Nouvelles

Growing out of the 2015 Rockefeller–Lancet Commission on Planetary Health, the new journal The Lance Planetary Health is a monthly, online open access journal that will publish original research, commentaries and correspondence.

A launch of the journal was held on 20 June 2017 at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Dr. Philip Thornton, a CCAFS Flagship Leader, presented a summary of the paper led by Dr. Mario Herrero of CSIRO on the geography of nutrient production (see an earlier blog about that paper here).

The journal’s editor and several academics made introductory remarks, and authors of two other papers in the first issues of the journal gave overviews of their work in addition to Dr. Thornton. A video of the launch is available; Dr. Thornton’s presentation starts at 37:30.

Dr. Thornton’s slides can be seen below. After highlighting the findings of the study, the second to last slide opens the door to further research issues raised as a result of this work. For example, if larger farms are less diverse and produce a lower diversity of nutrients, how can the research for development community and national governments promote sustainable intensification without losing diversity? Another issue of concern, especially to us in CCAFS, is how will climate change affect nutrient production, in terms of both quality and quantity?

These and other research questions need to be explored as we move forward in a world where we need to have a better understanding about the interactions between our own human health and the health of our planet.

Further exploration

• Explore the data presented in Herrero et al.’s paper in two new websites: Environment Reports Food Matters and a Food Matters supplement on diverse farms and diverse foods.
• Read about The Lancet Planetary Health journal
• Read the article by Herrero and co-authors: Farming and the geography of nutrient production for human use: a transdisciplinary analysis