Today's News - 14 January 2013

"In food and agriculture, we must transcend the false productivity of a fossilised paradigm, and shift from the narrow focus on monoculture yields as the only output, and human labour as the only input."
Vandana Shiva, The Guardian (9 Jan)  

Special report: World food injustice - the facts on a plate
From London to Liberia, nearly a billion people are living a hand-to-mouth existence. Katie Grant reports on global hunger and finds out how these families get through the week.
The Independent (13 Jan)

There's a price to be paid for our cheap food
The big food companies should be taxed for the damage they cause to our bodies and the planet.
The Observer (13 Jan)
Read the Soil Association response. 

Why the Government Should Pay Farmers to Plant Cover Crops
What would a farming system designed to meet the challenge of climate change look like? US policymakers have bought themselves time to consider that question.
Mother Jones (12 Jan)

Futurnomics of food
Vandana Shiva explains the need for a new food production paradigm – one that ditches our reliance on oil and monoculture farming.
The Guardian (9 Jan)

Global food crisis will worsen as heatwaves damage crops, research finds
Harvests will fall dramatically during severe heatwaves, predicted to become many times more likely in coming decades.
The Guardian (13 Jan)

Saving the world through social media? How development is going digital
How can farmers, working in remote locations, feel connected and request help from others if they need it? Digital Green is a grassroots campaign, supported by international donors and the government of India, that leverages social media to share agricultural best practices.
The Guardian (4 Jan) 

Quiz experts on eco issues in Devizes
Devizes MP Claire Perry will join forces with national and local eco-experts for a green question time at Devizes Town Hall later this month.Mrs Perry will appear on the panel with Ecotri-city ambassador Helen Taylor, Soil Association chief executive Helen Browning and local Green Party member Mark Fletcher.
This is Wiltshire (13 Jan)

How to raise your kids not to be food snobs
Do you want to feed your children organic food, but worry about turning them into food snobs? Read on.
Mother Nature Network (10 Jan)

It all starts with healthier soil
Inspired by a mutual passion for organic farming, Clarence Valley couple Mike and Cheryl Smith have devoted themselves to helping farmers in the South Pacific to build strong, resilient and sustainable communities.
Daily Examiner (14 Jan)

New research gives fresh insight into Schmallenberg Virus
Researchers have developed methods to synthesize and change the genome of the Schmallenberg Virus (SBV), potentially paving the way for new vaccines and new approaches to tackling the disease.
Farmers Guardian (14 Jan)

Scottish land reforms must take farming into account
NFU Scotland says it will support the Land Reform Review Group (LRRG) in its work to encourage constructive and positive land management and opportunities for local communities, but farming must ‘feature strongly’ in its thinking.
Farmers Guardian (14 Jan)

Farmers to stage London PR push outside St Paul's Cathedral
The latest New Holland farming machinery is to be displayed outside St Paul’s Cathedral to remind Londoners how they depend on British farmers for their food.
Farmers Weekly (14 Jan)

Farmers warned big freeze 'to last three weeks'
Farmers are being warned that the big freeze is expected to last up to three weeks, with snow falling in many places this weekend.
Farmers Weekly (13 Jan)
 

Farming Today
Farming Today takes a glimpse into a future which could have tractors driving themselves and robots pulling weeds. Anna Hill also discusses the impact the possible closure of North Wales' biggest abattoir might have on the Welsh lamb industry. And farmers warn the government that more money needs to be spent on research to find alternatives to pesticides - or food security could suffer.
BBC Radio 4, listen again (14 Jan) 

And finally… Britain wakes up to snow with warnings of more to come
The Telegraph (14 Jan)