ISAAA Brief 54: Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops in 2018
Biotech crops continue to help meet the challenges of increased population and climate change. According to the Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops in 2018 (Brief 54) released by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), a total of 70 countries adopted biotech crops through cultivation and importation in 2018, the 23rd year of biotech crop adoption. The continuous adoption of biotech crops by farmers worldwide indicate that biotech crops continue to help meet global challenges of hunger, malnutrition, and climate change. Get the full publication here.
Impacts of GM Crops on Soil Health: ISAAA Pocket K No. 57
A healthy agricultural production system cannot exist without healthy soils. Aside from being the habitat of diverse organisms that contribute to carbon sequestration, the soil plays a vital role in food production as well as in climate change mitigation. With biotech products such as herbicide tolerant crops, conservation practices have been used not just to the farmers’ advantage, but also to preserve soil health. This pocket file by ISAAA highlights the impacts of genetically modified crops on soil health. Get the full publication here
Byte by byte: Policy innovation for transforming Africa’s food system with digital technologies
Africa’s digital transformation is underway, creating opportunities for the continent to leverage the potential benefits of digitalization for agriculture, particularly smallholder farmers. This report by the Malabo Montpellier Panel looks at seven African countries on the forefront of progress in digitalization of the agriculture sector, analysing the role of institutional and policy innovations as well as private sector actions that increase farmers’ access to information, services, and markets using digital tools. Numerous examples shed light on what works and what does not. The case study analysis-covering Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Senegal-supports recommendations for public and private sector innovations to foster digitalization for growth and competitiveness in Africa’s agricultural value chains. Get the full publication here