Food & Agriculture

• [New] Processed meat was shown to be significantly associated with an increased risk of CRC, with higher intakes being associated with increasing incidence.
• [New] In a study of Swedish women, red meat was found to increase the risk of CRC, while no association was reported for processed meat intake.
• [New] Consumption of 120 g per day of red meat was estimated to be associated with a 24% increase in risk, while consumption of 30 g per day of processed meat was estimated to lead to a 36% increase in risk of CRC.
• [New] In countries where fish farming is a large source of income, such as Norway, a farm might have 10 pens - which would contain more fish than the wild Atlantic salmon population of the world.
• [New] The world's biggest meat and dairy companies are not doing enough to curb their greenhouse gas emissions, with only a handful making pledges to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
• [New] Apple plans to use Tesla's Megapack battery pack at a newly announced energy farm in California to help power Apple Park and further its commitment to renewable energy and being carbon-neutral by 2030.
• [New] The world needs the brightest minds engaged in the science of food to meet the challenge of feeding a projected population of 9 billion in 2050.
• [New] A global study led by Hamilton scientists has found a link between eating processed meat and a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
• [New] The resources from Embassy of Ireland funding will allow applicants to build dairy production systems aimed at transforming the livestock sector and help build progress towards Sustainable Development Goals targets on poverty, hunger/food security, climate change.
• [New] Sustainability issues to be quantified relative to the current global food production system will include reductions in greenhouse gases emissions, energy use, arable land footprint, eutrophication, and biodiversity loss.
• [New] The goal of the USAID Regional Water and Vulnerable Environment activity is to strengthen regional capacity to manage shared water resources and mitigate environmental risks in the Syr Darya and Amu Darya river basins.
• [New] Climate change, biodiversity loss, and rapidly declining soil fertility are critically damaging the health of people and the planet, dislocating societies, and threatening food systems around the world.
• [New] Australian agriculture and food security are exposed to increasing risk from droughts, extreme high temperatures, coastal inundation, floods, invasive species and fires.
• [New] Australian agriculture and food security are already exposed to increased risk from drought, heatwaves, fires, floods and invasive species.
• [New] Water availability for agriculture in all areas of the US will be significantly reduced, primarily because of climate change, but also due to current water use patterns.
• [New] Increased crop and livestock production during the next 5 to 7 decades will significantly increase the demand on all water resources, especially in the western, southern, and central United States and in many regions of the world with low rainfall.
• [New] The increasing demands placed on the global water supply threaten biodiversity and the supply of water for food production and other vital human needs.
• [New] Average daily intakes of red and processed meat in most countries are still below the level thought to increase the risk of CRC.
• [New] With regard to type 2 diabetes, there is evidence from a few large cohort studies in the USA that frequent consumption of processed meat (e.g. 5 times or more per week) may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes development.
• [New] High intakes of red and processed meat (e.g. > 160 g per day) contribute to an increased risk of CRC.
• [New] Lean red meat is unlikely to significantly increase the risk of CRC when consumed in moderation and as part of a healthy, balanced diet that includes plenty of fibre from fruit, vegetables, pulses and wholegrain cereals.

Last updated: 06 April 2021