The impact of diet on phosphorus footprint.

The impact of our dietary choices on the global phosphorus footprint shouldn't be neglected, according to recent research in Frontiers in Nutrition. A shift towards a plant-based diet may be an undervalued solution toward decreasing our environmental impact and attaining phosphorus sustainability. Phosphorus is an element essential for all living beings and is thus critical in food production. Mined phosphate rock is a non-renewable global resource that is nowadays becoming increasingly scarce which poses a severe problem to the farming industry: it needs phosphorus in the form of fertilizers to sustain crop productivity. Crops have two entries into the human food chain: direct consumption or indirect consumption by rearing animals which can be converted to human food. Different food types therefore require different amounts of phosphorus in their production. One kg of phosphorus can for example be used to either produce 3333 kg of starch roots (e.g. potatoes) or 16 kg of beef. The loss of phosphorus to waterways, whether from agricultural fields through runoff or urban sewage through human excreta, can cause severe water quality degradation. This leads to eutrophication, harmful algal blooms, and impairment of our drinking water, recreational areas, and fisheries. As the human population increases, our long-term food security and water quality are therefore threatened by the increased demand for phosphorus fertilizers. The research focused around calculating the phosphorus footprint based on the effect of Australian city residents shifting their diet towards a plant-based diet which is the amount of phosphorus mined to support one's diet. Using food intake data from the 2011 National Nutrition Survey, they calculated the citizens' total consumption of different food groups and their associated average phosphorus fertilizer required to produce these foods. To estimate the effect of a switch to a plant-based diet, they converted the meat, dairy, eggs, and seafood food groups to pulses (i.e. beans or legumes). Their calculations showed that a shift towards a plant-based diet would lead to a small increase of 8% in phosphorus excreted by the city residents. A big effect, on the other hand, was found when looking at the change in the residents' phosphorus footprint: a decrease of 72%.The scientists therefore concluded that changing towards a plant-based diet is of significant effect for reducing mined phosphorus, and of relative insignificance for changing the phosphorus content of excreta. Diet choices are thus important in how much impact humans have on their environment.

Elephant Poaching Hurting African Tourism.

The African elephant poaching crisis is not only bad for elephants, it’s bad for tourism, according to a new study. Writing in the journal Nature Communications, researchers from the University of Vermont, the World Wildlife Fund and the University of Cambridge say poaching the majestic beasts costs African countries about $25 million in tourism revenue. "While there have always been strong moral and ethical reasons for conserving elephants, not everyone shares this viewpoint. Our research now shows that investing in elephant conservation is actually smart economic policy for many African countries," said Dr. Robin Naidoo, lead wildlife scientist at WWF and lead author on the study.continue

Agribusiness: using apps to connect the needy to a meal.

WITH the holidays upon us, some smartphone apps can let you help someone in need with just a few taps of your finger. 

ShareTheMeal is a favorite charity donation app. When surrounded by delivery apps and cheap fast food, one can easily forget that many people around the world can’t easily afford their next meal. Using 

ShareTheMeal, you can quickly donate money to the United Nations World Food Program and help someone gain access to food. 

 The app reminds you that it costs only half a dollar to feed a child for a whole day, and you can donate that with a single tap once you have entered your payment information. You can also donate enough to feed a child for a week or more, or set up a regular monthly payment. 

There is even a social angle: You can connect with other users or link the app to Facebook and try to persuade your friends there to take part. The app reports the number of meals shared (nearly nine million so far), and it links you to news about places where the United Nations’ help is desperately needed. All of this is achieved with clear language, an easy-to-use interface and little fuss: 

The idea is that when you feel a charitable urge, you can turn to this app and donate in seconds. ShareTheMeal is free for iOS and Android. The Donate a Photo app also makes it easy to give to charity. But in this case, the funds come from a sponsor, Johnson & Johnson, not out of your pocket, which means you can be charitable even if you don’t have money to spare.continue

Autumn trend? Leaf extracts used as food colourants and nutraceuticals

Autumn trend? Leaf extracts used as food colourants and nutraceuticals: Researchers have developed a process allowing them to extract compounds from fallen leaves that could offer potential as natural colorants.

Meta-analysis shows eggs can reduce stroke risk by 12%

Meta-analysis shows eggs can reduce stroke risk by 12%: Eating up to one egg a day has no association with coronary heart disease (CHD) but does reduce the risk of stroke by 12%, a meta-analysis has suggested. The benefits of eggs to good health are

Birth Control Is Women’s Way Out of Poverty.

According to Melinda Gates, Birth Control Is Women’s Way Out of Poverty.Melinda Gates has made providing poor women in developing countries access to contraception a mission. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which she leads with her husband, has donated more than $1 billion for family planning efforts and will spend about $180 million more this year. Since 2012, she has helped lead an international campaign to get birth control to 120 million more women by 2020. Four years later, a report explains why achieving that goal is proving tougher than expected. This is a condensed and edited version of our conversation about family planning. If you allow a woman — if you counsel her so it’s truly voluntary — to have a contraceptive tool and she can space those births, it unlocks the cycle of poverty for her. In the early days, I’d be out traveling for the foundation, I’d be there to talk to women about vaccines, I’m going be frank, for their children, and what they would say to me is: ‘O.K., I have questions for you. What about that contraceptive, how come I can’t get it anymore?’ To me, it’s one of the greatest injustices. continue

How to stop infections after surgery.

Surgical site infections are caused by bacteria that get in through incisions made during surgery. They threaten the lives of millions of patients each year and contribute to the spread of antibiotic resistance. In low- and middle-income countries, 11% of patients who undergo surgery are infected in the process. In Africa, up to 20% of women who have a cesarean section contract a wound infection, compromising their own health and their ability to care for their babies. But surgical site infections are not just a problem for poor countries. In the United States, they contribute to patients spending more than 400 000 extra days in hospital at a cost of an additional US$ 10 billion per year. The link now