A history of the spice trade: how spices shaped the world

Spices are now an every day commodity in households around the world. James Hancock explores the origins of this important trade.
Read Further

Climate change and fish

ish farm with floating cages in Greece
Fish protein is an excellent alternative to land-based meat, and the impacts of climate change can be mitigated in cage culture of finfish.
Read Further

Writing a good title is the best way to improve your paper

The titles of scientific papers are often ineffective. Such titles introduce the subject of the paper but fail to tell the reader the main finding. They only draw the interest of those who already work in the same area, and do not engage wider interest. Fortunately, it is easy to correct these problems, engage your…
Read Further

After the loss of a pet, how soon is too soon to get another?

ā€œDogs’ lives are too short. Their only fault, really.ā€ Agnes Sligh Turnbull Deciding to get a new dog after a loss can be tough. So, what happens when a beloved dog dies? Suddenly the owner faces a chasm of emptiness in the home ā€“ the unused bed, redundant toys, vacant space where the food and water…
Read Further

Keeping in touch: Digital technology and life in the time of Coronavirus

The development of digital technology has been rapid in recent decades as we step into the 5G/6G internet network generation. This technology has been particularly useful during the Covid-19 pandemic, when self-isolation and social distancing have been imposed on many people at different times.  Various lockdowns have resulted in the increased use of digital means…
Read Further

COVID vaccine: to jab or not to jab

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccination has been hailed as the light at the end of the tunnel.  However, even though the UK is one of the top countries in the world for the number of vaccinations doses administered, there is mistrust and suspicion about the safety of the vaccine and the intentions…
Read Further

International Trade in Forest Products

Side/front view of a log pile
Because of the long-standing Canada-U.S. lumber trade dispute and the current pressure on the world's forests as a renewable energy source, much attention has been directed toward the modelling of international trade in wood products.
Read Further

GM Crops: The West versus the Rest

Field of corn
Why is it that countries in the West, particularly those in the European Union, but also in the Nordic countries and pockets in the USA, are so anti-GM crops?
Read Further

Opening up agricultural research and data: What does ā€œopen agricultureā€ mean for international development organizations?

Welcome to the third and final blog of this series. CABI recently hosted a webinar on Opening up agricultural research and data with a great panel of expert speakers who highlighted some of the many opportunities inherent in ā€œopen agricultureā€ (click here to view the webinar). In the first blog of the series, I looked…
Read Further

Opening up agricultural research and data: Considering ā€œopen agricultureā€ from the researchersā€™ point of view

Welcome to the second blog of this series. CABI recently hosted a webinar on Opening up agricultural research and data with a great panel of expert speakers who highlighted some of the many opportunities inherent in ā€œopen agricultureā€ (click here to view the webinar). In the first blog of the series, I looked at how…
Read Further