Dr. M. S Swaminathan, the renowned agricultural scientist known as the Father of India’s Green Revolution, passed away at his residence in Chennai on September 28 at the age of 98. The Padma Vibhushan awardee was Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and headed the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines. He was the first to get the World Food Prize and used the proceeds from the prize to establish the renowned MSSRF non-profit trust. As tributes pour in from across the globe,

The first-ever Global Conference on Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) ended today with a Call to Action comprising 15 key actions designed to accelerate the transformation of global agrifood systems to make them more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable. Held in hybrid form at FAO's headquarters in Rome, the conference saw more than 8,500 participants from around the world engage in a series of discussions highlighting the contributions and benefits stemming from the sustainable development of agricultural mechanization.

During the FSA board meeting on September 20, 2023, the agency unveiled the plans on the regulation of precision-bred food and feed products under the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding Act) 2023. Their approach is similar to the regulatory process currently being adopted in Canada, as well as the system proposed by the EU Commission in July 2023. This approach is considered faster and less complex compared to the regulation of GM crops.

Researchers from North Carolina State University produced normally-grown tobacco plants that do not have pollen and seeds. Their findings may be used for further research in other types of plants. Plants that are unable to produce pollen have a trait called cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS). This trait may be due to aberrations within the mitochondrial genome. The NC State researchers and their colleagues from Precision BioSciences and Elo Life Systems used a unique strategy to test if the tobacco plant could generate the CMS trait.

Researchers from RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science and partners used a gene editing tool and Agrobacterium to improve potatoes free from foreign genes. The results of their study is published in Plant Biotechnology. Gene editing is a popular method for improving crops, but it can be challenging to use in crops that are propagated vegetatively. One of the ways to still use gene editing is through a transient expression system in Agrobacterium

Training and opportunities to conduct public engagement are vital to encourage more biomedical researchers to participate in science communication. This is according to the study conducted by researchers from Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU) in Vietnam, Nepal, and Indonesia. A total of 70 researchers from OUCRU were given an online survey with both open-ended and close-ended questions to gather and analyze their perceptions of public engagement.

Officials of China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs reported an abundant harvest from the multi-locational field trials of genetically engineered maize and soybean conducted in the country. This news was delivered to the public through a press conference. The officials said that the harvest reached 5.6 to 11.6 percent more than the conventional counterparts. They attributed the high yields to the strong tolerance to herbicides and resistance to crop pests such as the fall armyworm.

The Australian Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) invites comments from the public to assess an application from Queensland University of Technology (QUT) for the commercial cultivation of genetically modified (GM) banana plants modified for resistance to the fungal disease Fusarium wilt tropical race 4 (TR4), also known as Panama disease.

Ukraine's Parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, adopted in general the Draft Law No. 5839 "On State Regulation of Genetic Engineering Activities and State Control over the Circulation of Genetically Modified Organisms and Genetically Modified Products to Ensure Food Security." The law will allow Ukrainian legislation to be in line with the European Union's (EU) GMO legislation, as the document is based on the 8 major acts of the EU law on GMOs

The World Food Prize Foundation has announced the selection of Dr. Swati Nayak as the 2023 Recipient of the Norman E. Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application, Endowed by The Rockefeller Foundation. Nayak is recognized for her innovative approach to engaging farmers in demand-driven rice seed systems, from testing and deployment to access and adoption of climate-resilient and nutritious rice varieties.