We handpick and explain the most important stories at the intersection of climate, land, food and nature over the past fortnight.<\/p>\n
This is an online version of Carbon Brief\u2019s fortnightly Cropped email newsletter. Food \u2018catastrophe\u2019<\/p>\n FAO WARNING: On Monday, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned that a prolonged closure of the strait of Hormuz could lead to a \u201cglobal food catastrophe\u201d, reported Al Jazeera<\/a>. With 20-45% of the world\u2019s key agrifood inputs dependent on the sea passage, the outlet explained, poorer countries would be the \u201cmost exposed\u201d, with delays in accessing fertilisers \u201cquickly translating into lower output\u201d. A Financial Times<\/a> essay detailed how the Gulf region has come to \u201csit at the centre of modern agriculture\u201d over the past two decades\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n Sign up<\/a> to Carbon Brief’s free “Cropped” email newsletter. A fortnightly digest of food, land and nature news and views. Sent to your inbox every other Wednesday.<\/p>\n \u2018PERFECT STORM\u2019: The FAO also warned countries to \u201cnot limit shipments\u201d of energy and fertilisers, warning that such restrictions have led to food price spikes in the past, wrote Bloomberg<\/a>. The UN body asked countries to \u201cclosely ponder\u201d biofuel mandates<\/a>, given the choice between high oil prices and curtailing global food supplies. In a statement<\/a>, FAO chief economist Dr Maximo Torero warned of a \u201cperfect storm\u201d, if the world is also affected by a strong El Ni\u00f1o<\/a>.<\/p>\n COUNTRIES RESPOND: Sri Lanka, already \u201cburdened with old fertiliser debts\u201d, has promised to provide fertiliser subsidies to farmers, reported Sri Lanka\u2019s Sunday Times<\/a>. In India, \u201cfear of a fertiliser shortage is particularly heightened\u201d, wrote Scroll.in<\/a>. In Australia \u2013 where 60% of urea comes from the Persian Gulf \u2013 the war could herald a fertiliser \u201cmanufacturing comeback\u201d, reported ABC News<\/a>. Reuters<\/a> looked at how China is \u201cclamping down on fertiliser exports to protect its domestic market\u201d.<\/p>\n Study: Wood vs gas burning<\/p>\n BASHING BECCS: A new study<\/a> found that \u201cbioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) is unlikely to generate negative emissions within 150 years\u201d. The paper added that BECCS is likely to \u201cproduce higher emissions for decades than using natural gas without carbon capture\u201d and to \u201cincrease electricity costs by ~3.5-fold\u201d. The Guardian<\/a> covered the research, stating that its findings \u201ccast doubt\u201d on government plans to offer subsidies for carbon capture attached to wood-burning power, such as the UK\u2019s Drax power station.<\/p>\n INTERPRET WITH CAUTION: Prof Joana Portugal Pereira<\/a>, an assistant professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro<\/a>, told Carbon Brief that the study is \u201cclearly framed and the modelling approach is transparent\u201d. However, she said the results are \u201cvery sensitive to the assumptions made\u201d and advised \u201ccaution\u201d in drawing conclusions from the analysis. For example, she noted that the study \u201cfocuses on BECCS supplied from existing forests\u201d, which is likely to \u201cemphasise higher emissions outcomes\u201d.<\/p>\n MISLEADING HEADLINE: Dr Isabela Butnar<\/a>, a lecturer in environmental policy at University College London<\/a>, praised parts of the methodology and agreed that \u201cforest-based BECCS for electricity is a no-go\u201d. However, she argued that the title of the paper \u2013 \u201cDecades of increased emissions from forest-fuelled BECCS\u201d \u2013 might be \u201ca bit misleading\u201d. The title should specify that the analysis only applies to BECCS for electricity production, she said.<\/p>\n TOO HOT TO FARM: A major new joint report<\/a> by the FAO and the World Meteorological Organization estimated that extreme heat \u201ccurrently threatens\u201d the livelihoods of more than 1 billion people, with agricultural workers on the \u201cfrontlines\u2026absorbing the greatest impacts\u201d. Farmers in much of south Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and central and South America could find it \u201csimply too hot to work\u201d for up to 250 days a year, the report cautioned.<\/p>\n PALM READING: Demand for palm oil has \u201csurged as the war in Iran drives countries to build up stockpiles\u201d and \u201cboost\u201d biofuel programmes in response to higher crude oil prices, reported Nikkei Asia<\/a>. While Malaysian and Indonesian palm oil exports have risen to their \u201chighest level in months\u201d, longer-term supply could be \u201cthreatened\u201d by rising fertiliser prices and \u201chigh temperatures caused by climate change\u201d, added the outlet.