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Agriculture

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 21-Oct-2026 07:16 ET (21-Oct-2026 11:16 GMT/UTC)

Roadless rule helps protect clean drinking water for 25 million Americans, new study shows

University of Washington
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A new University of Washington study maps how the 2001 roadless rule protects U.S. rivers, and how rescinding the rule could impact access to clean drinking water, biodiversity, outdoor recreation and more.

Journal: PLOS Water

Large precolonial villages in the Brazilian Cerrado practiced maize-based polyculture

Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology
Peer-Reviewed Publication

New study helps resolve one of South American archaeology's longest-running debates: the role of maize in precolonial societies. Evidence reveals that large villages in central Brazil were supported by polyculture maize farming while neighboring societies maintained diversified food production strategies.

Journal: Science Advances

Shift to healthy, sustainable diets would reshape global agriculture

London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Following recommendations to shift to healthier diets, improve farm productivity and halve food waste, could reduce global agricultural land use by up to 6% by 2050 and lead to a 42% decline ($630 billion) in global livestock production value compared to 2020.

Journal: Nature
Funder: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Healthier, more sustainable diets would reshape global agriculture; a new study shows by how much

Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Transitioning to healthier, more sustainable global food systems by 2050 would substantially reshape agriculture by reducing livestock numbers and decreasing land use, according to a new study published in Nature. Led by Cornell University, with contributions from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP), the research highlights both the possibilities and challenges of a global food system transformation. It also underscores the urgent need for proactive agriculture and food policies to drive this transformation and manage its socioeconomic impacts.

Journal: Nature

China’s climate goals could reshape the global palm oil industry

Shenyang Agricultural University Collaborative Journals
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Palm oil is found in foods, cosmetics, detergents, fuels, and many other everyday products. It supplies about 30% of the world’s vegetable oil while producing substantially more oil per hectare than crops such as soybean. Yet its expansion has also been linked to deforestation, peatland degradation, biodiversity loss, and high greenhouse gas emissions.

Journal: Agricultural Ecology and Environment

University of Tennessee, partners win up to $160M for NSF Regional Innovation Engine to drive rural economic development

University of Tennessee at Knoxville
Grant and Award Announcement

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is part of a team that has won up to $160 million over the next 10 years from the National Science Foundation for the BRIDGES Engine, a collaborative initiative that will generate millions of dollars in additional annual income for Tennessee farmers and create thousands of jobs across the state.

China's water quality gains came at a cost to agriculture

Cornell University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

The study found that agricultural value added fell 58% in communities facing the greatest pressure to reduce pollution, highlighting the uneven economic effects of China's environmental regulations.

Journal: Journal of Environmental Economics and Management

Plasma agriculture makes strides towards super-seeding conventional methods

Nagoya University
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Researchers review the latest results and understanding of mechanisms behind this new field of research where seeds show higher yields and resilience following flash treatment in low-temperature plasma.

Journal: Journal of Advanced Research
Funder: Japan Society for the Promotion of Science KAKENHI, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Core-to-Core Program “Data Driven Plasma Science”, Plasma Bio Consortium, Center for Low-temperature Plasma Sciences, Nagoya University

As national drought deepens, a new AI model helps balance water demands

Virginia Tech
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Virginia Tech researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model designed to help policymakers manage growing competition between agriculture and semiconductor manufacturing, as drough strains water supplies across the United States.

Journal: Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management

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