A herder stands with his cattle over the plains of Ethiopia's remote Somali region, outside the regional capital of Jijiga. REUTERS/Andrew Heavens
Today: Ertharin Cousin on Eating Well Beyond Thanksgiving, a Facebook Live Conversation
Join the Council’s newest Distinguished Fellow, Ertharin Cousin, former Director of the World Food Prize, at 10:00 a.m. CDT on Monday, November 20 for a conversation and Q&A on the challenges surrounding food access and waste—both in the US and around the world. Tune in to the Global Food and Agriculture Program’s Facebook page for the event, bring your questions, and follow the Council on Twitter for event updates - @GlobalAgDev
New Map of Worldwide Croplands Supports Food and Water Security
A new map was released detailing croplands worldwide in the highest resolution yet, helping to ensure global food and water security in a sustainable way. The map establishes that there are 1.87 billion hectares of croplands in the world, which is 15 to 20 percent higher than former assessments. Earlier studies showed either China or the US as having the highest net cropland area, but this study shows that India ranks first.
Miniature Robots Could Cut Pesticide Use on Farms in Future
Miniature robot farmers may be the answer to concerns over chemical use on farms and cutting down on food waste, as well as easing labor shortages. They could become available in as little as three years, but that would be likely to take large investment and a high degree of entrepreneurialism in the private sector.
Nigerian Agritech Firm Farmcrowdy Launches Mobile App
Farmcrowdy, Nigeria’s first and leading digital agriculture platform is reshaping the way in which people participate in farming and food production, through using their online platform to source funds from sponsors, whose money is used to secure land, plant crops, and meet the funding needs of boosting food production with small scale farmers.
Organic Agriculture Can Help Feed the World, but Only If We Eat Less Meat and Stop Wasting Food
Experts have thrown out several strategies to deal with the impending food security problem, without coming to a clear agreement on which one would be best. Among the options: improving efficiencies in producing crops and using resources; reducing food waste; cutting down the animal products we eat; or resorting to more organic agriculture.
Weather Forecasts Help Ethiopian Herders, Farmers Fight Climate Extremes
Prolonged drought and erratic rainfall across the country have hit harvests and livestock, eating into farmers’ and herders’ income and meals. To remedy this, a project hopes to help Ethiopian herders and farmers access weather information to make more informed decisions and better absorb climate shocks. The data will help herders and farmers predict the availability of water and grass for grazing.