Solution (b)

The Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) food price index was introduced in 1996 as a public good to help in monitoring developments in the global agricultural commodity markets.

The FAO Food Price Index (FFPI) is a measure of the monthly change in international prices of a basket of food commodities.

It measures changes for a basket of cereals, oilseeds, dairy products, meat and sugar.

Base Period: 2014-16.

Article Link: UN: Cost of food rises at fastest pace in over a decade

Solution (c)

‘Sea snot’ is marine mucilage that is formed when algae are overloaded with nutrients as a result of water pollution combined with the effects of climate change. The nutrient overload occurs when algae feast on warm weather caused by global warming.

Overproduction of phytoplankton caused by climate change and the uncontrolled dumping of household and industrial waste into the seas has leads to the formation of Sea snot.

Concerns: 

• Threat to the Marine Ecosystem
• Affect livelihood of Fishermen 
• Cause an outbreak of Water-borne Diseases

Article Link: What is the ‘sea snot’ outbreak in Turkey, and what effect can it have on the marine ecosystem?

Solution (d)

‘Ecosystem Restoration for people, nature and climate’ report was recently published by the United Nations environment programme (UNEP). 

The report has been published in Association with Food and Agriculture Organisation for UN Decade on ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030.

Findings of the report:

• Around one third of the world’s farmland is degraded,
• About 87 per cent of inland wetlands worldwide have disappeared since 1700, and
• One third of commercial fish species are overexploited.
• Degradation is already affecting the well-being of an estimated 3.2 billion people – that is 40 per cent of the world’s population.
• Every single year, we lose ecosystem services worth more than 10 per cent of our global economic output.
• If we can manage to reverse this trend, massive gains await us.
• Reviving ecosystems and other natural solutions could contribute over one third of the total climate mitigation needed by 2030.
• Restoration can also curb the risk of mass species extinctions and future pandemics.
• Agroforestry alone could increase food security for 1.3 billion people.
• Restoration on a global scale requires sustained investments.

Article Link: Ecosystem Restoration for People, Nature and Climate – UNEP synthesis report launched

Solution (d)

Recently, the target of 20 per cent ethanol blended petrol has been advanced by five years from 2030 to 2025 by the Government of India.

In 2020, India had set a target of 10 per cent ethanol-blending in petrol by 2022 and 10 per cent ethanol-blending in diesel by 2030.

Currently, 8.5 per cent of ethanol is blended with petrol in the country. This has led to procurement of 320 crore litres of ethanol. The government has claimed Rs 21,000 crores was generated from ethanol procurement, helping farmers earn an additional income.

Sugarcane (87 per cent), residues of rice and wheat are the main sources of ethanol used for blending.

Ethanol blending reduces vehicular pollution and agricultural waste pollution. It can also cut down India’s oil imports, as it is the world’s third-biggest oil importer.

Article Link: India’s 20% ethanol-petrol blending target advanced to 2025

Solution (a)

Operation Pangea, is an international effort of Interpol to disrupt the online sale of counterfeit and illicit health products. Pangea also works to raise awareness of the risks associated with buying medicines from unregulated websites.

The first Operation Pangea was conducted in 2008.

Central Bureau of Investigation is the nodal body for the Interpol in the country.

Article Link: Over 1 lakh web links removed in global crackdown on illegal medical trade