U.S. A Surprisingly Large Reservoir of Crop Plant Diversity

North America isn’t known as a hotspot for crop plant diversity, yet a new inventory has uncovered nearly 4,600 wild relatives of crop plants in the United States, including close relatives of globally important food crops such as sunflower, bean, sweet potato, and strawberry.

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Key Ingredient in Mass Extinctions Could Boost Food, Biofuel Production

In low doses, hydrogen sulfide, a substance implicated in several mass extinctions, could greatly enhance plant growth, leading to a sharp increase in global food supplies and plentiful stock for biofuel production, new University of Washington research shows.

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Research Shows Great Promise for Millet Grains

Climate change, water scarcity, increasing world population, and rising food prices are only some of the socioeconomic factors that threaten agriculture and food security worldwide, especially for disadvantaged populations that live in arid and sub-arid regions. In the May issue of Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, published by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), researchers looked into how millet grains serve as a major food component for millions of people in these countries, as well as for people with special diet needs and those seeking foods high in nutrients.

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Access to Safe, Nutritious Food and Water Is Fundamental Human Right: Updated Position of Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

Consistent access to safe, nutritious and culturally appropriate food and water is a fundamental human right, and is particularly important in helping developing nations to achieve food and nutrition security, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in its newly updated position paper, Nutrition Security in Developing Nations: Sustainable Food, Water and Health.

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Addressing Hunger Essential to Improving Health

Food insecurity, or an inadequate intake of food due to lack of resources, affected almost one in six U.S. households in 2011. Overall, more than 50 million people, including almost 17 million children, suffer from food security issues at some time each year. In Ohio, more than 2 million residents are experiencing food insecurity. In this white paper, we examine the extent of hunger in America, the inextricable links of hunger to poor health, and the need to consider hunger as a health issue to make the changes needed.

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First Global Assessment of Land and Water ‘Grabbing’ Published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

A new study currently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science provides the first global quantitative assessment of land and water “grabbing” for food production by wealthier nations in generally poorer countries.

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Holiday Festivities Shine Light on Food Insecurity

Daphne Hernandez, assistant professor of health and human performance at the University of Houston, urges all to be mindful of those who live with need all year, particularly families who are “food insecure.” According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Core Food Security Module, “food insecurity” reflects rationing, portion control and inability to offer families balanced meals.

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Corals and Food Security: Study Shows Nations at Risk

A new study co-authored by the Wildlife Conservation Society identifies countries most vulnerable to declining coral reef fisheries from a food-security perspective while providing a framework to plan for alternative protein sources needed to replace declining fisheries.

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USDA: 24.5% of Kids Under 6 Live in Food Insecure Households. Drexel's Child Hunger Expert Can Comment

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What's Behind Rising Food Prices, Beyond the U.S. Drought

Although many U.S. consumers were alarmed to see news reports this summer of droughts leaving shriveled crops dying in the fields, John Stanton, Ph.D., professor of food marketing at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, warns other factors will have a greater effect on Americans’ wallets. “Price increases from the droughts are likely to have short-term effects, but global issues can have a longer and greater impact,” Stanton explains, citing increasing demand from the rest of the world for crops like corn.

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