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The Vastness of 21st Century Agriculture is Falling Short

Our global food industry sustains more people, with increased efficiency and a lower cost than any other period in human history. The problem is that big food continues to have an astounding influence on global health and the environment.

Through agricultural innovation and industrialization, the majority of the global food supply has now found itself under control of a select few major corporations around the world. The increase in efficiency is nothing short of impressive. The fact that California-based Earthbound Farm can harvest 10,000 pounds of lettuce per hour using a crew of only 12 people is simply astounding, especially considering that not so long ago this same production capacity would have taken a 40-person team the entire day.…

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.…

The Importance of Evolving Clean and Sustainable Energy Systems

We have the technology to power the entire planet by harnessing solar energy. Solar is in fact so powerful that it is in the best position to replace even traditional energy generation systems worldwide. What very few people know is that this breakthrough for renewables can even be achieved and fully implemented in a matter of thirty years.

The total global energy usage in 2015 ranging from coal, oil, hydroelectric, nuclear and renewables was 13,000 Million Ton Oil Equivalent, which translates to 17.3 Terawatts (TW) of continuous power during the year.

If we cover 335km² of land in the Great Saharan Desert with solar panels, even with moderate efficiencies easily achievable today, we will be able to generate more than 17.4 terawatts (TW) of power.…

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.…

Strengthening Global Food Security with Organic Farming

We are on the verge of a new era in global agriculture, where the amount of research and investment dedicated to organic farming is on the increase due to its abundance of environmental benefits, lucrative market opportunities and sheer level of consumer demand. Organic agriculture not only creates more profit for producers but also yields healthier and more nutritious food, thereby increasing its prominence as a valuable solution to the modern challenges of global food security. One questions remains – will we be able to sustain our entire global population on organic farming alone?

Current conventional agriculture is one of the major threats to our environment and degrades the very natural resources we depends on for survival.…

G20’s Mission to Develop a Secure Global Economy

While global financial markets are surpassingly calm at the moment, the underlying challenges for our global economic system remain: slower growth, a rebellion against globalization and the deterioration of political consensus in many regions around the world. Determined on directing global economic trends towards growth and stability, leaders of the world’s largest economies met in China earlier this week for high-level discussions at the G20 Summit.

After several days of intense negotiations, the G-20 released their annual Communiqué that outlines unified policy recommendations for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, innovating the global economy and creating a multilateral investment framework among others. The others include an exhaustive list of recommendations for dealing with issues ranging from mass migration, terrorism and the continued spread of the Zika virus.…

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