In today’s talking points: China pushes supply-side structural reform in agriculture; Study finds that kids with “obesity gene” responds more strongly to fast food ads; China: scientists to develop high-yield sea rice; Australian researchers to release peanut allergies cure.
China pushes supply-side structural reform in agriculture
Chinese President Xi Jinping marked during the meeting of Political Bureau Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee that new growth engines in supply-side structural reform in agriculture at rural areas will be optimised to improve productivity, quality and competitiveness in 2017. Government and market will coordinate to guide agricultural production and improve product mix, especially ensuring national food security. The ultimate goal is to reduce poverty of rural households, promote innovation and entrepreneurship in rural areas, facilitate modernization and urbanization. China is likely to fulfill the target of 10 million people out of poverty this year, which is a good start for lifting all its poor out of poverty by 2020.
Read more at Xinhua.
Study finds that kids with “obesity gene” responds more strongly to fast food ads
According to the new study, fast-mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene influences brain response to food advertisements on television, which helps us to understand why some children are more likely to overeat fast food. The nucleus accumbens, a region in brain linked to reward craving, is larger in those kids with FTO genotype and prompts stronger response to unhealthy food commercials. It suggests that limiting fast food TV commercials is an effective way to combat children obesity.
Read more at Xinhua.
China: scientists to develop high-yield sea rice
The research team led by Yuan Longping, renowned as “father of hybrid rice”, plans to develop a breed that can tolerate water up to o.8% salinity, yielding more than 300 kilograms per mu (a Chinese unit equivalent to 666 square meters). 60% of Chinese relies on rice as their staple food and 1 billion mu of soil is needed to convert into arable land. The research centre in Qingdao, Shandong Province, was brought sea rice from worldwide. Scientists have worked on new approaches to significantly increase rice yields for over a decade and will use gene sequencing technology to cultivate new strains of sea rice continuously.
Read more at People.
Australian researchers to release peanut allergies cure
After receiving a substantial grant to make vaccine commercially, Australian researchers from Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) in Melbourne steps closer to cure for peanut allergies. Paul Kelly, managing director of OneVentures invested US$6 million and remarked that the marketable treatment for peanut allergies could have tremendous global impact. 82% of children in trials improved tolerance to peanuts five weeks after bestowing 2 grams of peanut along with daily doses of probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus. 20% of Australians have at least one allergy due to lack of vitamin D and not being introduced to different food groups earlier in their life. This finding will completely change the life of those people.
Read more at Xinhua.