Millions of people facing hunger in South Sudan will be driven to the brink of catastrophe if renewed flashes of violence derail the fragile peace process, FAO said today. The Organization called for calm and stability, warning that if peace does not hold, the human costs of recent fighting in Juba will be compounded by deepening hunger across the entire country.
 

Scientists have recently developed the gene-editing tool, CRIPSR/Cas9, which allows them to add, remove or replace specific parts of DNA. However, scientists have not yet used it to activate genes. A team, headed by Toru Kondo from Hokkaido University has developed a new technique that allows them to activate genes.

Countries across West and Central Africa are on alert as the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1continues to spread across the region, with Cameroon becoming the latest African country to detect the disease.  The strain can infect and cause death in humans and kills poultry at a high rate.

An online survey of 1,665 consumers showed that Vermont's mandatory labeling of GM food products strongly misleads consumers. The survey asked the respondents about the Vermont law, Act 120 which requires on-pack labeling of food products with "partially produced with genetic engineering,"

The African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) released the short briefing paper titled Genetically Modified (GM) Soya in South Africa: Status Quo Report. The report provides an update on the status of GM soya in South Africa including its presence in food products, its relationship with glyphosate use, and the current research standing in the country.

The Port State Measures Agreement "marks the dawn of a new era in the effort to combat illegal fishing" but rapid action is needed to make sure its implementation is effective, FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva said today at an event held to celebrate the world's first international treaty specifically aimed at tackling Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.

India's Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) has proposed to tap farms of chosen universities for scientific field trials of GM crops. GEAC has identified 40 agricultural universities with large isolated fields in different areas of the country under varied agro-climatic conditions. This proposition was also suggested by scientist M.S. Swaminathan, who said that such arrangement would provide a uniform method of assessment of GM crops.

According to the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation's 2016 Food and Health Survey, Americans remain divided in their perceptions of GMO labeling and their use in the food supply. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that GMO foods be labeled only if they have substantial differences from their non-GMO counterparts

A new study from Carnegie Institution for Science reveals how the regulation of stomata development in grasses could be used to improve plant efficiency and agricultural yield. Their work focused on the stomata of grasses, a family that includes maize, rice, and wheat. Scientists studied stomata in grasses since their stomata show several unique innovations.

The benefits to the farming community of partnerships between public research institutes and private companies have been demonstrated in East Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh, India, where machine transplantation has reduced the cost of cultivation by half, as well as increased yields by around 750 kg per ha.