Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Breaking Ground: Xuecai Zhang prepares future generation of crop breeders
Xuecai Zhang wants to merge traditional maize breeding methods with new software and other tools to help improve farmers’ yields faster than ever.
“Young Scientist Award” winner fights hidden hunger with high zinc wheat
A scientist who has advanced the development of nutrient-rich wheat varieties with higher yield potential, disease resistance and improved traits wins Young Scientist Award for Agriculture.
Scientists tackle deadly fall armyworm infestation devastating maize in southern Africa
Smallholder farmers in eastern and southern Africa are facing a new threat as a plague of intrepid fall armyworms creeps across the region, so far damaging an estimated 287,000 hectares of maize.
Scientists in Afghanistan set new program to raise wheat harvests
Inadequate access to new disease-resistant varieties and short supplies of certified seed are holding up wheat harvesting and contributing to rising food insecurity in Afghanistan.
Breaking Ground: Caixia Lan on identifying building blocks for rust resistant wheat
Support for research into breeding crops resistant to wheat rust is essential to manage the spread of the deadly disease, caused vast yield losses globally in recent years, says scientist Caixia Lan.
Water-saving maize holds potential to boost farmer resilience to climate change in Pakistan
New varieties of white maize in Pakistan have the potential to both quadruple savings of irrigation water and double crop yields for farmers.
Engaging youth: beyond the buzzword
Researchers are seeking to re-engage rural youth who are increasingly abandoning agriculture to work in cities, raising the question who will grow our food in the future?
Agricultural biodiversity key to future crop improvement
Conserving and using agricultural biodiversity to create better crops can help meet several sustainable development goals and stave off further species extinctions.
Improved drought tolerant maize varieties: a sustainable solution to climate change
Stakeholders in the agricultural sector met in Nairobi, Kenya, for the 4th Annual Food Security Conference (AFSC) on 12-13 October 2016.
Gene bank crowdfunding campaign gains traction with commercial seed industry
A pledge of $10,000 by international plant breeding company KWS has given a big boost to an online crowdfunding initiative aiming to help maintain the world’s largest maize and wheat germplasm bank.
NuME: a key actor in agricultural innovation systems in Ethiopia
A CIMMYT project was selected as a key actor in agricultural and rural innovation in Ethiopia by CDAIS.
“Invisible women” hold key to food security – ex-WFP chief Catherine Bertini
Despite the large numbers of women working on farms, their voices are not heard by international development policymakers, handicapping global efforts to achieve food security, Catherine Bertini says.
HarvestPlus World Food Prize laureates benefit more than 10 million people
HarvestPlus director Howarth Bouis is one of four winners of the 2016 World Food Prize for research leading to a substantial increase in the availability of nutritious biofortified crops.
Education, supportive policies key to making biotechnology work for Africa
Increasing public understanding and creating supportive policies key recommendations at a session on boosting Africa’s use of biotechnology.