(A man walks before a rainstorm in Kogelo village, Kenya. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya)
Another Milestone Toward Making Cell Phones the Future of Weather Observations
Scientists have found that it is possible to monitor global rainfall using the telephone antenna network. With the lack of weather data in many technology-poor locations, this could prove be a game-changer in the future of global weather observations and forecasting. A new study details how simple measurement of the loss in signal between telephone antennae can predict whether it’s raining.
5 Futuristic Food Wrappers That You Don’t Have to Throw Away
Swedish design group Tomorrow Machine has a novel approach to sustainable packaging: food wrappers that are meant to be composted or washed down the drain. It hints of a Jetsonian pantry-of-the-future, but the inspirations behind Tomorrow Machine’s designs are very, very, old: fruit and eggs.
Cool Planet: Can Biochar Fertilize Soil and Help Fight Climate Change?
Napa Valley grower Eckhard Kaesekamp believes his grapevines have achieved a 5% higher yield than expected thanks to a soil treatment called CoolTerra—a product made from a carbon-rich substance called “biochar.” Biochar results from the carbonization from plant matter, which is supposed to improve soil fertility and increase water and nutrient retention.
Exploring a Tree One Cell at a Time
Michael Knoblauch, a plant cell biologist, is seeking to prove the longstanding hypothesis that what drives the flow of nutrients in the phloem of plants is pressure differential. Proving the hypothesis is more than an academic exercise. Fully understanding how plants function could lead to improvements in crop yields or resistance to pests and disease.
About
The Global Food and Agriculture Program aims to inform the development of US policy on global agricultural development and food security by raising awareness and providing resources, information, and policy analysis to the US Administration, Congress, and interested experts and organizations.
The Global Food and Agriculture Program is housed within the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, an independent, nonpartisan organization that provides insight – and influences the public discourse – on critical global issues. The Council on Global Affairs convenes leading global voices and conducts independent research to bring clarity and offer solutions to challenges and opportunities across the globe. The Council is committed to engaging the public and raising global awareness of issues that transcend borders and transform how people, business, and governments engage the world.
Support for the Global Food and Agriculture Program is generously provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
2015 Next Generation Delegate Dana Boyer looks at the importance of urban food flows to ensure food security for citizens of the world's growing cities.
In the next installment of the Healthy Food for a Healthy World blog series, why transdisciplinary research and collaboration is key to improving global nutrition.
Paul Schickler, President of DuPont Pioneer, explores how collaborative action and science-based innovation will help bring about the solutions needed to meet tomorrow's food and nutrition needs.
2015 Next Generation Delegate Afton Halloran explains the economic, nutritional, environmental, social, and cultural viability of edible insects in the first post of the Next Generation Delegation 2015 Commentary Series.
The next installment in the Healthy Food for a Healthy World series explains how the private sector can be leveraged to improve global nutrition by reducing food loss and enhancing food safety.
What has a voracious appetite, is resistant to broad-spectrum pesticides and could take a big bite out of the US agricultural economy? Helicoverpa armigera, or “Old World Bollworm,” recently appeared in South and Central America, and is expected to hitch-hike to the US via Caribbean or Mexican produce import channels.
Lawrence Haddad, Senior Research Fellow, International Food Policy Research Institute, looks at the findings and recommendations in The Chicago Council's Healthy Food for a Healthy World report on the Development Horizons blog.
In honor of Mother's Day, we are republishing Roger Thurow's audio slideshow about innovative programs in Uganda that can lead to achieving the goal of healthier children, mothers, and communities.
Wade Cowan, soybean producer and President of the American Soybean Association, outlines the important role of soy production for global food security in the latest Agri-Pulse and Chicago Council monthly column.
