Human activities are damaging and degrading the lands of the Earth in an unsustainable fashion according to a new United Nations (UN) report.Up to 40 percent of the global terrain has already been devalued, mainly through modern agriculture.If nothing changes, then an additional area of land the size of South America will be damaged by 2050.But if lands are restored and protected, they could help contain climate change and species loss.

Food prices are surging to record highs in many countries, driven by factors including climate change, violent conflict, the COVID-19 pandemic, and supply-chain disruptions.

Persistently high levels of ozone pollution in Asia are costing China, Japan and South Korea an estimated US$63 billion annually in lost rice, wheat and maize crops, a new study says.While ozone forms a protective layer around the Earth in the upper atmosphere, it is a harmful pollutant at ground level.It is created by a chemical reaction when two pollutants, often emitted by cars or industry, combine in the presence of sunlight and it can interfere with plant photosynthesis and growth.The re

COVID-19 has disrupted labour markets around the world, causing a global manpower shortage. Lockdowns in the early months of the pandemic triggered an exodus of millions of rural migrant workers from booming megacities like New Delhi and Dhaka.

Women account for 43 percent of the agricultural labour force in developing countries, but account for only about seven percent of investment in the sector. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN), investing more in female farmers could increase agricultural yields by up to 30 percent – almost enough to offset the decline in output expected by 2030 because of climate change.

It is no secret that we all need to eat healthy for the betterment of our lives. However, we also need to eat more sustainably because food production exacts an enormous toll on our planet. Our food system is one of the major drivers of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, accounting for one-quarter of total emissions – emitting some 21 to 37 percent of all GHG a year.

A report titled, “Policies to Support Investment Requirements of Indonesia’s Food and Agriculture During 2020-2045” found that 22 million people in Indonesia suffered from chronic hunger between the years 2016 and 2018. The report, published by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) with support from Indonesia’s National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) also acknowledged that there was strong growth in Indonesia’s agricultu

The coronavirus crisis has severely affected livelihoods, local industries and the economy in general. It has also disrupted world trade, supply chains and also the production of food and agricultural products and commodities. According to Samarendu Mohanty, Asia Regional Director at the International Potato Center, the production of wheat and rice in Asia would be heavily impacted if lockdowns to curb the pandemic and virus restrictions continue to be enforced.

Food security is still the top priority in President Joko Widodo's second term as part of his economic development agenda for national development 2020-2024.

"If you teach a man to farm, his family will eat. If you teach a woman to farm, the whole community will eat." This quote highlights the fact that closing the gender gap in agriculture would not only produce more food but also provide long-term benefits for farming families and their communities.An empirical study in the Springer Journal titled, Gender in Agriculture reveals that women lack access to agricultural inputs, training, information and marketing services.