Scientist Matin Qaim from Georg-August-University of Goettingen, Germany, together with researchers from COMSATS Institute of Information Technology and International Livestock Research Institute, Islamabad in Pakistan conducted a study to assess the employment effects of Bt cotton adoption in female laborers in Pakistan. The researchers used farms survey data and double-hurdle regression models.

Bees make a priceless contribution to agriculture and are a bellwether for environmental health, working without pay while both delivering and reflecting biodiversity. "A world without pollinators would be a world without food diversity - and in the long run, without food security," FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva said today during a visit to Slovenia that ending at the national beekeepers' festival.

A team of researchers from Florida State University and Cornell University has proven that a small percentage of the entire maize genome is responsible for almost half of the plant's trait diversity. FSU's Hank Bass and Daniel Vera, together with Cornell University colleagues Eli Rodgers-Melnick and Ed Buckler, found that a small portion of chromatin — the complex of DNA and its associated proteins — accounts for 40 percent of heritable trait diversity in maize.

A team of researchers from Florida State University and Cornell University has proven that a small percentage of the entire maize genome is responsible for almost half of the plant's trait diversity. FSU's Hank Bass and Daniel Vera, together with Cornell University colleagues Eli Rodgers-Melnick and Ed Buckler, found that a small portion of chromatin.

What we eat matters not just for our health, but for the planet, too. Yet only a handful of pioneering governments have issued guidelines promoting “win-win” diets that can help tackle two of the most urgent challenges of our time: securing good nutrition for all and addressing climate change.

Last week, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the targeted allocation of $72.3 million for conservation practices, including those that promote soil health and carbon storage. The funding will be delivered through the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) during the current fiscal year

Starting with just a tiny chunk of skin, neuroscientist Flora Vaccarino tries to unlock mysteries hidden inside the brains of people with autism. By introducing certain genes to the skin cells, the Yale University School of Medicine researcher reprograms them to an embryo-like state, turning them into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs); and with two more months of nurturing and tinkering, Vaccarino can guide the cells to develop into small balls of neural tissue akin to miniature human brains.

New WHO recommendations will speed detection and improve treatment of multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) through use of a new rapid diagnostic test and a shorter, cheaper treatment regimen. The novel diagnostic test, called MTBDRsl, is a DNA-based test that identifies genetic mutations in MDR-TB strains. At less than US$ 1000 per patient, the new treatment regimen can be completed in 9–12 months.

FAO 16 May 2016, Rome - Illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing is about to become much more difficult thanks to the imminent entry into force of the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA), a ground-breaking international accord championed by FAO.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has approved The Sainsbury Laboratory (TSL), Norwich's application to conduct field trials of GM potato crops on a designated trial site at the Norwich Research Park between 2016 and 2020.