Down to Earth FRANCE 24 English

Scientists are warning of the growing risk of tropical illnesses spreading due to global warming. As temperatures rise, many places are becoming more hospitable to Asian tiger mosquitoes, which are known to carry and transmit dengue fever, Chikungunya but also Zika. In France, record cases of dengue fever have been reported since the start of 2024. Most of them are in people who had travelled to French overseas territories. Authorities warn this could result in people getting infected in mainland France, in a wave of so-called native cases. The Down to Earth team investigates.

Around the world, food insecurity is on the rise, with the cost of living crisis cutting many households off from nutritious meals. In France's Bordeaux region, 400 people have begun experimenting with a unique food security programme, aiming to make locally-grown food accessible to everyone - regardless of income. Inspired by France's universal healthcare system, the programme could be the premise of a new branch of “social security” for food - with both social and environmental benefits.

Cheese lovers beware: the days of Camembert could be numbered. According to France's National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), a lack of microbial diversity risks driving the famed French soft cheese to the brink of extinction. Researchers say a single mould strain known as Penicillium camemberti, which is essential for the production of camembert, is now unable to reproduce. This has led to a collapse in its genetic make-up, threatening its survival and that of the iconic cheese along with it. The Down to Earth team reports from France's Normandy region, the home of Camembert. 

Asian hornets were first detected on French soil in 2004, and the invasive species has since spread rapidly across the country and the rest of Europe, including Germany, Spain and the UK. Asian hornets are known to be a major cause of high bee mortality, with entire colonies wiped out in as little as several days. Earlier this month, the French government launched a nationwide strategy to combat their proliferation. Beekeepers have also had to adapt in order to protect their hives. The Down to Earth team reports from France's western Finistère peninsula.

April 22 marks Earth Day, and this year's theme is "Planet vs. Plastics". Over the past 60 years, around 7 billion tons of plastic have been produced, according to the UN. But only around 10 percent of it has been recycled. Initiatives are flourishing around the world to tackle the waste crisis, including new technology to improve recycling rates. French startup Carbios has developed an alternative method to mechanical recycling, using plastic-chewing enzymes to break down polyethylene, one of the most common single-use plastics in the world. The Down to Earth team visited their demonstration plant in Clermont-Ferrand.

As the Spanish region of Catalonia battles its worst drought on record, activists are beginning to question Barcelona's mass tourism model. Should Spain's most visited city be allowed to welcome even more tourists this summer amid a state of emergency? The Down to Earth team takes a closer look.