March’s food for thought…

• UN global climate report: a stark reminder of the urgent need to leverage agrifood solutions 
• Potassium depletion in soil threatens global crop yields
• Hotter Aussie cows to head indoors
• The rise and fall of oat milk: has the trendiest alternative finally fallen from grace?

UN global climate report: a stark reminder of the urgent need to leverage agrifood solutions - FAO. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) released its ‘State of the Global Climate 2023’ report this month, with information from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Climate Risks team. As the climate crisis progressively affects food security and agriculture, major investments in adaptation and resilience are needed. Read the article

Potassium depletion in soil threatens global crop yields – from UCL News. Potassium deficiency in agricultural soils is a largely unrecognised but potentially significant threat to global food security if left unaddressed, finds new research involving researchers at UCL, University of Edinburgh and the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology. The study, published in Nature Food, found that more potassium is being removed from agricultural soils than is being added, throughout many regions of the world. It also gives a series of six recommendations for how to mitigate the issue. Read the article

Hotter Aussie cows to head indoors – from Farmers Weekly. By 2030 more than a third of Australia’s cows will be housed indoors as the sector responds to the ever-pressing impacts of climate change. As climate change starts to bite into cow welfare and feed production, containment systems are likely to become more common in Australia, says Dairy Australia’s head scientist Dr John Penry. The ability to use the contained systems to control the negative impacts of a warming climate are a key driver, keeping animals cooler in summer. Read the article

The rise and fall of oat milk: has the trendiest alternative finally fallen from grace? from The Independent. Previously the darling of the vegan world, oat milk has faced a reckoning of late. This article explores why both nutritionists and environmentalists have been levelling criticism at oat milk. Read the full article