Darfur, Saving Itself

The people of Ain Siro are among the 1 million who are “out of reach” of aid agencies — people who we automatically assume must be facing starvation because we are not feeding them. But in North Darfur, at least, there is no starvation. Much is needed — medicines, schoolbooks, decent wells — but people … Read more

Turning Farming Sideways

The vertical farm’s power would come from solar panels and wind spires on the roof. Its circular (cylindrical) design uses the space most efficiently, allowing maximum light into the center. The city’s wastewater would be filtered and sterilized, then used for irrigation, and rainwater would also be collected and used to clean pollutants off the … Read more

Desert-to-Food Programme. . . Another Revolution in Agriculture

In a unique collaboration between Nigerian and Israeli companies as well as governments of both countries, the desert region of the north would be transformed into habitable and cultivable farm lands through afforestation. The idea is to reclaim the desert for productive use and assist to create abundant food production through gradual planned technological advancement.AEVIA … Read more

Bamboo flowering threatens famine in Assam’s North Cachar

The cricket ball-sized flowers have sprouted along entire lengths of bamboo stalks to produce a huge volume of seeds that attract thousands of rats, which feed on them as they are very nutritious, say agriculture and forest experts.And the flowers are threatening to create a famine, a phenomenon the district has witnessed every 50 years … Read more

Israeli researcher discovers new fungus that could provide low-cost alternative fuel

Dr. Amir Sharon of Tel Aviv University has discovered a transgenic fungus strong enough to convert even the most resilient plant parts into bioethanol, a chemical used for biofuel. Strengthened with an anti-death gene, this fungus is resistant to harsh conditions such as heat and toxic substances – both of which are released while converting … Read more

Africa’s booming food exports

Africans feeding Americans – it sounds like one whopper of a fish tale. Africa remains a continent of episodic starvation and chronic food shortages; tens of millions of sub-Saharan Africans are unable to reliably and consistently feed themselves. But these imbalances coexist with pockets of increasingly vibrant commercial farming throughout much of the continent.Uganda is … Read more

Diminishing Land, Water Resources Pose Threat to Rice Production

Diminishing land and water resources due to increasing pressure from industrialization and urbanization pose real threats to the global rice production and its future, Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said today. He said other factors like climate change and uncertainties over policy and trade practices had also greatly influenced the world’s rice situation. Addressing the … Read more

BRETHREN GIVE $50,000 TO AGRICULTURE IN NORTH KOREA

Recent grants from two Church of the Brethren funds–the Global Food Crisis Fund and the Emergency Disaster Fund–include $50,000 to support agriculture in North Korea, which continues to experience periodic famine. “The Church of the Brethren’s reaching out to North Koreans goes beyond the matter of food security,” said Howard Royer, manager of the Global … Read more