The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has announced the deregulation of a canola variety genetically modified (GM) to contain high levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which is an omega-3 fatty acid. The GM canola is from Nuseed Americas Inc. On the Determination of Nonregulated Status notice, USDA APHIS stated that the GM canola is no longer considered a regulated article under their regulations governing the introduction of certain genetically engineered organisms.

The Argentine Official Register announced the public consultation required for the release of the first soybean trait developed by a Chinese company, Beijing Da-Bei-Nong Technology Group (DBN). The soybean event DBN 09004-6 has glyphosate and glufosinate tolerance traits. Once this becomes commercialized, Argentine farmers would have additional option to combat weeds in soybean fields.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) entered into an agreement to advance their joint initiatives towards catalyzing agriculture sector investments in Africa, which targets ending hunger and malnutrition and promote wealth throughout the continent.

Some 70 biotech players from 15 countries in Asia convened at Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre in Bandar Sunway, Malaysia for a workshop on Current and Emerging Topics Under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and its Protocols. This workshop was organized to assist Asian public researchers and other stakeholders in preparing for the UN Biodiversity Conference

Researchers at the Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) have identified an enzyme from the glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT) family as a promising target for increasing biofuel production from the red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae. Algae store large amounts of oils called triacylglycerols (TAGs) under adverse conditions. This mechanism has caught the interest of the biotechnology sector as TAGs can be converted to biodiesel.

Nigeria's Federal High Court (FHC) has dismissed a lawsuit filed against the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) over a permit issued by the Agency for the commercial release of Bt cotton. An advocacy group and 16 other civil society organizations filed the suit in September 2017, asking the court to revoke the permit issued to Monsanto Agricultural Nigeria Limited in 2016 for the commercial release of GM cotton.

The former UN secretary general Kofi Annan, has died at the age of 80 after a short illness, his family and foundation announced on Saturday. The Ghanaian was the seventh secretary general and served for two terms between 1997 and 2006. He was awarded the Nobel peace prize for his humanitarian work jointly with the UN as an organisation in 2001.

The heads of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP) today pledged to increase support for regional efforts addressing the critical food and nutrition security situation in the Sahel. Close to 6 million people are estimated to be severely food insecure in the current lean season.

University of York scientists have identified a key gene that helps seeds decide whether to germinate. Scientists have known that the plant hormones abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberelins (GA) play an important role in seed germination. However, in this breakthrough research, they identified the MFT gene as the key component that integrates signals from ABA and GA.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) has concluded that raw and refined sugar from genetically engineered insect resistant sugarcane CTC175-A developed by the Centro de Tecnologia Canavieira (CTC) in Brazil are as safe as raw and refined sugar derived from conventional sugarcane varieties