'Unseen' News and Views
Rome, 7 March 2022 (FAO)* – Whether it’s new foods like jellyfish, edible insects and cell-based meat, or new technologies like blockchain, artificial intelligence and nanotechnology, the future promises exciting opportunities for feeding the world. However, the time to start preparing for any potential safety concerns is now.
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Technological and scientific innovations are revolutionizing the agrifood sector ©FAO/IAEA
9 March 2022 (UNEP)* — Whether it’s the Australian coast or the rainforests of Brazil, unrestrained wildfires – shrouded by black smoke and punctuated by the crackle of burning vegetation – have laid waste to some of the world’s most-iconic landscapes in recent years.
These blazes, directly and indirectly, impact millions of people and myriad habitats globally – and they’re becoming more common.
Record-breaking temperatures in 2021 increased the frequency and intensity of wildfires and their associated risks to human and environmental health, according to Spreading like Wildfire, a new report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and GRID-Arendal.
Women predominate in the world’s food production (50-80 per cent), but they own less than 10 per cent of the land. Credit: Jency Samuel/IP
Should this not be enough, please know that:
5 March 2022 (UN News)* — “Slave” tattoos, electric shock devices, and plastic bracelets. These are examples of the kinds of objects and physical abuses deployed by human traffickers to control, torture, and brand their victims, and which are crucial to securing a conviction.
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(UN News)* — On World Obesity Day, marked on Friday [4 March 2022], the World Health Organization (WHO) urged countries to do more to reverse what is a preventable health crisis.
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According to recent data, more than one billion people worldwide are obese, including 650 million adults, 340 million adolescents and 39 million children.
With the numbers still increasing, WHO estimates that by 2025, approximately 167 million people will become less healthy because they are overweight or obese.
(UN News)* — Global food prices reached an all-time high in February, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported on Friday [4 March 2022].
The Food Price Index, which tracks the international prices of a items such as vegetable oils and dairy products, averaged 140.7 points last month, or nearly four per cent up from January.
This is also 24.1 per cent over the level a year earlier and 3.1 points higher than in February 2011.
“Concerns over crop conditions and adequate export availabilities explain only a part of the current global food price increases. A much bigger push for food price inflation comes from outside food production, particularly the energy, fertilizer and feed sectors,” said FAO economist Upali Galketi Aratchilage.
(UN News)*— In the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, global rates of anxiety and depression increased by a massive 25 per cent, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday [2 March 2022].
Findings in the UN health agency’s new report suggest that the greatest deterioration in mental health took place in the areas worst-hit by COVID-19 -where infections were high and social interaction was restricted.
The resolution addresses the full lifecycle of plastic, including its production, design and disposal.
“Against the backdrop of geopolitical turmoil, the UN Environment Assembly shows multilateral cooperation at its best,” said the President of UNEA-5 and Norway’s Minister for Climate and the Environment, Espen Barth Eide. “Plastic pollution has grown into an epidemic. With today’s resolution we are officially on track for a cure.”
Reducing antimicrobial waste is critical to combatting rising levels of drug resistance and protecting the environment
Antimicrobial drug waste is polluting the environment. ©WHO / Diego Rodriguez
Geneva/Nairobi/Paris/Rome (FAO)* – The Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance on 2 MARCH 2022 called on all countries to reduce the amount of antimicrobial waste entering the environment.
This includes researching and implementing measures to safely dispose of antimicrobial waste from food, human health and animal health systems, and manufacturing facilities.
Illegal wildlife trade continues to pose a real danger to biodiversity, ecosystems and human health, as a number of emerging diseases stem from animal products, both domestic and wild. Credit: AWF wildlife archive
Right now, one million wild plant and animal species are facing extinction. And three-quarters of the land-based environment, eighty-five percent of wetlands, and two-thirds of oceans have been significantly and negatively altered by human activity.
HUMAN WRONGS WATCH 