Food Systems
Report shows dire state of Mekong’s fish — but damage can still be undone
The threatened fish of the Mekong River are inching closer extinction, according to a new report that cites piling pressures on the waterway. Though the situation is serious, conservationists say it’s not too late to turn the tide for the river’s freshwater species. The nearly 5,000-kilometer (3,000-mile) Mekong supports millions of people across six countries, […]
Beneath the surface, a toxic tide threatens Bangladesh’s water lifeline
Imagine a mother in a rural village drawing water from a well with her pitcher. This seemingly ordinary water holds her family’s future — for drinking, cooking and bathing. But beneath the surface lurks a hidden threat: contamination by arsenic, salinity and heavy metals, silently poisoning the lifeline for millions in Bangladesh. Despite 98% of […]
Critics push for more transparency at RFMOs that govern high seas fishing
The organization responsible for managing the catch of more than half the world’s tuna holds a key section of its annual compliance meeting in secret. For three days, a committee of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) assesses how well member states are following fishing rules, without any outside observers present. The WCPFC says […]
In Bangladesh, sunflower grows where other crops don’t amid increasing salinity
Bangladesh is primarily an agro-based country where rice, wheat, maize, jute and various vegetables are considered significant and popular crops for farmers — in terms of ensuring both food security and economic benefits. Unfortunately, changing climate, rising sea levels and other anthropogenic factors are forcing a vast area of Bangladesh’s coastal zone to remain barren […]
Meet the think tank behind the agribusiness’ legislative wins in Brazil
Pensar Agro (“thinking agribusiness”), or IPA, lobbied hard for newly passed legislation like the so-called time frame bill that undermines Indigenous land rights and opens up the territories to mining.
Caribbean traditional plant knowledge needs recognition or it’s lost: Study
Despite being a treasure trove of rich biodiversity and traditional plant knowledge, little of the ecological knowledge of Afro-descendent peoples in the Caribbean is recognized internationally. For the authors of a recent study published in Trends in Ecology & Evolution, an eight-step action plan could rectify this scientific gap in research and policymaking, and ultimately […]
Maluku farmers sweat El Niño drought as Indonesia rice prices surge
BURU ISLAND, Indonesia – At the beginning of November last year, Tamami’s rice field lay vacant except for a herd of cattle grazing on the land. Like many rice farmers here on Buru Island in Indonesia’s eastern Maluku region, 53-year-old Tamami set aside his field after the availability of water dried up. “There’s no rain,” […]
Indonesian village forms coast guard to protect octopus in Mentawai Islands
SOUTH PAGAI, Indonesia — A white coastal beacon stood in place against the surf as gales hurtled across the Indian Ocean here off South Pagai, one of the Mentawai Islands off the west coast of Sumatra in Indonesia. When conditions subside, fishers like Sutrisno Madogaho will make their way to the beach, untie their boats […]
Bolloré blacklisted over alleged rights violations on plantations in Africa and Asia
Some of Switzerland’s largest pension funds have placed French logistics giant Bolloré SE on a blacklist. The Swiss Association for Responsible Investments (SVVK-ASIR) decided its members should no longer invest in Bolloré after it failed to act to resolve accusations of land-grabbing, environmental damage and complicity in human rights violations on oil palm and rubber […]
Sumatran province hangs on for late rain as El Niño fires bring heat and sickness
New acute respiratory infections in Indonesia’s Palembang city, on the island of Sumatra, are on track to surpass the total number recorded there in 2022, as firefighters scramble to confront wildfires brought on by this year’s El Niño dry season. The health department in Palembang, the capital of South Sumatra province, said health workers in […]