Misinformation on biotechnology is expected to decrease in the U.S. because of the proposed markup in the budget for biotech education. The U.S. House Committee on Appropriations is considering to increase the budget for agriculture spending bill, Fiscal Year 2017 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. US$3 million was proposed to be used by the Food and Drugs Administration and the Department of Agriculture for consumer outreach to promote the understanding and acceptance of agricultural biotechnology and its products.

An international team composed of 77 scientists from 11 countries has reported the first high-quality reference genome sequence of barley. The research, 10 years in the making, reports vital information about the major cereal crop using a variety of state-of the-art methods, and published in the journal Nature. Ten years ago, Nils Stein of the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research in Germany led the International Barley Genome Sequencing Consortium, and set out to assemble a complete reference sequence of the barley genome.

Amid the prevailing drought and army worms' invasion in Kenya, farmers have petitioned the government to avail of Bt cotton and Bt maize seeds for planting. One of their leaders from the Central region, Mr. Mugo Magondu, voiced out their question about why farmers in Kenya should continue to face these challenges while modern agricultural technology can provide a solution. He said this during a farmer's agri-biotechnology and biosafety sensitization forum held on April 28, 2017.

Small-scale agricultural mechanization is showing signs it has the potential to fuel rural employment for youth in sub-Saharan Africa, according to researchers at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). Across Africa, youth are struggling with high unemployment and working poverty, the International Labor Organization records.

A portion of the experimental farmland of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) will soon become the site of research to find the most efficient way to distribute irrigation water. Under an agreement signed recently among the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) of the Philippines, t

Wildfires across western North America have increased in number and size over the past three decades, and this trend will continue in response to further warming. As a consequence, the wildland–urban interface is projected to experience substantially higher risk of climate-driven fires in the coming decades. Although many plants, animals, and ecosystem services benefit from fire, it is unknown how ecosystems will respond to increased burning and warming.

Global food commodity prices fell in April amid expectations of ongoing robust supplies of many key staples. The FAO Food Price Index averaged 168 points in April, down 1.8 percent from March although remaining 10 percent higher than a year earlier. The Sugar Price Index led the decline, dropping 9.1 percent on the month as large export supplies from Brazil met with continued weak global import demand.

At a time of heightened global concern about scarce and variable water supplies together with worsening water-related hazards, the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) has announced the appointment of Claudia W. Sadoff, by decision of the Institute’s Board of Governors, to serve as its next director general. Dr. Sadoff brings to IWMI – the CGIAR Research Center focused mainly on water – three decades of diverse and distinguished experience as a global researcher and development practitioner.

Gender equity matters, now, more than ever. From the gathering force of women’s voices the world over for equal pay, to greater representation of women in science, to reproductive health; the list is endless. Gender equity is at the heart of sustainable development with women playing a critical role in improving household nutrition, health and food security.

Today, the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) released its annual report showcasing the 110-fold increase in adoption rate of biotech crops globally in just 21 years of commercialization – growing from 1.7 million hectares in 1996 to 185.1 million hectares in 2016. ISAAA’s report, “Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: 2016,” continues to demonstrate the long-standing benefits of biotech crops for farmers in developing and industrialized countries, as well as consumer benefits of recently approved and commercialized varieties.