FAIRR’s top news picks
Pesticide Use in Kenya’s Rice Fields Risking Endangered Raptors and Animals
The Guardian | 17 January 2023
There may be “environmental contamination and mass deaths of other birds and animals” as a direct result of the Kenyan government’s decision to use fenthion, an organophosphate pesticide, to cull red-billed quelea birds. The birds have already destroyed 300 acres of grain fields, and farms could lose up to 60 tonnes of grain in total. The invasion by the birds has been brought on by the continuing drought in the Horn of Africa, which has reduced the amount of native grass that would be their typical food source.
Dairy Giant Danone Initiates a Plan to Reduce Its Methane Emissions by 2030
Reuters | 17 January 2023
Methane emissions have emerged as a top climate threat, with scientists and policymakers calling for aggressive action to curb them. It was during COP26 in 2021, that more than 100 countries pledged to cut methane emissions by 30% by the end of 2030. However, few have put plans in place to reach that goal. Danone, which operates across 20 countries working directly with 58,000 dairy farmers, has reduced its methane emissions by 14% from 2018 – 2020 and aims to reduce it by a further 30% by 2030. The company has pledged to report on its methane emissions as part of its extra financial disclosure.
Taiwan Passes Ground-Breaking Climate Bill Mandating to Promote Low Carbon Diet
Vegconomist | 16 January 2023
Last week was a remarkable one for Taiwan when the climate bill made it mandatory for their government to promote plant-based food. This initiative is a part of the government’s target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 and curbing excessive use of meat to address the contribution of food systems to climate change.
Graphic of the Week
Data presented by IRI shows, that the demand for plant-based eggs rose in Q4 of 2022 due to the price inflation noticed in chicken eggs due to the avian flu impacting millions of egg-laying birds. The price for plant-based eggs remained steady, depicting that this market can be cost-competitive, as plants do not get flu.
Source: Bloomberg
More Food for Thought
Will Argentina’s worst drought in 60 years affect the soy supply? | Agnieszka de Sousa | Bloomberg UK
Is agricultural transformation the key to a sustainable future? | Robin Saluoks | Forbes
Cheaper imports hampering UK’s local pig meat industry | Tom Levitt | The Guardian
FAIRR’s Protein Pulse is a weekly collection of news articles related to the food sector that may be of interest to our members. FAIRR does not necessarily endorse the views of these news articles and assumes no responsibility for any errors or inaccuracies found in third-party content.
