The Future of Food, Agriculture, and Aquaculture

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caltrek
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Overfishing and Degradation, Causes of the Decline of Marine Ecosystems in the South Atlantic Ocean in Recent Decades
May 26 , 2023

Introduction:
(Eurekalert) The marine ecosystems of the South Atlantic Ocean have experienced a significant decline in recent decades due to overfishing and habitat degradation. This is demonstrated by a scientific study led by the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB) that sheds light on the magnitude of human impact on these once thriving marine areas based on the archaeological analysis of fish remains from several sites in Brazil.

The indigenous communities that inhabited the southern coast of Brazil for thousands of years enjoyed abundant and diverse marine ecosystems teeming with large, high trophic level fish and top predators that played an important role in their food security in the past. This allowed their periodic exploitation by indigenous populations with simple fishing technology for thousands of years. After comparing the archaeological remains of fish species from the past with the present-day fish populations, the results show a significant decrease in many of the species, particularly sharks and rays, possibly linked to the escalating human impacts, such as overfishing and habitat degradation in recent decades.

Thiago Fossile, lead author and researcher at ICTA-UAB and the UAB Department of Prehistory, emphasizes the growing anthropogenic pressures faced by aquatic fauna in Brazil, a country known for its stunning beaches and diverse wildlife. "Many species documented in archaeological sites are now endangered, while for other species there is insufficient data on their distribution and abundance. By using archaeological data, we can gain insight into these lost environments and can redefine conservation baselines”.

André Colonese, senior author of the study and researcher at ICTA-UAB and the Department of Prehistory at UAB, highlights the importance of coastal and marine ecosystems in sustaining subsistence fisheries for thousands of years along the Brazilian coast. "Hundreds of archaeological sites provide valuable information on past biodiversity, contributing to discussions on fisheries management and conservation. This study, published in PLoS ONE, emphasizes the significance of incorporating archaeological data into conservation debates in Brazil, enhancing the discipline’s relevance to environmental issues".

Read more of the Eurekalert article here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/990618

Read a presentation of the study as published in in PLoS ONE here: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/arti ... e.0285951
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Re: The Future of Food, Agriculture, and Aquaculture

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Bison Meat Is Hot. Ranchers Are Struggling to Keep Up.
by Lela Margi
May 26, 2023

Introduction:
(Mother Jones) Once a month, Adam Ulbricht hosts a lively podcast called The Bison Insider. Ulbricht, who’s also executive director of the Minnesota Bison Association, discusses weaning calves, the pros and cons of small ranches, and field harvesting. A favorite topic: the rebound of the bison market after a brief Covid slump. Between 2021 to 2022, bison meat production ticked up by 8.5 percent. “We’re processing more animals than we ever have, and that’s to meet a demand,” Ulbricht says, from restaurants, from direct-to-consumer sales, from a snack industry gung-ho about bison jerky. More bison could also feed American troops; the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act, passed this past June, included an amendment introduced by Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), stipulating that the Pentagon aim to buy 2 million pounds of bison meat a year from Tribal producers. “The voices that I talk to regularly believe that by 2024 we’re very likely looking at a shortage of animals,” Ulbricht says.

Currently, there are some 350,000 head of bison in US herds, around 20,000 of which are managed by tribes for whom the animals are culturally and economically significant. Many ecologists would also like to see these numbers climb. “I think it would be good for the environment,” says Matthew Moran, an emeritus biology professor at Hendrix College in Arkansas who studied the conservation herd at the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in Kansas. That’s because bison function as “ecosystem engineers,” boosting biodiversity.

Left to their own devices, bison graze in patches, creating grass outcroppings of varying heights that are home to a host of bird species. Their wallowing makes muddy puddles that support other insects and animals. In this way they help revive and maintain the health of grasslands, which store one-third of global terrestrial carbon stocks.

But that only works, says Troy Heinert, executive director of the InterTribal Buffalo Council, an organization representing the interests of Native ranchers, if the animals are allowed to choose, as much as possible, where to roam and what to graze.

Read more here: https://www.motherjones.com/environmen ... keep-up/

caltrek's comments: I like the idea of raising bison as a part of a rewilding strategy. I am not so crazy about raising them as a food source for humans. Still, I fear whole foods and plant-based beliefs are too radical to be adopted by many.

