#FoodAndAgriculture

Scientists may have found a smarter, safer way to wipe out termites hiding inside homes. A chemical called bistrifluron prevents drywood termites from forming new exoskeletons during molting, killing entire colonies from within.…

Fur seals may look like they’re simply resting after exhausting hunting trips at sea, but their bodies are secretly working overtime. Scientists discovered that hours after returning to land, the seals’ heart rates suddenly surge — sometimes doubling — as…

Oak trees have a surprising trick to fight back against hungry caterpillars: they simply wait. When trees are heavily attacked one year, they delay leaf growth by just three days the next spring—long enough to leave newly hatched caterpillars with nothing…

A surprising genetic twist shows that boosting a seemingly ordinary “housekeeping” gene can dramatically improve fruit quality without any trade-offs.…

The famous mezcal “worm” has long puzzled scientists, but DNA testing has finally cracked the case. Researchers found that all sampled larvae were actually agave redworm moth caterpillars—not a mix of species as once believed.…

The golden oyster mushroom may be a culinary hit, but it’s becoming an ecological problem. Scientists warn it’s spreading quickly through U.S. forests, where it outcompetes native fungi and reduces biodiversity.…

Diversity reigns across the farmland of Yunlin County in southwestern Taiwan—a region that produces an array of crops on small farms.

A unique hybrid honeybee thriving in Southern California may hold a powerful clue to saving struggling bee populations. While U.S. beekeepers are losing massive numbers of colonies—largely due to destructive Varroa mites—a locally adapted mix of feral and…

Caffeine doesn’t just perk up humans—it can sharpen ants’ minds too. Invasive Argentine ants given caffeinated sugar learned to find food much more efficiently, taking straighter paths and reducing travel time by up to 38%.…

*In 2026, members of the Society for the Anthropology of Food and Nutrition are writing for Anthropology News on the theme of temporality in food anthropology.