News Overview

By Eliot Jones-Garcia, Kristin Davis, and Niyati Singaraju October 7, 2025 Generative artificial intelligence (gen AI) is gaining traction in agriculture. Conversational agents such as chatbots and voice assistants are being explored as digital extension solutions, promising scalable, personalized advice for farmers that can supplement and support the work of human extension agents. Yet designing and deploying such AI tools presents many

(Image generated by AI) By Varunseelan Murugaiyan and Glenn Concepcion  The global food system is facing unprecedented pressures. Rising production costs, chronic labor shortages, dwindling natural resources, and accelerating climate change are forcing agriculture to adapt. Many scientists and policymakers look to the Fourth Agricultural Revolution, called Agriculture 4.0, which aims to integrate digital technologies into farming. Agriculture 3.0, the

More than half of the world’s population could be living with overweight or obesity by 2035, with a rapidly growing share in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). It is also estimated that the global economic impact could top US$4 trillion by that time. These trends are closely tied to the rise of obesogenic food environments; settings where unhealthy food options are cheap,

Climate change is challenging aquatic food systems worldwide. In Timor-Leste, where floods, cyclones, droughts and deforestation threaten rural livelihoods, even small shocks can push communities below subsistence levels. Through the IkanAdapt project – funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), led by FAO with WorldFish and Timor-Leste’s Directorate General of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Resource Management (DGPAGRA) – 21 fishing

Cattle farming is often in the spotlight of environmental debates: it’s a major source of greenhouse gases, and a driver of deforestation. Yet cattle are also a livelihood for millions of pastoralists, and the backbone of rural economies in many developing countries. This brings up a crucial question: as countries develop and their cattle industries grow, will their environmental

The growing global demand for Amazonian products such as cacao has sparked discussions on how to address technical challenges such as aging plantations, inadequate fertilization, irregular cultivation practices, and a high incidence of pests and diseases, to boost production in southern Colombian regions like the municipality of San José del Fragua in Caquetá department. Since 2016, following the signing and

In the Senegal River Valley (SRV) region, rice is primarily cultivated by smallholder farmers under irrigated ecosystems. The crop plays a significant role in the country’s economy, food security, and culture. The valley is the country’s major rice-producing region, with about 70% of the country’s total rice production, covering about 46% of agricultural lands. Secondary only to the SRV region

Bringing together diverse voices to anticipate challenges, identify opportunities, and strengthen CGIAR’s digital transformation agenda for the decade ahead. The Global South is at the forefront of the digital transformation reshaping food, land and water systems. Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data analytics, remote sensing, and inclusive digital platforms are being harnessed to enhance resilience,