collapse

The California peach industry has suffered an unprecedented collapse. But it will be repeated, it will be repeated a lot, it will be repeated all over the world

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Richard Lial He lived peacefully in his little house in Escalonnorthern California. He had acres and acres of productive almond trees that he had been exploiting for the last decade. But three years ago, just when costs began to become unsustainable, Del Monte (one of the largest fruit and vegetable companies in the world) made him an offer. A 20-year contract for Lial to exchange its almond trees for the peaches that the company’s large cannery in Modesto needed. Del Monte’s move put on the table some 550 million over the next few years and a business of tens of thousands of tons per season. The problem is that on July 1, 2025, Del Monte Food Corp declared bankruptcythe Modesto plant has closed and, with it, the entire Californian peach industry has collapsed. What exactly happened? Del Monte accumulated a debt of 1,245 million dollars on the day they filed the bankruptcy petition. And the reason is simple: in recent years, the company had been going into debt to make certain purchases in a sector that was in full decline. Today, the world consumes less canned goods and Del Monte executives believed that the only way to survive was to grow and ensure margins. The problem is that, with the rate increase in the months prior to the bankruptcy declaration, interest had doubled to the point of eating into the operating margin (a margin already quite affected by things like Trump’s tariffs that had made cans more expensive). The chaos has lasted for many months, but on February 6 the courts approved the sale of the company in parts. Peach growers breathed easy until they discovered that none of the buyers wanted the plant of Modesto. And why is that plant so important? Well, because Del Monte did not ask farmers to plant the peach they wanted. They were asked to plant the clingstone variety: a peach that simply has no fresh market. The pulp of the clingstone adheres to the bone and makes direct consumption uncomfortable. That is, it is a variety whose only destination is processors. In this case, the Modesto plant consumed 35% of the production of this stone fruit, about 50,000 tons in 2026. They are, to be honest, 50,000 tons that are now almost impossible to place anywhere. But the problem transcends 2026… Because the contracts that Del Monte I was signing Until a few months before the bankruptcy, they forced farmers to make investments of around $8,000 per acre in exchange for the peace of mind that comes with a 20-year contract. They went into debt for it. Many made the transition in 2023. So there are about 140 Californian farmers fgame era and some 1,200 jobs will be lost. But the impact is deeper. And it is not that talking about ‘sector cataclysm’ is not justified, it is that the central issue is the structural dependency that the dynamics of the primary sector are pushing the economy towards. …and that transcends even the peach. Because it doesn’t matter what product we look at: the consequences of financialization are there. It is enough to remember that in 2015 there were only 45 funds specialized in ‘agrobusiness’ in the world; Today they exceed 1,000 and move an enormous amount of money that is radically changed the way everything is managed. The rresult is as simple as it is tragic: Capital arrives, exploits the land as if there were no tomorrow, exhausts the territory’s resources, abuses the local socio-productive fabric and leaves. One day we will realize that there will be nothing left. Image | Ayla Meinberg In Xataka | Spain faces its greatest agricultural challenge of the century: converting 1,901,529 hectares of olive groves into irrigation before it is too late

The world has been fascinated by the collapse of the Mayans for decades. In reality, almost everything we thought we knew was wrong.

