Konzo also affects children's mental ability, even in those who do not display the physical symptoms associated with the disease, says a study.

Scientists have revealed the cause of a shrimp disease that has been decimating Asian shrimp yields since 2009, and perplexing experts.

Scientists have flagged up the poor quality of livestock data in Africa at a progress briefing of a project that aims to change that.

The boom in rice growing in Benin has also led to more infestation of stored rice by pests, which is causing losses of hundreds of millions of francs.

Increasing crop yields on existing farmland to curb deforestation may pay off in the short-term, but could lead to escalating costs in the future, say researchers.

Nepal sees waste-to-energy projects as a way to meet energy demand and also manage waste.

Research into transport mechanisms in plants is leading to innovations for improving crop yields, which are starting to trickle down to farmers.

Central American countries are requesting US$800 million to deal with a devastating plague that affects their coffee plantations.

To ensure sustainable food production in Africa, farmers must be involved in agricultural research and development, a global panel reports.

Researchers confirm that selenium deficiency is endemic in Malawi, and suggest enriching fertiliser with the nutrient to tackle the problem.

WHO researchers have pinned chronic kidney disease in Sri Lanka on heavy metals in agrochemicals.

An artificial vaccine could be modified to use against problematic forms of foot-and-mouth disease that hit subsistence farmers.

Food security in Burundi could be improved by new hybrid maize seeds, but only if the seeds are affordable to farmers, say researchers.

With a new study predicting temperature increases of three times the global average by 2050, farmers and fishermen could see outputs plunge.

Human urine is not only a good substitute for urea — a costly chemical fertiliser — but also synergises well with compost.

Biodiverse traditional crops are often still grown as poor rural farmers seek to earn more from new crops, according to research in Bolivia.

Cropping systems with sowing dates adapted to climate change will result in increased future crop yields, a study indicates

Surging demand for quinoa brings in money, but it is ruining farmland and putting the crop out of reach of local consumers, say scientists.

Aromatic varieties of Bangladeshi rice contain less arsenic and so could be safer than more commonly eaten varieties, reveals a study.