At the recently concluded InterDrought-V conference, participants deliberated on the use of modern technologies to help smallholder farmers combat drought. “Harnessing modern tools is critical to help farmers overcome the devastating effects of drought,” said Mr Krishna Byre Gowda, Minister of Agriculture, Government of Karnataka. He stressed that, with agriculture in India being dependent on the ‘wager of monsoons’, he was heartened by the community of scientists collaborating on one of the most important issues affecting farmers.

 “Australia has an opportunity to contribute to regional security through food.” said Matthew Morell, Director General of International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in his keynote address to the International Temperate Rice Conference on March 7th, 2017.

Each year International Women's Day sees thousands of events - global gatherings, conferences, awards, exhibitions, festivals, fun runs, corporate events, concert performances, speaking events, online digital gatherings and more. Events are held by women's networks, corporations, charities, educational institutions, government bodies, political parties, the media and further communities.

The FAO Food Price Index rose slightly in February, marking its seventh consecutive monthly rise, led by increasing wheat and maize prices. The FAO Food Price Index averaged 175.5 points in February, its highest value in almost two years, marking a 0.5 percent increase from its revised January value and 17.2 percent above its February 2016 level.

Cereals with high amylose content and resistant starch offer potential health benefits. Previous studies have demonstrated that the starch branching enzyme (SBE) plays a major role in determining the structure and physical properties of starch. However, controlling starch branching remain a challenge in commercial lines.

Actively involving indigenous peoples and local communities in wildlife conservation is key to maintaining biodiversity and ensuring sustainable rural livelihoods, FAO said today on the occasion of World Wildlife Day.  The urgent challenges that the world faces in maintaining biodiversity worldwide requires that indigenous peoples are empowered to act at the national level with assistance from the international community, FAO said.

It has been repeated in recent years that food production must double by 2050 to feed the world's growing population. This truism has become widely accepted among academics, policy makers and farmers, but now researchers are challenging this assertion and suggesting a new vision for the future of agriculture.

Kenya's parliamentarians have called on researchers to double their efforts in advancing what they called homegrown GM crops research to solve the country's food insecurity challenges. The Members of Parliament (MPs) drawn from Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Cooperatives said the statement at a forum organized by the National Biosafety Authority (NBA), Program for Biosafety Systems (PBS) and Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology in Africa (OFAB-Kenya Chapter) on February 21, 2017.

Media houses in Uganda have called for a wider sensitization of the public on genetically modified organisms. This was during a series of workshops themed ‘Engaging the Media on the National Biotechnology and Biosafety Bill 2012 held in Kampala on February 14 and 23, 2017. The workshops were jointly organized by Uganda Biosciences Information Center (UBIC) and Science Foundation for Livelihoods and Development, a not-for-profit organization.

Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni in a meeting today with FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva accepted an invitation to open the UN agency's governing body, the Conference, which is set to convene on 3-8 July with the participation of top level representatives from more than 150 countries.