Commodities

Helping to breed better crop varieties

When plants become desiccated, tiny leaf pores collectively called stomata close to conserve water. Each stoma is flanked by a pair of ‘guard cells’, which change shape to open or close the central pore.

The sustainability of cocoa production

Professor Paul Hadley

Pests and diseases already destroy about a third of potential cocoa production, and with climate change there will be a greater threat to future supplies of cocoa.

Tight supply to keep sugar high?

Raw sugar prices climbed to their highest level in 29 years on 1 February, with raw sugar for March delivery reaching 30.05 US cents a pound in early afternoon trading on ICE Futures US.

The missing egg in Mali's food security basket

Mali had some 30mn chickens, ducks, guinea fowl and turkeys in 2005, but not enough protein-rich poultry products are consumed locally, according to the government and nutritionists.

p>Mali had some 30mn chickens, ducks, guinea fowl and turkeys in 2005, but not enough protein-rich poultry products are consumed locally, according to the government and nutritionists.

Getting small farmers´ organic food into supermarkets

Organic farming is a promising pursuit for small farmers in many of the world´s poorer nations.rganic farming is a promising pursuit for small farmers in many of the world´s poorer nations.