Dr. Milton Stokes, Director for Global Health and Nutrition Outreach of Monsanto, said that genetically modified (GM) crops can help the Philippines meet its nutritional requirements at a press briefing on March 7, 2017. Dr. Stokes said, "crops like Golden Rice with beta-carotene biosynthesis genes to combat Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD) can help prevent 1-2 million deaths and 500,000 cases of irreversible blindness annually

Access to water is a fundamental need for food security, human health and agriculture, and its looming scarcity in the North Africa and Middle East region is a huge challenge requiring an "urgent and massive response," FAO Director-General Jose Graziano da Silva said in Cairo.

Scientists from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) came up with a mathematical equation to compute leaf mass area that will help identify what controls plant behaviors based on their cells. The research findings are published in Ecology Letters.

The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released a statement regarding the PLOS One article which claimed that there were conflicts of interest among the committee members of the National Academies who authored the comprehensive report on genetically engineered crops published in 2016. According to the National Academies' statement, they implement a stringent, well-defined, and transparent conflict of interest policy.

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.