Researchers from the University of Southampton have successfully engineered the microbiome of plants for the first time to boost crop health by increasing the presence of good bacteria in plants. The findings of the paper published in Nature Communications could reduce the need and reliance on pesticides that are usually harmful to the environment.

In 2023, we celebrated 75 years of the World Health Organization (WHO). It was a year to reflect on 75 years of global health achievements, while facing the multiple and complex challenges affecting our health today. This milestone anniversary served as a powerful reminder of how working together in global solidarity has enabled us to rise to complex challenges in the past, and will continue to do so in the future. Despite multiple health-related crises, there were many reasons for hope in 2023.

 IRRI’s key partner in Indonesia, Badan Standardisasi Instrumen Pertanian (BSIP also known as the Agricultural Instruments Standardization Agency), conducted a two-day meeting on 18-19 December 2023. Held at BSIP Food Crop office in Bogor, the meeting was attended by 10 Rice Crop Manager (RCM) Indonesia Implementation Teams from BSIP and IRRI. The meeting aimed to identify challenges and align activities with targeted objectives to ensure the effective implementation of the program.

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.

The earth’s ecosystems are critical for our survival and quality of life. Ecosystem services are the direct and indirect contributions of ecosystems to human wellbeing. Our recent study estimates per hectare values of ecosystem services provided by forests in Kenya and Vietnam based on a systematic literature review. These countries have received much attention from the research and development communities for their biodiversity significance, opportunities for scaling nature-positive solutions, climate and poverty challenges, and political will.

Around the world, young people are bringing their ambition for success to rural communities. Meet two young rural entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka who are making a difference. When Nadeeshani was a child, she was fascinated by her parents’ mushroom farm, housed in a tiny mud hut. She dreamed of taking over from them and, after completing her schooling, she did.

11 APCNF representatives participated in an exposure visit programme to learn breeding and cultivation technology of Mola fish, selected to be a suitable biological model for agroecological intervention. Mola seeds given to 21 APCNF’s integrated farming systems (IFS) to accelerate agroecological transition process through integrated rice fish farming system (IRFS).

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.