Featured Research: Sustainability

Video

Pine Tree Pest Biocontrol

Our economies and our ecosystems rely heavily on trees. This means that the health of our planet depends on the health of our forests. Yet now, more than ever before, many trees are sick and dying because of pests and the diseases they cause, and worryingly, plantation forests are even more at risk than natural forests. In fact, 110 million ha of plantation forests globally are currently under...

Talking Point

Why the African food basket should be full of beans and other pulses

On December 20 2013, the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly passed an adopted resolution declaring 2016 the International Year of the Pulse.

Story

Livestock protein supplement of the future

Fly maggots can be used to reduce organic waste products that are a source of pollution and costly to manage, while simultaneously producing a cheap and sustainable source of protein.

Story

How social media can encourage energy efficiency

Ms Uduakobong Ekpenyong had never thought of having deep-fried ice-cream. Until a friend recommended it to her, that is. This simple endorsement of a snack by a close peer was the inspiration behind Ekpenyong's PhD research on the use of social networks in energy-efficiency projects.

Stories

Traditional knowledge to enhance modern medicine

An estimated 20 000 plant species are used medicinally today and a number of ingredients commonly used in modern medicine to treat serious diseases, originate from plant-based traditional medicine.

Story

Informal settlements: looking at the bigger picture

'I have lived in an informal settlement. I have visited a number of settlements. I have seen how poverty can strip my fellow humans of dignity.'