news
« BACK
Environment - Agronomy / Food Science - 16.05.2023 
Agricultural intensification is driving a decline in bird populations across Europe
Bird populations across continental Europe have declined by 25% in 40 years, with this figure reaching nearly 60% for species found in agricultural environments. Intensive farming is the main source of pressure linked to declining bird populations. These findings come from the largest and most comprehensive bird study to date in Europe.
Life Sciences - Agronomy / Food Science - 08.02.2023
Health - Agronomy / Food Science - 17.01.2023
Health - Agronomy / Food Science - 16.01.2023 
Protecting the microbiota from the harmful effects of food additives with a bacterium
Emulsifiers are food additives used to improve the texture and extend the shelf life of foods. They are found in many processed foods (ice creams, packaged cakes, sauces..), although their harmful effects on intestinal balance have been demonstrated. In a new study, scientists from Inserm, CNRS and Université Paris Cité at the Cochin Institute in Paris aimed to counteract the deleterious effects induced by the consumption of emulsifiers by fortifying the intestinal epithelium via its repopulation by a bacterium naturally present in the intestine: Akkermansia muciniphila .
Health - Agronomy / Food Science - 08.09.2022 
Artificial Sweeteners: Possible Link to Increased Cardiovascular Disease Risk
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide. Identifying the risk factors associated with these diseases in order to better prevent them represents a real public health challenge. A group of researchers from Inserm, INRAE, Cnam and Université Sorbonne Paris Nord within the Nutritional epidemiology research team (Eren) studied the health impacts of artificial sweetener consumption.
Agronomy / Food Science - Life Sciences - 06.05.2022
Health - Agronomy / Food Science - 24.03.2022 
Artificial Sweeteners: Possible Link to Increased Cancer Risk
Artificial sweeteners are used to reduce the amounts of added sugar in foods and beverages, thereby maintaining sweetness without the extra calories. These products, such as diet sodas, yoghurts and sweetener tablets for drinks, are consumed by millions of people daily. However, the safety of these additives is the subject of debate.
Environment - Agronomy / Food Science - 15.11.2019 
Weed diversity mitigates crop yield losses
Scientists from Inra and the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna (Italy) have shown that not all weed communities (spontaneous vegetation) generate crop yield losses, even in unweeded conditions, and that high weed diversity is associated to a reduced risk of important crop yield losses. Published in Nature Sustainability , these results provide new grounds for sustainable weed management.
Life Sciences - Agronomy / Food Science - 03.09.2019 
The genome of the pea assembled for the first time
An international team * led by researchers from INRA and CEA managed to assemble the first sequence of the pea genome. This study, published on September 2, 2019 , will, in addition to increasing knowledge of this genome compared to that of other legumes, help to improve traits of interest for peas, such as disease resistance, regularity of yield and nutritional value.
Health - Agronomy / Food Science - 12.06.2019
Health - Agronomy / Food Science - 05.06.2019 
Consumption of ultra-processed food and risk of cardiovascular disease
In an article published May 30, 2019 in the British Medical Journal , researchers from Inserm, Inra, Université Paris 13 and Cnam in the Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (EREN) report an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in consumers of ultra-processed foods in the NutriNet-Santé cohort.
Life Sciences - Agronomy / Food Science - 10.01.2019 
Crop plants could now reproduce clonally through seeds
Grown throughout the world, F1 hybrid crop varieties have highly desirable traits. However, they remain expensive to produce. This situation may be about to change. By modifying the expression of certain genes, INRA researchers have created hybrid rice plants whose seeds give rise to offspring that are identical to the mother plant.
Health - Agronomy / Food Science - 17.12.2018 
A diet rich in cheese in early childhood may protect against allergies
A study conducted by the University Hospital of Besançon and INRA shows the protective effect of high cheese consumption from a very young age. For the first time, a link has been established between cheese consumption and the probability of developing food or skin allergic diseases, regardless of the consumption of various other foods (vegetables or fruits, cereals, bread, meat, cake and yogurt) and living conditions in a farm environment (presence and diversity of farm animals).
Health - Agronomy / Food Science - 17.12.2018 
A diet rich in cheese in early childhood could protect against allergies
A study conducted by the University Hospital of Besançon and INRA shows the protective effect of high cheese consumption from a very young age. For the first time, a link has been established between cheese consumption and the probability of developing food or skin allergic diseases, regardless of the consumption of various other foods (vegetables or fruits, cereals, bread, meat, cake and yogurt) and living conditions in a farm environment (presence and diversity of farm animals).
Life Sciences - Agronomy / Food Science - 17.08.2018 
New perspectives to improve wheat: the reference sequence of wheat genome is finally a reality
The International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium (IWGSC), of which INRA is a leading member, published the first wheat genome reference sequence in Science , on 17 August 2018. French research teams from INRA, CEA, and the universities of Clermont-Auvergne, Evry, Paris-Sud and Paris-Saclay contributed to the project, a scientific milestone due to the enormous complexity and size of the genome - five times larger than the human genome and forty times larger than the rice genome.
