Like many women in the low-income neighborhood of Manyatta in Kenya’s Kisumu County, Caroline Oulouch began making and selling fuel briquettes to improve the lives of her and her family. She used to make the briquettes manually, and gathered the needed raw material (charcoal dust, clay and water) mostly on her own. She made them with her one good hand and sold them for a low price to customers who use the briquettes for cooking.

Led by The VinFuture Foundation, the annual VinFuture Prize is awarded to proven breakthrough scientific research and technological innovations which have high potential to create meaningful change in people’s lives through tangible and highly scalable improvements in areas such as productivity, prosperity, connectivity, health, safety, environment, and sustainability. The VinFuture Prize consists of four prestigious awards presented each year.

Every year, World Diabetes Day provides an opportunity to pause and truly take stock of a reality that affects over 400 million people globally. Diabetes-related deaths have risen by 70% since 2000, and the surge in global diabetics is projected to reach a staggering 700 million people by 2045. These statistics are alarming and prompt a call for urgent preventative measures. Research underscores the pivotal role of diet in managing and preventing diabetes, urging us to explore wholesome, nutrient-dense options to combat this global health crisis.

In the endeavor to co-design cocoa and livestock low-emission agri-food systems that foster peace, sustainability, and resilience to climate change in the Caquetá department of Colombia, understanding the intricate biophysical and social dynamics of these agroecosystems is of paramount importance. This comprehension is essential for gauging the resilience of these systems in the face of climate change.

The collaborative effort between the International Rice Research Institute’s (IRRI) Mechanization Team and the Can Tho Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection was awarded second prize in the agriculture category of the 12th Can Tho City Technical Innovation Competition 2022-2023. The awarding ceremony was held in Can Tho City, Vietnam on December 15, 2023.

In October 2022, at the CGIAR GENDER Science Exchange organised by the CGIAR GENDER Impact Platform, five early-career researchers put themselves forward for ‘GenderVision!’—an idea contest inspired by the international song competition Eurovision. Contestants pitched their research ideas in a bid to win USD 10,000 to take their dream project forward.  Esther Leah Achandi, a post-doctoral fellow at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), was announced the winner for her pitch to investigate context-specific definitions of ‘empowerment’.

Despite the global economic and political challenges in 2022, FAO reached a new milestone in resource mobilization by surpassing the USD 2 billion mark. This was made possible by harnessing long-term partnerships with a record number of Resource Partners (+110), among which 32 provided their highest-ever annual contribution.

On 25 January 2023, I visited Pandiénou, a village in the Thiès region of western Senegal, together with Québec's Minister of International Relations and La Francophonie, Martine Biron. During this visit to a Farmer Field School (FFS), we met local women and youth who face the impacts of climate change on a daily basis. I listened to their stories and learned about the benefits of hands-on group learning. Pandiénou is more than a village; it encapsulates both the challenges facing smallholder farmers across Senegal and the solutions to tackle the climate crisis that exist within communities.

While the world's attention is fixed on COP28 in Dubai, an equally pivotal event unfolds in Saly, Senegal, from December 4 to 10, 2023. The spotlight is on the "Developing Crop Modelling Experts Towards Climate Risk and Adaptation Strategies in Sub-Saharan Africa" through a workshop, hosted by ICRISAT. Here, a diverse assembly of representatives from various institutions convenes to unravel climate risks and pioneer adaptation strategies tailored to the region.

With less than seven years left until the deadline, Europe and Central Asia are making progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 of Zero Hunger, including tackling food insecurity and all forms of malnutrition, despite serious challenges experienced in the past few years. Even though the average cost of a healthy diet has increased in the region, the number of people who cannot afford a healthy diet has declined in 2022.