Millions of young people in developing countries who are poised to enter the labour force in the coming decades need not flee rural areas to escape poverty, argues a new FAO report published today.Rural areas actually have vast potential for economic growth pegged to food production and related sectors, The State of Food and Agriculture 2017 says. And with the majority of the world's poor and hungry living in these areas, achieving the 2030 development agenda will hinge on unlocking that oft-neglected potential, it adds.
 

CRISPR-Cas9 has been a valuable tool for research and has been widely applied to different plant species. However, this method is still not widely used for the allotetraploid rapeseed (Brassica napus), an important oilseed crop. Huazhong Agricultural University researchers, led by Hong Yang, examined the mutation efficiency of the CRISPR-Cas9 method for 12 genes. The team also determined the pattern, specificity and heritability of these gene modifications in B. napus.

Farmers, Department of Agriculture (DA) information officers, regulators, members of the academe, and officials of local government units of selected municipalities in Region X were enlightened about the science, food, and environmental safety, biotech products in the pipeline, socioeconomic benefits of Bt eggplant, and the biosafety regulatory guidelines in the country during the Biotechnology 101 & Joint Department Circular (JDC) Public Briefing held on October 3, 2017 at The Mallberry Suites Business Hotel, Cagayan De Oro City.

The Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB) - Kenya Chapter recognized science and business reporters at a media recognition award gala dinner on September 20, 2017, in Nairobi, Kenya. The event brought together a diverse range of stakeholders to celebrate and honor journalists who have used their skills to educate the public on agricultural biotechnology and biosafety.

Gluten-free diet is a new trend followed by many health conscious individuals. However, this diet is designed for people with celiac disease, or those who cannot tolerate a certain type of gluten in their digestive system. Gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and other related species, acts as glue when cooked or baked that holds breads and cakes together as they rise. The specific type of gluten responsible for causing adverse reactions are called gliadins.

Mexico City, Mexico (CIMMYT) — A new study from scientists with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) shows that drought tolerant (DT) maize varieties can provide farming families in Zimbabwe an extra 9 months of food at no additional cost. As climate change related weather events such as variable rainfall and drought continue to impact the southern African nation at an increasing rate, these varieties could provide a valuable safety net for farmers and consumers.

The team behind a new mobile app that uses artificial intelligence to accurately diagnose crop diseases in the field has won a $US100,000 award to help expand their project to help millions of small-scale farmers across Africa. Cassava brown streak disease is spreading westward across the African continent, and together with cassava mosaic disease, threatens the food and income security of over 30 million farmers in East and Central Africa.

In 2015, the SRP launched the world’s first Standard for Sustainable Rice Cultivation together with a set of performance indicators to evaluate impact. The SRP and its members are now working toward market transformation through developing a private-sector assurance scheme as well as engaging at the policy level and via the international donor community to boost wide-scale adoption of climate-smart and sustainable best practices throughout rice value chains.

"Do we really wish to have a science-based society or should we let ourselves be governed by prejudices and misconceptions?" ask Roberto Defez, a molecular microbiologist at the Italian National Research Council, and Dennis Eriksson, a researcher at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. They asked this question in their article in Euractiv, which was published after the EU court ruled that prejudices on GM foods are unfounded.

In research published in Plant Journal, a team led by Professor Richard Morris from the John Innes Centre, Norwich, Professor Silke Robatzek of The Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich, and collaborators from the University of Madrid, developed the first ever full 3D model of a guard cell. Guard cells control the opening of stomata, the tiny pores used by plants for gas exchange, water regulation, and pathogen defense.