This is the first of a series of videos explaining the basic facts about climate change, its causes and consequences. It is produced by GreenFacts , an organisation dedicated to publishing accessible and peer-reviewed summaries of major international scientific documents independent experts.

In this commentary in Independent Science News researchers at University Pierre and Marie Curie/CNRS -National Center for Scientific Research in France discuss the concept of food sovereignty and whether or not it potentially provides a feasible and sustainable solution to feed the rural poor.

Nine new leading companies join the likes of Ikea and M&S as part of the RE100 global campaign for low-carbon business. This global campaign encourages businesses to source energy from 100% renewable sources.

This International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) report looks into the dilemma facing developing countries and emerging economies in deciding whether they should favour local over global food chains. Using case studies from Senegal and Peru this paper shows a new and complex reality that challenges ideological views about re-localising food production and consumption. It analyses national policies and food chain practices of increasingly globalised markets, and shows that in both countries local food chains are complementary rather than an alternative to imported food.

This paper by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future (CLF) suggests that as much as 47 percent of the edible U.S. seafood supply is lost each year.  The paper shows that the majority of the waste is produced mainly at the consumer stage. The waste issue adds another layer of pressure on fish stocks and the global seafood supply that are already seriously threatened by overfishing, climate change, pollution, habitat destruction and the use of fish for other purposes besides human consumption.

An interesting article demonstrating the rebound effect resulting from increasing energy efficiency in the road freight transport sector in Portugal. Matos F J F and Silva F J F (2011). Energy Policy. The rebound effect on road freight transport: Evidence from Portugal, 39, 5, 2833-2841

A row over its Arctic drilling programme has culminated in oil giant Shell leaving the Prince of Wales's Corporate Leaders Group.  This is a network of European business leaders advocating for climate action including GlaxoSmithKline, Tesco and Unilever.

Officials in Mumbai have imposed a four day ban on the slaughter and sale of meat. The ban was introduced after increasing pressure from the vegetarian Jain community - a financially very powerful community in the Indian state of Maharashtra.

Globally, despite the global Avian Flu (AI) challenge, the margin outlook for the global poultry industry is still strong according to this Rabobank Poultry Quarterly Q3 report.