The courtesy meeting between top leaders of Vietnam Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and One-CGIAR South East Asia and Pacific took place on 15th November 2021. Minister Le Minh Hoan remarked that the discussion in this meeting would be insightful for the Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development Strategy to 2030 and Vision to 2050 which was in development.

By reducing phytic acid during digestion, pigs were able to properly digest amino acids resulting in better nutrition for optimum growth, reduction of pollution caused by phosphorus found in animal manure, and reduction of production cost by eliminating expensive feeds supplementation.Phosphorus in plant seeds is mainly stored in the form of phytic acid. In corn, 60-80% of phosphorus is in the form of phytate. Pigs and poultry usually find it hard to utilize phytic acid due to the lack of enzyme to digest it leaving a utilization rate of 0-40%.

Freezing tolerance increases as the plant ages, according to the findings of scientists from Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University in China. Their study is published in BMC Plant Biology journal. Freezing stress impedes the development of plants and causes significant damage to plants. Thus, plants have evolved several mechanisms during their growth and development to resist freezing stress. The researchers from China conducted the study to further understand how plants react to freezing signals.

In thale cress, the WUS gene has been found to be necessary for the maintenance of stem cells during the early stages of flower development, particularly when the pistil and stamens are formed. The researchers found a similar gene in rice called TAB1. Rice plants without this gene lacked any fertile grains. Further analysis of the mutant plants also showed stem cells were present during the early stages of the formation of floral organs but eventually disappeared by the time the ovules were developed.

In Florida, Oxitec has been invited by its partner, the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District, to continue its landmark pilot project in the Florida Keys that began in April 2021. The pilot project has approvals from the US Environmental Protection Agency, Florida state, and local government. It was designed to evaluate the use of Oxitec mosquitoes in controlling the invasive Aedes aegypti mosquitoes found in the Florida Keys and other regions of the United States.

Adam Smith Institute released a paper titled Splice of Life: The Case of GMOs and Gene Editing, which is based on two decades' worth of research about the benefits of adopting GMOs. The paper, authored by Cameron English, Director of Biosciences at the American Council on Science and Health, stresses that the UK is moving in the right direction by considering more liberal biotech regulations.

Philippines Department of Agriculture Secretary William Dar, in a recent interview, said, "The stance of the Department of Agriculture (DA) is clear: biotechnology is a pillar of our ‘OneDA approach' to ensuring agricultural productivity, sustainability, economic growth, and nutritional security." At a Healthier Rice Project Team and Advisory Committee meeting held on February 2, 2022, Secretary Dar highlighted the DA's programs or the massive production of Golden Rice seeds and production of Golden Rice in its pioneer provinces.

Shifting towards more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems will play a central role in recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and delivering on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, said today. He addressed a high-level panel meeting organised by the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) entitled “Recovery from the pandemic through the lens of SDGs 4, 5, 14 and 17”.

The UK Government Office for Science released a report on the future uses and considerations of genomic science. The report, titled Genomics Beyond Healthcare, examines how the genome can provide insights into people's characteristics and behaviors and investigate how research on the DNA code presents both benefits and challenges to society. "Since we launched the UK Genomics Healthcare program in 2011, the UK has grown into a global powerhouse in genomic healthcare, from diagnostics to drugs and vaccines.

A team at the Universitat Politècnica de València in Spain led by Jaime Prohens is set to produce eggplant varieties that are resilient to climate change stresses, including drought and the outbreaks of new pests and diseases. Through the Eggplant Pre-Breeding Project, the team used wild relatives of eggplant, the weedy cousins of the domesticated crop, to add new and useful traits to domesticated varieties so they can withstand hotter, drier climates in Southeast Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and the Mediterranean Basin.