Vancouver Sun and The Province: Increased COVID-19 variant severity not enough evidence for B.C. authorities
By Jacqueline Chan on February 25, 2021
Increased COVID-19 variant severity not enough evidence for B.C. authorities
News Source: Vancouver Sun, The Province
February 24, 2021
“Epidemiologists prefer studies of tens of thousands of cases and months of observation.” – Dr. Leonard Foster
Dr. Leonard Foster, CSFS Associate and head of UBC’s department of biochemistry and molecular biology, says that while there hasn’t been enough time to build strong data on variants, it can still be useful to be aware of the hints contained in early research.
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By Jacqueline Chan on February 23, 2021
Biodiversity Research Photo Competition Results
Warren Wong, a PhD student in Dr. Juli Carrillo’s lab and CSFS student member, won the BRC Photo Competition’s Community Choice Award. His photograph is of a parasitoid (spotted wing drosophila) inside a raspberry.
The image is shown to the left of this text, as well as in this link for better resolution. Congratulations, Warren!
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By Jacqueline Chan on February 22, 2021
Delta seeing decline in soil organic matter
News Source: Delta Optimist
February 21, 2021
“Critical to soil health, the organic matter is on the decline in Delta and throughout the Fraser Valley.” – Dr. Sean Smukler
Delta Optimist reported on a study which shows that organic matter is on the decline in Delta and throughout the Fraser Valley. Organic matter is made up of decomposed plant and animal tissues, and is very important for soil aeration and water holding capacity. Dr. Siddhartho Paul conducted this study while he was a graduate student in CSFS Associate Dr. Sean Smukler’s lab (the Sustainable Agricultural Landscapes Lab at UBC).
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By Jacqueline Chan on February 18, 2021
How regenerative agriculture is putting hope in the soil
News Source: The Star, Yahoo
February 18, 2021
“This reality is something all Canadians should be concerned about, as soil is integral to our ecosystem and the source of our food.” – Gabrielle Bastien
Dr. Sean Smukler, CSFS Associate and a professor at UBC’s Faculty of Land and Food Systems, gave comments about the impact of regenerative agriculture on agricultural production and the mitigation of climate change.
Check out the original article at The Star or Yahoo.
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By Jacqueline Chan on February 18, 2021
(Portuguese) International Cooperation Project – Projeto De Cooperação Internacional
News Source: Cepagro
January 22, 2021
“A aceleração da crise climática global ameaça cada vez mais a segurança alimentar e nutricional das populações do campo e da cidade” (Translation: The acceleration of the global climate crisis is increasingly threatening the food and nutritional security of rural and urban populations) – Cepagro
Please see the left sidebar in the article for translation into English.
The “Agroecology in Latin America: building paths” project had been created through international collaboration between Cepagro and UBC via Dr. Hannah Wittman, CSFS Associate and professor at the IRES (Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability). The project’s data collection is conducted by LiteFarm, a digital agricultural management tool developed by UBC’s scientists, designers, and students.
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By Jacqueline Chan on February 4, 2021
Protecting Biodiversity – Farmers and Agriculture
News Source: The Conversation
February 3, 2021
“Given population pressure, it is not politically feasible to increase the extent of protected areas. The question is, how will Africa provide space for its wildlife and food production?” – Dr. Terry Sunderland
Dr. Terry Sunderland, CSFS Associate and professor in the Faculty of Forestry, co-authored an article on why resource conservation strategies should not only focus on protected areas, but also make use of the chance to maintain biodiversity within agricultural landscapes.
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By Jacqueline Chan on February 4, 2021
B.C. Government Invests in Food Supply Chain
News Source: National Observer
February 3, 2021
“Free trade deals like NAFTA have consistently made it more difficult for smaller, regional food processing facilities to compete.” – Dr. Hannah Wittman
Dr. Hannah Wittman, CSFS Associate and professor at the IRES (Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability) & LFS, recently interviewed in National Observer about food shortages during COVID-19. The pandemic has exposed shortcomings in our current food processing and distribution model. To increase the resilience of local processing operations, B.C. food and beverage manufacturers are soon to receive funding from the provincial government.
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By Jacqueline Chan on February 1, 2021
Media Coverage of Climate Change during COVID-19
News Source: Medium
January 28, 2021
“Efforts are needed to put climate change back on the agenda and in the spotlight in media outlets worldwide.” – Dr. Zia Mehrabi
Dr. Zia Mehrabi, CSFS Associate and researcher at the IRES (Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability), wrote about how climate change was covered in the media during the pandemic. Coverage about COVID-19 has dominated news outlets in 2020, but climate change is another important challenge that needs to be addressed to maintain the health and wellbeing of people and the planet.
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By Jacqueline Chan on January 7, 2021
Why one PhD student wants everyone to learn about food systems, equity and justice
News Source: National Observer, The Star
January 6, 2021
“When we think of the food bank, we’re not necessarily thinking that people who use the food bank should have a say in the decisions or the kinds of services offered or the kinds of food provided. The dominant discourse is that people experiencing poverty should just be grateful and thankful. I think this reproduces a system that treats people like objects.” – Colin Dring
National Observer and The Star spoke with Colin Dring (a UBC PhD candidate in agricultural planning) about food justice and accessibility. He helped launch an educational resource called Just Food, which was created with former Work-Learn students Meryn Corkery and Joyce Liao. Colin discusses the lack of diversity in B.C.’s food discourse, and how we can work towards a more equitable food system.
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By Jacqueline Chan on January 5, 2021
National Observer: Plant-Based Meats and Sustainability
“Industrial agriculture is associated with myriad environmental impacts, from nitrous oxide emissions tied to excessive fertilizer use to hurting pollinators through habitat destruction.”
Dr. Navin Ramankutty, CSFS Associate and Canada Research Chair in Global Environmental Change and Food Security, recently gave input in The National Observer regarding the sustainability of plant-based meats.
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