General Interest

An Ocean Network Express (ONE) vessel that reported a container stack collapse, on 30 November, may have lost up to 25% of its cargo as images of the collapse show a catastrophic event, with almost all of the forward cargo stacks affected.

A consultant master Mariner with experience on container ships told Container News that the loss of cargo, reportedly around 1,900 containers, could be approximately 28% of the total cargo carried by ONE Apus on this voyage.

“We calculated this using eastbound slot utilisation for Transpacific routes as reported, and the image seen on Twitter,” said the consultant, who estimates that the quantity of lost and damaged containers may be in the range of 35% of cargo on board since lost containers will not be included in the collapsed stacks still present on deck.

A white strawberry? Not red? Yes, you “read” that right. And it smells a little like a pineapple. It’s also novel in that it’s the first white strawberry to go to market in the United States. Just in time for the west-central Florida strawberry harvesting season, which runs from now until the end of…

Thousands of years ago, people in South America began domesticating Solanum pimpinellifolium, a weedy plant with small, intensely flavored fruit. Over time, the plant evolved into S. lycopersicum – the modern cultivated tomato. Although today’s tomatoes are larger and easier to farm compared with their…

Researchers in Denmark cannot rule out the potential for health risk if meat and dairy products are replaced with soy-based alternatives in childrenâs diets.

It is hoped British agriculture will be transformed by the âbiggest farming shake-up in 50 yearsâ. But there are fears that both Britainâs move to cut farmer subsidies as it leaves the EU Common Agricultural Policy, and the EUâs reform of the CAP, could impact prices for manufacturers and end consumers.

In late November, Singapore-based food technology company Shiok Meats showcased the world’s first cell-based lobster at an exclusive tasting event. The event featured Shiok’s cell-based lobster in two dishes—gazpacho and terrine—in order to showcase the versatility of the meat. It also featured the company’s cell-based shrimp in a spherified dish made using molecular gastronomy techniques. […]

Despite complications brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, UN Women and Standard Bank are making progress in equipping women farmers in Africa with the skills and resources needed to grow their businesses and succeed over the long term.

In October 2019, Standard Bank and UN Women partnered to empower more than 50 000 women farmers in Malawi, Uganda, Nigeria and South Africa through modern and environmentally friendly farming technologies that increase productivity and incomes.

Through the Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) project, women farmers, authorities, local farmer organisations and co-operatives are addressing structural inequalities in rural economies in Africa, including access to quality farmland.

Standard Bank has provided funding worth US$3 million (about R45,77 million) as well as ongoing support through financial literacy and other programmes.

Eating a banana after your workout may help speed recovery, post-workout. Bananas are nutritious and particularly rich in water and carbs, both of which have consistently been shown to help improve exercise performance and recovery. Eating carb-rich foods after exercising promotes the release of the hormone insulin, which helps…

The best entrepreneurs are those who know how to allocate investments according to their availability and market conditions. The principle of not biting off more than you can chew is generally valid. A video below with the new gear "In this dramatic situation caused by the coronavirus, the economy has slowed…

Whether it is about maintaining good health or beating quarantine weight gain, these days consumers often choose healthy and low-calorie products when grocery shopping (online). Producers of these healthy alternatives stress the positive claims through marketing. Why does the fruit and vegetable industry…

The average American adult spends more than 11 hours per day on screens, according to Nielsen, and while they are watching TV, shopping on their laptop, and texting, they also mindlessly reaching for snacks. Now a new study says consumers under-report how much they eat while distracted by multitasking on…

We've seen many different uses of greenhouses over the last years. If it is for stalling a caravan, for keeping cattle or for creating a COVID-proof restaurant experience - been there, done that. Yet this one is a new one on the list. A Thai couple has transformed their backyard into a luxurious…

500Foods shared this story from FP.com. Like a toxic Trojan horse, microplastics can act as hot pockets of contaminant transport. But, can microplastics get into plant cells? Recent research shows that they can't.  Over the last decade, scientists have been scrambling to understand the impacts of microplastics. With the breakdown of plastic bottles,…

At this point in time, more and more people seem to like Brussels sprouts than detest them, as they have been voted the nation's favourite green vegetable. According to a survey by Waitrose, they come out just ahead of broccoli. Sprouts were top, chosen by 27 per cent – just 1 per cent ahead of those…

"Isolagrande" is one of the largest and most modern greenhouse companies on a national level that was planned in Milan but which was set up in the Vittoria area in Ragusa, Sicily. It truly feels like a Dutch company. Federico Baraldi FreshPlaza talked about it with CEO Federico Baraldi who, together with…

When the pioneering vertical farms were established around the world, comparatively basic first-generation technology used created relatively inefficient systems compared with today. Although these operations only enabled the most basic functions to occur, they demonstrated how feasible it was to grow…

