UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Few people want to think about the unthinkable — a global catastrophe such as a massive asteroid strike, a supervolcano eruption or even nuclear war.
But Deanna Behring, assistant dean for international programs in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, said she believes considering what could happen and how people, communities and governments might respond can improve preparation, coordination and investments today. Imagining the unthinkable also aids in inspiring novel ways of action for prevention, particularly for the next generation, she added.
“A worldwide disaster could severely disrupt agriculture by blocking sunlight, lowering temperatures, altering rainfall patterns and contaminating water supplies,” said Behring, director of Ag Sciences Global. “While extreme, these scenarios pose fundamental questions about how food systems, communities and markets might react under sudden and prolonged stress.”
05 September 2025, Africa: As part of its commitment to harnessing Artificial Intelligence (AI) for agricultural innovation, CIMMYT is pioneering a transformative shift in plant breeding through AI-enabled phenotyping. By combining computer vision, machine learning, and mobile phone technology, this approach is redefining how traits are measured, making the process more sustainable, scalable, and objective.
In close collaboration with Quantitative Engineering Design (QED.ai), the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT (ABC), the Gates Foundation, and the Africa Dryland Crops Improvement Network (ADCIN), CIMMYT is integrating AI tools into breeding pipelines across regions. The goal: to ensure that systematic and accurate trait data collection becomes a core element of modern crop improvement programs worldwide.
AI-Based Phenotyping
Recent advances in Artificial Intelligence are unlocking powerful new tools for agriculture—especially in phenotyping. Computer vision-based models now allow us to observe and quantify plant traits with greater accuracy, consistency, and speed.
One such innovation is...
In this interview, we spoke with Ben Belton, a Research Fellow with IFPRI’s Development Strategies and Governance Unit based in Dhaka, Bangladesh, lead author of a new article in Science about the rapidly expanding use of drones in agriculture around the world—particularly in the Global South.
Your article outlines a surprising, and before now largely undocumented, expansion in drone use in agriculture. What are the broader implications of this ongoing drone revolution?
Ben Belton: Agricultural drones have taken off globally at remarkable speed over the past five years. Remarkably, the agricultural drone revolution has spread from Global South to Global North, reversing historical patterns of agricultural technology diffusion.
Drone diffusion is enabling technological leapfrogging, helping to equalize global inequalities in access to agricultural technology. Millions of farmers in the Global South suddenly have at their disposal technology equipment with extremely sophisticated capabilities, comparable to the most state-of-the-art large machines used on farms in the Global North.
03 September 2025, Vietnam: To enhance agricultural productivity and economic returns, the Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection (PPPD) in collaboration with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) convened a technical workshop focusing on fertilizer efficiency. This event, part of the “Fertilize Right” project, funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), signals the move towards data-driven farming in Vietnam.
Precision agriculture: a path to higher returns
The workshop brought together a diverse group of representatives from government departments, research institutes, universities, and international organizations to discuss a suite of topics surrounding digital tools. These tools such as the Soil Nutrient Map, Rice Crop Manager, e-Extension Lúa Việt, and EasyFarm – are designed to optimize resource allocation and improve farmer profitability.
In her opening remarks, Dr. Clemen Gehlhar, a representative of the USDA, stated the project’s objectives to improve soil health and increase farmer incomes by providing practical guidance and promoting the adoption of advanced technologies. She highlighted that e-extension is critical for scaling these innovations, ensuring they reach the maximum number of farmers. E-extension is a web-based platform for rice nutrient management, designed to complement tools like the Rice Crop Manager.
"Global Food Grade Lecithin Market reached US$ 21.32 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach US$ 30.60 billion by 2032, growing with a CAGR of 4.62% during the forecast period 2025-2032" As per DataM intelligence research report
United States: Recent Developments
- ✅ In 2025, American Lecithin Company expanded its non-GMO and organic lecithin portfolio, catering to the rising demand for clean-label ingredients and cleaner sourcing in food and plant-based industries.
- ✅ In 2025, ADM debuted a new line of enzyme-modified lecithin, optimized for enhanced performance in bakery and confectionery applications, supporting cleaner textures and improved functionality.
- ✅ In 2025, Cargill launched a sunflower-based lecithin line, designed to meet the growing interest in allergen-free and clean-label emulsifiers, particularly for chocolate and confectionery products.
The latest study released on the Global Agricultural Biotechnology Market by HTF MI evaluates market size, trend, and forecast to 2031. The Agricultural Biotechnology market study covers significant research data and proofs to be a handy resource document for managers, analysts, industry experts and other key people to have ready-to-access and self-analyzed study to help understand market trends, growth drivers, opportunities and upcoming challenges and about the competitors.
Key Players in This Report Include: Adama Agricultural Solutions Ltd. (China), BASF SE (Germany), Bayer AG (Germany), Certis USA LLC (United States), Dowdupont Inc. (United States), Evogene Ltd. (Israel), Global Bio-Chem Technology Group Company Limited (Hong Kong), KWS SAAT SE (Germany). Additionally, other players that are part of this detailed analysis includes Monsanto Company (United States), Performance Plants Inc. (Canada), Syngenta AG (Switzerland), Vilmorin & CIE (France). Syngenta,DuPont,Monsanto,ADAMA Agricultural Solutions,BASF,Bayer CropScience,Certis USA,Dow AgroSciences,Mycogen Seed,Performance Plants,KWS SAAT,Evogene,Rubicon,Vilmorin,Global Bio-chem Technology
According to HTF Market Intelligence, the global Agricultural Biotechnology market is valued at USD 57607.8 Million in 2024 and estimated to reach a revenue of USD 89975.6 Million by 2031, with a CAGR of 7.71% from 2024 to 2031.
HTF MI just released the Global Modified Lecithin Market Study, a comprehensive analysis of the market that spans more than 143+ pages and describes the product and industry scope as well as the market prognosis and status for 2025-2032. The marketization process is being accelerated by the market study's segmentation by important regions. The market is currently expanding its reach.
Major companies profiled in Modified Lecithin Market are: Cargill, ADM, Lecico, Lasenor, Bunge, GIIAVA, Wilmar, Ruchi Soya, Lipoid, Sonic Biochem, LECICO GmbH, American Lecithin Company, IMCD, Sternchemie, Novastell, Clarkson Specialty Lecithins, Austrade, Amitex Agro Product.
Inter Standard Consult (Uzbekistan) in partnership with APK-Inform Asia (Kazakhstan) and Expo Time (Kazakhstan) invite you to participate in the fifth anniversary international conference Asia Grains & Oils Conference in Tashkent 2025.
Dates: September 17-18
Venue: AZIMUT Grand Hotel Tashkent (107A Amir Temur Avenue, Tashkent)
Asia Grains & Oils Conference in Tashkent will bring together key representatives of grain, oilseeds and logistics markets from Central Asia for the fifth time in September to meet with existing and potential partners to discuss the terms of work and cooperation in the new 2025/26 MY.
The event will traditionally serve as a kind of information hub in the Central Asian region at the start of the grain season.
Uzbekistan has been chosen for the fifth year in a row for a reason. The country remains the main importer of agricultural products from Kazakhstan, while increasing the volume of purchases not only from Kazakhstan, but also from China and other countries. But at the same time, Uzbekistan is also actively developing its export business in the agricultural segment. This requires the active development of international partnerships, for which the Asia Grains & Oils Conference in Tashkent 2025 will be an excellent information and networking platform.
In addition, we are witnessing the growing role of Uzbekistan as the largest link in the supply chain in the Central Asian region.