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The axolotl, arguably one of the world’s most recognizable salamanders, has a unique ability to regenerate severed limbs, which unlocks medicinal and scientific opportunities for everything from tissue repair to development and cancer. After centuries of inbreeding, captive populations are at risk and scientists could lose the opportunity to learn vital information about the animal’s biology that…

New estimates show that if greenhouse gases continue growing at current rates, large regions at risk of being pushed into climate conditions in which no food is grown today. Climate change is known to negatively affect agriculture and livestock, but there has been little scientific knowledge on which regions of the planet would be touched or what the biggest risks may be. New research led…

10 May 2021, Rome and virtual locations - The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, warned that severe underfunding of the agri-food sector was preventing Africa from reaching its potential. He spoke at the launch of FAO's latest report, Public Expenditure on Food and Agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa, which reveals the gap between long…

By Will Anderson The world’s ecosystems are under threat. Fires are turning biodiverse forests in California and wetlands in Argentina and Brazil into charred landscapes. The ocean is getting warmer and more acidic, bleaching colorful, fish-filled coral reefs across the Seychelles. The abuse of the soil, exacerbated by overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, is damaging…

Although the world has made major progress toward a decade-long target for environmental protection areas, it has fallen far short on commitments regarding their quality, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and partners said in a report published on Wednesday. The study is the final “report card” on the goal of protecting at least 17 per cent of land and inland waters, and 10 per cent of…

UNEP/IUCN Protected Planet Report: great progress since 2010 with over 22 million km2 of land and 28 million km2 of ocean protected or conserved and 42% of current coverage added in the last decade; but a third of key biodiversity areas lack any coverage, and less than 8% of land is both protected and connected. Nairobi, 19May 2021 - The international community has made major…