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Before you do that weekend grocery shopping, pause to consider this: organic does matter — just maybe not in the way you think it does. That's the takeaway of a new study from the University of British Columbia, published yesterday in the journal Science Advances. Scientists Verena Seufert and Navin Ramankutty
explain their findings for our readers, laying out the good, the not-so-good and the many unknowns about organic ingredients and farming practices. And since organic can't feed the world (yet!), Christoph Rupprecht offers some suggestions for a brighter food future.
In non-food news from this week, we examined current tensions in the Balkans and revealed how Gabonese soldiers keeping peace in the Central African Republic are using that diplomatic mission to launch their political careers.
Finally, bitcoins are now worth more than their weight in gold. Maybe you can afford organic, after all.
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Looks good, tastes good, but can it feed the world?
Verena Seufert, University of British Columbia; Navin Ramankutty, University of British Columbia
Is organic produce better for you? Can organic farming feed the world? Those might be the wrong questions.
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Environment + Energy
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Christoph Rupprecht, Research Institute for Humanity and Nature
The four scenarios in the WEF's 2017 food report paint a bleak picture. But there are better ways.
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Politics + Society
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Loïc Trégourès, Université de Lille 2 - Université de Lille
Recent events in France have triggered more tensions in the Balkans. But analysis should focus on regional tendencies to lean towards Russia or the US than on catastrophic scenarios.
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Axel Augé, Ecole Saint-Cyr Coëtquidan
For Gabonese officers, military interventions like that underway now in the Central African Republic, are also a pathway to politics.
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Business + Economy
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Nafis Alam, Sunway University; Graham Kendall, University of Nottingham
The cryptocurrency is now starting to challenge gold as the investment of choice.
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