News

The Deadly Use of Antibiotics Prevails in Agriculture

“Antibiotic resistance is a fundamental, long term threat to human health, sustainable food production and development. If we fail to address this problem quickly and comprehensively, antimicrobial resistance will make providing high quality universal health coverage more difficult, if not impossible.”

– Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon  (2016) –

On September 21^st, the United Nations General Assembly gathered for a special session to determine the ways in which we can curb the use of precious medicinal drugs that are quickly becoming useless in the face of bacteria’s increasing tendency towards resistance. After all 700,000 people are killed every year due to drug-resistant infections, a death toll that, if left unabated, is expected to increase dramatically to 10 million by 2050.…

Why Brazil is an Environmental Powerhouse

“As the world’s most biodiverse country and displaying one of the world’s cleanest energy matrices, Brazil is an environment powerhouse with an uncompromising commitment to the environment.”

-Brazilian President Michel Temer, UN General Assembly (2016) –

Making his first appearance at the UN General Assembly, newly appointed President of Brazil Michel Temer revealed his stance on several international issues, ranging from the significance of environmental protection for global economic growth and social prosperity as well the condemnation of xenophobic and protectionist policies currently entering modern policy around the world. Liberating trade across several industries combined with a focus on sustainability, social responsibility and environmental protection has boosted confidence for Brazil in the eyes of international investors, who are attracted by the fresh direction of this newly appointed center-right government.…

A Breakthrough in Neem Cancer Treatment

In the latest breakthrough for cancer research and treatment, the Department of Pharmacology at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine in Singapore found that the administration of nimbolide, an organic compound found exclusively in neem, significantly suppresses cell invasion and migration of prostate cancer cells.

Cancer is a condition with one of the highest rates of mortality, responsible for an estimated one in every eight deaths around the world in 2015. The cancer burden is expected to increase to 21.7 million cases and 13 million deaths per year by 2030. Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer found in men with 220,800 diagnosed in 2015 and more than 27,540 men will die from the disease this year.…

The Science Behind One of Neem’s Most Valuable Compounds

Azadirachtin, a chemical compound found exclusively in the neem tree, holds the secret to sustainable crop care.

On a field investigation to Sudan in 1952, Dr. Heinrich Schmutterer was studying the feeding habits of desert locusts and noted a large collection of neem trees that were curiously left undisturbed. Over half a century later chemists from the University of Cambridge successfully isolated and synthesized the organic chemical responsible for such pervasive crop protection – Azadirachtin. Renown for its robust insecticidal properties against 600 species of insects, institutions such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the US Department of Agriculture and the European Union are now endorsing the extraordinary compound for agricultural use.…

Why GMOs Risk Global Health and Food Security

“When you alter the genetics of living things, they don’t always behave as you expect.” Michal Hansen, PhD – Senior Scientist at the US Consumers Union

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have an increasing presence in the majority of products we use every day. Not only are we often left completely unaware of their existence but we also do not understand how they work or what impact they truly have.

Genetic engineering in agriculture has been part of our global food system for over 20 years and global agrochemical corporations continue to use technology to customize nature in new and riskier ways.…

Big Movements in Global Agribusiness and What they Mean

Behind the series of multibillion-dollar mergers between the world’s largest agrochemical firms is a profound change in global farming. The authority of genetically modified crops in global agriculture is under threat. For organic alternatives in the agrochemical space, the opportunity has never been greater.

In a $57 billion deal that will create a global agricultural powerhouse and end the autonomy of one of the most prosperous and contentious companies in the United States, Bayer AG has acquired Monsanto. Monsanto’s merger with Bayer, the chemical and pharmaceutical company most famous for producing Aspirin, is the largest-ever foreign takeover bid from a German company.…

The True Versatility of Neem

After generations of prioritizing maximum productivity over sustainability in our socioeconomic endeavors, mankind has caused unprecedented pressures on our most vital resources that require new and innovative solutions.

Neem is one solution. Integral to the survival and prosperity of mankind, this marvellous tree is set to change from an under-developed gift of nature to a powerful and globally utilized resource. One of the most versatile trees on the planet, neem offers innovation where we need it most – across agriculture, healthcare, beauty and environmental protection.

Feeding the world is a considerable challenge, especially with a rising global population expected to reach 10 billion by 2050, 33% of the world’s total arable land already degraded beyond use and crop yields at risk of serious decline in the near future.…

A New Global Financial System Driven by Mutual Prosperity

A revolution is taking place in our global socioeconomic system as policy makers and financial heavyweights combine their resources to address some of the world’s most significant challenges such as food and water security, severe inequality of wealth, environmental degradation, conflict and mass migration. The fundamental objective of this new system is to build a safe and secure model for economic growth, development and prosperity that can be applied worldwide.

Financing for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Initiative, the objective of which is to address global challenges by creating a secure and mutually prosperous global economy, is pegged at up to $7 trillion per year.…