News

Climate change

Good news, but not an all-clear – the Amazon would continue to produce rainfall even if were completely deforested, according to new research, contradicting the previous assumption that the Amazon is moving towards a…

The enormous financial power of public development banks can play a crucial role in transforming global food systems towards greater sustainability and food security.

Biodiversity

The COP16 negotiations that were not concluded in November 2024 have now been finalised. A strategy for resource mobilisation has been adopted, a new fund has been launched, and the monitoring framework has been…

Land degradation

Land restoration can promote stability. According to the UNCCD, degraded land threatens security, and cooperation and sustainable measures are crucial for peace, as it stressed at MSC2025.

Bioeconomy

Approaches towards a sustainable, bio-based economy were at the focus of this year’s Global Forum for Food and Agriculture, held for the 17th time in the context of the Internationale Grüne Woche in Berlin/Germany in…

Agriculture

Tree crops play a crucial role in tackling climate change and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Yet, they often remain overlooked in policies.

Finance

A new, free global data platform aims to capture remittances for rural development. Remittances are a vital component of the global economy, providing an essential financial lifeline to millions of families world-wide.

Desertification

Drylands expanded significantly during the last decades. A total of 2.3 billion people lived in drylands in 2020, a doubling from 1990, projected to more than double again by 2100 under a worst-case climate change…

Food prices

Food systems function very differently across regions, and impacts of greenhouse gas mitigation policies on consumers therefore vary across the world. Low-income countries face greater challenges in managing food price…

Desertification

COP16 advanced global efforts to address desertification, with new funding and initiatives unveiled, but critical hurdles in land restoration and drought preparedness persist.

Food systems

A new initiative focuses on promoting sustainable and resilient crops, commodities, livestock and aquaculture systems across 32 countries.

Desertification

At COP16, governments are expected to negotiate commitments to enhance resilience at all levels, building on recommendations from the Intergovernmental Working Group on Drought established at COP15.

Livestock

New FMD vaccine offers hope for East African farmers, boosting dairy productivity and trade by protecting cattle from all major virus strains.

Rice production

Initial funding for the development of regional value chains in rice cultivation as part of the “Regional Rice Development in West Africa” project has been approved. The project aims to enhance food security, empower…

Climate change

The UN Climate Change Conference in Baku was concluded with a new agreement on climate finance which observers have criticised for not being ambitious enough.