There is also the issue of feeding our pets, for whom we may not have quite the health concerns as I do about meat in human diets. Pets such as dogs and cats are descended from meat eating creatures, and thus may be better adapted to a diet based on heavy meat consumption. So, a limited re-introduction of bison based on developing a food source for pets might make a lot of sense. Of course, this is a highly utopian idea. I doubt our current capitalist system will take us there.
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Re: The Future of Food, Agriculture, and Aquaculture

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caltrek wrote: Sat May 27, 2023 2:27 pmcaltrek's comments: I like the idea of raising bison as a part of a rewilding strategy. I am not so crazy about raising them as a food source for humans. Still, I fear whole foods and plant-based beliefs are too radical to be adopted by many.
I can confirm that it's too radical to be adopted by me. I can see myself reducing my meat consumption if my health ultimately demands it or the price is too costly, but I will always eat meat fairly regularly. Many people are like me. And ultimately I don't think there's anything wrong with that - eating meat is in and of itself not a bad thing. What's bad is all the unsustainable practices going on to meet demand. I can live with less beef available in the stores if it stops climate change. I can go a day or two with vegetarian or vegan meals for the planet as long as I can still eat meat a few days or so a week. I wouldn't like it, I'd bitch and moan about it, but ultimately I would make that sacrifice. But this has to be demanded at a national or global level because the way capitalism works, those of us willing to change will never make a dent in it. But I'll never move away from at least some meat consumption, and while I don't know if I'm in the minority or majority in that I do know I'm in a sizable group.
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Re: The Future of Food, Agriculture, and Aquaculture

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Health Information Increases Whole Grain Consumption
May 31, 2023

Introduction:
(Eurekalert) Whole grain products are healthy, but not particularly popular. However, providing information of their benefits can change that, at least a little bit. This is demonstrated by a recent study conducted by the University of Bonn, involving over 300 people between the ages of 18 and 39. But despite receiving relevant information daily for two weeks, the effect was relatively small. The researchers therefore believe that education alone is unlikely to achieve the recommended consumption levels. The study has now been published in the journal "Appetite."

Whole grains are grains from which the bran is not removed during processing. This contains particularly high levels of fiber, high-quality oils, vitamins and minerals. Whole grain products are therefore healthy: They satiate more and longer, strengthen the immune system and reduce the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure.

Nevertheless, they eke out a shadowy existence on supermarket shelves. One of the main reasons is their taste: "Many people say in surveys that they don't find whole-grain foods as tasty as conventional products," explains Dr. Nina Weingarten of the Institute for Food and Resource Economics (ILR) at the University of Bonn. However, there may be other reasons as well: "For instance, the health-promoting effect of the products is often underestimated," says the psychologist. "In addition, consumers often don't know how to incorporate whole grains into their daily diet - possibly because they lack recipes."

Recipes do not help to make whole grains more popular

But does addressing these information gaps change consumer behavior? The researchers Dr. Nina Weingarten and Prof. Dr. Monika Hartmann investigated this question. Together with a market research institute, they recruited more than 330 women and men between the ages of 18 and 39 for a long-term online study.

Read more here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/990952
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Re: The Future of Food, Agriculture, and Aquaculture

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Millets — Ancient Drought-resistant Grains — Could Help the Midwest Survive Climate Change
by Eva Tesfae
May 30, 2023

Introduction:
(Investigate Midwest) KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Midwest is known for its rows and rows of corn and soybeans that uniformly cover the landscape.

But in central Missouri, farmer Linus Rothermich disrupts the usual corn and soybean rotation with Japanese millet. He has been growing it since 1993.

“Golly, I have to think how far back that is,” he said. “I was a young man and I was looking for alternative crops to grow to make more money. We just weren’t making a lot of money in agriculture then.”

Compared to his corn and soybean crops, he spends a lot less on Japanese millet. Because its growing season is shorter, it fits perfectly into the rotation of the crops he already grows. It’s working so well for him that he wants to keep the grain to himself.

“I have recommended it to other farmers, as long as it’s not my Japanese millet,” he joked, pointing out prices likely would drop if a lot of other farmers start growing it.

