CropLife International Blog
Dr. Rattan Lal on Soil Health, Plant Science and Food Security
Food chains start from the ground up. Healthy, nutrient-rich soil is key for growing the food we need to feed a rapidly growing global population. A renewed focus on soil health can lead to more efficient crop yields that will strengthen global food chains and improve global food and nutrition security.
Ebbing Tides: The Battle Against Hunger 50 Years after the Green Revolution
“Agriculture at its best has always been a marriage and collaboration of science and the farmers who grow our food. When the two come together, magic happens.” Julie Borlaug shares her views on agriculture today 50 years after her grandfather, Dr. Norman Borlaug, the “Father of the Green Revolution,” was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
How Science-Based Regulations Can Improve Trade
Plant breeding has dramatically increased grain harvests and productivity. But, non-scientific barriers placed by some governments prevent farmers from being able to grow their crops more sustainably. Read on to see Paul Spencer’s viewpoint on the role governments can play in making trade more efficient.
Detroit: The Place to Bee
Bees are a landmark of a healthy agricultural system for home gardeners and large growers alike, but what do they mean for underserved communities? Turns out, more than anyone thought. We spoke with Detroit Hives, a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization, founded in 2017 by Timothy Jackson and Nicole Lindsey in Detroit, Michigan US to find out how urban bee farming contributes to food security and community.
Global Logistics and Plant Science
Marion Matthewman is the Head of Global Logistics at Syngenta and we spoke with Marion about the supply chain. Her daily work within all aspects of the movement of seeds, crop protection and other inputs to farmers provides a unique perspective in times like this on the impacts of production and processing disruptions.
The Need to Overcome Polarized Viewpoints
The global debate around food production is far from clear cut. But for the first time in many years, a sense of urgency resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic is bringing together in unprecedented numbers a wide swath of stakeholders in the agriculture and food value chains. This call to action centers on the need to transform the food system in order to achieve a common goal – producing more safe and nutritious food to feed the growing world population sustainably.
Reduction in food loss: a way forward to food security
Approximately one-third of all food produced globally for human consumption is either lost or wasted, leading not only to food insecurity but also the loss of resources used to create that food. Everyone is aware of the term “food waste”, but what is “food loss”? Sunita and Eric, ambassadors for the NextGen Plant Science Network, share their insights with us on food loss, as well as some tips for how to reduce food loss and food waste.
How Imperfect Foods saves perfectly good produce from going to waste
Since 2015, Imperfect Foods has made it its mission to tackle food waste and rethink the food system to work better for everyone. Here, CEO Philip Behn shares how Imperfect Foods saves scarred, off-spec, surplus or undervalued items to help consumers and producers reduce their food waste footprints.
From my home office to yours: COVID – 19
From my home office to yours, I want to thank everyone in our community for their support and continued endurance in getting through these turbulent times. Like many of you, CropLife International has fully integrated into a virtual business model while we continue to deliver the programs and engagement for our members. I am committed to ensuring we provide a safe and stable working environment and remain flexible to adapt to our new ways of working.
Water – a priceless yet endangered resource
Water scarcity, water demand, clean water, water governance – these terms are increasingly being used due to the expanding effect of climate change on Earth. Climate change has significantly threatened this vital resource, influencing different facets of human life.
Responsibly Managing Pesticides Can Save Lives
This week Unearthed released their analysis of global sales and use of products they considered to be Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs). Although CropLife International has not had the opportunity to fully review the report at this time, we can comment on our members’ approach towards highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs) and the voluntary portfolio review they conducted.
Food Trends: Sustainability, Superfoods, and Science
More and more consumers are changing their eating habits, enough that the industry is seeing sweeping trends toward sustainability, “plant-forward” eating, and new superfoods. Read about the trends and see the original post “Is Biotechnology the Latest Food Trend” on the BIOtechNow blog.
I am Part of the Future of Agriculture
Young people in agriculture are innovating and using new ideas to solve the challenges of today and tomorrow. Simon Appeltans, a young PhD researcher, writes about his experience at the Symposium on the Future of Agriculture and discusses some of those challenges.