Freebee: How Bees Can Help Raise Food Security of 2 Billion Smallholders at No Cost
What do cucumbers, mustard, almonds, and alfalfa have in common? They all owe their existence to the service of bees. For centuries, this tiny striped helper has labored the world’s fields without winning much recognition for its many contributions to food production. But bees are finally getting their moment in the sun with the publication of a paper that quantifies, for the first time, just how much our crop yields depend on the work of pollinators who unknowingly fertilize plants as they move from flower to flower.
 
Meet India's Female 'Seed Guardians' Pioneering Organic Farming
Seeds are at the heart of agriculture, but they are also a significant cost for farmers, and organic seeds are hard to come by in a market flooded with GM and hybrid cotton seeds. However, over the last two years, six seedbanks have been established in India with 72 men and women conserving 50 varieties of fiber and food crops seeds. This is a much needed shot in the arm for regions which are plagued with hunger, poverty, and insecurity.
 
Are These the Chickens of the Future?
Scotland’s Roslin Institute is at the forefront of research into chicken genetics, and houses about 1,700 genetically bespoke birds. While none of these “superchickens” has been developed to be eaten, their successors might one day make it to the dinner table. The food industry as a whole would like to breed chickens more efficiently while emitting less methane and using fewer antibiotics. It also wants to produce high-quality, disease-free eggs, while satisfying consumer demand for better animal welfare.
 
Facing Severe Food Shortages, Venezuela Pushes Urban Gardens
After Venezuela’s lawmakers declared a ‘food emergency’ in the face of widespread shortages of milk, meat, bread and other staples, President Nicolás Maduro is calling on Venezuelans to help feed themselves —by starting urban gardens. President Maduro is urging people to grow food and raise chickens in their homes, even though 83% of Venezuelans live in cities. To help them, Maduro announced the formation of a Ministry of Urban Farming. The president also claims that he and first lady Cilia Flores have taken up the cause.
 
Adapting to Climate Change: Smallholder Farmers Feeding the World
One of the scariest aspects of climate change is the risk it presents to global food supply and millions of farmers’ and workers’ livelihoods. To protect their livelihoods and the world’s food supply in the face of climate change, these farmers must be able to access and utilize the new information, capital, and tools necessary to make their farms more resilient. Part of the answer is to encourage the private sector to invest more in extension services for farmers in their supply chains.
 
Better Water Management Could Halve Global Food Deficit – Scientists
Investing in agricultural water management could substantially reduce hunger while limiting some of the harmful effects of climate change on crop yields. According to a new study, integrated crop water management could boost global calorie production by 40%. The potential for yield increases through crop water management is particularly large in water-scarce regions in China, Australia, the western US, Mexico, and South Africa.