Alliance for Science
African nations warm to crop biotechnology for potential food security gains
Though only a few African countries are now growing genetically modified (GM) crops commercially, governments across the continent are increasingly ...
African science steps up to COVID challenge
As the coronavirus spreads across Africa, launching a pandemic that the World Health Organization (WHO) warns could “smolder” for years, ...
Mini-capsule technology controls mosquitoes without insecticides
Effective mosquito control without the use of insecticides can now be achieved by soaking an egg-filled mini capsule in water, ...
Seeds of fear sown in Uganda as farmers confuse clonal coffee with coronavirus
The emergence of the fast-spreading coronavirus and its virulent COVID-19 have come with unprecedented conspiracy theories related to source, cause ...
How insect resistant Bt eggplant has made Bangladesh a global ‘role model’: A photo essay
Brinjal — also known as eggplant, aubergine and talong — is a very popular and important vegetable in South Asia ...
COVID-19 may stall Nigeria’s rollout of GMO cowpea
The COVID-19 pandemic may delay the rollout of pest-resistant Bt cowpea, Nigeria’s first genetically modified (GM) food crop. The country’s ...
GMO tomato as edible COVID vaccine? Mexican scientists work to make it a reality
While large companies and public sector consortiums in the United States, Canada, China and Europe are running at full speed ...
US government launches GMO website, may allow GM crops in some wildlife refuges
While much of the United States government’s recent activity has focused on COVID-19, some agencies are continuing their work in ...
Africa’s smallholder farmers need support to build resiliency and sustainability
The world is at a standstill due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the smallholder farmers who feed millions of Africans ...
Africa looks to build food self-sufficiency as COVID disrupts global supply chain
As Africa grapples with disruptions in the global supply chain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, some see it as an ...
Anti-vaxxers and anti-GMO lobby double down on COVID China conspiracy theory
As the World Health Organization warns of a misinformation “infodemic,” anti-science groups around the world are doubling down on a ...
Ugandan scientists use CRISPR in pioneering research to breed hardier cassava
Ugandan scientists have begun moving gene extracts into cassava cells in a first-of-its-kind research trial using the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing ...
COVID-19 nudges us to rethink our approach to the existential threats of our time
The world as we knew it ended a few months ago. What we have now is a seemingly alien muddle ...
Kenya pushes GMO cotton farming to meet soaring demand for masks
The Kenyan government has begun distributing genetically modified (GM) and hybrid seeds in a bid to increase cotton production to ...
Viewpoint: Norman Borlaug saved millions of lives, would his critics prefer he hadn’t?
Norman Borlaug is perhaps the most important person in human history whose name and legacy remain largely unknown. A hero ...
Gene editing will revolutionize crop breeding in Africa, new paper predicts
Genome editing technology has the potential to revolutionize crop development on the African continent, especially in sub-Sahara Africa, according to ...
COVID: Top 10 current conspiracy theories
As the COVID-19 crisis worsens, the world also faces a global misinformation pandemic. Conspiracy theories that behave like viruses themselves ...
Video: 30% bigger crop yields; 60% less pesticide use—The massive impact of GMO Bt insect-resistant eggplant in Bangladesh
Since entering the market in 2014, Bt brinjal [eggplant] has helped smallholder farmers in Bangladesh achieve higher yields, a 60 ...
Did COVID-19 escape from a lab?
A frenzy of speculation has arisen around the idea that the novel coronavirus responsible for the global COVID-19 pandemic might ...
Norwegians see advantages to gene editing food
Norwegian consumers are receptive to using gene editing tools in agriculture if they bring social, economic and environmental benefits, a ...
Coronavirus presents ‘looming food crisis,’ FAO warns
The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned that the global coronavirus pandemic may trigger a “looming food ...
Science to the rescue? How modern genetics could help save the world from coronavirus
Humanity really has only two options to confront the coronavirus pandemic currently sweeping the planet. The first is to mount ...
COVID crisis captivates conspiracy theorists
In the face of a global catastrophe like COVID-19, it’s only natural that frightened, anxious people try to ascribe blame ...
COVID-19 virus spread prompts food insecurity fears in Africa
The spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus is prompting food insecurity fears in Africa, with some countries already experiencing rising prices, ...
Fall armyworm adds bitter note to farmer’s ‘sweet and sour journey’
For 83-year-old Florence Wambui Theiru, a life of farming in Central Kenya has been a sweet and sour journey. Over ...
Ugandan President wants GMO bill passed
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni wants the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) caucus to meet, discuss and finally pass the nation’s ...
New report hails Ghana’s ‘unique’ biosafety regime as nation prepares for its first GMO crop
A new report has hailed Ghana’s “unique” biosafety regime as the West African nation prepares to commercialize insect-resistant Bt cowpea, ...
Mozambique sees GMO crops as way to reduce poverty, achieve food security
Mozambique is exploring the use of biotech crops to boost food security following its successful field trials of genetically modified ...