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They cultivated fields, raised livestock, built some of the most amazing buildings on the planet, developed a rich culture that included advanced astronomical knowledge that still intrigue today to the experts. The Mayans are one of the most fascinating civilizations on the planet. And rightly so. Without it it is impossible to tell the history of Central America. However, little by little and as technology allows us to delve into their secrets, we begin to understand something: much of what we thought we knew about the Mayans was wrong. And that includes its collapse. What happened to the Mayans? The question is very simple. His answer not so much anymore. As our knowledge of the Mayan civilization has expanded (thanks to resources such as LiDAR technology) has also mutated the idea that historians had of its decline. I remembered it recently in Guardian Marcus Haraldsson remembering what we know about Tikalone of the largest urban centers of the Mayans, located in what is now Guatemala. “Sudden and disastrous”? The most recent stele located at the site dates back to the year 869 ADwhich leaves the question of what happened in Tikal from that date on. For a time historians assessed the possibility of a “sudden and disastrous” collapse that marked its fate; But today that explanation seems increasingly distant. Now experts are leaning towards another option: a broad period of decline of around 200 years during which farmers moved north and south and powerful urban centers were abandoned in favor of settlements such as Chichén Itzá, Uxmal or Mayapán, towards the north of the Yucatán Peninsula. There is even talk of the period Classic Terminalwhich goes from the years 750 to 1050. Changing perspective. This perspective has been adapted over the decades and goes beyond the period of decline of the Mayan civilization. “We are no longer really talking about collapse, but about decline, transformation and reorganization of society, as well as a continuity of culture,” comment to Guardian Kenneth E. Seligson, associate professor of archeology at California State University (CSU). “There have been several similar changes in places like Rome. (But) we rarely talk about the great Roman collapse anymore because they re-emerged in various forms, just like the Mayans.” But… What happened? What exactly happened for many of the main Mayan settlements (not all) to begin to collapse towards the 9th and 10th centuries It remains a complex and highly discussed topic. Today the authors point out a combination of factors including changes in trade routes, adverse weather, severe and prolonged droughts and wars, among others. The truth is that in the middle of 2026, researchers continue collecting clues that helps us clear up unknowns about that period. The importance of water. You don’t have to go far back to read new discoveries that tell us precisely about the collapse of the Mayan civilization. Last August a group of scientists published a article in which they basically emphasized the “important role” that “prolonged droughts” played in the Mayan decline. For their study, the researchers analyzed a stalagmite located in a cave in the Yucatan, a true geological and archaeological treasure if its oxygen isotopes are analyzed. The examination revealed a series of periods of severe drought between 871 and 1021, during the Terminal Classic, stages marked by water shortages during which the Mayans found it “extremely difficult” to grow their crops. It may seem exaggerated, but the study revealed eight droughts during the rainy season that lasted at least three years. Not only that. The longest drought lasted about 13 years. Other previous studies, carried out from sediments collected in the Chichankanab lagoon or stalactites rescued in Belizehad already suggested the role that climate played in the Mayan collapse. Question of droughts (and something else). Months after that study, in November, Benjamin Gwinneth, from the Université de Montréal (UdeM), published another that helps complete the ‘photo’. The Canadian institution recalls that between 750 and 900 AD the population of the Mayan lowlands suffered “a significant demographic and political decline” that coincided with “episodes of intense drought.” What Gwinneth’s work questions is whether this collapse is explained only by the lack of water. Curiously, their research is also based on the analysis of sediment samples dating back to around 3,300 years ago. And what exactly did he do? Gwinneth dedicated himself to analyzing samples taken from Laguna Itzán, in present-day Guatemala, near an archaeological site Maya. To be precise, they focused on three “geochemical indicators” that reveal the evolution of fires, vegetation and population density in the area (something they estimate thanks to fecal stanols) for thousands of years. The first conclusion they obtained is that the first settlements appeared in the area 3,200 years ago and for centuries the Mayans cultivated, burned to clear forests and used the ashes as natural fertilizer. It also gradually increased the population of the area. Over time they even changed their “agricultural strategy”, dispensing with fire. A “stable” climate. The second conclusion (and this is the interesting part) is that, unlike Mayan populations located further north that did suffer “devastating droughts”, in Itzán the climate was relatively “stable” thanks in part to its geographical location, near the Cordillera. Curiously, that did not free Itzán from the crisis that they suffered in other areas of the Mayan world. The question is obvious: Why? If it kept raining there, what dragged them into the crisis? “Although there was no drought in the area, the population decreased during the Terminal Classic period. Indicators show a drastic drop, traces of agriculture disappear and the site was abandoned,” Gwinneth points out.which recalls that some archaeologists place the beginning of the Mayan collapse in the Itzán area. Why is it important? Because it suggests that drought (no matter how stubborn) is not enough on its own to explain the Mayan decline. “The answer lies in the interconnection of Mayan societies,” reflects the expert. “Cities did not exist in isolation. They formed a complex network of commercial ties, … Read more

