AGRIBUSINESS : European Parliament Group Finds Pesticides in Hair Samples Across Europe.

AGRIBUSINESS : European Parliament Group Finds Pesticides in Hair Samples Across Europe. .The Greens / European Free Alliance group in the European Parliament released the results Wednesday of a unique long-term exposure ‘pesticides in hair’ testing project, initiated by The Detox Project and Kudzu Science. 148 hair samples were collected from six EU countries: Germany, Denmark, Wales, Italy, France and Belgium between the end of July and October 2018. The samples were then analysed for a selection of 30 pesticides including insecticides, fungicides and herbicides. AGRIBUSINESS : European Parliament Group Finds Pesticides in Hair Samples Across Europe. The results showed that 15 of the 30 ubiquitous pesticides tested for were found in at least one of the samples, with 60% of the samples containing at least one pesticide. Fipronil (insecticide), Propiconazole (fungicide), Permethrin (insecticide) and Chlorpyrifos-Ethyl (insecticide), were all found in more than 10% of the samples.

South Africa Government Rejects Monsanto’s GMO Triple Stacked Maize.

South Africa Government Rejects Monsanto’s GMO Triple Stacked Maize.The African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) has welcomed the decision of the South African biosafety authorities, rejecting Monsanto’s application for the commercial release of its GM drought tolerant triple stacked maize: MON 87460 x MON 89034 x NK 603. At its meeting on the 2nd October 2018, the Executive Council: GMO Act, refused to authorize the GM maize for commercial growing as it found that the data provided by Monsanto was insufficient to demonstrate the claimed drought tolerant and insect resistant efficacy of the GM event. In particular, the EC found that the drought tolerant field trial data presented by Monsanto for trials conducted over a period of 5 years (2014-2018) in Hopetown, Orania, Lutzville and Malelane, were sorely wanting.

Organic Food Consumption Lowers Overall Cancer Risks in Large-Scale Study of French Adults.

Organic Food Consumption Lowers Overall Cancer Risks in Large-Scale Study of French Adults.The results are in on one of the first, large-scale studies on organic food consumption and cancer risks and they are significant and encouraging. It is widely recognized we need to do much more in preventing cancer, as opposed to treating it, and this study suggests that organic food may be an important piece of the puzzle. A team of French government scientists analyzed 68,946 citizens in the NutriNet-Santé cohort. Individuals were surveyed to determine if those who ate more organic foods had lower cancer rates. Their new journal article, published online by JAMA Internal Medicine this week (that’s the prestigious journal put out by the American Medical Association), reports their key findings: people consuming organic food most regularly had 25% lower overall cancer risk compared to the group of people reporting very little or no consumption of organic food.

AGRICULTURE : New Israeli technology turns human waste into biofuel.

AGRICULTURE : New Israeli technology turns human waste into biofuel. First time biomass is created from human excrement, providing possible solution to growing problems in sanitation and clean energy.Ben-Gurion University of the Negev publicized results of a pilot study demonstrating that raw human excrement potentially can be converted into a safe, reusable fuel and nutrient-rich fertilizer. According to the groundbreaking study published recently in the Journal of Cleaner Production, researchers at the Ben-Gurion University Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research refined a process using hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) to heat solid human waste in a special “pressure cooker” to create hydrochar, a safe, reusable biomass fuel resembling charcoal. AGRICULTURE : New Israeli technology turns human waste into biofuel. This new development, according to the researchers, addresses two challenges prevalent in the developing world: sanitation and growing energy needs.

AGRIBUSINESS : Zero food waste as food expiration dates undergo a revolution.

AGRIBUSINESS : Zero food waste as food expiration dates undergo a revolution. New automated grocery-pricing system from Israel promises to slash food waste, cut prices for consumers, and increase profits for supermarkets. 

About half of all the food produced in the world is wasted every year. That’s about two billion tons of food, worth billions of dollars. It’s a shocking statistic, and at the end of the day, it’s not just the supermarkets or food producers that pay the price – it’s all of us. 

 A hungry planet with limited resources, a high carbon footprint, and rapidly changing climate cannot afford to throw food in the bin.

A new Israeli startup, Wasteless, hopes to help cut some of this waste with a new AI system that will transform how supermarkets approach food expiration dates. 

 Zero food waste as food expiration dates undergo a revolution. 

 “Food expiration dates are the main cause of retail waste and the cost is tremendous, both to business and to the environment,” says Oded Omer, co-founder of Wasteless. 

“Food is the single largest product in landfills, where it emits extremely harmful gases, including methane.’’ 

  Wasteless, which was founded in 2017, has developed an artificial intelligence (AI) technology that can offer customers a variable pricing system based on a product’s expiration date.

 A carton of milk that is set to expire in a few days will cost less than one due to expire in 10 days.It sounds simple, but the technology behind is not. 

The Wasteless pricing engine employs a branch of machine learning called reinforcement learning, which automatically maps inventory stock and time of day into a series of optimal prices.

Agribusiness : How to fight cancer naturally with turmeric.

How to fight cancer naturally with turmeric. Extensive research is being conducted in many laboratories across the globe on the anti-cancer properties of turmeric. Being a powerful anti-oxidant, turmeric can protect cells from getting damaged. Turmeric is now being used as a complementary therapy with conventional cancer treatment. Laboratory tests have found that turmeric interferes with many critical molecular pathways that cause the growth and spread of cancer. Recent studies have concentrated on the anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric and if this could help with the prevention and treatment of cancer. Scientists believe that the active ingredient of turmeric, curcumin is a well-known antioxidant and thus help in fighting free radicals which cause cell damage. Turmeric is also known to interfere with several key molecular pathways which lead to cancer development. Turmeric kills cancer cells One of the principal reasons why turmeric is becoming cherished as a health aid is due to its anti-cancer property. Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, has been widely researched upon for its anti-cancer effect. The exact cause of cancer has not been identified but it is thought of as a disturbance in cell signaling pathways that gradually affects proteins that regulate cell life and activity. This disturbance causes the cells to be immortal and hyperproliferative and thus cancer spreads throughout the body. A study published in Biofactors, 2013 states that curcumin’s anti-cancer action is a result of inhibition of cell signaling pathways at multiple levels. A recent study published in Molecules 2015 identifies various targets that curcumin acts on to exert anti-cancer effect and these include :1) Transcription factors (they control the expression of genes) 2)Growth factors. 3)Inflammatory proteins. 4)Cancer causing molecules.5) Various proteins involved in regulation of cell cycle and cell death This multi-faceted action of curcumin makes it a novel anti-cancer agent that holds promise for future treatment options in cancer.

Agro-Veterinary : 5 Simple Ways To Drink Turmeric & Get Its Benefits.

Agro-Veterinary : 5 Simple Ways To Drink Turmeric & Get Its Benefits. 5 Simple Ways To Drink Turmeric & Get Its Benefits. Turmeric can be used to make tea, turmeric milk, smoothies, soups, and drinks. Adding turmeric in these foods will help you incorporate it into your diet on a daily basis. These drinking options are not only very healthy but also quite delicious for man and pets. Turmeric and its constituent curcumin have anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-microbial and anti-cancer properties. Agro-Veterinary : 5 Simple Ways To Drink Turmeric & Get Its Benefits. Taking it on a regular basis may help in the prevention and treatment of several disorders, infections and assist in eradicating toxins from the body.