Local leaders ask for GMOs while waiting for Biosafety Law GM
Reading Time: < 1 minuteOVER 30 local government leaders from nine districts in central Uganda asked to be given genetically modified crops developed by the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO) while the country waits to pass a biosafety law. The officials—Chief Administrative Officers (CAOs), district chairpersons, agriculture and production officers, and Resident District Commissioners (RDCs)— were on a biotechnology […]
Creating efficient food systems with AI
Reading Time: 2 minutesFAO Director-General QU Dongyu became today one of the first signatories of an ethical resolution on Artificial Intelligence (AI) endorsed by Pope Francis, stressing the importance of minimising this new technology’s risks while exploiting its potential benefits. “Artificial Intelligence needs to be transparent, inclusive, socially beneficial and accountable,” Qu said, adding: “We need to ensure […]
Ramping up the fight against Fall Armyworm
Reading Time: 2 minutesTOOLS are available to wrestle Fall Armyworm, a voracious invasive species that is ravaging crops in Africa, Asia and the Near East, and it is imperative to intensify coordination to curb the insect’s spread. “We will need to step up the alliance among key partners from all relevant sectors at the global level,” FAO Director-General […]
South Australian govt stands by decision to allow GM crops
Reading Time: 2 minutesTHE government of South Australia (SA) is fixed on its decision to permit genetically modified crops into its mainland to allow SA farmers to experience the same benefits that other GM planting farmers around the world have been receiving. This was their decision despite the legislation filed by opposing parties in Parliament to reinstate the […]
Biomass fuels can significantly mitigate global warming
Reading Time: 2 minutesBIOMASS fuels derived from various grasses could significantly mitigate global warming by reducing carbon, according to a long-term field study by researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) and Michigan State University (MSU). In a new paper published in Environmental Science and Technology, the researchers examined a number of different cellulosic biofuel crops to […]
Long wait over for Kenya A new dawn rises for this East African nation’s cotton farmers as Bt cotton enters commercial farming
Reading Time: 2 minutesAFTER many years of waiting, Kenya has finally commenced commercial farming of Bt cotton heralding a new dawn for cotton farmers in the country. Recently, the country planted its first Bt cotton seed in an open field outside confinement during a historic launch held at Alupe University, western Kenya. The country now becomes the seventh […]
Study: Next-Gen consumers, farmers share hope for future of food and farming
Reading Time: < 1 minuteA FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND global study of Gen Z/millennial farmers and consumers examined views on the future of food and farming in the United States, Brazil, China, France, and Russia. The study of more than 3,000 respondents reveals that participants in different global markets have the same concern about the future of food and farming. The study, […]
US promotes GMO education to consumers through ‘Feed Your Mind’ initiative
Reading Time: < 1 minuteTHE Feed Your Mind Initiative was cooperatively launched by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and US the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to help consumers better understand food derived from genetic engineering, commonly known as genetically modified organisms (GMOs). GMOs have been available since the early 1990s and are […]
New feed for M’sian goats and cattle
Reading Time: < 1 minuteRESEARCHERS from International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) have formulated a new feedstock for goats and cattle using a local Malaysian crop called Napier grass. The grass is combined with molasses, microbes, vitamins and minerals to optimize fermentation, ultimately producing a fodder or “silage” in 21 days that can last for up to two years. The […]
‘Eureka’ moment for scientists who saw beyond the oil
Reading Time: 6 minutesBY MAHALETCHUMY ARUJANAN SERENDIPITY in research is every scientist’s dream. For Dr Ravigadevi Sambanthamurthi and her co-researchers, it is not just serendipitous research but spontaneous thinking and capturing what missed the attention of many. Ravigadevi and team at the Malaysian Palm Oil Board were the first scientists in the world to make a major discovery […]