is not to collapse the road

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Although each mega-construction that occurs always represents a technical challenge, doing so on one of the busiest points in Spain makes the process even more difficult. The one of Sales Park aims to build a park of more than 16,000 square meters on 16 traffic lanes at the point with the highest vehicle intensity in Spain. Hence the challenge, since the operation must advance without collapsing Madrid. Night operations. Raising a 197-meter structure supported by 128 pillars on the M-30 is complex, but feasible. Just like they count From El Mundo, the truly complicated thing is to do it without paralyzing the traffic of a city of more than three million inhabitants. Javier Nájera, head of the City Council’s structures service, told the media that working on that stretch during the day could cause traffic jams of up to 14 hours a day. That is why they decided to concentrate the most critical works in summer, when traffic intensity drops by 40%, and carry out the most delicate operations at night. Technical challenge. At night, two cranes weighing more than 500 tons take position on the M-30 to advance the construction process. According to counted Nájera in the middle, nothing more than the assembly of these cranes requires about four hours, but they are very useful for lifting concrete beams of up to 200 tons and 40 meters in length. The structure requires 96 of these beams, and at six in the morning of each day worked, everything must be collected as if nothing had happened so as not to hinder traffic. Huge beams that force a plant to close. The beams arrive from factories in Rivas Vaciamadrid and Seville. According to what they tell the media, this is because the Community of Madrid does not have more production capacity for this type of structural elements. Manufacturing a single beam of these characteristics requires the complete closure of an industrial plant. Nájera tells El Mundo that transportation from Andalusia is more expensive, but it would be unfeasible to produce them in a single factory for the pace they need. Rehabilitation. During the initial excavation, pools of water appeared on the hard ground that were not foreseen in the geotechnical studies, Nájera told the outlet. The work had to be readjusted on the fly. Unforeseen events are common in this type of construction, but when working on the main traffic artery in Spain, each day of delay multiplies their impact. In fact, the start of construction on the last day of June coincided with several accidents that caused significant delays, a brief reminder of how tight the margin of error can be. Prepare the land for 1,060 trees. The future platform will support 110,031 tons, including permanent loads and intended uses. Najera account that would resist even the passage of tanks crossing from one side to the other. For the park to function, a triple layer of waterproofing will be installed with asphalt sheets, anti-root meshes and a system of aeration cells so that the trees can grow and develop without problems. The same method was also used in Madrid Río. Eight walkways to save centuries-old cedars. The intention is to connect both banks of the M-30 through eight pedestrian walkways that will meander to avoid damaging the ancient cedars. These walkways will connect the Quinta de la Fuente del Berro park with the green area of ​​Ciudad Lineal, a corridor that would benefit more than 140,000 residents. The lanes are now open, but a lot of work remains. The M-30 recovered all its lanes operational a month and a half in advance of what was planned. Traffic effects are now limited to nighttime hours, although speed is still limited to 50 km/h on this stretch. Of the 128 piles that will support the roof, 73 have already been installed, and the first transverse beams began to be placed at the end of November. With an investment of 78.9 million euros, the project is scheduled to be completed by spring 2027. What comes next. Once the main structure is completed, the installation of the garden areas, playgrounds, calisthenics elements, a small outdoor auditorium, kiosks and LED lighting systems will begin. Of course, until the park shows its first trees, there is still work to do. Cover image | Google Maps In Xataka | The collapse of the most famous bridge in history not only ended the life of a dog: it also changed engineering forever

AEMET confirms a collapse and snow at 1,000 meters to start Christmas

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If you thought you had too much of a coat this week, now you’re going to have to think twice. After a few marked days due to unusually mild temperatures for mid-Decemberthe weather is going to change radically with the arrival of the peak days of Christmas. A thermal collapse. So far, the month of December has seen some really warm days where you could easily be out in the sun without a jacket. This is something that has been seen especially in parts of the Mediterranean, Almería and even in the Cantabrian Sea with thermometers that have reached to touch 20 degrees. However, it already has an expiration date. Starting on December 21, coinciding with the official start of astronomical winter, a notable thermal drop is expected. According to AEMET itself This change will not be gradual, but will feel like a drastic collapse in thermometers by this polar jet that arrives from the north that will leave minimum temperatures in the negative and that in general will cause a thermal drop of 3-5ºC. Precipitation map for Sunday, December 21 | Source: AEMET Rain and snow. Before the great drop in temperatures, we will see abundant rains in our territory due to the entry of a new front from the Atlantic. This will mean that this weekend we will see abundant rain in a good part of the peninsula, with special emphasis on northern Spain where significant storms are expected for next Sunday. The Galician coasts are where we will have to keep a close eye, as these precipitations will be accompanied by very strong gusts of wind, which will lead to the appearance of waves that can exceed seven meters in height. Appearance of snow. With the drop in temperature, rain can end up turning into snow in part of the peninsula. In this case, the snow level is expected to drop to 1,000-1,200 meters in the northern third. The most affected areas They will be the communities of Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, La Rioja, Castilla y León, the Community of Madrid and Castilla – La Mancha. This is bad news, except for lovers of a Christmas under a layer of white. And just this weekend a new operation begins, coinciding with the start of the Christmas holidays. This is something that can cause significant traffic delays in the northern third of the country. Christmas week. We already have Christmas Eve almost here, and there are many eyes on to the weather forecast. For now, the progress that the AEMET has given us after the front on the 21st is that we will have a cold environment with significant night frosts across the peninsula and widespread, although not extreme, rainfall, which will be present especially in the south of the peninsula. But this is something that will not affect the Canary Islands, which will maintain stable weather and normal conditions for the time in which we find ourselves. An extreme change. There is a climate prediction coming from Europe that sees a much more extreme and unusual scenario that may or may not occur. Specifically, the ECMWF points out that there may be heavy snowfall in the province of Seville, Huelva and the south of Badajos on Christmas Eve. This would be something historic, since snow is a strange event to see in Seville, where there has not been a solid snowfall since 1954. That is why this European prediction is really crazy, which logically can change as the days go by, leaving the chances of snow in Seville a disappointment, despite the fact that the low temperatures are going to continue. Images | Osman Ran In Xataka | Lightning seems like a normal thing: in reality we have been trying to understand it for years and we have achieved it in a laboratory

Spain fears a major collapse during the August 2026 eclipse, so it is already starting to design emergency plans

