A report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), which was released on July 6th (observed as World Zoonoses Day by research institutions and non-governmental organisations across the globe) this year, says that around 60 percent of known infectious diseases in humans are estimated to have an animal origin. Likewise, almost three-fourth of all new and emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic i.e. these diseases...

-The Hindu Resilient food systems will have to be built back as the world is not on track to achieve global targets Food is the essence of life and the bedrock of our cultures and communities. It can be a powerful means to bring people together to grow, nourish and sustain the planet. The exceptional circumstances we have all been living in through 2020 underscores this — not only does COVID-19 pose...

In his Mann ki Baat speech delivered on 30th August, 2020, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi said that the month of September 2020 will be observed as Nutrition Month (POSHAN Maah) in the entire nation. In his address to the nation on that day, he highlighted that for children to be well-nourished, the mother should receive proper and adequate nutrition. In this context, it is important to discuss the 11 different...

-Centre for Science and Environment * Niti Aayog vice chairperson Rajiv Kumar releases the report, which provides the real picture of organic farming in India: only 2 per cent of India’s net sown area organically farmed, and a mere 1.3 per cent of farmers registered to do organic farming * Organic and natural farming must be upscaled to make Indian agriculture sustainable, says the report * Needs to be turned into a mass...

-Down to Earth A significant number of beneficiaries of the scheme are women and from backward community. Balod, Dhamtari, Durg, Raipur and Rajnadgaon districts have taken the lead in implementation The new Godhan Nyay scheme by the Chhattisgarh government — advertised as revolutionary — was launched July 2020 in the backdrop of the state’s flagship ‘Naruva-Garuva-Ghuruva-Badi’ programme. Naruva means a seasonal or perennial stream, garuva means animal husbandry, ghuruva means composting and badi...