FAO Director-General QU Dongyu and The Right Honourable Ram Chandra Paudel, President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, met during the Director-General’s visit to Nepal. The President appraised FAO’s support to the country and conveyed his appreciation to the FAO Director-General for the constructive discussions held with the Ministers from Nepal who participated in the World Food Forum (WWF) in October 2023.

The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, on Saturday paid a visit to a farmers group working with FAO’s Integrated Pest Management (IPM) project in Nepal and attended the launch of the Tele Plant Doctor App under FAO’s Digital Village Initiative (DVI). The visit to the Mahadevsthan Village Development Committee in the Kavre district saw Qu interact with local potato farmers and witness their adoption of IPM technologies.

Debates surrounding the adoption, use, and commercialization of genetically modified (GM) food crops have been the subject of discussions across different countries around the world. Thus, a study published in Food Safety and Health investigates the factors affecting the acceptance and rejection of GM crops in the Ghanaian populace. The results of the study indicate that the major driver of the Ghanaian people's decision is safety concerns, particularly in human consumption, health, and the environment.

Scientists from India identified that the Chlorella thermophila (CT) microalgal strain possesses antimicrobial activity against pathogens that cause bacterial rice blight. The microalgae can also help with wastewater treatment. Rice is a food staple for over 65% of the world's population, so it is necessary to have a huge supply in different countries. However, its production is affected by various threats, one of which is bacterial leaf blight (BLB). This disease can negatively affect the straw's quality and reduce grain yield by up to 80%.

Scientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering (SCELSE) have uncovered agro-microbials that can enhance the synergy between crops and microbes, and ultimately improve crop yield and productivity. In the study conducted over five years since 2018, the scientists discovered that the plant hormone methyl jasmonate (MeJA), a volatile organic compound typically released by plants above ground during periods of stress – served as a shared,

Researchers from the University of Southampton have successfully engineered the microbiome of plants for the first time to boost crop health by increasing the presence of good bacteria in plants. The findings of the paper published in Nature Communications could reduce the need and reliance on pesticides that are usually harmful to the environment.

In 2023, we celebrated 75 years of the World Health Organization (WHO). It was a year to reflect on 75 years of global health achievements, while facing the multiple and complex challenges affecting our health today. This milestone anniversary served as a powerful reminder of how working together in global solidarity has enabled us to rise to complex challenges in the past, and will continue to do so in the future. Despite multiple health-related crises, there were many reasons for hope in 2023.

 IRRI’s key partner in Indonesia, Badan Standardisasi Instrumen Pertanian (BSIP also known as the Agricultural Instruments Standardization Agency), conducted a two-day meeting on 18-19 December 2023. Held at BSIP Food Crop office in Bogor, the meeting was attended by 10 Rice Crop Manager (RCM) Indonesia Implementation Teams from BSIP and IRRI. The meeting aimed to identify challenges and align activities with targeted objectives to ensure the effective implementation of the program.

While the world's attention is fixed on COP28 in Dubai, an equally pivotal event unfolds in Saly, Senegal, from December 4 to 10, 2023.The spotlight is on the "Developing Crop Modelling Experts Towards Climate Risk and Adaptation Strategies in Sub-Saharan Africa" through a workshop, hosted by ICRISAT.Here, a diverse assembly of representatives from various institutions convenes to unravel climate risks and pioneer adaptation strategies tailored to the region.

The earth’s ecosystems are critical for our survival and quality of life. Ecosystem services are the direct and indirect contributions of ecosystems to human wellbeing. Our recent study estimates per hectare values of ecosystem services provided by forests in Kenya and Vietnam based on a systematic literature review. These countries have received much attention from the research and development communities for their biodiversity significance, opportunities for scaling nature-positive solutions, climate and poverty challenges, and political will.