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Spain has activated the machinery to prepare for one of the most anticipated natural phenomena with the greatest logistical impact: the total eclipse that we will experience next August 12, 2026. A phenomenon that will cross the north of the country and that will make Spain the focus of all lovers of these phenomena that nature gives us, and it is logical, since it is the first total solar eclipse visible from continental Europe since 1999. The challenge of having thousands of people gathered together looking at the sky, and also added to the large number of tourists who will arrive in the country, makes the Government has asked the autonomous communities to prepare security and mobility plans. Something that can be similar, for example, to the organization of a soccer World Cup, but concentrated in a few hours. In order to manage the logistics of this important date, the central government activated an inter-ministerial commission that recently had a second meeting with the regional representatives. The objective is to be able to have a joint response to the massive influx of visitors mainly to the north of Spain. And it is no wonder, since in experience we have in mind the ‘Great American Eclipse‘ of 2024 where thousands of people ended up collapsing parks and roads, even where the eclipse was partial. And we want to avoid as much as possible that this ends up being chaos in Spain. The estimate. We are not talking about a few thousand people interested in these phenomena, but the Government proposes that millions of people can move to follow the strip of totality that will diagonally cross 13 autonomies and at least 27 provinces from Galicia to Aragon, passing through Castilla y León, Cantabria, Navarra and La Rioja. The eclipse will occur just at sunset, with the Sun going completely dark for a few minutes while the Moon blocks its disk, peaking at 20:28. The zone of total darkness will also cross a part of northern Portugal, the extreme west of Iceland and an unpopulated strip of Greenland, but Spain will be the only country where it can be observed with full guarantees and from inhabited places. And in the case of Spain in particular, the truth is that it is something historic, since It will be the first to be seen from the Iberian Peninsula in more than a century. What is requested. The central government wants to anticipate problems that may arise, such as an emergency, which is likely when we talk about a mass of people at a specific point. But in addition to this, contingency plans must also be prepared on roads due to the large number of trips that can occur in a very short period of time. The problem here is that we are in a country that is not centralized in a single administration, and that is why the cooperation of all the autonomous communities is essential. The Ministry of Science emphasize which, in addition to guaranteeing safety and mobility, seeks to promote correct scientific dissemination and avoid risks such as the use of non-approved solar glasses, an aspect highlighted by Cigudosa to prevent damage or fraud in eye protection during observation. The problems. Among those they want to address is undoubtedly the possibility of having accidents on roads, kilometer-long traffic jams and blocked access to cities. This adds to the possible overload of the infrastructures of emptied Spain, since many observation points are located in rural areas or coastal areas with limited resources. This means that it can be very easy for secondary roads to collapse, mobile coverage towers to be saturated, and for there to not be enough fuel or food for all the spectators of this historic event in our country. Although we must also highlight the possibility of a greater number of forest fires due to bad human practices and precisely at a time of maximum risk. Those that are to come. The 2026 eclipse is just the starting signal for a ‘trio of eclipses’ that can be seen from Spain. The specific agenda we have is the following: August 12, 2026: the great northern eclipse, at sunset, which is total. August 2, 2027: Just one year later, another total eclipse will cross the southern tip of Spain. It will be visible from Cádiz, Málaga, Ceuta and Melilla. Unlike the first, this one will be in the morning and will be one of the longest of the century, with a total that will exceed 4 and a half minutes in the Strait. January 26, 2028: an annular eclipse (where the Moon does not completely cover the Sun, leaving a bright circle) will cross the south of the peninsula, visible from areas such as Seville or Granada. In this way, the Government has the task of preparing for three different events in a range of three years that will attract a large number of national and international curious people. In Xataka | Between 2026 and 2028 Spain will become an eclipse paradise. And we have new maps to know where they will look best

