A study documented the benefits of genetically modified (GM) maize in the South American country of Honduras. Higher yield and income, and easier crop management were the farmers' top reasons for their positive opinions toward transgenic corn. The objective of the study was to document and determine the knowledge, perceptions, opinions, and attitudes of Honduran farmers towards GM maize.

Only 1.7 per cent of climate finance – a fraction of what is needed - goes to small-scale farmers in developing countries despite their disproportionate vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, according to a report released by the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) today. Examining the Climate Finance Gap for Small-Scale Agriculture is the first detailed analysis of climate finance flows to small-scale farmers.

It was the competition among buyers that increased the price for heavier goats of good quality, while the goats of poor quality fetched low prices,” observed Mr Bictor Chimtondo, a goat rearing farmer, during an auction at Kachala market in Malawi. With vibrant goat markets and growing goat populations, the demand for goat meat is increasing in urban and rural areas in Malawi. Despite their growing importance as source of nutritious meat and income, goat value chains remain poorly commercialized.

Climate change is accelerating. Flood, drought and rising sea levels are threatening sanitation systems, from toilets to septic tanks to treatment plants. Floodwater can contaminate wells used for drinking water. Flooding can also damage toilets and spread human waste into communities and food crops, causing deadly and chronic diseases, and posing risks to crop and food safety.

An independent study published last month has documented the extensive reach of CGIAR-related agricultural innovations in Ethiopia over the past 20 years. The study represents the culmination of years of work by the independent CGIAR Standing Panel on Impact Assessment (SPIA)[1], together with the Ethiopian Central Statistics Agency (CSA) and the World Bank Living Standards Measurement Study (LSMS) team, to develop and test a country-level approach to assessing adoption and diffusion of agricultural innovations using national surveys.

CGIAR Excellence in Breeding (EiB), Accelerating Genetic Gains (AGG), along with partners MAIZE, IRRI, CIMMYT, Syngenta. Driving Genetic Gain through selection is at the core of every successful plant breeding program. In this webinar targeting national breeding programs in Africa, EiB will explain the concepts behind genetic gain; introduce tools and approaches to measure genetic gain; provide real examples from a national program in East Africa’.

Building on its strong relationships with South Korean government partners, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) recently signed a 5-year Memorandum of Understanding with South Korean agency Korea Rural Economic Institute (KREI), to cooperate in various areas of agricultural research, policy, and rural development to generate impact in South Korea and across the developing world.

Well, as we predicted, climatic conditions are driving this new round of locust activity. In many areas, rains came early, triggering earlier than usual reproduction; other areas continue to get steady rains, which sparks locust breeding. Large swathes of Yemen that are inaccessible are also key locust breeding grounds -- basically a reservoir for the pest.

A little box that can predict the amount of harmful aflatoxin contained in a handful of sample groundnuts… sounds like a far-fetched notion? Not anymore. A collaboration between Pure Scan AI and ICRISAT to create a portable aflatoxin detector has won the Inspire Challenge by the CGIAR Big Data Platform at the recent Big Data Convention, earning a US$ 100,000 grant to build and scale up the device.

An independent study published last month has documented the extensive reach of CGIAR-related agricultural innovations in Ethiopia over the past 20 years. The study represents the culmination of years of work by the independent CGIAR Standing Panel on Impact Assessment (SPIA)[1], together with the Ethiopian Central Statistics Agency (CSA) and the World Bank Living Standards Measurement Study (LSMS) team, to develop and test a country-level approach to assessing adoption and diffusion of agricultural innovations using national surveys.