Snippets

Trends in food security research Posted in: Food Systems, Nutrition Read the article A recent review of food security research, published in the scientific journal Land, highlights the growth of this field over the last 30 years, as well as the key global regions and topics that have been addressed. Food security, the ability of people to reliably access sufficient food for a healthy life,… read more...
What the global population thinks about climate change Posted in: Energy Consumption, Food Systems, Sustainability Read the article The United Nations Development Programme has conducted an online survey of 1.2 million people from 50 countries to hear their views on climate change. Food waste emerged as an important theme worldwide. Renewable energy, conserving forest and land, and a transition to more sustainable transport were high on the list of policies… read more...
Plight of the bumblebee Posted in: Food Systems, Production, Sustainability, Vegetable Food Sources Read the article Research in Global Change Biology has shown that cultivated land dependent on pollinators has increased by 137% over the last 50 years. Simultaneously, monoculture cropping has also increased, leaving pollinators challenged for diverse food sources at all times of the year. Concerns over the decreasing population of many insect pollinators, particularly bees,… read more...
Perspectives on buying local Posted in: Affordability, Cost, Food Sourcers, Food Systems, Production, Sustainability Read the article A discussion piece for the Sustainable Food Trust addresses whether the movement towards buying locally sourced food in developed nations is an appropriate behaviour for all, particularly lower income families. The two main sides to this debate are that, while local food systems may have social advantages and keep the economic benefits… read more...
Food Systems Summit wants to hear from you Posted in: Food Systems, Sustainability Visit the website The United Nations Food Systems Summit, an international event to make plans for the transformation of the global food system to align with the Sustainable Development Goals, is set to take place in September this year. If you have an interest in the food system, the Summit wants to hear from you.… read more...
Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020 – 2025 published Posted in: Animal Food Sources, Diet, Health, Nutrition, Vegetable Food Sources Read the guidelines The USDA has released their latest dietary guidelines document, with a new emphasis on the importance of considering different life stages when designing guidelines. A new set of dietary guidelines are designed for the US population every five years, based on the recommendations of a scientific advisory committee who review the latest… read more...
WWF encourage planet-based diet Posted in: Diet, Food Systems, Health, Nutrition, Production, Sustainability, Vegetable Food Sources Read the report The WWF report Bending the Curve: The Restorative Power of Planet-Based Diets joins other efforts to demonstrate the negative health and environmental consequences of our current way of producing and consuming food, while proposing ways to turn this around. The report opens with the assertion that our food system must provide healthy,… read more...
FAO Statistical Yearbook 2020 shows big changes Posted in: Animal Food Sources, Food Systems, Livestock, Production, Vegetable Food Sources Visit the yearbook The latest global statistics from FAO show large increases in both crop and animal-sourced food production, but also reductions in cropland and agricultural employment. Since 2000, there has been a drop of just over 1 billion people from the agriculture workforce, going from 40% of global employment to just 27% in recent… read more...
Trends in undernourishment show promise Posted in: Affordability, Diet, Food Systems, Health, Mortality, Nutrition Read the article A study of undernourishment in 76 countries found positive results, but not all global regions are progressing at the same rate. Although overnutrition continues to grow globally, undernutrition rates are decreasing. Undernutrition currently affects more than 800 million people, either as protein-energy malnutrition or micronutrient deficiencies. The researchers used data from 1991-2013 from the FAO and the World Bank to analyse both undernutrition and related factors. The… read more...
Peas please Posted in: Diet, Health, Nutrition, Production, Sustainability, Vegetable Food Sources, Waste Read the article Food Foundation in the UK are gaining traction with their ‘Peas Please: Making a pledge for more veg’ initiative, the results of which were recently described in Nutrition Bulletin. Despite a historically growing UK market for fruit, which has increased by around 50% since 1970, vegetable purchasing was seen to slowly decline over the same period. The common perceptions of vegetables as boring or not… read more...