BIOTECHNOLOGY

FAO gene editing paper

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT

FAO has just published an Issue Paper entitled “Gene editing and agrifood systems”. Developed by a team of authors with oversight from the Office of the Chief Scientist, this 86-page document is organized in the following six chapters: introduction; advances in plant and animal breeding; gene editing - potential hazards, [...]

Biotechnologies and animal genetic resources for food and agriculture

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT

The Twelfth Session of the Intergovernmental Technical Working Group on Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture take places at FAO headquarters, Rome, Italy on 18-20 January 2023. Several biotechnology-related items are on the agenda for this meeting. These include ‘Monitoring the diversity of animal genetic resources for food and [...]

UN Biodiversity Conference

Sun, 12 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT

On 7-19 December 2022, Part II of the UN Biodiversity Conference took place in Montreal, Canada, including the Fifteenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 15); the Tenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity serving [...]

International Treaty resolution on digital sequence information / genetic sequence data

Sat, 11 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT

The Ninth Session of the Governing Body of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture took place in New Delhi, India on 19-24 September 2022. The report of the meeting, as well as the 17 resolutions adopted, are now available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian [...]

Gene editing techniques and agrifood systems

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT

On 17-21 October 2022, the first FAO Science and Innovation Forum took place at FAO headquarters, highlighting the centrality of science, technology and innovation for transforming agrifood systems. It was organized together with the World Food Forum and the Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum. One of the Science and Innovation Forum’s sessions [...]

Proceedings of the FAO Global Seed Conference

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT

The FAO Global Conference on Green Development of Seed Industries took place virtually on 4-5 November 2021. The proceedings are now available for download. Edited by J. Ruane, C. Mba and J. Xia, they provide a record of the highlights of the conference, covering the opening and keynote address plenary [...]

Current and future genetic technologies for fisheries and aquaculture

Wed, 08 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT

As part of its Fisheries and Aquaculture Circular series, FAO has recently published “Current and future genetic technologies for fisheries and aquaculture: implications for the work of FAO”. Written by K.J. Friedman and co-authors, this 68-page publication offers insights into the likely implications of new genetic technologies on the fisheries [...]

Workshop on digital sequence information and genetic resources

Tue, 07 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT

On 14-15 November 2022, the FAO Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture organized the “Global workshop on digital sequence information and genetic resources for food and agriculture”. It was held virtually and was convened in collaboration with the Convention on Biological Diversity, the International Treaty on Plant Genetic [...]

Webinars on cryoconservation of animal genetic resources

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Cryoconservation of animal genetic resources through gene banking provides a powerful tool for governments and other stakeholders to manage genetic diversity in both the short and long term. In 2012, FAO published guidelines on cryoconservation of animal genetic resources. To complement and update these guidelines, FAO recently developed a practical [...]

Genomic characterization of animal genetic resources

Sun, 05 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT

As part of its Animal Production and Health Guidelines series, FAO has recently published “Genomic characterization of animal genetic resources – Practical guide”, edited by P. Ajmone-Marsan, P.J. Boettcher, L. Colli, C. Ginja, J. Kantanen and J.A. Lenstra. The broad objective of this 163-page book is to provide guidance on [...]

Conservation of plant genetic resources using in vitro culture

Sat, 04 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT

In 2014, FAO, through its Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, published the Genebank Standards for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. They provide international standards for ex situ conservation of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture in seed genebanks, field genebanks, in vitro culture and [...]

Biopesticides to control desert locusts in Somalia

Fri, 03 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT

A recent FAO Feature Story entitled “How Somalia used biopesticides to win against desert locusts” describes how, during the 2019-2022 desert locust crisis, the Government of Somalia, together with FAO, used biopesticides and insect growth regulators to control these pests, setting an example for locust management worldwide. Biopesticides are mass-produced, [...]

Veterinary vaccines: principles and applications

Thu, 02 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT

FAO and John Wiley & Sons Limited have recently published “Veterinary vaccines: principles and applications” aiming to provide readily available information on vaccinology and vaccine immune response in animal populations to a wide audience, including government authorities, decision makers, field veterinarians, livestock keepers, scientific community, vaccine producers and veterinary students. [...]

OECD conference on microbial pesticide testing

Wed, 01 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT

The OECD Conference on Innovating Microbial Pesticide Testing took place in Paris, France on 13-16 September 2022, organized by the Expert Group on Biopesticides, a sub-body of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Working Party on Pesticides. The goal of the conference was to agree upon, and begin to [...]

Call for case studies of the use of agricultural biotechnologies to meet the needs of smallholders in developing countries

Wed, 25 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT

FAO has just launched an open call for case studies of the use of agricultural biotechnologies to meet the needs of smallholders in developing countries. In 2012, FAO published Biotechnologies at Work for Smallholders, a collection of case studies of the applications of biotechnologies to serve the needs of smallholders [...]

Biotechnologies and genetic resources for food and agriculture

Tue, 24 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT

The FAO Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture has just published “Recent developments in biotechnologies relevant to the characterization, sustainable use and conservation of genetic resources for food and agriculture”. The 22-page covers developments relevant to all sectors of genetic resources for food and agriculture as well as [...]

Food biotechnologies with a focus on food safety

Mon, 23 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT

FAO has just published an “Information toolkit on food biotechnologies with a focus on food safety”, which serves as a basis to assist countries in addressing the general public’s concerns on food biotechnology and food safety, to support them in raising awareness of the science of food biotechnologies and food [...]

Report of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture's 18th Regular Session

Fri, 11 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMT

The 18th Regular Session of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA) took place from 27 September to 1 October 2021 in a virtual format. For the agenda item on “Review of the work on biotechnologies for the conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources for food [...]

FAO Global Seed Conference

Thu, 10 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMT

On 4-5 November 2021, FAO organised the "Global conference on green development of seed industries". The virtual event provided a neutral forum for FAO Members, partners, industry and opinion leaders, and other stakeholders to engage in focused dialogues on how best to make quality seeds of preferred productive, nutritious and [...]

Science Days for the UN Food Systems Summit

Wed, 09 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMT

As part of the build up to the UN Food Systems Summit on 23 September 2021, the Scientific Group of the UN Food Systems Summit organized the “Science Days for the UN Food Systems Summit 2021”, facilitated and hosted by FAO on 8-9 July, where more than 2,000 participants from [...]