Over the last two years of implementing the CGIAR initiative on agroecology, the team has experienced how the application of its principles varies from one context and country to the other. It is therefore important to witness firsthand these very different pathways to achieve agroecological transformations that all aim at enhancing food system resilience, equity and sustainability. The best-known Indian pathway is Natural Farming and the Initiative decided to go on a tour to see and understand the phenomena.

International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) organized a state consultation workshop on 14 December 2023 on ‘Policy Coherence in Food, Land, and Water (FLW) Systems: A case study of Odisha’ at Bhubaneswar as a part of the CGIAR Research Initiative on National Policies and Strategies Initiatives (NPS).

Scientists from the Integral University and partners identified lead-resistant bacteria from the Gomati River in India. These bacteria can help with bioremediation of areas with heavy metals. Lead is a toxic heavy metal that can affect human health and the environment. To help with the remediation of sites with heavy metals, the researchers studied lead-resistant bacterial strains collected from the Gomati River.

Australia's Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) has received license application DIR 203 from Monsanto Australia to conduct a field trial of genetically modified (GM) cotton with herbicide tolerance and insect resistance. The field trial is proposed to take place between September 2024 and September 2029, on a maximum of 25 sites per year with a maximum area of 100 hectares per year. The trial sites are proposed to be located in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory.

Previous breeding strategies were ineffective in combating the disease, which led the scientists to shift to other means that involve exploring the microbiome to modulate plant defense mechanisms against CLCuD. The cotton microbiome of CLCuD-resistant varieties may harbor a multitude of bacterial genera that significantly contribute to disease resistance and provide information on metabolic pathways that differ between the susceptible and resistant varieties.

A study published in the Plant Biotechnology Journal shows that the knockout of ZmPRR37-CR resulted in the early flowering of maize. The study also found that the ZmPRR37 gene can potentially enhance salt stress tolerance in maize. Flowering is a crucial stage in plant reproductive development. However, it can be affected by various environmental factors, which can either delay or accelerate the flowering of plants. As a short-day plant, flowering of maize in long-day environments has been challenging.

Studies showed a need for more climate change awareness among young children. Misconceptions about topics linked to climate change are widespread among students and instructors. This problem could be rooted in the complexity of the issues related to climate change and the lack of accessible teaching materials. Thus, climate change resources designed for young learners may help advance discourses on climate change action.

Brazil continues to get ahead with GM crop planting, with 68 million hectares planted with GM crops for the 2022-2023 crop season. This forecast is mentioned in the Agricultural Biotechnology Annual released by USDA-FAS Global Agricultural Information Network and prepared by the Office of Agricultural Affairs Brasília for U.S. domestic food and agricultural product exporters.

Researchers from Nagoya University in Japan found that electric eels can release electricity to modify small fish larvae through electroporation. This gene delivery technique enables DNA or proteins to enter the target cells through intense electrical pulses. The researchers used glow-in-the-dark markers to see if the zebrafish had taken the DNA from the electric eel. The findings of the study showed that 5% of the zebrafish larvae had markers indicating that the electric eels were able to transfer their genes.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced the results of their review of 12 plants improved through genetic engineering techniques.  APHIS found that the modified plants were unlikely to pose an increased plant pest risk compared with their non-modified counterparts.