News Overview

By Dr. Shalabh Dixit, Xenina Ibabao, Myrtel Valenzuela Aerial view of IRRI’s direct-seeded rice phenotyping facility at its headquarters in Los Baños, Philippines. IRRI has revolutionized rice breeding for direct-seeded rice (DSR) systems by establishing state-of-the-art phenotyping facilities in Kenya, India, and the Philippines. These hubs promote sustainability and climate resilience for smallholder farmers in Asia and Africa while speeding

According to the latest estimates, 45 million children under the age of five suffer from severe malnutrition, leaving lasting impacts on their health. However, school feeding programs offer hope, as existing initiatives show clear benefits for children’s nutrition, while also providing valuable environmental, social, economic and even cultural benefits. Here we take case studies from school meal programs in Rwanda,

Every year on March 8, the world comes together to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD), a global movement that honors the achievements of women and advocates for gender equality.   This year’s theme, “For All Women and Girls: Rights, Equality, and Empowerment,” highlights the urgent need to uphold and protect the rights of women and girls worldwide, ensuring their full participation

In the rural community of Balleyara, Niger, thirty women are now equipped with transformative skills in food hygiene, agro-food processing, and marketing techniques, following a Smart Food Training held from 4-5 February 2025. This initiative is part of a larger effort to strengthen resilience in the Tillabéri region, addressing the intertwined challenges of conflict, climate change, and food insecurity while

In December 2024, a leading-edge study by WorldFish and partners began uncovering how gender dynamics influence fish loss and waste in fisheries value chains. Researchers launched the study in Mombasa, Kenya, bringing together global and local institutions to address an often-overlooked challenge in fisheries—fish loss and waste (FLW). At the same time, they explored the intertwined issues of gender inequalities

Women-Led Management Committee: With project support, women received training to manage the Community Fisheries (CFi), leading to more women actively engaged in community management. This has strengthened local leadership, increased community trust, and fostered their participation in village activities. Creation of a Learning Hub: The CFi established a learning hub, where local skill sets have been identified and pooled together

Going out sea to fish has traditionally been a man’s occupation in Nigeria. However, there are aquatic economic opportunities closer to shore, which might allow women to expand their participation in the fisheries sector. Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) is a sustainable aquaculture system that involves cultivating multiple species (e.g., finfish, seaweed, crabs, etc.) in the same body of water, promoting

On 27 January 2025 in Cairo, in collaboration with Egypt’s Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and the Innovators Support Fund (ISF) we hosted the Consultation Workshop on the Digitalization of Egypt’s Food Crop Value Chains. As part of the Digitalization of Egypt’s Food Crop Value Chains: Advancing Digital Integration in Egypt’s