A research team from Kobe University in Japan has discovered four new genes in rice that are potentially significant to agriculture. The team used genome-wide association studies (GWAS), a frequently used method in analyzing human genes, instead of quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis, which has been in use for genetic analysis of crops.

Urgent action by the international community and governments in the Dry Corridor of Central America is essential to help build resilience, food security, and restore livelihoods damaged by drought and other extreme-weather effects of El Niño, United Nations leaders said today.

Drs. Maria Andrade, Robert Mwanga, Jan Low, and Howarth Bouis, scientists responsible for improving the health of 10 million rural poor in Africa, Asia, and Latin America were announced on June 28 as the 2016 World Food Prize Laureates during a ceremony at the U.S. State Department.

Chamale Cup and his family would normally be busy at this time of the year preparing land to plant once the first rains arrive in Ninh Thuan province, already one of Viet Nam’s most impoverished.

Colombia is not governed by the four seasons (summer, fall, winter, and spring). As a result of the two steps of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) over the center of Colombia, the country historically has two rainy seasons (April-May and October-November) and two dry seasons (December-February and June-August).

According to research led by the University of Leeds and published in Nature Climate Change, crop yields will fall within the next decade due to climate change unless immediate action is taken to speed up the introduction of new and improved varieties. The research focuses on maize in Africa, but the underlying processes affect crops across the tropics.

Philippines – “IRRI has an important role in food security and in ensuring that rice production is sufficient in India,” said  Ashok Dalwai, additional secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers' Welfare. “We are interested in raising our productivity to meet the increasing demand of food and nutrition security of the population,” Dalwai said.

According to the ISPC review, RICE is a conceptually sound, compelling, and articulate proposal that addresses the issue of improving rice production across the developing world. It is founded on clear comparative advantage for CGIAR. Historically, investment in rice research has a proven track record of contributing to CGIAR goals.

The U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) and U.S. Grains Council (USGC) held meetings in Brussels, Belgium last week to discuss the delays in approvals for soybean and corn biotech events in the EU. They highlighted the need for a predictable, transparent, and science-based regulatory system in the EU.

Vast swathes of Yemen - 19 out of 22 governorates - are facing severe food insecurity according to a new joint  assessment by the UN and partners, which warns that the situation within affected areas is likely to deteriorate if conflict persists. The latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis confirms that over half the country's population is living in "crisis" or "emergency" levels of food insecurity, with some governorates seeing as much as 70 percent of their population struggling to feed themselves.