Read more here: https://investigatemidwest.org/2023/05 ... -change/
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An important aspect of food and its consumption is the issue of distribution. Here is an article that addresses that issue.


'Food Swamps': Scientists Explain the Health Risks of Living Inside Them
by Clare Watson
June 7, 2023

Introduction:
(Science Alert) You might have heard of food deserts, areas with few or no healthy food options or supermarkets within a short, walkable distance. Instead, these places are often filled with a glut of convenient takeaway stores, creating 'food swamps' that have dire health consequences for residents.

A new study from the US shows how food inequities writ large across the country translate to an increased risk of dying from obesity-related cancers, such as breast, bowel, and liver cancer.

Since the term 'food deserts' was coined in the early 1990s, some academics have questioned whether they exist. But in the decades since, numerous studies have revealed how social factors – largely determined by geography and public policies – influence health.

Wealthy, White neighborhoods in the US contain three to four more supermarkets than poor, Black suburbs do – limiting the latter's choice of affordable fresh food, especially if public transit is lacking. But when fruits and vegetables are made available in local stores, real-world studies show residents are quick to pick them up.

Meanwhile, in Australia, many suburbs of car-dependent Western Sydney have no food outlets at all, and when they do, 84 percent of them are fast-food options. Rates of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease are concerningly high in these areas, researchers have found.

Read more here: https://www.sciencealert.com/food-swam ... side-them
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Genomic Resources to Help Boost Climate Resilience of Fisheries
June 9, 2023

Introduction:
(Eurekalert) Candidate genes that could help fish to tolerate warmer and saltier water have been identified in new research from the Earlham Institute, potentially providing a vital resource to guide breeding programmes in freshwater aquaculture.

As water quality and availability is reduced by higher global temperatures, these insights can be used to breed more resilient fish and safeguard a key source of food for millions of people.

The Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, is widely farmed in freshwater aquaculture, providing essential nutrients and protein. Their use in aquaculture has risen dramatically, largely due to their adaptability to different water conditions and production systems.

Soaring global temperatures, however, have depleted freshwater resources. Fish farms - and the people who rely on them for food - urgently need strains that can still thrive despite the higher salinity and increased water temperature.

To address this issue, researchers at the Earlham Institute, University of East Anglia, and University of Stirling have explored the tilapia genome to locate advantageous changes in the genome responsible for an increased tolerance to changing water conditions.

Read more here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/991963
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Re: The Future of Food, Agriculture, and Aquaculture

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Climax Foods Unveils the First Plant-Based Casein That Works Just Like Dairy
June 13, 2023

From working to gaming, every facet of human life is being transformed by the artificial intelligence revolution in one way or another. While the idea of a robot takeover might feel uneasy, one sector that stands to be vastly improved with AI is the food industry. And California-based Climax Foods is kickstarting that revolution with a discovery that stands to change the way cheese is made for the better.

Today, the company announced that, with the help of its AI technology, it has uncovered a plant casein that mimics dairy in every way that matters. What’s so special about that? Casein is the functional protein that gives dairy all of those desirable qualities, such as stretch, melt, and browning.

“As foodies and scientists, we have a profound appreciation for the complex flavors and textures of dairy products, but also recognize their vast inefficiencies—such as requiring 700 gallons of water to make one pound of cheese,” Climax CEO and Founder Oliver Zahn said in a statement “Our production process uses 500 times less water at our current pilot scale.”

Vegan cheeses are already a vast improvement over dairy when it comes to environmental metrics but in order to get consumers to embrace them, they have to taste and perform well. The problem with traditional vegan cheese is that it is made without functional proteins such as casein, which means they lack key dairy attributes, making them less desirable to consumers of traditional dairy cheese.

Climax’s discovery stands to improve the vegan cheese category as a whole—but its addressable market is much larger than vegans themselves.


https://vegnews.com/2023/6/climax-foods ... sed-casein
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Re: The Future of Food, Agriculture, and Aquaculture

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Marks & Spencer Launches Oat Milk In Same Cartons As Dairy In ‘UK First’
15TH JUNE 2023

In what could well be a supermarket first, Marks and Spencer (M&S) has launched a dairy-free milk alternative in cartons similar to those holding cow’s milk.

