'agriculture' - tagged features

In France there’s sudden concern about rising food prices. In the land of gourmet chefs, people are worried about the cost of their weekly shopping bill with the prices of some foods have suddenly gone through the roof. Producers and distributors say it’s due to price increases around the world. But consumers wonder if they're being ripped off. Politicians are paying attention. With local elections coming up this month, no one wants to take responsibility for a drop in living standards. 

Are genetically modified crops good or bad? Some say they can make certain foods toxic, that they might make us resistant to anti-biotics and that they increase the numbers of things people are allergic to. Others point out that some GM crops in the developing world mean the difference between having a harvest or not – having food or going hungry. France recently imposed a ban on a strain of GM corn—effectively shutting down GM crops in the country, as it’s the only one allowed to be planted in Europe. As France is Europe's largest agricultural exporter this is significant. 

German farmers and scientists met in Berlin on the 26th of November for a sobering discussion on the long-term impact of climate change on agricultural production. Hardy Graupner reports that global warming is expected to cause even more frequent droughts in the eastern parts of Germany, while farmers in other areas may profit from warmer harvesting periods. Scientific institutes warn that farmers should start adapting their fields to the climate changes that are on the way, but farmers are generally hesitant to heed this advice