LOS BAÑOS, LAGUNA (17 July 2025)– Protecting public safety and environmental health remains a top priority as biosafety leaders gathered at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) to strengthen their shared responsibility in managing research, particularly those involving genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and other products of modern biotechnology.
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is empowering National Plant Protection Organizations in Africa to effectively detect and manage Potato Cyst Nematodes (PCN), a microscopic pest devastating potato crops across the region. Nematodes are tiny worms that attack potato roots, stunting their growth and can wipe out potato yields by up to 100 percent. PCN has already been reported
By Jennifer Johnson Breastfeeding is an essential element in early childhood nutrition. Breast milk contains all the nutrients needed in a child’s first months, and breastfeeding yields broad health benefits for infants and later in life. Yet globally, fewer than half of infants under six months old are exclusively breastfed. Improving those numbers would make an enormous difference in children’s and public
Connected Breeding, a new breeding strategy by IRRI, is set to revolutionize rice breeding by unlocking complex genetic diversity from gene banks and integrating it into elite breeding genotypes. This cutting-edge approach overcomes the limits of traditional methods, accelerating the development of climate-resilient, salt- and flood-tolerant rice for the world’s most vulnerable regions. By Waseem Hussain, Mahender Anumalla, Margaret Catolos, Joie Ramos, Ma Teresa Sta.
More than just a financial product, agricultural index insurance is proving to be a strategic lever for Togo’s food sovereignty. Climate analysis results, pilot trials (FarmCover, SUNU), and a co-design workshop held in Lomé on July 10–11, 2025, now offer tangible proof: when combined with digital services and international research, this solution facilitates access to credit, protects incomes, and
The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, in partnership with agriBORA and with support from Partnering for Green Growth and Global Goals 2030 (P4G), launched a baseline survey on June 30th in Kenya’s Uasin Gishu County and Bungoma County. The survey is part of the project “Building Resilience of Smallholder Farmers through the Warehouse Receipt System (WRS).” The WRS, branded agriGHALA by agriBORA, enables farmers to
The Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT led other stakeholders in the coffee sector in presenting a joint statement to the Kenyan government in Nairobi, highlighting concerns and recommendations on how to comply with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). With the January 2026 compliance deadline fast approaching, uncertainty looms, especially for smallholder farmers who produce the majority of Kenya’s
On July 2, 2025, in Kumasi, Ghana, researchers, farmers, and partners met to refine a digital cropping calendar that delivers timely, tailored advice, helping smallholders adapt to climate change and transform farming decisions. In an era where weather patterns are no longer predictable and agricultural risks multiply with each season, Ghana is taking a bold leap forward, placing timely,