Globally, food and natural resource production is going through the biggest change since the industrial revolution. Rather than merely focussing on improved and cheaper production, current changes are driven by a maelstrom of influences, many of them with sustainability at heart.
Continue reading “Megatrends in sustainable food and fibre production”
Illegal logging is a big issue. Approximately 30% to 50% of all timber traded globally is illegally sourced. Illegal logging comes in many forms. It may be the replacement of high value for low value timber products, it may incorrect declaration of species or region of origin of products, which masks trade in endangered species or export of timber from protected areas, or it may be the mixing of illegitimately and legitimately sourced timber.
Combating illegal logging also needs to take many forms, many of these are technology solutions that support behaviour change.
Continue reading “Behind the scenes work to stop illegal logging”
Yes of course it makes a noise, but if it is felled illegally can those that perpetrated the crime be caught? Here we delve into the first case to use DNA fingerprinting of trees to match timber back to the site of illegal logging activity, and which led to the prosecution of the perpetrators under the US Lacey Act.
Science can identify the source of timber and verifying legality. So it should be a simple case to apply the science to new international legislation that aims to limit illegally logged timber in global supply chains. Well not quite, the application of science requires detailed understanding of the timber industry and supply chain dynamics.
Continue reading “Science can identify illegally logged timber – so lets start implementing”
In this public lecture, Prof Andy Lowe speaks about the use of DNA to potentially solve conservation problems, particularly with regards to timber tracking.
Prof Andy Lowe 