They are the last hope of an ecosystem on the brink of collapse

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Under the waters of the Mar Menor, a tiny army has just deployed on a pyramid of biodegradable clay bricks. There are 55,000 flat oysters —Ostrea edulis— born in a hatchery of the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC) and today converted into hope to filter and regenerate a system on the brink of collapse. The operation, carried out by the IEO team and the Association of Southeastern Naturalists (ANSE) with the logistical support of the WWF solar boat, It is the first experimental reef native oyster from the Mar Menor. A deep project. The project is called RemediOS-2, and it doesn’t come out of nowhere. Its first phase, RemediOS-1demonstrated in 2022 that it was possible to produce oyster seed from native specimens of the Mar Menor. In just four months, the IEO hatchery in Lo Pagán produced 60 million larvae from just 36 broodstock. Now, the second phase makes the leap to the open sea. The idea is simple, but ambitious: oysters are natural biofilters. A single oyster can filter five to ten liters of water a day, removing organic matter and nutrients. The researchers estimate that a well-established culture will retain up to 20% of the nitrogen that enters the lagoon each year, and that the entire oyster population would be able to filter the entire Mar Menor in just 23 days. But how does it work? The experimental reef is located near Isla del Barón, one of the most sensitive areas of the Mar Menor. There, 175 blocks of biodegradable clay designed by the company Oyster Heaven were anchored. Larvae settled on them, which now grow feeding on excess nutrients in the water. Each block functions as a “temporary home”: the material slowly degrades while the oysters attach themselves to the bottom and form their own natural reef. In total, the system occupies about 12 square meters of seabed, but represents a key experiment in ecological restoration. Scientific monitoring is carried out by ANSE under the direction of the IEO-CSIC. Technicians analyze the survival, growth and stress level of the oysters, in addition to measuring their sexual maturation and the accumulation of contaminants such as bacteria. E.coli or marine biotoxins. An extra help. To monitor this entire process they need even more hands. So the project counts too with technological support from the Polytechnic University of Cartagena (UPCT). Its researcher Francisco López Castejón used a remote underwater vehicle (ROV) to inspect the reef and see how this technology can monitor underwater habitats where diving is difficult. With science and technology working together underwater, the next question is inevitable. Why oysters in the Mar Menor? For decades, this sea has suffered from the accumulation of nitrates and phosphates from intensive agriculture. These nutrients feed an excess of phytoplankton that clouds the water and depletes oxygen, causing massive episodes of anoxia and death of fauna. The goal of RemediOS-2, in the words of the Department of the Environment of the Region of Murciais that the flat oyster acts as a natural regeneration tool. Its filtering helps reduce eutrophication and its shells, rich in calcium carbonate, contribute to carbon storage, an added benefit in the face of climate change. Beyond restoration. The project is also a test bed for a new blue economy. According to the Pleamar Program, The project aims to involve the local fishing sector, organize marine spaces for future restoration actions and demonstrate that regenerative aquaculture can be compatible with environmental recovery. The third phase of the project will include genetic studies to check whether local oysters are better adapted to climate change, with the aim of producing resistant “seeds” that can be reintroduced both into the lagoon and the Mediterranean. Forecasts. For now, oysters continue to grow under the gaze of researchers and underwater robots. The third part of RemediOS is already in planning. Perhaps these 55,000 oysters alone cannot save the Mar Menor, but they can demonstrate that environmental restoration can start with a mollusk, a handful of biodegradable bricks and a simple idea: let nature repair itself. Image | IEO Xataka | The reservoirs in the Segura basin are at their limit. The question is whether the new rains can save them

“Circular financing” between Nvidia and Openai can be the genius of the century … or collapse

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Nvidia has announced A “strategic investment” of up to 100,000 million dollars in Openai. But it is an investment with trap: Openai will use that money to buy Nvidia chips. The semiconductor manufacturer thus becomes the financier of its own most important client. Why is it important. This maneuver dangerously reminds the “circular financing” schemes that characterized the end of the 2000 Puntocom bubble. Companies like Lucent, Nortel and Cisco financed operators as Global Crossing to buy them equipment. We are not the first to see this simile At this stage of AI. When the bubble exploded, both suppliers and customers sank into a spiral of debts and overcapacity. The agreement will allow OpenAI to build data centers with a joint capacity of 10 gigawatts, equivalent to about 10 nuclear reactors. Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, has acknowledged that this represents between 4 and 5 million GPUS: “double those we distributed last year.” Brutal scale In figures. The numbers are astronomical. According to Huang himself in August, creating a 1 Gigavatio data center costs between 50,000 and 60,000 million dollars, of which about 35,000 million are destined for Nvidia chips. With that logic, the 10 projected gigawatts would cost more than 500,000 million dollars. The bags have reacted with euphoria: Nvidia shares rose almost 4%, adding 170,000 million dollars to their stock market capitalization. Jensen Huang Broza’s company is already 4.5 billion dollars of valuation. Yes, but. Parallelism with the ‘Puntocom’ bubble is disturbing. These same schemes of ‘Financing vendor‘We already saw them in the final stage of the 2000 technological bubble. They did not end well for any of the parties. The difference is that current numbers are much larger, even adjusting for inflation. The key is whether the productivity profits of the generative AI will compensate for the spent money. Between bambalins. The agreement explains the current situation in the AI ​​ecosystem: OpenAi desperately needs computing capacity to maintain its competitive advantage over the 700 million weekly users of their products. But infrastructure costs are so high that it needs constant external financing. Nvidia, on the other hand, seeks to ensure the future demand of its most advanced chips. The agreement guarantees mass orders while consolidating its dominant position against competitors such as AMD and Intel. “It is a closed cycle: Nvidia gives OpenAi money, and OpenAi uses it to buy Nvidia products,” Summary Summary Javier Pastor. The threat. Anti -Ponopoopoly experts are already arched eyebrows. Andre Barlow, a lawyer specialized in competition, explained to Reuters that “the agreement could change the economic incentives of NVIDIA and OpenAI, potentially blocking the Nvidia chips monopoly with OpenAi software leadership.” The structure creates extra barriers so that competitors such as AMD in OpenAi chips or rivals in AI models can climb their operations. They paint basts. In perspective. The story is full of similar schemes that ended badly. Global Crossing, the telecommunications operator that broke in 2002it was funded precisely by the same suppliers that sold equipment. When it was discovered that the real demand was much lower than the projected, both Global Crossing and its financiers lost thousands. The key question is whether the demand for AI services will be sufficient to justify this billionaire investment, or if we are faced with the recreation of the same speculative pattern with even more exorbitant figures. As Stacy Rasgon concludesBernstein analyst: “On the one hand, Openai helps meet very ambitious infrastructure objectives. On the other hand, it will further feed concerns about ‘circular’ financing.” Outstanding image | In Xataka | Openai estimates that it will enter 200,000 million dollars in 2030. The figure, like everything in OpenAi, is extremely ambitious

