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Environmental risks and opportunities associated with emerging and changing dietary patterns

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Food Fight. Humans have always depended on the sea.

Food Fight

For as long as there have been fishermen, there have been conflicts over fish. And though it may seem anachronistic, the odds that a squabble over fishing rights could turn into a major armed conflict are rising. The return of great-power competition has actually increased the likelihood of a war over fish. The past 17 years of the fight against terrorism, and Washington’s renewed focus on developing high-end capabilities to prepare for great-power conflict, have led to a lack of preparation for a low-end, seemingly mundane but increasingly likely source of conflict in the world: food. As incomes rise around the world, so too does the demand for food—especially protein. The supply of both wild and farmed fish will not keep up. The political leaders of rising powers will feel enormous pressure to secure the resources their citizens demand—even if it means violating international norms and rules.

There are other ways that fish can trigger war. Unless Governments Get Involved, Plant-Based Meat Won’t Take Off. Meatless Monday Plant-based meats are finally taking off: animal-free beef is popping up everywhere from high-end burger joints to, uh, biochemical research facilities.

Unless Governments Get Involved, Plant-Based Meat Won’t Take Off

Fine, plant-based and 3D-printed burgers, steaks, and chicken cutlets haven’t quite yet liberated the world’s livestock. But the technology behind these scientific snacks is progressing — with enough support, food researcher Jacy Reese predicts in a new book that we could replace a good chunk of traditional meats in a matter of decades. Let Them Eat Steak If we want to prevent catastrophic levels of global climate change, we need to farm and eat less meat. Using environmental imperatives to reduce meat consumption: perspectives from New Zealand: Kōtuitui: New Zealand Journal of Social Sciences Online: Vol 13, No 1.

Chips Made with Cricket Flour - As Seen on Shark Tank. Sixlegsfarm.co. Germany pushes for tax hike on meat and cheese. Protein produced from electricity to alleviate world hunger - News - LUT. A batch of single-cell protein has been produced by using electricity and carbon dioxide in a joint study by the Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT) and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.

Protein produced from electricity to alleviate world hunger - News - LUT

Protein produced in this way can be further developed for use as food and animal feed. The method releases food production from restrictions related to the environment. The protein can be produced anywhere renewable energy, such as solar energy, is available. "In practice, all the raw materials are available from the air. In the future, the technology can be transported to, for instance, deserts and other areas facing famine. Along with food, the researchers are developing the protein to be used as animal feed. "Compared to traditional agriculture, the production method currently under development does not require a location with the conditions for agriculture, such as the right temperature, humidity or a certain soil type.

Tenfold energy efficiency 50 per cent protein. Electric food – the new sci-fi diet that could save our planet. It’s not about “them”, it’s about us.

Electric food – the new sci-fi diet that could save our planet

The horrific rate of biological annihilation reported this week – 60% of the Earth’s vertebrate wildlife gone since 1970 – is driven primarily by the food industry. Farming and fishing are the major causes of the collapse of both marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Meat – consumed in greater quantities by the rich than by the poor – is the strongest cause of all. We may shake our heads in horror at the clearance of forests, the drainage of wetlands, the slaughter of predators and the massacre of sharks and turtles by fishing fleets, but it is done at our behest.

Dining out associated with increased exposure to harmful chemicals: New study finds burgers and other foods consumed at restaurants, fast food outlets or cafeterias, associated with higher levels of phthalates. Dining out more at restaurants, cafeterias and fast-food outlets may boost total levels of potentially health-harming chemicals called phthalates in the body, according to a study out today.

Dining out associated with increased exposure to harmful chemicals: New study finds burgers and other foods consumed at restaurants, fast food outlets or cafeterias, associated with higher levels of phthalates

Phthalates, a group of chemicals used in food packaging and processing materials, are known to disrupt hormones in humans and are linked to a long list of health problems. The study is the first to compare phthalate exposures in people who reported dining out to those more likely to enjoy home-cooked meals. People who reported consuming more restaurant, fast food and cafeteria meals had phthalate levels that were nearly 35 percent higher than people who reported eating food mostly purchased at the grocery store, according to the study. In-vitro meat: A solution for problems of meat production and meat consumption? Insects as an Alternative Protein Source.


  1. becca_cep Feb 27 2019
    Key search streams (limited to January 2018 onwards, databases: Scopus, google scholar) 1. Dietary revolution/transformation + risks/opportunities • Consumer/public support • Consumer choices 2. Dietary changes + climate change/population growth/resource depletion + risks/opportunities 3. Dietary changes + (creation of) new environmental challenges +risks/opportunities 4. Dietary changes + human well-being/health +risks/opportunities 5. Alternative/artificial food sources/protein/meat • Life-cycle impacts • Social acceptance • Policies