When most people eat Florida-grown tomatoes, they’re usually adding it to a salad or sandwich. But to some people, they're apparently good enough to drink too. Sam Hutton is all about tomatoes. A tomato breeder in Hillsborough County, his tomato experience goes way back. “I was a little kid when i started being interested…

One day after Kingsville’s town council unanimously approved a bylaw to stop light pollution from greenhouses and odours from cannabis production, Leamington’s council voted unanimously to seek more information from growers and the public before considering a light pollution bylaw. Kingsville’s bylaw…

After a dramatic summer, the price of tomatoes now seems to be favorable. However, operators in the sector are wondering how long will it last and, above all, if will it be enough to compensate the accumulated losses.  Salvatore Iozzia in a greenhouse with vine tomatoes Salvatore Iozzia, a producer from Vittoria (RG),…

The Land Report, the magazine of the American landowner, produces the definitive annual survey of the nation’s largest private landowners. Here are three of the biggest crop farms in the latest ranking.   Larsen Farms87,104 acres - potatoes, alfalfa: Odds are you’ve noshed on a spud from Larsen Farms. Maybe it…

On the occasion of its 75th Anniversary and the 3rd World Statistics Day, FAO is publishing today its revamped Statistical Yearbook, which weighs in at 366 pages this year and also offers digital interactivity and downloadable data sets for the first time.

Resilience. It’s a word you often hear to describe the agriculture industry. The year 2020 has truly given the industry a chance to prove that resiliency. This was discussed at the PMA Fresh Summit session, Resilience and Rebound. Three industry leaders shared their thoughts on how the industry showed…

Nothing says fall is here quite like comfort food staples like warm bowls of soup and hearty casseroles. And while pumpkins typically steal the show this time of year, there are many other types of squash that are quintessential winter classics—particularly the butternut variety. What Is Butternut Squash? Butternut squash, also known as gramma or […]

French consumer watchdog Consommation Logement Cadre de Vie (CLCV) has put the nutritional composition of 95 vegetarian and vegan products on French shelves to the test. The result? âMore water than vegetable proteinâ, the consumer group said.

Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A., Inc. announced the launch of its newest product, the exclusive and luxurious Pinkglow™ Pineapple. The Pinkglow™ Pineapple is a novel pineapple with a pink interior, new and uniquely grown by Fresh Del Monte. This pink pineapple is unique to the market, will be available for…

For weeks, Mastronardi Produce has been hinting at the news of a flavorful new product launch and promising to reveal the next one at this year’s PMA Fresh Summit. Now, the news is finally out. Introducing Lolli Bombs™, a sweet-like-candy yellow tomato on the vine and the 4th addition to the infamous…

It is green, yellow, white and brown, it grows on trees, it looks like a boomerang, it has been with us for thousands of years and you can find it all over the planet and in many forms. What is it? Right, the banana. 

Over the past few decades, the banana trade has experienced an important rise thanks to the improvements made in shipping and ripening. Freshly harvested, unripened perishable products are loaded into the container and cooled to a holding temperature in a range of from about 14 to 21 degrees Celsius.

Use of very low oxygen concentrations and minimal ethylene concentrations can produce a fruit whose pulp is riper than indicated by the color of its peel. In other words, they ripen during transportation to the place where they will be sold.

The idea of developing your own food is getting well known in the urban living society as it gives natural harvest. Top 10 edible plants for indoor cultivation include Carrot, Tomatoes, Potatoes, Chilli, Beans, Sarso, Coriander, Garlic Greens. Radish and Herbs.

Coastal Shellfish has always placed sustainability at the centre of their business plan, and now the northern-B.C. company can put it on their mantle as winners of the BC Food and Beverage 2020 Sustainability Award for its Great Bear Scallops.

“We’re in a remote corner of the province in Prince Rupert, here in the corner of the Great Bear Rainforest. It’s exciting to be on the edge of a burgeoning industry in shellfish aquaculture … but we never thought the kind of recognition we’d get was ever possible,” Michael Uehara, Coastal Shellfish CEO and president said.

“This is a First Nations — Indigenous-owned business whose mission it is to recreate an economy of inclusion on the coast. This award is a big shot in the arm. We’re quite pleased. We’re thrilled.”

Shrimp Paste

For years, there’s been a crowded market of startups racing to bring the first lab-grown meat to market — think Aleph Farms, JUST, and the Bill Gates-funded Memphis Meats.

But bringing a product to supermarket shelves has remained elusive. To be fair, it continues to do so. But, according to a new feature in the Los Angeles Times, a Singaporean startup called Shiok Meats may be poised to be the first company in the world to actually sell a lab-grown meat.