In the village of Meru, in eastern Kenya, farmers are celebrating better potato harvests. In just the past two years, their harvests have increased from 10 tons per hectare to 28, bringing them close to the range of yields in most European countries (between 30-50 tons/ha). Farmers credit the increase to higher-quality seed combined with improved agronomic practices. In the past, farmers used potatoes from the previous season’s harvest as seed, but these lead to sub-optimal yields as the quality is usually low, leading to gradual declines.

Mountains host about half of the world's biodiversity hotspots and 30 percent of all Key Biodiversity Areas. Mountains are home to many endangered species. Many of the world's most important crops and livestock species originate in mountains. International Mountain Day 2020 is an opportunity to learn more about the importance of mountains, and to explore opportunities and challenges in mountain development through a selection of FAO publications.

Wageningen University and Research, Public Religion Research Institute, Asociación Agraria de Jóvenes Agricultores, and Farmers Scientists Network jointly organized a webinar for stakeholders in Europe. Prof. Justus Wesseler of the Wageningen University and Research moderated a panel consisting of ISAAA Chair Dr. Paul S. Teng, ISAAA Global Coordinator Dr. Mahaletchumy Arujanan, ISAAA AfriCenter Program Officer Ms. Bibiana Iraki, Mr. Max Kardung of Wageningen University and Research, and Mr. Daniel Magondu of the Society for Biotech Farmers of Kenya.

Scientists from the University of Missouri led by Prof. Jay Thelen has found a way to "knock out" a family of genes responsible for regulating fatty acid production in the leaves of plants rather than its seeds. The results of this study are published in the journal Nature Communications.

The destructive pink bollworm has negatively impacted cotton production in the southwestern U.S. and northern Mexico, which cost tens of millions of dollars in damage per year. "By analyzing computer simulations and 21 years of field data from Arizona, we discovered that genetically engineered cotton and the release of billions of sterile pink bollworm moths acted synergistically to suppress this pest," said Jeffrey Fabrick from the USDA Agricultural Research Service and one of the co-authors of the study.

Plants integrate numerous signals in order to adapt their shape to their environment, modifying their tissues structurally and biochemically so that stems, roots, branches, and leaves have the appropriate shape, orientation, and mechanical properties to track the sun, resist gravity, and harness nutrients. In PNAS, Moulton et al. (1) present a compact mathematical description of the essential components of these tropic responses, providing a framework linking sensing, hormone transport, and growth to three-dimensional form.

Freshwater deficits are affecting more and more people throughout the world. In order to counter this, our global food system will have to change, our author maintains. A case for more research on alternative crops and smart water solutions. Our world today is in the grip of a climate crisis. So grave it is that it is listed as one of the several existential risks to humanity. Climate change is slowly taking a toll on communities, ecosystems and economies. And its costs are rising. The nations least prepared for climate-induced effects are, unfortunately, the most vulnerable.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has forced communities to confront what sacrifices they are willing to make to quickly address threats to public health. The pandemic shock is unusual in its rapid appearance, but the question of trade-offs is nothing new. Environmental regulations, safety mandates, and the battles against other infectious diseases all impose both pecuniary and nonpecuniary costs on society in exchange for improved population health.

Herbivory, the feeding on living plant parts by animals, is a fundamental ecosystem process affecting both global autotroph biomass production in natural habitats and crop production in agricultural settings (1). Invasions by herbivorous insects are an ancient threat to food security as evidenced, for example, by their inclusion as one of the 10 Biblical plagues. Insect pests remain a major threat to the world’s food security both in terms of regular annual crop loss as well as periodic catastrophic losses

“Tackling extreme poverty can sometimes seem overwhelming, but there are some incredibly simple and effective technologies that can literally change the lives of people living in some of the most remote places in the world,” said Ambrosio Barros, IFAD’s Country Director for Malawi. “Crowdfunding is a quick and effective way to mobilise finance so that we can immediately bring these innovative products to the people who need them.”