Food and Agriculture

Report: U.S. Banks ‘Sabotaging’ Climate Targets by Financing Meat & Dairy Corporations

Report: U.S. Banks ‘Sabotaging’ Climate Targets by Financing Meat & Dairy Corporations

A new study has found that 58 banks in the United States are “sabotaging” their own net-zero commitments by providing financing to meat, dairy and animal feed corporations. Research for the report, Bull in the Climate Shop: Industrial livestock financing sabotages major U.S. banks’ climate commitments, was conducted by U.S. environmental nonprofit Friends of the […]

Join our newsletter

The best of EcoWatch, right in your inbox. Sign up for our email newsletter!

    68 PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ Found by Scientists in Food Packaging Worldwide

    68 PFAS ‘Forever Chemicals’ Found by Scientists in Food Packaging Worldwide

    New research by environmental scientists with Switzerland’s Food Packaging Forum Foundation has uncovered 68 per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) “forever chemicals” in food packaging — including plastic, paper and coated metal. Used by manufacturers for decades in products like nonstick cookware, water-repellent clothing, stain-resistant fabrics, cosmetics, firefighting foam and food packaging, more than 12,000 of the […]

    Impossible Foods Rebrands to Attract More Meat Eaters

    Impossible Foods Rebrands to Attract More Meat Eaters

    Impossible Foods, a company that makes plant-based meat substitutes, is rolling out a rebrand of its iconic green packaging. In hopes of persuading more carnivores to try its meat alternatives made from plants, the company has switched to red packaging designed to evoke the “craveability of meat,” according to a press release. The rebranding was […]

    Well-Managed Solar Parks Could Boost Pollinators in UK, Study Says

    Well-Managed Solar Parks Could Boost Pollinators in UK, Study Says

    When combined with green spaces, solar panels can provide more benefits than generating clean energy. According to a new study, led by Lancaster University scientists in collaboration with the University of Reading, well-managed solar parks that feature solar panels and vegetation could boost pollinator populations and biodiversity. The researchers published their findings in the journal […]

    Potassium Depletion in Soil Threatens Global Food Security, Scientists Warn

    Potassium Depletion in Soil Threatens Global Food Security, Scientists Warn

    Nutrient depletion in agricultural soil is nothing new. There have been numerous studies and concerns about the depletion of nutrient-rich topsoil and the loss of nutrients like carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus, but scientists are now warning about the depletion of potassium in soil. In a study published in the journal Nature Food, scientists highlight how […]

    20 Global Dishes With the Greatest Biodiversity Risks Include Meat-Based and Vegan Fare, Study Finds

    20 Global Dishes With the Greatest Biodiversity Risks Include Meat-Based and Vegan Fare, Study Finds

    Our food choices can have substantial environmental impacts. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, worldwide food production — especially animal agriculture — is the main cause of biodiversity loss. One of the major reasons is that livestock and their feed require a great deal of land. Certain foods — such as Indian kidney bean […]

    Grocery Chains to Ban Use of Neonics by Suppliers, in Move to Protect Pollinators

    Grocery Chains to Ban Use of Neonics by Suppliers, in Move to Protect Pollinators

    Some grocery chains are moving to help protect pollinators by requiring their suppliers to stop using nitroguanidine neonicotinoids, or neonics. Chains including Whole Foods and Kroger have recently outlined policies that will ban the use of neonics in crop production. Whole Foods’ policy also applies to its floral department. According to the Whole Foods policy, […]