The ectomycorrhizal fungus Laccaria bicolor, shown in green, envelops the roots of a transgenic switchgrass plant. Switchgrass is not known to interact with this type of fungi naturally; the added PtLecRLK1 gene tells the plant to engage the fungus. Photo Source: ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy. A research team at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has successfully introduced a gene from poplar into switchgrass, that allows switchgrass to interact with a beneficial fungus, ultimately boosting the grass' growth and viability in changing environments.

In Japan, the startup Regional Fish Co., Ltd., together with the Kyoto University and Kinki University, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, has created a gene-edited red sea bream "Madai" and will begin selling in October.The gene-edited fish was developed using CRISPR gene editing technology to knock out a protein that suppresses muscle growth.

The potential of agribiotech to contribute to sustainable agriculture depends on research and development, as well as the integration of other factors, such as effective communication, science-based national regulatory frameworks, and an adequate understanding of international legal instruments. To foster strong collaboration and enrich knowledge among key players in the agri-biotech and biosafety arena

In a rapidly changing world, agriculture remains the heart of sustainable development. The risks facing the world in this final decade left to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals are many, but the opportunities are equally numerous. Small-scale agricultural producers can only seize these opportunities, however, if they have adequate access to land, markets, capacity support, and finance.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the State of Qatar today launched a new multiyear collaboration to make the 2022 FIFA World Cup, being held in Qatar, a beacon for physical and mental health promotion, and also a model for ensuring future mega sport events are healthy and safe. The three-year joint project, titled "Healthy 2022 World Cup - Creating Legacy for Sport and Health," was announced at a joint ceremony at WHO’s headquarters,

"It eats everything, leaves nothing and reproduces very quickly," laments Mouradh, a fisherman from the Tunisian islands of Kerkennah. For the country’s fishers, the blue crabs that were being hauled out of the water, tangled up in their broken nets, were a disaster. An invasive species introduced into the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal, the blue crab threatened the artisanal fishing techniques used along the Tunisian coastline,

The ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus (COVID-19), an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has raised concerns about the effectiveness of current preventive pharmaceutical and nonpharmaceutical interventions (1). In addition, the upward global trends in the numbers of emerging and reemerging infectious diseases

Building upon the positive results of the first edition of the Finance in Common Summit (FiCS), Public Development Banks will convene for a second time to reiterate and reinforce their commitments in support of common actions for climate and sustainable development. The Summit will be hosted by Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), the Italian National Promotional Institution and Financial Institution for Development Cooperation, in partnership with IFAD and with the support from all the members of the Finance in Common Coalition.

As a premier institution for dryland agricultural research for development, ICRISAT is uniquely positioned to make a difference in the lives of smallholder farmers in the global drylands. With a new Strategic Plan 2021-2025, under the leadership of Dr Jacqueline Hughes, Director General, ICRISAT launches a rolling three-year Medium-Term Plan 2021-23 to operationalize the Strategic Plan.

Ma Thi Ninh thought farming would be relatively easy. The Yen Duong area of Viet Nam where she lives has excellent, arable land and offers many sought-after products, including organic sticky rice, seasonal vegetables and bamboo used for traditional handicraft products. But once she started to farm and trade in local products herself, she realised that whilst harvests were generally fruitful, the earnings were few and she, and many farmers like her, remained stuck in poverty.