A recent rise in drug resistant human pathogenic fungi may be fueled by the use of fungicides (pesticides that kill fungi) on agricultural fields, according to research led by Manchester University in the United Kingdom. Aspergillus, the genus of common soil-dwelling fungi analyzed by researchers, include an incredibly diverse group of mold species. Although some provide … [Read more...]
Celebrate female farmer of the year on Women’s Day
“Closing the gender gap in agricultural inputs alone could lift 100–150 million people out of hunger,” said Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations. Saturday is National Women’s Day, where we commemorate contributions by women in South Africa to improving the lives of others. Sphiwe Machika, a young female farmer (29), from Rethabiseng in … [Read more...]
New study proves: Livestock is safer from predators with guardian animals
Guardian animals offer far better livestock protection than lethal methods, according to new research. They’re more effective, need less work, and are cheaper. A formal study of eleven South African livestock farms has revealed that lethal methods to combat livestock losses to predators are not only less practical but more costly than non-lethal methods. The report, by … [Read more...]
Defy the rules and change the world
“Don’t accept no for an answer. Defy the rules! It’s the only way we’re going to make the change.” This was the opening statement by Prof Gunter Pauli, Blue Economy entrepreneur from Belgium, who was the keynote speaker at the international Student Environmental Network summit hosted by the Stellenbosch University. He has written 20 books, published in 34 languages, … [Read more...]
US threatens to pull foreign aid over GM seeds
It’s better to be poor and humble than to accept tainted foreign aid from the US government, say El Salvadorian farmers. When it comes to the future of El Salvadorian agriculture it’s better to build from within than to accept corporate handouts. Despite citizens struggling with poverty, El Salvadorian representatives refuse US aid in fear of making matters worse. Farmers … [Read more...]
Russia requests international GMO watchdog
Russian lawmakers advocate creation of an international UN agency not only to strictly control the turnover of GMO products worldwide, but with a top priority mission to scrutinize how consuming GMO foods would affect human health in the long run. Aggressive distribution of GMO worldwide is raising huge concerns for human health, said Russian Federation Council speaker … [Read more...]
New law seeks to punish GMO producers
A draft law submitted to the Russian parliament seeks to impose punishment up to criminal prosecution to producers of genetically-modified organisms harmful to health or the environment. The draft legislation submitted on Wednesday amends Russia's law regulating GMOs and some other laws and provides for disciplinary action against individuals and firms, which produce or … [Read more...]
Biodynamic Farmers Conference returns to Camphill
The second Annual Biodynamic Farmers Conference will be held at Camphill Farm, Hermanus from 2 - 6 July. This is a civil society, farmer-led initiative aimed at a two year apprenticeship training on biodynamic farms that is accompanied by the internationally accredited Crossfields Institute. Biodynamic farming is practiced throughout the world and is particularly strong in … [Read more...]
Wild vegetables contribute to food security
Although indigenous (wild) leafy vegetables are consumed in small quantities, they play a vital role in boosting household food security among rural people. This is one of the findings of a recent study in which the role wild vegetables play in improving food security among poor rural people in northern KwaZulu-Natal was investigated. The study also aimed to the gain an … [Read more...]
Soil: the law of return
The thin mantle of Soil that covers our Earth is what feeds and nurtures us. We are innately and inextricably connected to soil for our survival, for like humans it contains the universal life-force without which we would not survive. Only a fertile soil contains the billions of amazing and diverse creatures and microbes, from earthworms to fungi, which provide the energy … [Read more...]
Small farmers’ loss of land increases world hunger
The world is increasingly hungry because small farmers are losing access to farmland. Small farmers produce most of the world's food but are now squeezed onto less than 25 percent of the world's farmland, a new report reveals. Corporate and commercial farms, big biofuel operations and land speculators are pushing millions off their land. "Small farmers are losing land at … [Read more...]
The great green wall initiative
The Great Green Wall initiative is a pan-African proposal to “green” the continent from west to east in order to battle desertification. It aims at tackling poverty and the degradation of soils in the Sahel-Saharan region, focusing on a strip of land of 15 km (9 mi) wide and 7,100 km (4,400 mi) long from Dakar to Djibouti. Populations in Sahelian Africa are among the poorest … [Read more...]
Below the belt, below the breadline - South Africa’s inequitable and GM contaminated bread industry
The African Centre for Biosafety (ACB) has today brought into sharp focus the white bread industry in South Africa with the release of its new report ‘GM Contamination, Cartels and Collusion in South Africa’s Bread Industry.’ The report shows that the white bread tested contains high levels of Monsanto’s genetically modified (GM) soya and that most companies are unashamedly … [Read more...]
