April’s food for thought…

• Why women farmers are an overlooked force in climate action
• Pathways for global food security in a warming climate
• Dairy Industry Consolidation – US loses 1000 dairies – output still climbs
• The future farmer: What Gen Z dairy producers want
• More Food, Fewer Emissions: Stopping Food Waste before it starts

Why women farmers are an overlooked force in climate action - from Reuters. From school lunches in Ivory Coast to mangrove beekeeping in Senegal, field evidence shows a consistent truth: climate actions deliver bigger and longer lasting gains when women can access land, credit and power. Read the full article

Pathways for global food security in a warming climate – from IIED. From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, climate shocks are exposing weak links in food systems – not just in harvests, but in access, nutrition and the ability to recover. A new Food Security Index covering 162 countries tracks who is most at risk, why, and what we can do about it. Read the full story

Dairy Industry Consolidation – US loses 1000 dairies – output still climbs – from eDairy News. Despite the decline in farm numbers, total US milk output edged higher year over year, driven by gains in milk per cow and herd growth in key dairy states. Productivity improvements, genetics, feed efficiency and management practices have enabled remaining producers to offset the loss of smaller dairies, reinforcing economies of scale across the sector. Read the article 

The future farmer: What Gen Z dairy producers want – from Dairy Global. Generation Z – the first demographic to grow up with the internet in their pocket. As they inherit the keys to the dairy industry, they are bringing a seismic shift in mindset. They are not just ‘younger farmers’; they are a different species of managers. For companies willing to support dairy farmers, the question is no longer ‘what do they need?’ It is: “Do we speak their language?” Read the article

More Food, Fewer Emissions: Stopping Food Waste before it starts – from IISD. Vast amounts of food are lost or wasted across the food chain, often before they ever reach our plates. But the real scandal of food waste is not only what it does to the climate or to landfills. It is that so much of it is not waste at all. Across agrifood systems, residues and by-products that could generate energy, fertilizer, feed, materials, and income are still being discarded as if they had no value. As UNFCCC COP 31 nears, nations can prioritize practical solutions to reduce food waste for climate action. Cutting food loss is a quick, cost-effective way to lower emissions, boost food security, and advance COP 31 goals. Read the article