from the biggest shake-up in farming policy in England for 50 years, according to government plans.

The £1.6bn subsidy farmers receive every year for simply owning or renting land will be phased out by 2028, with the funds used instead to pay them to restore wild habitats, create new woodlands, boost soils and cut pesticide use.

The wealthiest farmers – those receiving annual payments over £150,000 a year – will face the sharpest cuts, starting with 25% in 2021. Those receiving less than £30,000 will see a 5% cut next year.

Some of the biggest recipients of the existing scheme have been the Duke of Westminster, the inventor Sir James Dyson, racehorse owner Prince Khalid bin Abdullah al Saud and the Queen.

Farmers will also get grants to improve productivity and animal welfare, including new robotic equipment. The goal of the plan is that farmers will – within seven years – be producing healthy and profitable food in a sustainable way and without subsidies.

The environment secretary, George Eustice, acknowledged the damage done to the environment by industrial farming since the 1960s and said the new plans would deliver for nature and help fight the climate crisis. Farming occupies 70% of England, is the biggest driver of biodiversity loss and produces significant greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution.

The radical changes in agricultural policy are possible due to the UK leaving the EU, whose common agricultural policy is widely regarded as a disaster for nature and even critics of Brexit see the changes as positive.

Farming and environment groups largely welcomed the plans but said more detail was urgently required. Brexit is looming at the end of December and uncertainties remain over food tariffs and trade deals. Many groups are also concerned about the potential import of food produced to lower animal welfare and environmental standards.

“[This is] the biggest change in agricultural policy in half a century,” said Eustice. “It makes no sense to subsidise land ownership and tenure where the largest subsidy payments often go to the wealthiest landowners.

“Over the last century, much of our wildlife-rich habitat has been lost, and many species are in long-term decline.

“I know many farmers feel this loss keenly and are taking measures to reverse this decline. But we cannot deny that the intensification of agriculture since the 1960s has taken its toll. Our plans for future farming must [also] tackle climate change – one of the most urgent challenges facing the world.”

The total of £2.4bn a year currently paid to farmers will remain the same until 2025, as promised in the Conservative manifesto. Currently, two-thirds of this is paid solely for owning land, but the proportion will fall to one-third by 2025 and zero by 2028. Funds for environmental action will rise from a quarter of the total to more than half by 2025, with the remaining funds used to increase productivity.

The new green payments will be trialled with 5,000 farmers before a full launch in 2024. But the level of payments for work such as natural flood defences and restoring peatlands and saltmarshes has not yet been set. Nor has the likely cut in carbon emissions been quantified.

The president of the National Farmers’ Union, Minette Batters, said: “Farming is changing and we look forward to working with ministers and officials to co-create the new schemes.”

But she added: “Expecting farmers to run viable, high-cost farm businesses, continue to produce food and increase their environmental delivery, while phasing out existing support and without a complete replacement scheme for almost three years is high risk and a very big ask.”

The cuts are expected to reduce the income of livestock farmers, for example, by 60% to 80% by 2024, Batters said.

Kate Norgrove, of the WWF, said: “Our farmers have the potential to be frontline heroes in the climate and nature emergency, and this roadmap starts us on the right path. It must see increased investment in nature as a way to tackle climate change.”

Tom Lancaster, principal policy officer for agriculture at the RSPB, said: “This is a make or break moment for the government’s farming reforms, which are so important to both the future of farming and recovery of nature in England. [This plan] provides some welcome clarity, but faster progress is now needed over the coming months.”

But Craig Bennett, CEO of the Wildlife Trusts, said: “We are deeply worried that the pilot [environment] schemes simply cannot deliver the promise that nature will be in a better state. Four years on from the EU referendum, we still lack the detail and clarity on how farm funding will benefit the public.”

Other measures in the government plan include funding improvements in how farmers manage animal manure – slurry is a major polluter of both water and air – and a scheme where farmers seeking to leave the sector can cash out all the subsidies payments they are due up to 2028 in 2022, part of efforts to help new farmers enter the sector.

