The Future of Food, Agriculture, and Aquaculture

[caltrek]

Recent Research Shows that Less Intensively Managed Grasslands Have Higher Plant Diversity and Better Soil Health
November 25, 2022

Introduction:

(EurekAlert) Researchers have shown - for the first time - that less intensively managed British grazed grasslands have on average 50% more plant species and better soil health than intensively managed grassland. The new study could help farmers increase both biodiversity and soil health, including the amount of carbon in the soil of the British countryside.

Grazed grassland makes up a large proportion of the British countryside and is vital to farming and rural communities. This land can be perceived as only being about food production, but this study gives more evidence that it could be key to increasing biodiversity and soil health.

Researchers at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) studied 940 plots of grassland, comparing randomly selected plots which sampled the range of grassland management across Great Britain; from intensively- managed land with a few sown grassland species and high levels of soil phosphorus (indicating ploughing/reseeding and fertiliser and slurry application), to grassland with higher levels of species and lower levels of soil phosphorus. The plots were sampled as part of the UKCEH Countryside Survey, a nationally representative long-term dataset.

The study counted the number of plant species in sample areas and analysed co-located soil samples for numbers of soil invertebrates and carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus levels.

Researchers found that less intensively managed grassland had greater diversity of plant species and, strikingly, this correlated with better soil health, such as increased nitrogen and carbon levels and increased numbers of soil invertebrates such as springtails and mites.

Read more here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/972050

[caltrek]

Veggie Meat Substitutes Might Not Be As Nutritious As They Claim
by Maddy Chapman
December 9, 2022

Introduction:

(IFL Science) The popularity of plant-based food has skyrocketed in recent years, as has the number of studies investigating its impact on our planet. Unfortunately, there are still massive gaps in our knowledge when it comes to the health implications of these products, particularly surrounding the nutritional value of plant-based meat substitutes. A study, from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, has set out to address this by analyzing the nutritional contents of different meat alternatives available in the country.

It finds that many of the options, which claim to contain a high content of nutrients such as iron and zinc, actually contain very little in a form that can be readily absorbed.

“Among these products, we saw a wide variation in nutritional content and how sustainable they can be from a health perspective,” lead author Cecilia Mayer Labba said in a statement.

“In general, the estimated absorption of iron and zinc from the products was extremely low. This is because these meat substitutes contained high levels of phytates, antinutrients that inhibit the absorption of minerals in the body.”

Phytates, also known as phytic acid, are found in lots of plant-based foods including seeds, nuts, grains, and legumes. They bind to certain minerals in the digestive tract and block their absorption in the intestine, which can lead to mineral deficiencies over time. However, this is only really an issue for people whose diet is already lacking nutrition and is rarely a concern for people following a well-balanced diet.

Read more of the IFL article here: https://www.iflscience.com/veggie-meat ... im-66591

Read a presentation of study results as published in the journal Nutrients here: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/19/3903

[ººº]

As far as I know a balanced diet is the most healthy.

[caltrek]

^^^I can't top that, except perhaps to provide a more detailed and concise explanation of what constitutes a "balanced diet." Been done (or at least started) by others with more expertise than I have in the field (no pun intended). See for example The Longevity Diet.

What I came here to post:

Back to the Future in Sicily, a Town Unites for an Ancient Ritual: Making Olive Oil
by Cain Burdeau
December 17, 2022

Introduction:

CASTELBUONO, Sicily (Courthouse News) — Dew, chilly breezes, morning mists, bouts of glowing sunshine, cloud-hooded mountains and the quiet sounds of olive pickers: These are the sensations at the end of a good – and long – olive harvest.

The harvest's been so fruitful this year black and green olives still dangle from many trees even though the season is usually over by this time in December.

The olive harvest is a crucial part of the backbone of Castelbuono, just as it is for much of the Mediterranean basin, the birthplace of olive oil.

And when a good season is at hand, people here in the Madonie Mountains of northern Sicily can seem to radiate with joy.

Read more here: https://www.courthousenews.com/sicilia ... live-oil/

Conclusion:

(Regarding politicians)…”who don't represent you and think you're a cow to be milked,” he says bitterly. “It can't go on like this. I'll keep working in the countryside for as long as it allows me to feed myself.”

[Time_Traveller]

A factory will soon start making green food from air and electricity

28 December 2022

Farming is devastating the planet. But there could be a much more environmentally friendly way to feed ourselves: using renewable energy to turn carbon dioxide into food.

“This is becoming a reality,” says Pasi Vainikka at Solar Foods. The company is building the first commercial-scale factory, near Helsinki in Finland, that will be able to make food directly from CO2. It will produce 100 tonnes per year, enough for 4 or 5 million meals, he says. “We are a bit behind schedule, but production may start just about in 2023,” says Vainikka.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg ... ectricity/

[caltrek]

A factory will soon start making green food from air and electricity

28 December 2022

Farming is devastating the planet. But there could be a much more environmentally friendly way to feed ourselves: using renewable energy to turn carbon dioxide into food.

