food crop production News
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Potato battery could help meet rural energy needs
The holy grail of renewable energy research may lie in the cooking pot, according to scientists. The search for a cheap source of electricity for remote, off-grid communities, has led to batteries that work on freshly boiled potatoes. One slice of potato can generate 20 hours of light, and several slices could provide enough energy to power simple medical equipment and even a low-power ...
By SciDev.Net
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India-UK fund to boost agro-innovation in Africa and Asia
The Indian and UK governments are tapping into agricultural innovation outside the traditional international development community with the launch of a £20 million (US$32 million) programme for food security. Sustainable Crop Production Research for International Development (SCPRID) will allow scientists to research stressors, ranging from pests to climate change, on five key crops ...
By SciDev.Net
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Good harvests and ample stockpiles continue to drive international food prices down
Food markets are more stable and prices for most agricultural commodities are sharply lower than they have been in recent years, according to the latest edition of FAO's biannual Food Outlook report and a new update to the Organization's monthly Food Price Index, both out today. Bumper harvests and abundant stockpiles are key factors helping drive down international cereal prices, according to ...
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BIOCONSORTIA Announces Two New Nematicides
BioConsortia, Inc. has moved two new nematicides into its development and registration phase following excellent field trial results in corn and other important food crops. The new products control nematode pests and increase crop yields. Plant parasitic nematodes are tiny, ubiquitous roundworms that feed from plants. They directly target roots of major production crops and prevent water and ...
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Flexible management better for coexistence of GM and non-GM crops
Flexible measures, such as pollen barriers, for regulating the cultivation of GM and non-GM crops in the same landscape are more likely to encourage the adoption of GM technology by farmers than rigid measures, such as isolation distances, according to a recent study. The EU has recommended guidelines1 for developing national strategies by all Member States for the coexistence of genetically ...
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OECD and FAO see lower farm prices - livestock and biofuels outpacing crop production
The recent fall in prices of major crops is expected to continue over the next two years before stabilising at levels above the pre-2008 period, but markedly below recent peaks, according to the latest Agricultural Outlook produced by the OECD and FAO. Demand for agricultural products is expected to remain firm while expanding at lower rates than in the past decade. Cereals are still at the core ...
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ASA Joins Broad-Based Coalition to Advocate for a Federal GMO Labeling Solution
The American Soybean Association (ASA) announced on Feb. 6 that it is a member of the newly formed Coalition for Safe Affordable Food (www.CFSAF.org) and urged Congress to quickly seek a federal solution that would establish standards for the safety and labeling of food and beverage products made with genetically modified ingredients (GMOs). “We need a federal GMO labeling solution that ...
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Lifeasible Helps Digg into Plant Immunity Knowledge for Botany Research
Lifeasible, an experienced biotechnology company focused on all aspects of Plant Immunity Services, now supports its customers' research with services that cover plant adversity resistance, plant pest resistance, plant pathology, plant viruses, plant antibiotics, and identification & analysis of plant disease resistance. There are two main types of infestation that plants suffer, one being ...
By Lifeasible
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EC Launches Initiative Aimed at Connecting Stakeholders With Biobased Compounds
On April 10, 2020, the European Commission (EC) announced the launch of its new online service that connects crop and food producers with biorefineries. This European Union (EU) project aims to address food waste by enabling crop producers, food processors, and agricultural cooperatives to sell their waste as feedstock for use by two biorefineries in Spain and Italy. The multi-feedstock ...
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CoolPlanetBiofuels Gets Series B Funding from Google Ventures
Imagine a world where fuel doesn't have to be pumped, dug out or extracted from the ground, and can be locally sourced. CoolPlanetBiofuels, located in Camarillo, Calif., is developing an innovative solution to address the energy problem and has received funding from Google Ventures to accelerate the development of its technology. CoolPlanetBiofuel's technology converts low-grade biomass — ...
By Cool Planet
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Restoring the world`s forests while feeding the poor
“We are one shock away from a full-blown crisis,” stated Robert Zoellick, the president of the World Bank, at a recent meeting of the bank and the IMF. He was referring to a critical increase in poverty, resulting from the escalating cost of food. The UN’s food price index has risen 37% since March 2010. Basic cereal prices are up 60% over this period. Wheat is up 63%, and maize ...
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Research and development round table
Public and private research and development collaborations in agriculture, food, nutrition and natural resources are an important tool for meeting the challenge of feeding future generations. Key elements of successful collaborations between federal agencies and partner organizations are the focus of the Agriculture, Food, Nutrition and Natural Resources R&D Round Table, to take place ...
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GE Energy Financial Services Joins North Bridge Venture Partners in Investment in CoolPlanetBiofuels
CAMARILLO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- GE Energy Financial Services, a unit of GE (NYSE: GE), has joined an $8 million funding round for CoolPlanetBioFuels, a start-up company developing a technology that converts low-grade biomass into high-grade fuel and carbon that can be sequestered. This venture capital investment was led by North Bridge Venture Partners, ...
By Cool Planet
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CropLife Asia & Regional Plant Science Industry Celebrate Earth Day
Nearly 400,000 plant species provide our planet with the nutritious food, fiber, fresh air, and medicine we need to survive, but it is estimated that roughly one-fifth of those are at risk of extinction due to environmental threats. On this 47th anniversary of Earth Day, CropLife Asia and the region's plant science industry have joined together to celebrate the agricultural innovations that have ...
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FAO Statistical Yearbook paints a big, and detailed, picture of food and agriculture
The 2013 edition of FAO's Statistical Yearbook released today sheds new light on agriculture's contribution to global warming, trends in hunger and malnutrition and the state of the natural resource base upon which world food production depends. Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture grew 1.6 percent per year during the decade after the year 2000, new FAO data presented in the yearbook show, ...
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Four million Syrians are unable to produce or buy enough food
Syria's food security situation has significantly deteriorated over the past year and domestic agricultural production will further decline over the next 12 months if the present conflict continues, according to a new report published by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP). "Crop and livestock production, food availability and access to food have all ...
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Biofuel and crop research grows by AUS$1.6m
The research team will identify the genes associated with key plant properties responsible for growth, flowering and grain-filling in grasses. They will use the advanced robotic and imaging plant research tools of the Australian Plant Phenomics Facility (APPF) to conduct the research. The US Department of Energy (DOE) has recognised the unique, world-class capability that the APPF affords by ...
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Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. Adds Senior Government Affairs Counsel, John H. Thorne, Ph.D., to Its Public Policy Practice
Bergeson & Campbell, P.C. (B&C) and its consulting affiliates, B&C Consortia Management, L.L.C. (BCCM) and The Acta Group, L.L.C. (Acta), are pleased to announce that John H. Thorne, Ph.D., has joined our public policy practice as Senior Government Affairs Counsel for B&C and Vice President of Policy and Government Affairs for Acta. Dr. Thorne is a leader in the areas of ...
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Japan & ADB to help Viet Nam improve water management and irrigation systems
Japan and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) are helping Viet Nam improve its water management and modernize its irrigation systems. The Japan Special Fund, through ADB, will provide a $1 million grant to help design a project to upgrade the quality of water-related public services and improve the management of Viet Nam’s water resources used for irrigation. For its part, Viet Nam will contribute ...
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Clean-burning Cookstoves, Technology for Local Electricity Production to Be Developed for Africa
Development of clean-burning technology for household cooking and medium-scale electricity production in Sub-Saharan Africa is the focus of a new multiannual project by Bio4Energy researchers in collaboration with African actors, the Swedish Environment Institute (SEI) and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. As the researchers acknowledge in an application for funds to the Swedish ...
By Bio4Energy
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