Subscribe
agriculture
Environment / 5 hours ago
The water behind your T-shirt: One cotton tee uses as much water as you drink in 2½ years
When you pick up a simple cotton T-shirt, you probably don’t think about water. But behind that soft, everyday fabric is surprisingly 2,700 litres of fresh water. When you pick up a simple cotton T-shirt, you probably don’t think about water. But behind that soft, everyday fabric is surprisingly 2,700 litres of fresh water. That’s how much it takes to grow the cotton, process it, and make just one T-shirt. To put that in perspective, that’s roughly the amount of water a person drinks in about two and a half years.
Business / 1 week ago
China dominates global apple market
The world’s appetite for apples continues to grow, and at the centre of this fruity boom is China. According to a recent graphic showing the world’s largest apple producers, China alone is estimated to cultivate around 48 million metric tonnes of apples in 2024, by far the largest single-country output. That figure is backed by the United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS), which, in its “China: Fresh Deciduous Fruit Annual” report, estimates China’s apple production at approximately 48 MMT for the marketing year 2024/25.
Business / 1 week ago
Global wheat consumption hits record levels as demand surges across Asia and Europe
Global wheat consumption is climbing to record highs, according to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). The 2024/25 season is expected to see both production and demand increase, led by strong harvests in Asia and Europe. Wheat, one of the world’s most essential grains, remains a critical part of diets across continents, from bread and noodles to cereals and animal feed, and current figures show no sign of slowing demand. China stands as the world’s largest wheat consumer, using about 148 million metric tonnes annually.
Business / 2 weeks ago
The world’s top 10 wheat producers in 2025
According to the Foreign Agricultural Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), global wheat production has reached a remarkable milestone this season. The European Union (EU) and China are tied at the top, each producing around 140 million metric tonnes of wheat, solidifying their status as the world’s wheat powerhouses.
Business / 4 weeks ago
India leads global banana production but climate, trade tensions threaten the market
India has cemented its dominance as the world’s top banana producer, yielding 34.5 million tonnes in 2022, nearly triple that of China (12.1 mt) and far surpassing Indonesia (9.2 mt), Nigeria (8 mt), and Brazil (6.8 mt), according to FAO data. Despite this overwhelming lead, global banana markets are facing turbulence—from extreme weather to rising trade frictions and disease outbreaks.
World / 8 weeks ago
South America set for record soybean harvest as Brazil leads the charge
South America, the engine room of global soybean production, is gearing up for what could be a record-breaking harvest. The region, responsible for more than half of the world’s soybean supply, is showing renewed strength, led by Brazil’s extraordinary output and Argentina’s resilience despite challenging weather conditions. According to the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois, Brazil is expected to produce around 6,150 million bushels of soybeans in the 2024/25 season, up from 5,428 million the previous year, cementing its position as the undisputed global leader.
World / 9 weeks ago
India surpasses China to become the new rice powerhouse
For decades, China held the top spot in global rice production. But data is now showing a pivotal shift: India has overtaken China, producing an estimated 150 million metric tons of rice in the 2024–25 marketing year, about 27–28% of global output, according to the USDA. At the same time, China trails closely behind, producing around 145 million metric tons. This shift comes on the heels of record-breaking harvests and a boom in acreage. The USDA’s World Agricultural Outlook Board highlights that India has expanded its harvested rice area to 50–51 million hectares, delivering yields that are among the highest seen, driven by favourable monsoon rains, government support via minimum support prices (MSP), and high-performing seed varieties.
Maps / 12 weeks ago
Java Island’s population surpasses most countries in the world
Home to over 156 million people, Java is the most populated island on Earth, surpassing the populations of nearly every country worldwide. According to population data compiled by The World in Maps, Java’s population exceeds that of entire nations such as Russia, Japan, Mexico, and Egypt. Only a handful of countries—including China, India, the United States, Brazil, Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Indonesia—have more people than this single Indonesian island.