“This is becoming a reality,” says Pasi Vainikka at Solar Foods. The company is building the first commercial-scale factory, near Helsinki in Finland, that will be able to make food directly from CO2. It will produce 100 tonnes per year, enough for 4 or 5 million meals, he says. “We are a bit behind schedule, but production may start just about in 2023,” says Vainikka.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg ... ectricity/

Here is what appears to be a link to the same or similar article without a pay wall: https://www.dezeen.com/2021/06/29/carbo ... ka-solein/

[caltrek]

Fluke Discovery of Ancient Farming Technique Could Stabilize Crop Yields
by Tessa Koumoundouros
January 16, 2023

Extract:

(Science Alert) Already, yields of staple crops like maize and wheat are dropping in low-latitude tropical regions and in dry and drying regions such as African drylands and parts of the Mediterranean…

While studying food diversity in 2011, environmental scientist Morgan Ruelle, now at Clark University, accidentally stumbled across one possible technique that could help stabilize dipping crop yields…

The method is planting maslins – a combined mix of cereals that can include rice, millet, wheat, rye, barley and more – and harvesting them all together to be separated or used as a single product…

Local farmers reported this mix ensures at least some yield under unfavorable conditions, and now researchers have the experimental trials to back up these claims. Working at Cornell University, Ruelle and colleagues conducted a review of previous work, demonstrating maslins yielded higher stability under changing conditions. By shifting species composition each season, farmers could hedge against climate impacts without the need for additional intervention…

What's more, maslins still convey many of the ecological benefits of polycultures involving entirely different plant types, such as resistance to diseases and pest insects which would require less reliance on the pesticides that are causing all sorts of harm to wildlife.

Read more of the Science Alert article here: https://www.sciencealert.com/fluke-dis ... op-yields

For a review of these findings as published in Agronomy for Sustainable Development: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1 ... 22-00832-1

[caltrek]

Most People See Insects as an Alternative and Sustainable Source of Food for the Future
January 19, 2023

Introduction:

(EurekAlert) Most people (58%) participating in a survey that forms part of a study by the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) on insect consumption believe that they could become an alternative and sustainable source of protein in the future and therefore think that they could well become part of our diet. The results of the study Consumers' Acceptability and Perception of Edible Insects as an Emerging Protein Source have been published on an open access basis in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. The study forms part of the doctoral thesis by Marta Ros, a student of the UOC doctoral programme in the Information and Knowledge Society.

The study had the mission of identifying parameters that would help improve acceptance of insect consumption to be in a position to introduce them as a sustainable source of protein in future diets. Its authors are Marta Ros, doctoral student and member of the UOC's Faculty of Health Sciences, and Anna Bach and Alicia Aguilar, faculty members and researchers at the FoodLab research group.

Even though entomophagy – the consumption of insects as a foodstuff by humans and animals – was common practice amongst our ancestors, from ancient China to the Roman Empire, it was abandoned a long time ago (although it still takes place in countries like China, Thailand, Japan, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Brazil and in some parts of Africa).

The health benefits of consuming edible insects

In light of the rapid exhaustion of natural resources, climate change and the loss of biodiversity, since 2013 the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has been highlighting the need to review modern food science practices to increase the trade in and consumption and acceptance of insects as a source of food. A number of studies have shown the positive impact that eating insects has on human and animal health.
In animals, studies show positive outcomes for weight control, reducing blood glucose and cholesterol levels and increasing microbiota diversity. The fats edible insects contain are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, particularly polyunsaturated fatty acids, which can have benefits in feeding.

Read more of the EurekAlert article here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/977111

Read the study Consumers' Acceptability and Perception of Edible Insects as an Emerging Protein Source here: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/23/15756

Read Edible Insect Consumption for Human and Planetary Health: A Systematic Review here:
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/18/11653

[caltrek]

Study Finds that Microalgae Could be the Future of Sustainable Superfood in a Rapidly Changing World
January 19, 2023

Introduction:

(EurekAlert) Algae. It’s what’s for dinner.

This variation on the iconic US advertising slogan from the beef industry may sound funny, but it’s no joke that the current agriculture system is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions and environmental pollution. In turn, the climate crisis and ecosystem degradation threaten long-term food security for billions of people around the world.

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), believe algae could be a new kind of superfood thanks to its high protein and nutrition content. They make their case in a paper recently published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition that examines the current scientific literature on microalgae, a catch-all term for the thousands of microscopic algal species and other photosynthetic organisms like cyanobacteria found in various aquatic environments.

A more efficient food source

The review highlights the current technologies for commercially developing and growing microalgae, as well as the scientific and economic challenges to scaling production. While long studied as a source of biofuel thanks to their high lipid or fat content, algae are also attracting interest from researchers because of their potential to be a more efficient food source.

