Agriculture is the cultivation of land and the breeding of both animals and plants for the purpose of sustaining life. The development of agriculture allowed the expansion and growth of the human race. The major agricultural products are grouped into foods, fuels, fibres and raw materials. then sub-groups such as cereals, vegetables, fruits oils etc. within food.
Modern
Modern agronomy, plant breeding, pesticides and fertilisers have massive enhanced the yields from cultivation. However, the effects of these have caused widespread ecological and environmental damage. Problems are also present when concerning selective breeding. Although the results are prosperous there are active concerns about animal welfare. Backlash against the environmental effects of conventional agriculture. This resulting in organic, regenerative and sustainable agricultural movements.
RJ Sigurdson, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation from the Government of Alberta’s Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, walks us through the priorities to support Alberta’s agriculture, a crucial economic driver for Canada.
Andre Laperriere, Executive Director of Global Open Data for Agriculture & Nutrition shares his thoughts on battling a locust infestation in the time of a global pandemic.
Dr Yuri Yamazaki from the Faculty of Regional Environmental Science at Tokyo University of Agriculture, describes encountering cows in forests and urges us to think about the sustainable future of livestock.
Chang-Soo Kim, Professor from Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering – Missouri University of Science and Technology, details his expertise on finding the crop variety with a stronger root force toward higher yield in this agriculture focus.
The role of technology and innovation in helping farmers overcome the challenges of COVID-19 and meet future demands are discussed here by David Green from the U.S. Sustainability Alliance.
Laia Llenas explains the FERTIMANURE project, which aims to close the manure nutrient cycle by providing innovative manure management strategies and business models to take new fertilising products to the EU market.
Open Access Government explores how Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is working towards sustainably reducing the environmental impact of agriculture and livestock.
Here, Defra’s Chief Digital and Information Officer and Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) for sustainable technology across government, Chris Howes, tells us why the departments first Sustainable Information Technology (IT) strategy is such a significant development.
Aarthi Janakiraman, Research Manager, Chemicals and Advanced Materials at TechVision, Frost & Sullivan, ponders if R&D activities raise rice to the league of superfoods.
Wild beavers are living naturally on Devon’s River Otter for the first time in 400 years after a five-year trial showed their dam-building activities were good for people and wildlife.
The British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) recently announced that Hedgehogs have now been classed as ‘vulnerable to extinction’ as their habitats continue to decline.
This chemistry focus delves into making nanocellulose filters for water purification with underutilised biomass, as described here by Benjamin Hsiao from Stony Brook University in the U.S.
Christine Sund, Senior Advisor, ITU Regional Office for Africa at International Telecommunication Union argues that the Internet of Things can make a difference in the developing world.
Gidon Gautel, China Foresight Project Coordinator at LSE IDEAS, discusses how COVID-19 could impact US-China trade relations as the economy attempts to recover.
