With extreme changes in temperature, the impact of climate change on our planet and on our lives can’t go unnoticed. World hunger is on the rise and the leading causes are: climate variability and extremes. Unpredictable and harsh conditions are making it harder to produce the food we need for a growing population but we are still in time to act! We need to tackle climate change so everyone, everywhere can have access to enough nutritious and safe food. This is where every individual has the power to make a difference.

A close look at dengue viremia in humans resulted in a discovery that has rocked the dengue world. In PNAS, Raut et al. (1) cleverly manipulated viruses recovered from the blood of acute dengue virus type 1 (DENV1) infections and show that this virus differs structurally from DENVs grown in vitro. DENV1, -2, and -3 grown in cell culture consistently were poorly neutralized by polyclonal human monotypic DENV antibodies but strongly neutralized by human DENV cross-reactive antibodies (1).

At the 7^thmeeting of the CGIAR System Council on November 15 and 16, it was announced that Bioversity International and CIAT were very close to realizing their aspiration of operating as a formal Alliance, with one Board of Trustees and one CEO. This announcement is a step forward for CGIAR in building stronger strategic alignment and critical mass in addressing key challenges facing global food systems.

Cacao farmers in Nicaragua lose their crop, the main ingredient for chocolate, to fungal blight and degrading soils. Yields drop in Vietnam’s rice paddies because of higher temperatures and increased salinity. Bean and maize growers in Uganda see their plants die during severe dry spells during what should be the rainy season. The two-punch combination of climate change and poor agricultural land management can be countered with simple measures that keep farms productive and profitable.

The improved dual-purpose sorghum varieties (Soubatimi, Peke and Randiougoucoura), with high grain yield for human consumption and green biomass for animal feed, were highly appreciated by farmers who participated in the field days. Farmers observed demonstrations of different fertility management scenarios (‘no fertilizer’/’DAP+urea’/’cow manure’). Dr Baloua Nebie, Sorghum Breeder, ICRISAT, said, “Most farmers preferred Soubatimi, which gives an excellent response to fertilizer application.”

In principle, the deluge of energy pouring down on us from the sun could meet the world’s power needs many times over. Already, in the United States, the total power capacity of installed solar photovoltaic (PV) panels is around 60 gigawatts, an amount expected to double in the next 5 years, and China increased its PV capacity by nearly 60 gigawatts in 2017 alone (1). Meanwhile, improvements in PV panel technology have driven down the price of solar electricity, making it cost competitive with other power sources in many parts of the world.

This research facility will strengthen the national research capacity of rice-growing countries in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Delivering advanced research, teaching and services to improve crop production, seed quality and the nutritional value of rice, the centre will also work with national partners to enhance farmers’ knowledge and income.

Ilka Feller has a penchant for mangrove hunting. Since the early 2000s, Feller, an ecologist at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, has periodically gone road-tripping in search of the northernmost mangrove tree in Florida. The red mangrove, Rhizophora mangle, has draping roots that hold fast in the tide. But all three of Florida’s mangrove species anchor themselves and whole ecosystems—protecting the shoreline from erosion, forming nurseries for fish, and sequestering carbon.

Odisha plans to diversify its agriculture beyond popular cash crops with emphasis on legumes and dryland cereals including millets, the state’s Principal Secretary for Agriculture, Dr Saurabh Garg, announced during a recent visit to ICRISAT – Patancheru. “We want to diversify agriculture beyond paddy in our projects. Legumes and millets are our focus,” he said, while adding that campaigns like Smart Food can aid in the diversification by promoting dryland cereals in the state.

Diets vary greatly from place to place based on food availability, eating habits and culture. Yet, when it comes to food, there is a lot that we know about what is and what is not good for us and this is true no matter where we live. Societal changes, however, are making these choices more complicated. While many countries are still dealing with undernutrition, more and more people around the world are eating energy-dense, high-fat, high-sugar and high-salt foods.