of inflationary threat to historical price collapse

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For months, the world feared a reissue of The 2007-08 food crisisWhen the rice exceeded $ 1,000 per ton and caused disturbances from Haiti to Bangladesh. At the beginning of 2024, Thai rice for 5% – referring in Asia— ton $ 650 per tonits maximum in ten years, promoted by the child, protectionism and panic purchases. And yet, in August of this year the opposite has happened: the international price slid towards minimums, driven by historical crops and yields that do not stop improving. It is the silent victory of productivity: more rice with almost the same land. International prices in free fall. In recent months, rice has been drastically cheaper. According to Financial Times5% Thai party white rice is negotiated at $ 372.5 per ton, its lowest level in eight years, after a 26% decrease since the end of last year. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Confirm the trend: Its global rice price index (FARPI) was reduced by 13% so far this year, and in July another 1.8% monthly fell, standing 22% below the previous year. Abundant supply, absent demand. In an extensive report by the Financial Times They have pointed out That, on the side of the offer, India – the largest exporter – in September last year the restrictions on external sales, while reached the market with a record harvest in 2023/24 and public stocks that reached 60 million tons in May, up to 15 million more than the average of recent years. Part of those surpluses even went to ethanol to release space before the new campaign. In addition, good campaigns were added in Thailand and Vietnam, which brought world production to a record level. On the side of the demand, Indonesia advanced purchases last year and withdrew from the market, while the Philippines forbade imports until October to protect its main harvest. “It’s that simple: there are no buyers,” summarized Samarndu Mohanty, director of the Center for Studies of Agriculture and Sustainable Development of the State Agricultural University of Telangana, cited by FT. The result is easy to define: there are plenty of stocks and lack of buyers, and, therefore, prices collapse. An exception: Japan. While global prices collapse, Japan suffers the opposite scenario. According to Bloombergthe country lives an extreme heat summer and drought in key producing regions such as Tohoku and Hokuriku. Kazunuki Ohizumi, Professor Emeritus at the University of Miyagi, has anticipated the environment: “Ris -of yields and distribution volumes will almost certainly fall.” To contain the crisis, the Japanese government released hundreds of thousands of tons of reserves and allowed to expand the culture surface. However, the measures were insufficient. In May of this year, As my partner has pointed out for XatakaJapan took an unprecedented step in 25 years: import rice from South Korea. Shortly after, the Aeon chain announced the sale of American rice Calrose, 10% cheaper than El Nacional. Social and political pressure has been enormous: surveys show a collapse in the approval of Prime Minister Shigeru Ihiba, and the controversy was fueled after unfortunate statements of the Minister of Agriculture. In addition, the Japanese country maintains a strict protectionist policy: only 770,000 tons annually enter tariff, and outside that fee the rate amounts to 341 yen/kg (about 2.30 dollars). Even in a context of world abundance, its consumers paid up to 50% more than a year earlier, According to Bloomberg. The productivity lever. The global price collapse has a historical background. According to Javier Blas in his column for Bloombergrice yields have gone from 2.4 t/ha in 1975 to about 4.7 t/ha in 2025, thanks to the massive use of fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation and improved seeds. The global rice surface has barely varied since the 80s, but the production has doubled, until reaching an expected record harvest of 541 million tons in 2025/26, According to FAO. The “monsoon proof” resilience. In particular, India has become an example of resilience. As Financial Times explained, The country has almost universal irrigation systems in the main rice regions, guaranteed minimum prices and state bonuses that protect farmers. This allows you to hold record crops even with erratic monsoons. The minimum guaranteed prices (MSP) and state bonuses ensure a mattress against international volatility. In addition, farmers buy new seeds every season, which increases yields and expands the surface. In this way, the result has been a leftover offer that New Delhi channels both the domestic and international market, and even industrial uses such as ethanol. Winners and losers. For consumers and importing countries, decrease is good news: less inflationary pressure in the basic basket. For producers, especially in Asia, it is the opposite: with increasingly expensive supplies and depressed international prices, margins narrow dangerously. Rice also becomes a stability factor or political instability. Blas Remember that in Asiawhere rice is central in the diet, a price rebound can overthrow governments. Japan is now experiencing it: the internal basis has tensioned to the administration of ISHIBA. What to wait for the future? The base scenario indicates that prices will remain weak. Analysts consulted by the Financial Times They foresee a possible additional drop of 10% if shocks do not occur as a new extreme climate episode or commercial restrictions. Blas in your column Calculate that world rice production of 2025-26 will be the largest in history, which will maintain the bearish pressure. But Japan remembers that climate change can decoupling internal markets from the global trend: a summer too hot is enough to transform world abundance into a domestic crisis. The grain that measures stability. Rice is, perhaps like no other food, the measure of our ability to feed the world. Today their prices sink because humanity has learned to produce more with less land, not because the weather has given a permanent truce. For millions of families, that means a more affordable table; For millions of farmers, the threat of an income in fall. The challenge is clear: to extend the benefits of productivity without leaving behind … Read more