The government said it would be cutting “red tape” for farmers, with warning letters replacing automatic fines for minor issues and more targeted – though not fewer – inspections.

In July, the government said rules about growing diverse crops, fallow land and hedges would be abolished in 2021, claiming they had little environmental benefit. Farming policy is a devolved matter and other UK nations have yet to bring forward firm new plans.

Source The Guardian

Forging a more sustainable path for animal farming

Posted on November 4, 2020 by dishanth

Every time a cow burps, it releases a bit of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that traps more heat than carbon-dioxide.

The livestock sector accounts for a significant 14.5 per cent of man-made greenhouse gas emissions and, in the Asia Pacific region, demand for dairy products is growing along with its middle class.

Driven by the growing number of cattle farms, methane emissions are at an all-time high, and could cause a disastrous global temperature rise of three to four degrees Celsius by 2100 if left unchecked, according to a recent Stanford University study.

“Emissions from cattle and other ruminants (herbivorous mammals) are almost as large as those from the fossil fuel industry for methane,” said Rob Jackson, a professor of Earth system science at the university who led the study. “People joke about burping cows without realising how big the source really is.”

With demand for beef and other meats expected to increase in tandem with growing wealth in countries such as China and India, some companies are taking steps to help the animal farming industry reduce its environmental impact.

Global nutrition, health and sustainable living company DSM, one of the world’s leading producers of nutritional ingredients, is testing an animal feed additive for cows that has reduced their methane emissions by about 30 per cent in previous and ongoing trials.

In August, the firm also launched a strategic initiative called “We Make It Possible” to make animal farming sustainable. It takes as its targets the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals 2, 3, 12, 13 and 14, which aim for zero hunger, good health and well-being for all, responsible consumption and production, action against climate change, and sustainable use of marine resources respectively by 2030.

Peter Fisher, DSM’s regional vice-president for animal health and nutrition in Asia Pacific, said that while plant-based diets have become more popular, meat still makes up a significant portion of many meals. “We have to figure out how to meet this demand in a responsible and sustainable way, and we have to do this with urgency,” he said.

To feed a world population of 9.7 billion by 2050, scientists have highlighted the need to avoid further deforestation, grow more efficiently on existing farms and shift to less meat-intensive diets, among other measures.

We have to figure out how to meet this demand in a responsible and sustainable way, and we have to do this with urgency.

Peter Fisher, regional vice-president for animal health and nutrition in Asia Pacific, DSM

Transforming farming

DSM’s initiative will promote its products and initiatives in six areas: Improving farm animals’ health and yield; improving the quality of food while reducing food waste and loss; cutting livestock emissions; making more efficient use of natural resources; reducing reliance on marine resources; and tackling anti-microbial resistance.

One of DSM’s solutions, a feed additive for cows called Bovaer, is currently undergoing trials in New Zealand and Australia and pending registration for use in Europe. When mixed into a cow’s feed, it inhibits an enzyme in the animal that triggers the production of methane. The additive has already been tested in over 30 farm trials, with over 25 peer-reviewed studies published in science journals attesting to its efficacy and showing no negative effects on the cows’ health or milk.

The company also created Hy-D, a vitamin D additive already on the market that helps pigs and chickens to build stronger skeletons and lead healthier and longer lives. This means that pigs can have more piglets over their lifetime, among other advantages for farmers. Feeding Hy-D to chickens also enables them to lay eggs that have shells that are about four per cent thicker, reducing egg breakages during packing and transport by about 15 per cent.

Each year, about 16 million tonnes of wild oily fish such as anchovies, sprat and capelin are caught and processed into fish meal and fish oil for aquaculture. The oil, in particular, contains two omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), that are used to grow nutritious fish for human consumption, especially in the salmon industry.