The British oat drink products are part of the vegan Plant Kitchen range. They come in semi and whole varieties – just like their dairy counterparts.

The bottles cost around £2 for a liter. They are fortified with calcium, iodine, vitamin D, and vitamin B12, and are available to buy in M&S stores nationwide now.

A spokesperson for the supermarket told Plant Based News that they decided to launch the product due to customers asking for vegan milk in larger size and packaging. The product has seemingly proved popular – the announcement drove 1.1 million organic impressions and 40k engagements on the M&S social media, with Instagram alone driving 198k impressions.


https://plantbasednews.org/lifestyle/fo ... ign=buffer
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Foxtail Millet Genome Holds Clues to Better Crops
by Rachel Harrison
June 12, 2023

Introduction:
(Futurity) A large-scale genomic analysis of Setaria, foxtail millet, advances understanding of the its domestication and evolution, as well as the genetic basis for key agricultural traits.

“Foxtail millet is considered to be the foundation for early Chinese civilization,” says Michael Purugganan, professor of biology at New York University and NYU Abu Dhabi, and the study’s co-senior author. “Moreover, because it is a crop that can grow across a wide range of environments—including arid lands—it has the potential to be important for food security under climate change.”

Foxtail millet is one of the oldest domesticated grain crops in the world and humans have been growing it for roughly 11,000 years. It held a dominant position in Chinese agriculture before the introduction of high-input agricultural practices like irrigation and chemical fertilizers.

The protein-rich grain—which employs C4 photosynthesis, a highly efficient form of photosynthesis that helps it adapt to different environments—is resilient to drought and able to thrive in low-nutrient soils.

“C4 plants constitute only about 3% of flowering plant species, but they surprisingly contribute to approximately 25-30% of global biomass production. The complexity of the genomes of most C4 species has posed challenges for fundamental studies and breeding, but Setaria serves as an ideal model system for studying C4 photosynthetic plants in genomics and genetics research,” says Xianmin Diao, a professor in the Institute of Crop Sciences at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the study’s co-senior author, and the scientist who organized the study.

Read more the Futurity article here: https://www.futurity.org/setaria-foxta ... 31392-2/
(Nature Genetics)

Abstract

Setaria italica (foxtail millet), a founder crop of East Asian agriculture, is a model plant for C4 photosynthesis and developing approaches to adaptive breeding across multiple climates. Here we established the Setaria pan-genome by assembling 110 representative genomes from a worldwide collection. The pan-genome is composed of 73,528 gene families, of which 23.8%, 42.9%, 29.4% and 3.9% are core, soft core, dispensable and private genes, respectively; 202,884 nonredundant structural variants were also detected. The characterization of pan-genomic variants suggests their importance during foxtail millet domestication and improvement, as exemplified by the identification of the yield gene SiGW3, where a 366-bp presence/absence promoter variant accompanies gene expression variation. We developed a graph-based genome and performed large-scale genetic studies for 68 traits across 13 environments, identifying potential genes for millet improvement at different geographic sites. These can be used in marker-assisted breeding, genomic selection and genome editing to accelerate crop improvement under different climatic conditions.

Main

Foxtail millet (Setaria italica), one of the oldest domesticated grain crops in the world, is considered to have provided the foundation for the formation of early Chinese civilization. Recent archeological evidence suggests that this species was domesticated starting ~11,000 years ago from its progenitor, green foxtail (Setaria viridis)1, making it contemporaneous with barley and wheat in the early agricultural transitions of human Neolithic societies. Foxtail millet is the only present-day crop species in the genus Setaria and has excellent drought and low soil-nutrient tolerance. Since its domestication, foxtail millet has spread across Eurasia and Africa, and more recently to the Americas, and grows in temperate, tropical and arid environments.

Critically, Setaria species employ C4 photosynthesis. C4 plants, which aside from foxtail millet include maize, sorghum, sugarcane and switchgrass, possess high photosynthetic efficiency and environmental adaptability, thereby maintaining critical roles in global agricultural grain and biofuel production.

1. Yang, X. et al. Early millet use in northern China. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 109, 3726–3730 (2012)
Read more from the study as presented in Nature Genetics here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-023-01423-w
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