<\/p>\n RED LIST: Emperor penguins and the Antarctic fur seal \u201chave joined the list of wildlife endangered by global warming\u201d, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature\u2019s (IUCN) Red List, reported the New York Times<\/a>. Conversely, \u201ciconic\u201d blue-and-yellow macaws have returned to Rio de Janeiro after a 200-year absence, following an ambitious \u201crefaunation\u201d programme, wrote the Guardian<\/a>.<\/p>\n CATTLE CLASS: A new Unearthed<\/a> investigation found that a major US biofuels producer supplied the UK with \u201csustainable aviation fuel\u201d derived from \u201cbeef fat linked to illegal Amazon deforestation\u201d. Darling Ingredients \u2013 the producer\u2019s parent company \u2013 denied sourcing tallow from slaughterhouses sourcing cattle from illegal farms in the Amazon. It told the outlet it was \u201cin the process\u201d of requiring suppliers to prove their products were \u201cdeforestation-free\u201d.<\/p>\n FUND OPEN: On 10 April, Ecuador issued its \u201cfirst call\u201d for grants to protect 1.8m hectares of the Ecuadorian Amazon using the $460m Amazon Biocorridor Fund, reported EFE Verde<\/a>. The trust fund is linked to what is considered the \u201clargest debt-for-land nature swap\u201d, added the outlet. [For more on debt-for-nature swaps, see Carbon Brief<\/a>\u2019s 2024 explainer.]<\/p>\n SUPER EL NI\u00d1O: Scientists expect a strong El Ni\u00f1o event to develop by early autumn, driving up global temperatures, according to Carbon Brief<\/a>\u2019s latest state of the climate update. The analysis said that if a super El Ni\u00f1o develops this year, it is likely that 2027 will top the charts as the hottest year on record. It added that \u201cthe latest climate models give a central estimate of 2.2C warming by September \u2013 a scenario which would put the world firmly in \u2018super\u2019 El Ni\u00f1o territory\u201d.<\/p>\n Oxford solar farm under fire<\/p>\n This week, Carbon Brief unpacks what the UK\u2019s Botley West solar farm development would mean for farmland and biodiversity in the area.<\/p>\n Planning permission for one of Europe\u2019s largest solar farms has been delayed<\/a>, after the UK government asked for more time to consider the proposal from the developer.<\/p>\n Oxfordshire\u2019s Botley West solar farm<\/a> has been under consultation since 2022.\u00a0<\/p>\n If approved, the site \u2013 located 80km north-west of London \u2013 will deliver 840m watts (MW) to the UK power grid.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, the development faces vehement opposition \u2013 most notably from the Stop Botley West<\/a> campaign group, which has said the \u201cvast\u201d solar farm will have \u201cunprecedented\u201d visual impact, drive the loss of \u201carable farmland\u201d and will \u201cdisregard Oxford\u2019s green belt\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n Politicians frequently use solar farms to score points with their supporters<\/a>, with some MPs describing the developments as hazards<\/a> for rural communities and food supply.<\/p>\n Farmland loss<\/p>\n Most of the land earmarked for the solar farm belongs to the Blenheim estate<\/a> \u2013 a 12,000-acre expanse surrounding the UNESCO world heritage site of Blenheim Palace<\/a>.<\/p>\n Dr Jonathan Scurlock<\/a> \u2013 the former chief climate adviser at the National Farmers\u2019 Union<\/a>, which represents farmers in England and Wales \u2013 told Carbon Brief that the estate rents out much of its land to tenant farmers. However, he added, it is \u201cnot terribly good quality farmland\u201d.<\/p>\n The UK government has a ranking system<\/a> for agricultural land that is being considered for large-scale development projects, where five indicates \u201cvery poor quality\u201d and one indicates \u201cexcellent quality\u201d. Developers are generally encouraged to build on lower-quality land, leaving the high-quality land for farming.<\/p>\n According to the Botley West website<\/a>, 62% of the land surveyed for the proposed solar farm is agricultural grade 3b<\/a> \u2013 defined as \u201cmoderate-quality agricultural land\u201d. The remainder is mostly 3a, defined as \u201cgood-quality agricultural land\u201d.<\/p>\n Many opponents of Botley West argue that the farm will take away vital farmland. However, Scurlock said:<\/p>\n \u201cSolar is perceived as very challenging to land use and yet the evidence nationally really doesn\u2019t support that\u2026Solar farms do not really represent lots of agricultural land capacity\u201d.<\/p>\n (A 2025 Carbon Brief factcheck<\/a> found that golf courses currently take up six times as much land in the UK as solar farms.)<\/p>\n The developers plan<\/a> for the solar panels to remain on-site for about 40 years, after which the fields will be returned to use for agriculture.<\/p>\n Biodiversity gain<\/p>\n The proposed solar farm has also promised to improve local biodiversity.<\/p>\n New development projects in the UK must deliver<\/a> a \u201cbiodiversity net gain<\/a>\u201d (BNG) under a 2024 regulation.