Can we breed cows that don’t fart?

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People are afraid of the cow supplement Bovaer added to animal feed and used in milk supplied to large chains like Aldi. Bovaer is touted to reduce cow farts in animals, and make rumination more efficient thus generating less methane gas. But people don'e want Bovaer in their milk and have been dumping it in response. Could there be a better way? By breeding the cows with more productive microbiomes? This is the question of a research team.

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EU’s new agri-food vision heralds pro-farmer shift

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Following months of renewed farmers' protests across Europe, the EU unveiled its highly anticipated 'Vision for Agriculture and Food' on 19 February. According to its primary architect, European Commissioner for Agriculture, Christophe Hansen, this bold new strategy aims to “give back hope” to Europe’s aging and financially-beleaguered farming sector, with its producers reeling from “dramatic climate events,” weak “prices for their products and… political stress.”

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Tea and beans are the best grow buddies

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Tea cultivation, beloved globally, thrives in fertile, acidic soils. However, the overuse of chemical fertilizers has led to soil degradation, negatively affecting both the yield and quality of tea. Intercropping—growing multiple crops together—has emerged as a potential solution to enhance soil health and mitigate environmental damage. This is also known as permaculture.

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How Islamic-era agriculture points way to sustainable farming methods

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Despite their initial success, early Islamic P&B agricultural systems in Israel were largely abandoned after the Crusader conquest and, surprisingly, were not reestablished. However, these traditional systems found renewed application in regions such as Iran, Algeria, the Gaza Strip, and parts of Iberia since the Middle Ages, where they continue to support agriculture in marginal environments.

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