The Pope says yes to artificial intelligence in your food
Pope Francis endorses AI approaches to growing your food. He says it's ethical and we should do it.
agriculture
Learning the art of ancient irrigation the Nabatean way
The Nabateans were like the Mayans of the Middle East. The ancient people were developed in agriculture, spirituality and architecture. Archaeologists dig into how they dealt with drought in Jordan, one of the driest countries on earth.
Creating a World Seed Bank? Meet the UN in Rome
Emer wheat is one of the world's oldest cultivated grains. What about plant diversity in this species and thousands of others? How can we hold onto the past for our future? We need a world seed vault.
Impact of Industrial Robots in the Food and Agriculture Sector
According to the United Nations, Food security is one of the primary human rights. We all cannot live without food and thus, agriculture is the most important sector in the world. A failing agricultural system results in hunger and famine with the possibility of death. This means that we have to strive to protect and […]
Sodastream chairman Birnbaum joins cannabis with Seedo
Can Sodastream’s former CEO take cannabis to a billion dollar business? From a fizz to a buzz? Sodastream’s last CEO Daniel Birnbaum, the one who managed to seal a deal with PepsiCo and sell the Israeli business for $3.2 billion is now going into the cannabis growing business. Using the same “cartridge” or consumables approach […]
Champagne Production Threatened In Climate Change
The world has been feeling the effects of global warming on food crops for a couple of decades already. Wheat and corn harvests are diminishing all over the planet, due to extreme weather changes and pests that thrive in heat. Laurie Balbo showed us some grim predictions about the future of our daily drug of […]
Applying Mountain Thinking to Artificial Intelligence
If a tree falls in the forest, does anyone hear? Does your artificial intelligence-driven software even ponder this philosophical paradox? With so much of our world out of whack these days, I mean, you know … you are reading the news. The ice caps are melting. The North Pole is warmer than Bucharest, and famines in […]
Ancient urban gardens in Istanbul threatened to be wiped out
Urban farming and gardening is as old as civilization itself. The ancient hanging gardens of Babylon helped inspire the water farming known as hydroponics (see how it’s evolved into artificial intelligence). Historic major cities, such as the Byzantine city of Constantinople, which later became Istanbul, were planting urban gardens to help feed inhabitants during times of famine and […]
GMOs explained through an historical lens
Are grandma’s heirloom tomatoes Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO)? What about Lebanese cucumbers or the maize that Native Americans transformed from a meager ankle-high grass into long-eared mazes of golden corn? What is so scary about GMO?
Saving 3,000 year-old dates from Siwa Oasis in Egypt
The people of Siwa Oasis have been growing dates for 3,000 years. And while they cultivate many varieties, three that are native to the desert community are close to extinction. Don’t worry too much, though, because the Siwa Community Development Environmental Conservation (SCDEC) group is working to save them.
Always wanted to help heal Palestine? Help Mashjar Juthour
Mashjar Juthour is a living museum of what little wild fauna and flora still exist in Area C, a portion of Palestinian territory controlled by Israel, but it’s struggling to get by. Aiming to create a sacred green space for the Palestinian people and supporters, a place to heal and regenerate, its founders humbly ask for our help.
Organic farming doesn’t pay off in Gaza
Organic farming is widely thought to be the healthy choice – not only nutritionally but because organic farmers are required (in general) to keep their crops chemical- and pesticide-free. But in poverty-stricken Gaza, people are more frequently buying conventionally-grown foods.
Iranian man shows #farmlove with inspiring Instagram photos
For some, being a farmer is suicidal. Water and land are scarce, small farmers struggle to compete with the likes of Monsanto, and there are a host of environmental problems to contend with as well. In this context, it’s almost unthinkable that this bright young man dreams of following his father’s footsteps – as a farmer in Iran.
Arab investors and land grabbers wanted by Egypt
Egypt plans to lease 25,000 hectares of agricultural land to Arab investors. Agriculture minister Ayman Abu Hadid made the announcement in Tunis recently. Egypt is hoping that sustainable farmers will apply.
Pistachios could power an entire new “eco-city” in Turkey
Turkey is floating plans to build a new “eco-city” in the southeastern corner of the country, near the border of Syria, and green building experts from Gaziantep want to use energy from burning pistachio shells to keep it running.