Forest loss spikes despite the pledge to halve deforestation by 2020, an assessment of progress on protecting and restoring global forests shows. Deforestation has accelerated since the endorsement of the New York Declaration on...more

A new relationship between people and nature is needed, as climate change and biodiversity loss threaten progress in development, scientists say. They call for urgent, targeted action to avoid reversing the development gains of...more

The global waste-dumping-prohibition Basel Ban Amendment finally achieves the necessary ratification of 3/4 of the parties to become a new Article in the Convention and to enter into force of international law.more

A new Artificial Intelligence tool offers an opportunity for banana farmers to improve crop surveillance, fast-track control and mitigation efforts, and help them prevent production losses.more

Africa plays a minimal role in German foreign trade. In 2018, trade with Africa totalled around EUR 45 billion. At the end of August, the think tank “Global Perspectives Initiative”, founded in Berlin in 2016 to support the UN...more

Threatened species between conservation and income generation for local communities were in focus at the World Wildlife Conference (CITES) in Geneva, Switzerland. During a two-week meeting, delegates from 169 nations discussed...more

Humanity can only tackle today’s major challenges if access to water is distributed more fairly. Speakers at the World Water Week called for a drastic shift in how water is shared and managed.more

There is a lack of understanding about what aid actually entails, researchers criticise after analysing development aid given by OECD donors. They found that a quarter of the aid money never leaves donor countries; in-donor...more

Fusarium Tropical Race 4 (TR4) has arrived in Latin America. It is a major threat to banana producers, many of them are smallholder farmers. There is no viable, fully effective treatment of soil or plants to control or cure...more

Conservation measures to preserve biodiversity are urgently necessary. According to scientists, the situation is far more serious than previously assumed. One study investigates the influence on biodiversity of agriculture and...more

African swine fever (ASF) is spreading across Asia; millions of pigs have been culled during the last months. Small-scale farmers are hit hardest. They often lack the expertise or funds to protect their animals from the disease. more

Land is under pressure from humans and climate change, but it is also part of the solution, the latest IPCC report states. Better land management can contribute to tackling climate change. Reducing greenhouse-gas emissions from...more

Earth Overshoot Day has moved forward once again. Each year, the world’s population consumes nature’s annual resource budget earlier. Nevertheless, Earth Overshoot Day‚s moving up on the calendar has slowed down over the last...more

While higher levels of CO2 can boost plant growth, they reduce the concentration of key micronutrients in crops. Researchers from IFPRI projected the per capita availability of protein, iron, and zinc out to 2050 and found that...more

Due to weather conditions, Desert Locusts multiply and spread causing damage to crops. FAO warns of outbreaks in Yemen and the Horn of Africa.more