Traditional knowledge of medicinal plants represents one of the oldest forms of health care and continues to play a vital role in the lives of millions of people worldwide. A new scientific study co-authored by Assoc. Prof. Zbyněk Polesný and FTZ graduate Naji Sulaiman from the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences (FTZ), Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CZU Prague) focuses on the ethnobotany of herbal teas in the coastal region of Syria – an area with an exceptionally rich yet still insufficiently documented tradition of folk medicine.

How can we ensure plant health in the face of climate change, increasing pest pressure, and stricter regulations? These pressing challenges are at the core of the international summer school Plant Health under Pressure: Environmental Shifts and Legal Responses, hosted by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU).

In recent years, Laos has been facing a rapid increase in plastic waste. According to a World Bank study, plastics account for up to 24% of municipal waste, with 95% of plastic pollution coming from just ten single-use items. Despite the growing volume of waste, collection and recycling capacities lag behind—an estimated 40–60% of waste remains uncollected. This situation has direct impacts on the environment, public health, and the local economy. The National Plastic Action Plan 2024–2030 therefore emphasizes reducing plastic consumption and systematically improving waste management. In response, a new project focusing on this issue has been launched. During a two-week mission in the provinces of Savannakhet and Thakhek, a team from the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences (FTZ), Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CZU Prague), initiated data collection that will serve as the foundation for realistic and sustainable plastic management solutions.