Innovation - Agronomy / Food Science - 27.06.2018 
Digital technologies and plant production: predict and act
Connected hives, decision-support tools in viticulture, precision spraying, the use of drones, etc.; digital technologies now form part of the daily activities of farmers and presage a new vision for agriculture in the future. On 26 June 2018 in Montpellier, INRA, IRSTEA and the #DigitAg Institute for the Convergence of Digital Agriculture organised the Crossroads for Agricultural Innovation (CIAg) meeting on "Digital Technologies and Plant Production: Predict and Act".
Agronomy / Food Science - Health - 18.06.2018 
When young children learn to eat a wide variety of textures
How do young children aged between 6 and 18 months learn to eat different textures' Which textures do they accept as a function of their age? For the first time in France, INRA scientists working in collaboration with Blédina have studied these questions 1 . They showed that children accepted small quantities of most textures at an earlier age than their parents usually propose them at home.
Environment - Agronomy / Food Science - 24.04.2018 
A clearer understanding of the impact of extreme climate events on wheat yields
France, the major bread-basket for Western Europe, experienced catastrophic yield losses in 2016. Scientists from INRA, CNRS and CEA 1 have shown that in 2016, and in other years, abnormally high temperatures in late autumn accentuated the negative effect on wheat production of excessive rainfall the next spring.
Life Sciences - Agronomy / Food Science - 26.09.2017 
Research and agricultural higher education publications : 1st Rank worldwide in citations for animal and plant science
An exploratory study carried out by Inra inside Agreenium's network enabled to identify French research and agricultural higher education outlines worldwide.
Agronomy / Food Science - Health - 09.05.2017
Agronomy/Food Science
Results 1 - 20 of 28.
Bird populations across continental Europe have declined by 25% in 40 years, with this figure reaching nearly 60% for species found in agricultural environments. Intensive farming is the main source of pressure linked to declining bird populations. These findings come from the largest and most comprehensive bird study to date in Europe.
Discovery of a protein’s key role in plant metabolism
Publication of the RDP in the journal The Plant Cell on February 8, 2023. Press realease of the INRAE on February 8, 2023. Nitrogen is an essential element for plant growth and therefore agricultural production. Understanding how plants assimilate nitrogen is essential for developing sustainable agriculture using less fertiliser.
Publication of the RDP in the journal The Plant Cell on February 8, 2023. Press realease of the INRAE on February 8, 2023. Nitrogen is an essential element for plant growth and therefore agricultural production. Understanding how plants assimilate nitrogen is essential for developing sustainable agriculture using less fertiliser.
Dietary Exposure to Nitrites Associated with Increased Type 2 Diabetes Risk
In addition to their role in food preservation, nitrites and nitrates give a pink color to ham and other processed meat products. © Adobe Stock More than 15,000 packaged products on the French market currently contain nitrites or nitrates. Although commonly used to ensure better preservation of processed meats (ham, sausages, etc.), the safety of these food additives is the subject of debate.
In addition to their role in food preservation, nitrites and nitrates give a pink color to ham and other processed meat products. © Adobe Stock More than 15,000 packaged products on the French market currently contain nitrites or nitrates. Although commonly used to ensure better preservation of processed meats (ham, sausages, etc.), the safety of these food additives is the subject of debate.
Emulsifiers are food additives used to improve the texture and extend the shelf life of foods. They are found in many processed foods (ice creams, packaged cakes, sauces..), although their harmful effects on intestinal balance have been demonstrated. In a new study, scientists from Inserm, CNRS and Université Paris Cité at the Cochin Institute in Paris aimed to counteract the deleterious effects induced by the consumption of emulsifiers by fortifying the intestinal epithelium via its repopulation by a bacterium naturally present in the intestine: Akkermansia muciniphila .
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide. Identifying the risk factors associated with these diseases in order to better prevent them represents a real public health challenge. A group of researchers from Inserm, INRAE, Cnam and Université Sorbonne Paris Nord within the Nutritional epidemiology research team (Eren) studied the health impacts of artificial sweetener consumption.
The origin of domestic sheep finally elucidated
Publication of the IGFL in the journal Animal genetics on March 14, 2022. CNRS-INEE communication on May 3, 2022. We investigated the controversial origin of domestic sheep ( Ovis aries ) using large samples of contemporary and ancient domestic individuals and their closest wild relatives: the Asiatic mouflon ( Ovis gmelini ), the urial ( Ovis vignei ) and the argali ( Ovis ammon ).
Publication of the IGFL in the journal Animal genetics on March 14, 2022. CNRS-INEE communication on May 3, 2022. We investigated the controversial origin of domestic sheep ( Ovis aries ) using large samples of contemporary and ancient domestic individuals and their closest wild relatives: the Asiatic mouflon ( Ovis gmelini ), the urial ( Ovis vignei ) and the argali ( Ovis ammon ).