To reduce the reliance on these marine resources, DSM has partnered with another firm, Evonik, to produce EPA and DHA by fermenting natural marine algae. The amount of EPA and DHA in one tonne of the algal oil is equivalent to that in 60 tonnes of the wild-caught fish. DSM said that the partnership can currently meet 15 per cent of the salmon industry’s demand for EPA and DHA, equivalent to saving 1.2 million tonnes of wild-caught fish per year.

Fisher said that the firm will also help farmers make more efficient use of local crops for their animal feeds and other needs. “If they can do that, they won’t have to transport resources from across the world, and this will reduce their environmental footprint,” he explained.

He noted that the world’s growing population and demand for animal protein will continue to put huge and increasing pressure on its finite natural resources. “Along with the strain on the environment, this threatens to take our food systems well beyond the planet’s boundaries,” he said.

“Through our new strategic initiative, we hope to achieve a transformation in animal farming that will not only ensure a decent living for farmers but make animal farming sustainable and foster a brighter future.”

By Feng Zengkun

Source: Eco Business

Africa’s shrinking lake shows the impact of climate change on women and indigenous people.

Posted on December 18, 2019August 12, 2020 by dishanth

In 50 years Lake Chad has shrunk to 10th its size; climate change a factor
Lake vital for indigenous communities in one of the world’s poorest countries
Locals use ancestral knowledge to overcome problems of scarce resources

When Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim was a child, Lake Chad in her home country spanned 10,000 km2. These days it’s around 1,200 km2.

Climate change, rising populations and agriculture mean one of Africa’s largest water sources is now a tenth of the size it was in the 1960s.

From the Mbororo pastoralist community, Ibrahim is an expert in how indigenous peoples and particularly women adapt to climate change. She wants to highlight the impact a warming planet is having on communities across Africa.

“Climate change is real and it’s not about our future, it’s about our present,” she told the World Economic Forum Sustainable Development Impact Summit this year. “It’s the issue of survival. It’s not the issue of economy or power, it’s the issue of life of hundreds of millions of people that depend on it.

“We need solutions, we don’t have time. It’s now time for action and immediate action for those peoples who are getting impacted who didn’t create this climate change.”

Shrinking for 50 years

Lake Chad is in the Sahel, the vast semi-arid region south of the Sahara desert. The area is particularly sensitive to drought, and historically the lake has fluctuated dramatically in size during prolonged dry periods. But data from NASA Earth Observatory and others demonstrate the extent it has declined in the last half century.

The disappearing water in Lake Chad.
Image: Shoring Up Stability

More than 30 million people rely on freshwater from the lake. It also supports fishing, irrigation and economic activity both in Chad and Cameroon, Nigeria and Niger. But as the lake shrinks communities are struggling and there is competition for the dwindling resource.

In some communities men have to seek work in bigger cities during dry seasons when the lake can no longer sustain them. Internal migration is increasing, as well as people looking further afield to places such as Europe for work.

The women and children left behind have to fill the gaps and are forced to innovate to maintain food security.

Climate change has been linked to political instability and unrest.
Image: Shoring Up Stability

Across the Sahel, many farmers are reviving an old technique known as zai. They dig pits to catch rainwater, then add compost and plant seeds. The technique concentrates nutrients and can boost crop yields by up to 500%.

The price of global warming on Africa

Among the poorest nations in the world, Chad is already struggling with poverty and frequent conflict. Sixty-two percent of the population are destitute, according to the Multidimensional Poverty Index, and most of the country relies on subsistence farming. Climate change adds to existing political and economic instability, driving further food insecurity.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that Africa will feel the effects of temperature rise more keenly than most. Longer and more severe heat waves will have a profound impact on crop yields and the frequency of droughts.

“Around the world we have all these young people going out on the street asking for justice asking to save their futures,” said Ibrahim, “But I’m going to tell you, the young people in my community are asking for their present.”

Written by

Charlotte Edmond , Senior Writer, Formative Content

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.