Read more here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/976803

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Most People See Insects as an Alternative and Sustainable Source of Food for the Future

[caltrek]

Beans In Toast Could Revolutionise British Diet
January 20, 2023

Introduction:

(EurekAlert) Scientists are aiming to revolutionise British diets by slipping more UK-grown beans into our daily bread.

Researchers and chefs at the University of Reading aim to encourage British consumers and food producers to switch to bread containing faba beans (commonly known as broad beans), making it healthier and less damaging to the environment.

The £2 million, three-year, publicly-funded ‘Raising the Pulse’ project has officially begun and is announced today (18 January 2023) in the Nutrition Bulletin journal.

Five teams of researchers within the University of Reading, along with members of the public, farmers, industry, and policy makers, are now working together to bring about one of the biggest changes to UK food in generations.

This is by increasing pulses in the UK diet, particularly faba beans, due to their favourable growing conditions in the UK and the sustainable nutritional enhancement they provide.

Read more of the EurekAlert article here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/977256

Read more on this topic in a Nutrition Bulletin article here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nbu.12601

[wjfox]

[caltrek]

Microbes Could be Used by Farmers as Natural Fertilizer for Poor Soil
January 23, 2023

Introduction:

(Eurekalert) A study supported by FAPESP and reported in an article published in ISME Journal identified 522 genomes of archaea and bacteria associated with the roots and soil of two plant species native to the Brazilian montane savanna ecoregion known as campos rupestres (“rocky meadows”). Hundreds of microorganisms hitherto unknown to science were identified, showing that the ecoregion is a biodiversity hotspot and that many new organisms have yet to be described and classified in Brazil.

The discovery could potentially be a basis for the development of biological substitutes for the chemical fertilizers used by farmers, especially those containing phosphorus.

“Phosphorus is normally present in the soil, but not always in a form that plants can use. Most of the microorganisms we found make phosphorus soluble so that plants can absorb it,” said Antônio Camargo, first author of the article. The study was conducted during his PhD research with a scholarship from FAPESP at the State University of Campinas’s Institute of Biology (IB-UNICAMP) in São Paulo state.

Further extract:

“Previous research focused on plants’ mechanisms for adapting to the harsh conditions of this montane savanna and often ignored microorganisms. Our study shows that microorganisms can play a key role in plant adaptation to the extreme conditions of this environment. In particular, they supply the phosphorus need to fuel plant growth,” said Rafael Soares Correa de Souza, one of the corresponding authors of the article. Souza is affiliated with the GCCRC and was supported by FAPESP.

The researchers expect their discoveries to contribute to the creation of products that replace chemical fertilizers based on phosphorus, one of the crop nutrients most widely used by Brazilian farmers. More than half the phosphate fertilizer used in Brazil is imported, mainly from Morrocco but also from Russia, Egypt, China and the United States.

Read more here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/977388

[wjfox]

[caltrek]

Twenty Four Groups To Secretary Vilsack: Strengthen Packers & Stockyards Act
January 30, 2023

Introduction:

(Common Dreams) WASHINGTON - Twenty four groups signed a letter to USDA Secretary Vilsack today urging that the USDA seize upon an open rulemaking process to strengthen protections for farmers and ranchers under the Packers & Stockyards Act. The agency is revisiting inadequate farmer and rancher protections from industry monopolies in a series of long-overdue rulemakings. The letter was written and circulated by national advocacy organization Food & Water Watch.

Ineffective and outdated Packers & Stockyards Act rules have created an unfair market that preferences corporate power over fairness and competition. Passed over 100 years ago to limit monopolistic practices in the meatpacking sector, the act’s legacy has been tarnished by decades of corporate abuse. Lax antitrust oversight, vertical integration that concentrates corporate power, and tournament systems that pit contract poultry growers against one another have contributed to a highly consolidated food and farm system that crushes the competition the act was designed to protect.

• “Today’s meat and poultry industries are more consolidated than ever. Years of ineffective, opaque rules and lax enforcement have gutted federal authority to maintain fair, competitive market practices, and farmers and ranchers are paying the price,” said Krissy Kasserman, Food & Water Watch factory farm organizing director. “Secretary Vilsack and the Biden administration must seize this opportunity to restore competitive, just and equitable market practices that level the playing field for hardworking family farmers and ranchers.”

A Food & Water Watch report found that just four corporations slaughter 83% of the nation’s cattle. The top four corporations in hog and poultry processing also dominate the market with 66 and 51 percent market share respectively. Meanwhile, a staggering 99.5% of all domestic broiler chickens are grown by contract growers.

