Nigeria makes history with GMO cowpea rollout
History was made today as Nigeria officially released genetically modified (GM) cowpea, which offers protection from the pod borer pest.
East Africa’s banana farmers welcome new varieties that resist disease and drought
Plant breeders in Uganda and Tanzania have developed drought-tolerant and disease-resistant banana hybrids that are intended to support the commercialization...
Kenya on track to commercialize GM maize by 2022 to increase yields, cut pesticide use
Whether it is ugali, a popular dish prepared from maize flour and often accompanied by meat, vegetables and pulses, or porridge, the...
Ease regulatory burden to support ‘new revolution’ in crop breeding, researchers urge
It’s imperative to ease the regulatory burden on new crop breeding technologies that could feed a warmer, hungrier world, a...
South Africa has reaped major benefits from GM maize, study finds
Genetically modified (GM) maize has greatly improved food security in South Africa, reduced environmental damage and helped smallholder farmers achieve...
Genome editing helps African researchers develop disease-resistant banana varieties
Though breeding programs using genome editing remain in their infancy on the African continent, public research institutions are leading the...
Farmers warn Mexico’s GM corn ban will raise food prices
Mexico’s farmer associations are teaming up and pushing back through legal battles in opposition to a presidential decree to ban...
Gene editing can prevent eucalyptus from becoming invasive
Gene editing can prevent eucalyptus — a tree highly valued in Kenya and elsewhere for its hardy timber, wood fuel...
US intelligence report predicts greater global role for biotechnology
Biotechnology could potentially account for about 20 percent of the global economy by 2040, with agricultural and manufacturing uses the...
Five reasons to be optimistic about the future of genome editing
Though the past year delivered social, economic, health and personal difficulties that challenged people across the globe, science strutted its...
CRISPR offers hope for controlling African swine fever
New vaccine trials hold great promise in the management of an East African strain of African swine fever (ASF), one...
Can CRISPR tame avian flu and prevent the next pandemic?
Now that the COVID-19 vaccine rollout is picking up steam, it’s tempting to hope that the world can soon move...
How CRISPR can create more ethical eggs
Over the past couple of decades, Western consumers have shown an increasing appetite for more ethical eggs. The European Union and a number...
Edible insects: From niche ‘passion project’ to widespread acceptance?
Edible insects got one step closer to Europeans’ kitchens this month. The European Food Safety Authority released a scientific opinion on mealworms,...
New meta-analysis finds Bt crops have no impact on soil biota
A new meta-analysis finds that genetically modified Bt crops — in stark contrast to some pesticides — have no impact...
Tinted solar panels could boost farm incomes
Tinted, semi-transparent solar panels can generate electricity and simultaneously produce nutritionally-superior crops, offering farmers the prospect of higher incomes and...
Top European science council demands ‘radical’ GMO regulatory reform
A top European science council calling is demanding a “radical reform of the legal framework” that regulates genetically modified organisms...
5 ways CRISPR-engineered animals can help combat climate change
Climate change is a man-made problem, but humans aren’t the only animals that will be impacted by warming temperatures and...
Five ways CRISPR plants can combat climate change
Plants occupy a unique nexus when it comes to climate change. On the one hand, they can help prevent climate...