Artificial sweeteners are used to reduce the amounts of added sugar in foods and beverages, thereby maintaining sweetness without the extra calories. These products, such as diet sodas, yoghurts and sweetener tablets for drinks, are consumed by millions of people daily. However, the safety of these additives is the subject of debate.
Scientists from Inra and the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna (Italy) have shown that not all weed communities (spontaneous vegetation) generate crop yield losses, even in unweeded conditions, and that high weed diversity is associated to a reduced risk of important crop yield losses. Published in Nature Sustainability , these results provide new grounds for sustainable weed management.
An international team * led by researchers from INRA and CEA managed to assemble the first sequence of the pea genome. This study, published on September 2, 2019 , will, in addition to increasing knowledge of this genome compared to that of other legumes, help to improve traits of interest for peas, such as disease resistance, regularity of yield and nutritional value.
The natural lipids in buttermilk could contribute to reducing cardiovascular risk in vulnerable populations
A French consortium led by INRA, in collaboration with INSERM, the Universities of Lyon and Clermont Auvergne, Lyon Civil Hospitals and the Human Nutrition Research Centres (CRNH) of Rhône-Alpes and Auvergne, have now demonstrated that consuming certain lipids present naturally in dairy products (called "polar lipids") could reduce the cardiovascular risk in overweight postmenopausal women by lowering their blood levels of LDL-cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol) and triglycerides.
A French consortium led by INRA, in collaboration with INSERM, the Universities of Lyon and Clermont Auvergne, Lyon Civil Hospitals and the Human Nutrition Research Centres (CRNH) of Rhône-Alpes and Auvergne, have now demonstrated that consuming certain lipids present naturally in dairy products (called "polar lipids") could reduce the cardiovascular risk in overweight postmenopausal women by lowering their blood levels of LDL-cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol) and triglycerides.
In an article published May 30, 2019 in the British Medical Journal , researchers from Inserm, Inra, Université Paris 13 and Cnam in the Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (EREN) report an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in consumers of ultra-processed foods in the NutriNet-Santé cohort.
Grown throughout the world, F1 hybrid crop varieties have highly desirable traits. However, they remain expensive to produce. This situation may be about to change. By modifying the expression of certain genes, INRA researchers have created hybrid rice plants whose seeds give rise to offspring that are identical to the mother plant.
A study conducted by the University Hospital of Besançon and INRA shows the protective effect of high cheese consumption from a very young age. For the first time, a link has been established between cheese consumption and the probability of developing food or skin allergic diseases, regardless of the consumption of various other foods (vegetables or fruits, cereals, bread, meat, cake and yogurt) and living conditions in a farm environment (presence and diversity of farm animals).
A study conducted by the University Hospital of Besançon and INRA shows the protective effect of high cheese consumption from a very young age. For the first time, a link has been established between cheese consumption and the probability of developing food or skin allergic diseases, regardless of the consumption of various other foods (vegetables or fruits, cereals, bread, meat, cake and yogurt) and living conditions in a farm environment (presence and diversity of farm animals).
The International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium (IWGSC), of which INRA is a leading member, published the first wheat genome reference sequence in Science , on 17 August 2018. French research teams from INRA, CEA, and the universities of Clermont-Auvergne, Evry, Paris-Sud and Paris-Saclay contributed to the project, a scientific milestone due to the enormous complexity and size of the genome - five times larger than the human genome and forty times larger than the rice genome.
Connected hives, decision-support tools in viticulture, precision spraying, the use of drones, etc.; digital technologies now form part of the daily activities of farmers and presage a new vision for agriculture in the future. On 26 June 2018 in Montpellier, INRA, IRSTEA and the #DigitAg Institute for the Convergence of Digital Agriculture organised the Crossroads for Agricultural Innovation (CIAg) meeting on "Digital Technologies and Plant Production: Predict and Act".
How do young children aged between 6 and 18 months learn to eat different textures' Which textures do they accept as a function of their age? For the first time in France, INRA scientists working in collaboration with Blédina have studied these questions 1 . They showed that children accepted small quantities of most textures at an earlier age than their parents usually propose them at home.
France, the major bread-basket for Western Europe, experienced catastrophic yield losses in 2016. Scientists from INRA, CNRS and CEA 1 have shown that in 2016, and in other years, abnormally high temperatures in late autumn accentuated the negative effect on wheat production of excessive rainfall the next spring.
An exploratory study carried out by Inra inside Agreenium's network enabled to identify French research and agricultural higher education outlines worldwide.
Organic pollutants and obesity are not a good combination
A team of researchers from Prof. Robert Barouki's Inserm unit (Inserm Unit 1124/Université Paris Descartes), led by Prof. Xavier Coumoul, has recently shown that the Seveso dioxin, an organic pollutant found in our food and in the atmosphere, causes liver damage in mice fed a high-fat diet.
A team of researchers from Prof. Robert Barouki's Inserm unit (Inserm Unit 1124/Université Paris Descartes), led by Prof. Xavier Coumoul, has recently shown that the Seveso dioxin, an organic pollutant found in our food and in the atmosphere, causes liver damage in mice fed a high-fat diet.
