/macdonald/taxonomy/term/2961/all en /macdonald/channels/news/indias-millet-revival-how-once-neglected-seed-making-comeback-352517 <p>Millet, once a staple in Indian cooking and agriculture before being superseded by rice, is at the centre of a massive promotional campaign launched by the Indian government.</p> <p>The healthy and hardy cereal, which thrives in arid and difficult conditions in which other crops cannot survive and requires less water, is being touted as a "superfood" that could force a more nutritious diet on India's population, and also help mitigate the devastating effects of climate change on the South Asian country.</p> Mon, 06 Nov 2023 21:33:42 +0000 charly.blais@mcgill.ca 1532477 at /macdonald /macdonald/channels/event/bridging-gaps-phenomics-where-plant-science-and-engineering-meet-352154 <p>Join us on Thursday, November 23 for a dynamic research conversation with professors <a href="/plant/faculty/valerio-hoyos-villegas">Valerio Hoyos-Villegas</a> (Plant Science) and <a href="/bioeng/faculty-</body></html>"></a></p> Mon, 23 Oct 2023 14:25:48 +0000 charly.blais@mcgill.ca 1522072 at /macdonald /macdonald/channels/news/ai-robot-butchers-automating-meat-packing-industry-not-cut-and-dried-351782 <p>Artificial intelligence, automation and robotics are reshaping many parts of the economy, and experts say the meat-processing sector could benefit from improved technology to overcome labour shortages, improve food safety and remain competitive against alternatives like plant-based proteins.</p> <p>Change has been slow, but companies are making strides, such as using robotics to transport heavy animal carcasses within a facility, to stack and move boxes for delivery and to optimize transportation loads to reduce the amount of trucking. </p> Wed, 11 Oct 2023 15:32:24 +0000 charly.blais@mcgill.ca 1518329 at /macdonald /macdonald/channels/news/how-can-use-plastics-agriculture-become-more-sustainable-351432 <p>It is impossible to imagine modern agriculture without plastics—12 million tons are used every year. But what about the environmental consequences? An international team of authors, including 69ÈÈÊÓƵ Department of Bioresource Engineering Professor <a href="/bioeng/faculty-and-staff/academic-staff/jan-adamowski">Jan Franklin Adamowski</a> and Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry Associate Professor and Chair <a href="/foodscience/staff-and-research/stephane-bayen">Stéphane Bayen</a>, addresses this question in a recent study.</p> Wed, 27 Sep 2023 20:30:12 +0000 charly.blais@mcgill.ca 1495021 at /macdonald /macdonald/channels/news/climate-change-made-weather-conditions-powered-quebec-fires-twice-likely-scientists-say-350248 <p>The record-setting wildfires that ripped through Quebec this summer were made more likely and more intense by human-caused climate change, according to <a href="http://spiral.imperial.ac.uk/bitstream/10044/1/105981/7/scientific%20report%20-%20Canada%20wildfires.pdf" target="_blank">a new analysis</a> conducted by 16 researchers within the <u>World Weather Attribution group</u>, from universities and meteorological agencies in Canada, the Netherlands, the U.K. and the U.S.</p> Mon, 28 Aug 2023 19:34:08 +0000 charly.blais@mcgill.ca 1416416 at /macdonald /macdonald/channels/news/canadas-devastating-wildfire-season-prompts-calls-new-approach-349685 <p>The wildfires that ravaged Canada this summer have some experts calling for a more aggressive approach than the country has applied in the past. </p> <p>This year, nearly 30 million acres have burned across Canada. In eastern provinces such as Quebec, where blazes are less common, wildfire agencies that are equipped to fight fewer and smaller fires were largely unprepared for the circumstances.</p> Wed, 16 Aug 2023 18:43:28 +0000 charly.blais@mcgill.ca 1384496 at /macdonald /macdonald/channels/news/montreal-looks-boost-lagging-participation-food-waste-collection-349275 <p>All residential buildings in Montreal with under nine units now have brown bins—but only 63 per cent actually sort out their food waste, according to a 2021 survey conducted by the city. Meanwhile, the Lachenaie landfill in Terrebonne—the only landfill in the Montreal area—is set to reach its capacity in 2029.</p> <p>The city says a large-scale food waste awareness campaign will launch later this year to try to boost citizens' participation in separating out organics. </p> Fri, 28 Jul 2023 00:02:35 +0000 charly.blais@mcgill.ca 1369947 at /macdonald /macdonald/channels/news/palm-oil-plantations-and-deforestation-guatemala-certifying-products-sustainable-no-panacea-349274 <p>Palm oil, which can be found in roughly half of all packaged supermarket products, is notorious for causing deforestation and biodiversity loss. Efforts to curtail the damage have largely focused on voluntary environmental certification programs that label qualifying palm-oil sources as "sustainable."</p> Thu, 27 Jul 2023 23:50:15 +0000 charly.blais@mcgill.ca 1369946 at /macdonald /macdonald/channels/news/natural-structures-can-give-rise-stronger-lighter-systems-349220 <p>In a recent multidisciplinary study published in Advanced Science, researchers build upon the principles of biomimicry by drawing inspiration from the wing of a dragonfly to redesign that of a Boeing 777.</p> Wed, 26 Jul 2023 20:29:50 +0000 charly.blais@mcgill.ca 1369835 at /macdonald /macdonald/channels/news/lean-times-hit-vertical-farming-business-349111 <p>Vertical farming, once touted as the future of agriculture, is currently facing a lean period. Challenges in scalability and energy consumption have cast a shadow on this innovative farming method. </p> Tue, 18 Jul 2023 20:12:23 +0000 katherine.maclean@mcgill.ca 1369146 at /macdonald