The Month in a Minute: November 2024

Avian influenza is confirmed in poultry in England, and in British Columbia a teen with avian flu is in critical condition, with the virus that infected the teen showing mutations that could make it easier to infect people. Meanwhile, global biodiversity and conservation summit COP16 ended with critical topics left undecided and promises unmet.

Plus: 

Cultivated quail foie gras is debuted by Vow, a company from Australia. Israeli company Forsea has made advancements on cultivated eel.

A new life cycle assessment by the Good Food Institute finds that plant-based meat reduces impact on global warming by 94 percent compared to beef, 88 percent compared to pork and 67  percent compared to chicken.

In Sonoma County, California and Denver, Colorado, voters rejected proposals to ban factory farming.

Here are more headlines that caught our attention this month:

Agriculture

The Union of Concerned Scientists says that a second Trump presidency will support big agribusiness and that tariffs could lead to more expensive groceries. 

Farmers in the Hudson Valley in New York are worried that drought conditions will prevent seeds from germinating.

Climate

Windy and warm weather in the Texan panhandle is raising the wildfire risk.

Elon Musk may help expand Donald Trump’s views on climate change. 

Health

46 confirmed human cases of bird flu, including cases where the contagion source is unknown, is raising alarm bells for public health officials. 

A boy in California with no known contact to infected animals tested positive for bird flu as recently as November 19th. 

Law & Justice

Florida passed a bill that enshrines a right to hunt and fish, and the preferred method to control and manage fish and wildlife.

12 state and local ballot initiatives totaling over $18 billion passed, signaling some wins for fire prevention and clean water projects. 

Future of Food

Beyond Meat is settling a lawsuit where plaintiffs alleged that it exaggerated the amount of protein in their products.

For food security, eating less meat could be the answer, according to a new report. 

From Sentient

Avian flu is spreading and the raw milk trend could make it worse.

Leftover Halloween candy is often fed to farm animals as a way for the industry to tout its sustainability, but there’s more to the story.

On Joe Rogan’s podcast, Elon Musk spread climate misinformation.