Global food security

Topic description and stories

̽��ֱ��task of ensuring affordable access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food for all is one of the major challenges of the 21st century.

Changing the face of Indian farming

25 Oct 2017

Indian agriculture is expected to feed a growing and increasingly urbanised population. But if everyone wants to move to towns and cities, who is...

Massive projected increase in use of antimicrobials in animals could lead to widespread antimicrobial resistance in humans

28 Sep 2017

̽��ֱ��amount of antimicrobials given to animals destined for human consumption is expected to rise by a staggering 52% and reach 200,000 tonnes by 2030...

Left: Wheat stem rust. Right: Network map of the atmospheric transmission of spores.

Study identifies likely scenarios for global spread of devastating crop disease

25 Sep 2017

New research reveals for the first time the most likely months and routes for the spread of new strains of airborne ‘wheat stem rust’ that may...

Archaeology shows there's more to millet than birdseed

24 Jul 2017

Archaeological research shows that our prehistoric ancestors built resilience into their food supply. Now archaeologists say ‘forgotten’ millet – a...

Cambridge-led collaborations aim to tackle global food security and public health challenges

21 Jul 2017

Two major research collaborations led by the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge have been awarded almost £15 million in funding, the Minister of State for...

Canola crop with wheat crop in background at Wallandbeen, NSW.

Major funding for new crop sciences research centre that will be ‘centrepiece’ of industrial collaboration

10 Jul 2017

Over £30m has been announced for a new Cambridge Centre for Crop Science that will focus on linking with farming and food industries to translate...

African plant scientists develop new skills in Cambridge to tackle problems at home

05 Apr 2017

Lab training workshop and biotech conference, organised by second year Ph.D. student and Gates Scholar, aim to build African research capacity in...

Of cabbages and cows: increasing agricultural yields in Africa

13 Feb 2017

Africa’s food requirements, along with its population, are growing fast. Three research programmes ask how a better understanding of viruses...

Mulled wine: a recipe for sustainability?

19 Dec 2016

Nothing quite says ‘Christmas party’ like the smell of mulled wine drifting around an office. It’s an easy drink to make – all of the ingredients can...

Fresh Food In Garbage Can To Illustrate Waste, Credit: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Cambridge to play major role in €400m EU food innovation project

13 Dec 2016

̽��ֱ�� ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge is one of a number of British universities and companies that have won access to a £340 million EU Innovation programme...

Plant ‘thermometer’ triggers springtime budding by measuring night-time heat

27 Oct 2016

A photoreceptor molecule in plant cells has been found to moonlight as a thermometer after dark – allowing plants to read seasonal temperature...

Researcher Sanjie Jiang inside the 'flight arena' in the glasshouse of the Cambridge ̽��ֱ�� Botanic Garden.

Virus attracts bumblebees to infected plants by changing scent

11 Aug 2016

Study of bee-manipulating plant virus reveals a “short-circuiting” of natural selection. Researchers suggest that replicating the scent caused by...

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