An assembly of cross-continental experts in rice science and technology is set to lead the programs and discussions in the upcoming International Rice Congress 2023 (IRC 2023). These resource persons representing the academia, private companies, and research institutions in countries across Asia, Africa, as well as the United States are setting the tone at this year’s IRC to be held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Manila, Philippines on 16-19 October.

Low- and middle-income countries, such as Myanmar and Zambia, face a double burden of malnutrition, with their populations suffering from both undernutrition and overnutrition, resulting in health and developmental issues. To help alleviate malnutrition, WorldFish initiated the use of dried fish powder to enhance the nutrient composition of local food products consumed by young children and women of reproductive age through the Fish for Livelihoods Activity, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The FAO Director-General today issued the following message on the occasion of International Youth Day 2023: "Youth and women have been a priority for me since taking office in August 2019. The FAO Youth Committee and the FAO Women’s Committee, established at the beginning of my term of office, help ensure that youth and women act as catalysts, both internally in the  Organization by supporting women and youth career enrichment,

Researchers discussed the application of gene editing technologies to ocular diseases. Current limitations and ongoing research endeavors that will help overcome these issues were also reviewed. An example of a successful ocular gene therapy is the voretigene neparvovec (Luxturna) which can be used to treat Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), a disease caused by mutations in the RPE65 gene.

Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists, led by Professor Kranthi Mandadi, are using a new biological technology that develops and multiplies disease-resistant citrus plants using “hairy roots.” The team is developing new ways to fight fastidious pathogens in plants including the one causing citrus greening. Fastidious plant pathogens infect citrus, tomatoes, potatoes, grapes, peppers, and other crops. Fastidious plant pathogens infect citrus, tomatoes, potatoes, grapes, peppers, and other crops. These are often transmitted by insect vectors and are responsible for billions of dollars in agricultural losses.

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) in partnership with ISAAA Inc., the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the House of Representatives of the Philippines successfully conducted the third leg of the 2023 USDA Biotech Outreach Program on August 8, 2023 in the Philippine Congress. The event aimed to promote sound science-based policies to support an enabling environment for the uptake of biotech innovations in the Philippines.

International institutions need to take a more integrated approach to solving the world’s problems – and need more funding – write Claudia Sadoff, executive managing director of CGIAR, and Lindiwe Majele Sibanda, chair of the group’s System Board. French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent Summit for a New Global Financing Pact delivered a clear message: international institutions, from finance to research, are in urgent need of reform if they are to be fit-for-purpose in addressing the challenges the world faces today.

A study published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials reported that CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing can be used to improve rice lodging resistance. The study, conducted by researchers at Shenyang Agricultural University in China, found that two independent mutants of rice, fc19-1 and fc19-2, exhibited increased lodging resistance after being edited with CRISPR-Cas9.

Researchers from the University of Tsukuba in Japan used CRISPR-Cas9 to modify the ethylene synthesis pathway in Japanese luxury melon (Cucumis melo var. reticulatus "Harukei-3") to increase its shelf life. The gaseous plant hormone ethylene has been long known to promote fruit ripening and play a certain role in the shelf-life of fruits. Extending the shelf-life of fruits decreases food loss and waste and contributes to global food security.

Cornell University scientists identified a rare gene in apples that can improve orchard fruit production. Combined with gene editing tools, the MdLAYZY1A gene can potentially increase yield and reduce labor costs for apple growers. MdLAYZY1A gene largely controls the “weeping” growth in apples, which means that the branches grow downwards.