Archaeologists have been wondering how the drought affected the Mayan collapse. The answer was in a remote cave

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The sayinger says that the devil is hidden in the details. Often, when we talk about archeology, key clues too. Archaeologists who investigate the collapse of The Mayan civilization. For years experts wonder if that decline was motivated by changes in commercial routes, wars or climatic factors, such as droughts, a theory that has gained weight over the last years. What historians did not know is to what extent the Maya endured the shortage of rain between the ninth and 10th centuries. Now we finally know. And all thanks to A stalagmit Lost in a remote cave of Yucatan. What happened? That archaeologists have just achieved a valuable clue to better know the history of Mayan civilization. And not any period. What they have discovered is a fact that sheds light on one of their most fascinating chapters, The collapse of the classical period, a phase that extended Between the IX and X Centuries From our era and that he saw how the flourishing Mayan civilization fell into decline and the twilight of large cities arrived. During that stage the southern limestone settlements were abandoned and civilization moved northlosing part of its influence at a political and economic level. What have you found out? That this stage was marked by droughts. To be more precise, archaeologists have found out that between 871 and 1021 of our era they happened Eight long droughts In the Yucatan Peninsula, periods of water shortage that with all probability influenced the population. Not all of them lasted the same, but experts estimate that each of those episodes of agostation lasted at least three years, although there was one in particular that extended 13. Let us talk about extreme droughts It does not mean that it did not rain. With that term archaeologists refer to periods of at least three consecutive years during which the dry station lasted more months than usual or even in which one cannot talk about wet season as such. The experts They recognize That 13 years under these conditions, even with the water management techniques developed by the Maya, leads to “a great impact for society.” Why is it important? Because as the authors of the investigation recognize in An article Posted a few days ago in the magazine Science Advancesthat prolonged drought chain could play a key role in the history of the Maya, “contributing to the collapse of classical civilization.” “This period of Mayan history has fascinated us for centuries”, Recognize Dr. Daniel H. James, author of the study. “Multiple theories have emerged about the cause of collapse, such as changes in commercial routes, wars or severe droughts, based on the archaeological evidence left by the Maya. But in recent decades we have begun to learn a lot about what happened to the Maya and why, mixing archaeological data with quantifiable climate evidence.” Is it something new? Yes. And no. It is not the first time that archaeologists explore the impact that droughts had on the decline of classical Mayan civilization. Over the last years they have already reached more or less similar conclusions thanks to sediment study collected at the bottom of the Chichankanab lagoon or of Stalactite samples Obtained in a cave in southern Belize, clues that pointed to the role played by climate oscillations in The Mayan collapse. The new data obtained by James and their colleagues also fit other signals, as with the dates left by the Maya themselves in their monuments or records in the popular Chinchén Itzá. There, in one of the great settlement of the Yucatan, the inscriptions of dates are mysteriously faded just during the periods in which we now know that there were severe droughts. “It does not mean that the Maya left Chichen Itzá these periods, but it is likely that they had more urgent things than to worry about building monuments, as if the crops on which they depended would be successful or not.” So … why is it important? Although It is not the first time that archaeologists point to the effect of droughts in the Mayan collapse the new study published in Science It is important for several reasons. First, for your approach. Second, for its precision. In this case, researchers have departed from an especially valuable track: the stalagmites located in a Yucatan cave. Thanks to the dating and analysis of the oxygen isotope layers that contain these calcareous rocks, formed on the ground with the water that drips in the cave, experts have been able to obtain “very detailed information” on the climate of the terminal classic period. “Previous studies have measured the isotopes contained in lake sediments to determine the severity of drought, but do not contain enough detail to accurately find out the climatic conditions in a specific year and location,” They clarify From Cambridge. Unlike what happens with the sediments collected from the bottom of the lakes, “excellent to obtain a global vision,” says James, the stalagmites offer a variety of concise data. “They allow us to access more precise details that we were missing,” Write down the expertwho now acts as a researcher at the University College in London. According to the team, this has been the first time that archaeologists have been able to isolate information about the rains of humid and dry stations individually, obtaining the details of each one. How precise are they? Its authors say so. So far the stalagmites had provided data on rainfall annual measures during the classical terminal periodbut that information did not allow scholars to go down to detail. How much did it rain exactly in humid stations and dry? Thanks to the Yucatan stalagmite analyzed by the experts, which contains relatively thick annual layers, of about a millimeter, the experts have been able to analyze oxygen isotopes of each stage, an indicator of the drought. “Knowing the average annual rainfall does not reveal as much as knowing how every rainy season was”, Dr. James points out. “Isolate the rainy season … Read more