Read more here: https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/ ... yards-act

[caltrek]

New Rules Would Limit Sugar in School Meals for First Time
February 3, 2023

Introduction:

(AP via Courthouse News) — U.S. agriculture officials on Friday proposed new nutrition standards for school meals, including the first limits on added sugars, with a focus on sweetened foods such as cereals, yogurt, flavored milk and breakfast pastries.

The plan announced by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack also seeks to significantly decrease sodium in the meals served to the nation’s schoolkids by 2029, while making the rules for foods made with whole grains more flexible.

The goal is to improve nutrition and align with U.S. dietary guidelines in the program that serves breakfast to more than 15 million children and lunch to nearly 30 million children every day, Vilsack said.

“School meals happen to be the meals with the highest nutritional value of any meal that children can get outside the home,” Vilsack said in an interview.

The first limits on added sugars would be required in the 2025-2026 school year, starting with high-sugar foods such as sweetened cereals, yogurts and flavored milks.

Read more here: https://www.courthousenews.com/new-rul ... rst-time/

[wjfox]

‘I’m Proud To Back This Vision’: Anne Hathaway Invests In Vegan Egg Tech

6th February 2023

Anne Hathaway has invested in a company that creates egg proteins without using chickens.

San Francisco-based The EVERY Co (also known as EVERY) uses precision fermentation (PF), a technology that creates protein using micro-organism tanks.

This is Hathaway’s first investment in a B2B company, and The Devil Wears Prada actor said she is “proud” to be a part of its journey.

Following her investment (for an undisclosed amount), the company has raised a total of $230 million to date.

“The need to transform our food system has never been clearer or more urgent,” Hathaway said in a statement. “An important piece of the puzzle is in nature-equivalent animal proteins, such as EVERY has been developing. I’m proud to back this vision of a better future.”

https://plantbasednews.org/news/celebri ... g-protein/

[caltrek]

Study Reveals Grandparents Spoil Grandchildren with Sugar-loaded Foods and Drinks
February 13, 2023

Introduction:

(EurekAlert) CHICAGO, February 13, 2023 — Sugar, treats and everything sweet – that’s what grandparents let the grandkids eat. According to new research published in the February issue of The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA), more than two thirds (72%) of mothers indicated that grandparents give their young children sugary foods and beverages. Mothers typically described that grandparents fed large amounts of cariogenic, or cavity-causing, foods and beverages (for example, candy, baked goods, juice, and soda) or did not limit their grandchildren’s consumption of cariogenic foods and beverages.

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh, West Virginia University and the University of Michigan conducted an in-person, two-year study of 126 participants to examine which factors influenced mothers to talk with grandparents about giving grandchildren sugary foods and beverages.
The results, published in JADA, show that of even though 72% of mothers said their children’s grandparents give them sugary foods and beverages, only slightly more than half (51%) addressed the issue with grandparents. Factors that influenced whether mothers had this conversation included:
• The frequency at which the grandparents and children interacted
• The mothers’ dependency on grandparents for childcare
• The quantity of sugary foods and beverages provided by grandparents
• The strength of the relationship between mothers and their children’s grandparents

"I have many happy memories of raiding the candy jar at my own grandparents’ house, and as a parent, I’ve hesitated with some of these talks myself,” said ADA spokesperson Dr. Genaro Romo, a Chicago-based dentist. “Yet, cavities are the most common chronic childhood disease and can cause undue pain, as well as issues with speaking, eating, playing and learning. Over time, in addition to dental health concerns, a diet with excess added sugars puts kids at higher risk of cardiovascular disease, and obesity, among other health concerns.”

Read more of the EurekAlert article here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/979442

For the results of the study as presented in JADA: https://jada.ada.org/article/S0002-817 ... /fulltext

caltrek’s comment: Another reason for people of the grandparent generation to unjustifiably resent the findings of modern science?

[caltrek]

High Input Costs Might Turn More Farmers to Regenerative Practices
by Chris Clayton
February 2, 2023

Introduction:

(Investigate Midwest) WICHITA, Kan. — While fertilizer prices are coming down, Ohio farmer and no-till legend David Brandt said high input costs are at least one factor driving some farmers to look more at no-till systems and cover crops as a way to reduce nutrient and chemical needs.

“We have seen more interest in the last 100 days than we have in a long time,” Brandt told DTN/The Progressive Farmer on the sidelines of the “No-till on the Plains” conference in late January.

Brandt noted a lot of farmers who pre-bought fertilizer and chemicals before last year are now facing input costs 25% to 30% higher than last year.
“I think there are a lot more guys looking to try to find the answer,” he said.

Further extract:

Blake Vince, a farmer from Ontario, Canada, who described Brandt as one of his American mentors, said agriculture needs an army of people to accelerate the pace of regenerative agriculture. He called on farmers to use their voice to educate others and “be a disruptor” to conventional thinking.

Read more here: https://investigatemidwest.org/2023/02 ... ractices/

[wjfox]