Global Scans · Food & Agriculture · Weekly Summary

• Diverting land for biofuels can cut into food supplies when demand for food is expected to rise by 70% by 2050. BusinessLine
• Putting 20 gossamer-thin reflectors into orbit 1,000 kilometers from the surface of the Earth could reflect sunlight to solar farms for an extra two hours each day on average. Tech Xplore
• Space engineers from the University of Glasgow have published new research showing how kilometer-wide orbiting reflectors could boost the output of future large-scale solar farms by reflecting additional sunlight toward them even after the sun has set. Tech Xplore
• The increasing world population is facing a threatening health crisis in the form of malnutrition or hidden hunger, and simultaneously global demand for food and nutrition is growing day by day. SpringerLink
• The world faces two concurrent crises in nature - climate change and loss of biodiversity with both threatening the availability of food and water whilst also endangering global supply chains. The Scottish Farmer
• Production costs for cultivated meat could fall significantly, thanks to new cells created at the Tufts University Center of Cellular Agriculture. FoodManufacture.co.uk
• Demands on agriculture are growing, though: With global population forecast to increase by 2.2 billion by 2050, farmers will need to grow about 70% more food than what is currently produced, reports the Farm Bureau Federation. Digital Insurance
• Trade policy must set and uphold fair and equitable standards, backing UK farmers who farm sustainably and with high animal welfare, without fear of undercutting from imports with lower standards. Food, Farming and Countryside Commission
• Climate change poses a threat to yields and food security worldwide, with plant diseases as one of the main risks. phys.org
• Any opportunity for New Zealand to pursue alternative food production methods and get ahead of global trends would depend on how much other countries chose to locate alternative food production within their own borders, or at least closer to major markets. phys.org
• The major threat comes not from vegan markets, which were recently reported to be leveling out or even declining in the UK, but from substitution of commodity products in manufactured foods. phys.org
• Interim Budget 2024 could offer something to everyone - from salaried individuals seeking tax relief to working women, industry, or India's farmers dealing with the long-term impact of climate change. The Economic Times
• Guyana is expected to organise one signature event, a high-level open debate which will explore the effects of climate change and food insecurity on the maintenance of international peace and security. ReliefWeb
• Long-term import demand drivers are strong, MLA's snapshot report says with China's affluent consumer base forecast to continue expansion, along with growing appreciation for high quality red meat products. Beef Central
• The UK's Australia and NZ trade deals put British beef, sheep and dairy farmers at risk by removing all import quotas over time. Byline Times
• Climate change is the most substantial threat facing Canada's agri-food sector and will continue to drive food prices higher. IRPP
• Despite recent successes in eliminating industrially produced trans-fatty acids from food globally, over half of the world's population remains unprotected from its harmful impacts, putting them at an increased risk of developing related illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease. FoodNavigator.com
• Today will bring the first stage in new, wide-ranging Brexit border controls on the import of plants, animals and food to the UK from the European Union. The Guardian
• Medtronic announced the first Food and Drug Administration approval for a PFA system in December, and Boston Scientific recently said it got the green light for its system, launching what is expected to be a competitive space for the next several years as other top companies join them. MedTech Dive
• France has repeatedly expressed reservations about the EU-Mercosur deal and said its farmers have objected to the prospect it could allow in agricultural products, notably beef, that do not meet strict EU standards. MarketScreener
• For Bangladesh, diversifying into climate-resilient, high-value non-traditional agriculture will not only increase income but will also reduce risks and address local food security. The Daily Star
• The SPS Certification Working group, which represents 30 trade bodies covering £100bn of the UK's food supply, has said new rules requiring importers to notify authorities a day before they arrive in the UK was unfeasible and could mean that some European businesses decide to stop supplying the UK. The Guardian
• Late last year, the US Food and Drug Administration center for veterinary medicine gave conditional approval for a drug created by San Francisco-based biotech company Loyal that could be available as a life-extending tool for large dogs by 2026. The Guardian

Last updated: 06 February 2024