Hundreds of ministers and high-level officials dined on perfectly good food grown by Kenyan farmers but rejected by UK supermarkets due to cosmetic imperfections at the headquarters of the UN Environment Program (UNEP) inNairobito highlight a major campaign to cut massive levels of global food loss and waste. UNEP
The UN Environment Programme and its Messenger of Peace Jane Goodall warn that a palm oil boom is threatening the habitats of great apes in Africa and Asia, and say consumers can stop the destruction with careful shopping. Orangutan habitats in Indonesia have already been largely wiped out by palm oil cultivation. UNEP / FILE
When Typhoon Bopha blew through the southern Philippines last month, its winds swept away the livelihoods of thousands of families who farmed the thick coconut groves around their homes. It will take nearly a decade before the trees can be harvested again, so the International Labour Organization is helping the storm's victims with emergency employment. [...]
Rice is a staple food for over half of the world's population, and nowhere is it more central to diet and culture than in South East Asia. But while rice is a rich source of energy, an overreliance on it can cause dangerous malnutrition in children. UNICEF
2013 is the International Year of the Quinoa, a highly nutritious food crop that was domesticated on the high plains of Bolivia and Peru thousands of years ago and has become trendy in many parts of the world. IFAD
Mumias Sugar Company, the leading sugar producer in Kenya, is an example of a company that is contributing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by embracing sustainability in almost all its processes. UNEP
The World Food Programme (WFP) today warned that millions face the prospect of food shortages in drought-hit areas of southern Africa. WFP
The United Nations (UN) in Geneva warns that Haiti's next harvest, due in March, may already be destroyed by the flooding caused by Hurricane Sandy. CHUNTVÂ
Few plants thrive at altitudes of over 4,000 metres, where soil is poor, water scarce and the winters harsh. But farmers in the High Andes of Peru can grow varieties of sturdy grains, such as barley, that can survive under extreme weather conditions. These have been developed with a plant breeding technique that uses radiation [...]
Cocoa farmers struggle to make a living in Cote d’Ivoire, the world’s leading producer of cocoa beans. UNOCI