Terrausrt’s collapse dragged $ 40,000 million and thousands of investors. Its creator has just confessed deception

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The South Korean who promised a financial revolution has ended up confessing a fraud of 40,000 million dollars. Do kwon, Terrausd and Luna creator, He declared himself guilty on August 12 in A Federal Court of New York for two positions: conspiracy to commit fraud of raw materials, values and electronic, and electronic fraud. The case exploded in 2022 with the collapse of its cryptocurrenciessold as stable. “What I did was wrong,” He admitted in Sala. As happened with Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX, the market digests the bill of an era of excesses. In his statement, Do Kwon acknowledged having cheated investors by not revealing the role of a trading firm in Terrausd’s recovery. It was part of an agreement with the Prosecutor’s Office of the Southern District of New York that plans to request a maximum penalty of 12 years if it assumes its responsibility. Reuters remembers that Kwon was extradited from Montenegro at the end of 2024 and faced nine positions, including values fraud, electronic fraud and conspiracy to whiten capitals. The admission came almost three years after the collapse of the project. H2: How the ‘PEG’ was manufactured and how it collapsed Unlike other stablcoins backed by real assets, Terrausd was based on an algorithm that interacts with Luna, its sister cryptocurrency. The system allowed to create or destroy tokens from one and the other to maintain parity with the dollar. When Terrausd fell from 1 dollarthey could be changed to the moon, which reduced the offer and, in theory, stabilized its value. All this happened within the call Terra protocolwhich executed these operations automatically. The model depended on the balance between supply, demand and market expectations. The first alarm signal came in May 2021, when Terrausd fell below the dollar. According to prosecutors, Do Kwon said that the system had worked as planned: the algorithm had automatically restored parity. But, as he has recognized now, that version omitted a key detail. Financial Times explains thatActually, Kwon turned to a specialized trading firm that bought millions in Terrausd to hold its price. It was a deliberate and hidden operation that, according to the accusation, allowed to maintain the illusion that the system was solid. A year after the first scare, the system did not endure. In May 2022, Terrausd lost parity again, this time irreversibly. The algorithmic mechanism collapsed: Moon’s mass creation, aimed at containing the fall, caused a spiral that The price of both tokens sank. The collapse devastated with about 40,000 million dollars in market value and affected thousands of retail and institutional investors. The loss of confidence was immediate. What was presented as a robust stablecoin became a symbol of the opposite. The civil aspect of the case was resolved in April 2024, When a federal jury declared To Do Kwon and Terraft Labs responsible for fraud in a lawsuit filed by the SEC. The civil order imposed a sanction of 80 million dollars and permanent disqualification and interdiction measures, including the prohibition of making transactions with cryptoactive. In addition, Terraft agreed to pay 4,550 million in civil resolution. The company had already accepted the bankruptcy process, which conditions payments and leaves part of the compensation. Kwon could spend up to 25 years in prisonbut if it complies with the prosecution, the effective sentence would be significantly lower. The agreement contemplates A maximum request of 12 yearsas long as you collaborate and recognize your guilt. Federal Judge Paul A. Engelmayer will issue a judgment on December 11, 2025. Reuters adds that The Prosecutor’s Office will not oppose Kwon requesting a transfer to another country after serving 50% of his conviction. In parallel, the authorities of South Korea maintain open charges that could be activated once their process ends in the United States. Thousands of people, from small savers to institutional funds, were trapped in the fall of Terrausd and Luna. Since then, Terraft Labs accepted the bankruptcy procedure in the United States, under chapter 11, and advances in the liquidation plan. According to Reutersthe estimate of payments to those affected ranges between 184.5 and 442.2 million dollars, and the exact recoverable amount remains in review. As they are highly volatile assets, the current value is much lower than that they had in 2022. Refunds, if they arrive, aim to be partial and late. Images | FAQX ™ We Mining it. (CC by 3.0) | Art Rachen | Joshua May In Xataka | The US believes that it has control of cryptocurrencies because it is the one that is the most mine. Actually China controls the hardware you are using

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