Why wheat genetics matters Wheat is one of the pillars of global food security: it provides about 18–20% of calories and proteins in the human diet worldwide, with much higher shares in North Africa and Western Asia. Understanding how varieties evolve and which tools breeders use is crucial for yields, quality, and the resilience of …
Wheat is not only the raw material for bread, pasta, or pizza: it is also an indicator of how our food system functions. In recent decades, the wheat supply chain has become highly globalized: grains grown in Canada or Ukraine reach Italian mills, flours produced in Europe end up in baked goods in Asia, and …
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However, the growing threat of desertification is compromising the production stability of this strategic crop, with direct implications for food availability and global markets. Desertification, defined by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) as land degradation in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas due to climate factors and human activities, currently covers over …
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When we bring home a loaf of bread, we rarely consider its environmental footprint. Yet behind every kilogram of wheat turned into flour and then into bread lies a well-defined carbon trail. Understanding the climate cost of what we eat is increasingly crucial in a world searching for solutions to the climate crisis. Wheat’s Life …
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Water is a key resource for agricultural production, and wheat-while a relatively drought-resistant crop compared to others-requires significant amounts of water at critical times in its biological cycle. In a context of increasing water scarcity due to climate change and over-exploitation of aquifers, optimizing water use in cereal farming has become not only desirable but …
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Wheat is the foundation of global nutrition: more than 35 percent of the world’s population depends on this grain for their daily caloric intake. However, climate change is putting pressure on this staple crop, with effects increasingly evident in the planet’s major production basins. One of the most significant impacts is the increasing frequency of …
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The global wheat market is not only influenced by production and demand but is also a battlefield of strong geopolitical dynamics, control strategies, and international tensions. Governments, multinational corporations, and investors play key roles in determining access to and pricing of this essential cereal. 1. Wheat as a Geopolitical Weapon In recent years, wheat has …
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Wheat is one of the most important cereals worldwide, serving as a staple food for billions of people and a cornerstone of the global agricultural economy. Its production is influenced by numerous factors, including climate, agricultural policies, international trade, and new technologies. 1. Production and Major Growing Areas Wheat is cultivated on almost every continent, …
Read more “Global Wheat Production: Dynamics, Trends, and Challenges”