There is no minimum consumption of alcoholic beverages that is ‘safe’ for health

The consumption of alcohol can cause at least seven different types of cancer, even if only small amounts are consumed. The most affected areas are the mouth and throat, larynx, oesophagus, colorectum, liver and breast (in women). This was reconfirmed by the US Surgeon General in January 2025 but in Italy social pressure is put on those who do not drink

The winter of Brexit

The UK’s trade in goods has fallen by 10% since 2019, while that of the other G7 countries has grown by 5%. And eight years after Bexit, we know the result: an isolated country with ‘amputated’ growth, a stifled healthcare system, Northern Ireland wanting secession… the promise to regain control over immigration has ended with the number of incoming foreigners doubling

Quick Take — Extra virgin oil of dubious origin supplied to Milanese police and army canteens. Alleged fraud in public supply and forgery. Involved the Penny brand

The Sapio and Ladisa companies were supposed to have supplied extra virgin olive oil, also of EU origin, from organic farming ‘for at least 60 per cent’ to the state police, and oil ‘obtained exclusively from domestic olives of any cultivar’ for at least 40 per cent from organic farming for the armed forces. But, this is the thesis of the Milan Public Prosecutor’s Office, the oil actually supplied would have been very different, of German origin (from the discount chain Penny Market, see photo below). Source

We are and remain the country of the clever : Maxi tomato fraud: the BBC scoop on British supermarkets and the Petti group

Compiled 19 December, updated 20 December 2024

Quick Take — Lack of coordination on issues concerning agriculture, energy and fisheries generate GDP losses of $25 trillion/year

their actions fuel interconnected crises in nature, climate and human health, according to an international report on biodiversity science policy For example, unsustainable agricultural practices may increase yields in the short term, but overuse of chemical inputs causes runoff pollution, which damages downstream water quality and increases human health burdens, including water-borne diseases… Biodiversity is declining at a rate of between 2 and 6 per cent per decade, weakening ecosystems that underpin food security and climate resilience, according to IPBES scientists. In addition, extreme weather events related to climate change have caused 12,000 disasters in the last 50 years, causing $4.3 trillion in damage, with 90 per cent of the effects falling on low-income countries.