A delegation from the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) visited the IRRI South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC), Varanasi to harness IRRI’s knowledge and experiences in modern rice research. This visit featured demonstrations and interactions around IRRI’s latest developments in rice technologies such as varietal development and testing protocols, quality seed production, varietal positioning methods, value chain propositions, and post-production practices.

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC) organized a training and hands-on demonstration to acquaint participants with alternate wetting and drying (AWD) technology for irrigation water management at Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agriculture University (CCSHAU) on 11-12 May. Around 30 master trainers from Jind and Fatehabad Districts in Haryana participated in the program under the Credit Offsetting Rice Emissions (CORE) Project funded by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

Smallholder farmers and poor rural people bear the brunt of climate change and the degradation of natural resources. Extreme weather events, such as droughts, storms and floods, are putting pressure on the ecosystems that farmers depend on, as are gradual processes such as rising sea levels and melting glaciers. Crop failures and livestock deaths are causing economic losses and undermining the food security of rural people with ever-greater frequency, especially in parts of sub-Saharan Africa.

Milk is one of the most widely produced agri-products on the planet. It’s also a crucial source of income for at least 500 million poor people, who depend on milk for their livelihoods. As much as 80 per cent of the milk in South Asia comes from small-scale farms. That’s why IFAD works across the region to help small-scale dairy farmers optimize their production. There are, however, significant challenges. On average, farming families in the region can only afford one to two dairy animals per household, which leaves little for sale after they have set aside milk for their own needs.

CGIAR’s Sustainable Animal Productivity and Livelihoods, Nutrition and Gender inclusion Initiative (SAPLING) has developed a tool for assessing, identifying and responding to food and nutrition security problems in developing countries. The Food Security, Environments and Nutrition: Structured Evidence (FoodSENSE), is a decision support process developed by SAPLING researchers to aid decision makers in identifying barriers to improved food security and nutrition

The International Year of Millets will provide a great opportunity to promote available technologies on millets and the benefits that come with millets to encourage consumption and utilisation of millets. The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), a provider of agricultural solutions for dryland areas, hails the renewed focus on millets.

The Horn of Africa is prone to natural shocks and hazards. The region has faced three severe drought phenomena in the last 12 years. Now, after five consecutive below average rainfall seasons, the region was back to its normal pattern during the long rains this year from a precipitation standpoint. However, floods are of great concern in the upcoming months. The combined effect of the long-lasting impacts of drought and the current floods continues to devastate people’s lives and livelihoods

The food security situation in Yemen’s districts under the control of the Government of Yemen (GoY) slightly improved during the first five months of this year, while acute malnutrition increased, compared to the same period in 2022. However, the outlook for the period between now until the end of 2023 indicates the need for more programme investments, as the modest improvements may be eroded, UN agencies have warned.

Researchers from Iowa State University and partners conducted key interviews to build the first US-based typology of proponent and critic priorities for developing public trust in gene editing in agriculture and food. The results of their study are released in the Agriculture and Human Values journal. Gene editing tools have received significant acclaim because of their potential to provide solutions to various problems faced in agriculture.

Scientists from the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom published the results of their study that explained how they used CRISPR-Cas gene editing system to engineer a plasmid that specifically targets the resistance gene for Gentamicin, a commonly used antibiotic. Resistance among bacteria is developed when resistant genes are transported between hosts