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Agriculture & Environment: Agri-biotech

Features

Here is a list of the latest articles

A bollworm on a cotton plant

Farmers' income study stirs up GM cotton debate

Controversy continues over the impact of Bt cotton on the lives of farmers in India, report M. Sreelata and T. V. Padma.

11 July 2012 | EN

Frank Rijsberman

New CGIAR head explains his vision for the future

Frank Rijsberman speaks to Busani Bafana about his plans for the CGIAR Consortium and the importance of agricultural research investment.

6 July 2012 | EN

Synthetic biology researcher

Developing countries face up to synthetic biology challenges

As commercial synthetic biology production gathers speed, there are growing calls for greater regulation, reports Yojana Sharma.

27 April 2012 | EN | ES

Woman plucking tea leaves

Can technology rescue women farm workers from drudgery?

Interest is growing in tools and innovations that can ease the workload imposed on women farm workers, report M Sreelata and Naomi Antony.

12 April 2012 | EN

Close-up of plant

Updating photosynthesis to boost crop yields

Engineering plants to convert carbon dioxide into food more efficiently could play a key role in increasing crop yields, scientists say.

Source: New Scientist

25 February 2011 | EN

 Maíz fortificado con betacaroteno

Biofortified crops ready for developing world debut

A range of crops rich in micronutrients will be launched from next year, but is the developing world ready, asks Tatum Anderson?

17 November 2010 | EN | ES

Cassava

A quiet cassava revolution

The development of more nutritious cassava varieties — using non-GM methods — could alleviate malnutrition in the developing world.

Source: Scientific American

14 May 2010 | EN | ES

Bill Gates

Are Gates and CGIAR a good mix for Africa?

What will the Gates Foundation's links to a network of agricultural research centres mean for tackling hunger, asks Yojana Sharma?

26 March 2010 | EN

Man with Golden Rice

Can GM crops feed the hungry?

GM crops were supposed to rescue the world's one billion undernourished people. Carol Campbell discusses whether they will ever curb hunger.

20 January 2010 | EN | ES | FR | 中文

A revolution to combat world hunger

Ambitious reforms aimed at meeting the world's food demands lie ahead for the agency that networks agricultural research in poor regions.

24 September 2009 | EN | 中文

Roadblocks on the path to GM superfoods

Nutrient-rich foods could combat malnutrition — but getting from the lab to the plate is proving a challenge.

Source: The Scientist

17 September 2009 | EN | 中文

Ethiopia's sorghum superhero

An agricultural scientist whose work in sorghum improvement has benefited African farmers has won the World Food Prize.

Source: World Food Prize

22 June 2009 | EN

Is GM shedding its Frankenstein image?

Developing world farmers are leading the way in the adoption of genetically modified crops.

Source: Newsweek

20 March 2009 | EN | 中文

China's GM ambition raises biosafety concerns

Opinions on China's recent US$3.7 billion GM roll-out remain divided, with concerns over potential risks and regulation loopholes.

Source: Nature

6 November 2008 | EN | 中文

Florence Wambugu at the African Green Revolution Conference

Q&A: African Agriculture with Florence Wambugu

Florence Wambugu, winner of the 2008 YARA prize for African agriculture, speaks to SciDev.Net about the challenges facing the field.

4 September 2008 | EN | FR

Selling cassava in Indonesia

Scientists target 'super cassava'

Cassava is getting a transgenic makeover to boost its nutritional value, shelf-life and disease resistance.

Source: AllAfrica.com

12 August 2008 | EN | FR | 中文

Maize

A-maizing: Asia's drought-resistant maize varieties

The first drought-tolerant maize varieties developed by the Asian Maize Network, established to tackle poor harvests, are showing promise.

Source: CIMMYT

16 June 2008 | EN | 中文

Mutant wheat aiding Kenya food security

A mutant strain of drought-resistant wheat is contributing to Kenya's food security, enabling the use of land previously unsuited to cultivation.

Source: International Atomic Energy Agency

20 May 2008 | EN

Agriculture, field and mountain

Restoring Tanzania's ecosystems

Tanzania's land is gradually being reclaimed, thanks to a new regional development programme and improved land management systems.

Source: Transformations Quarterly

26 March 2008 | EN

Africa's Sahel region will produce fewer crops as a result of climate change

Can crops be climate-proofed?

Climate change threatens food crops across the world. Now scientists are re-focusing their efforts on crop resilience, rather than yields.

11 January 2008 | EN | FR | 中文