Food

Modern agriculture cultivates climate change – we must nurture biodiversity

Tue, 2017-01-10 09:20

As a new year dawns, it is hard not to be dazzled by the current pace of technological change in food and agriculture. Only last month, news emerged of a crop spray with the potential to increase the starch content in wheat grains, allowing for yield gains of up to 20%. This development comes hot on the heels of major breakthroughs in gene-editing technologies – using a powerful tool known as Crispr – over the course of 2016.

A future of continually increasing food supplies and ever more sophisticated manipulation of agro-ecosystems seems to be upon us.

However, there is a risk that these technologies blind us to the very real problems facing modern agriculture – problems that are rapidly undermining the previous round of technological advances.

[Full article here | Photo by flöschen]

agriculture climate change biodiversity
  • Have your say here!Leave your comments, ask your questions and share your ideasIf you have already registered in our website,
    Log in and you are ready for leaving your message    If you haven't already registered in our website,
    please create a new account by clicking Register

Good practices and European projects map

@AgoraMedSpring

Good practices and European projects map

About the author

Medspring Agora team's picture

The Euro-Mediterranean AGORA is a way to engage the civil society in the institutional and policy dialogue on research and innovation with the aim of becoming an integral part of the decision making and governance processes.

The Agora is an important component of the broader MEDSPRING project, supported by the European Union with the aim of strengthening the Euro-Mediterranean dialogue and cooperation on research and innovation.

Copyright

Licence

Also on MedSpring

Growing Food in the Algerian Desert

Growing Food in the Algerian Desert
As the Global Festival of Ideas for Sustainable Development takes place in Bonn, Germany, this week (1-3 March), read about one...

Egyptian farmers improve nutrition and reduce environmental impact

Egyptian farmers improve nutrition and reduce environmental impact
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Egyptian Agricultural Ministry have joined hands to...

The battle to save Lebanon's pristine Adonis Valley

Lebanon has a shortage of water. The government says its current supply is 25 percent less than what the country needs. That is...

Tag cloud

agriculture Algeria biodiversity brokerage climate change cooperation COP22 desalination Drought egypt EMEG energy Energy efficiency environment euromed family farming food food security greece Hackathon infographic innovation interview Irrigation jordan Lebanon livestreaming Malta Mediterranean MENA migration morocco nexus nile olive Organic farming palestine permaculture renewable energy renewables report research small farmers smart agriculture soil solar solar energy spain sustainability Syria training tunisia waste water water water management water scarcity water security Wind wind energy women
More