\u00a0<\/p>\n Developers must arrange for the \u201cbiodiversity value\u201d of the land to be assessed, considering factors including the size, quality, location and type of each habitat. They must then ensure that the final project increases this value by at least 10%.<\/p>\n If the Botley West project is approved, the developers will aim for 70%<\/a> BNG.<\/p>\n Prof Alona Armstrong<\/a>, an energy researcher from Lancaster University<\/a>, told Carbon Brief that around two-thirds of solar farms<\/a> in the UK are built on \u201cex-arable lands\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n She explained that biodiversity outcomes on solar farms depend on where the farms are located and how they are designed and managed. Much agricultural land is \u201cintensively managed\u201d, with the use of chemicals and farming machinery. In contrast, there is less chemical and machinery use on solar farms, potentially benefiting biodiversity.<\/p>\n Armstrong added that solar farms are often lined with hedges, which are \u201creally good for biodiversity\u201d, acting as refuges for a wide range of plant and animal species<\/a>.<\/p>\n The latest BNG statement<\/a> for Botley West filed with the government featured a \u201chabitat and hedgerows creation and enhancement plan\u201d.<\/p>\n The plan included creating 26.5km of new species-rich hedgerow, enhancing 25km of existing hedgerows and developing a range of grassland types within the solar arrays to be managed for conservation.<\/p>\n EARTH ANGELS: From protecting Nigeria\u2019s rare bats to pushing higher climate targets in South Korea, Mongabay<\/a> profiled the six women who won this year\u2019s Goldman Prize.\u00a0<\/p>\n CHERRY (BLOSSOM) PICKING: The Guardian<\/a> reported on the hunt to find a researcher to continue Japan\u2019s 1,200-year record of cherry-blossom blooming dates.<\/p>\n \u2018SOYA REPUBLICS\u2019: A Phenomenal World<\/a> essay argued that global grain traders in South America\u2019s soya supply chains \u201csowed the seeds of anti-democratic politics\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0 Preventing the loss of intact biomes, ecosystems and species is the \u201cmost critical strategy\u201d to achieve the \u201cnature positive\u201d future outlined in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework | Frontiers in Science<\/a><\/p>\n Climate change will lead to \u201cincreased pest damage\u201d in North American forests, as \u201ctemperature-boosted pest performance\u201d and \u201cclimate-induced stress\u201d, such as drought, make trees more susceptible to pests | Nature Ecology and Evolution<\/a><\/p>\n There are 160m \u201csmall wetlands\u201d in \u201cnon-forested\u201d parts of the world, which together contribute to 24% of total wetland methane emissions | Nature Climate Change<\/a><\/p>\n 22-24 April: Eighth meeting<\/a> of the board for the loss and damage fund | Livingstone, Zambia<\/p>\n 24 April: Launch<\/a> of the 2026 global report on food crises | London<\/p>\n 24-29 April: First conference<\/a> on transitioning away from fossil fuels | Santa Marta, Colombia<\/p>\n 5-7 May: Workshop<\/a> on invasive alien species for Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America and the Caribbean | Panama City<\/p>\n Cropped is researched and written by Dr Giuliana Viglione<\/a>, Aruna Chandrasekhar<\/a>, Daisy Dunne<\/a>, Orla Dwyer<\/a>and Yanine Quiroz<\/a>. \u00a0Please send tips and feedback to [email\u00a0protected]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"We handpick and explain the most important stories at the intersection of climate, land, food and nature over…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":19747,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[4920,9114,1692,9115,7370,1812,9116,24,1449,2599,5,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-19746","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-uk","8":"tag-biodiversity","9":"tag-cropped","10":"tag-farming","11":"tag-farmland","12":"tag-fertiliser","13":"tag-food","14":"tag-global-hunger","15":"tag-iran","16":"tag-iran-war","17":"tag-solar","18":"tag-uk","19":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@UnitedKingdom\/116449506937543676","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19746","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19746"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19746\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19747"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19746"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19746"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19746"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Subscribe for\u00a0free here.<\/a><\/p>\n
ZACH IS BACK: Actor-comedian Zach Galifianakis debuted a new Netflix<\/a> series, called \u201cThis is a gardening show\u201d, meant to be an \u201coddball celebration of the food we eat\u201d.<\/p>\n