Redefining ‘sustainable’: Are climate goals undermining animal welfare in UK livestock?
As emissions targets reshape breeding priorities, UK advisers warn that a narrow focus on efficiency risks sidelining animal health and resilience
Policy & regulation
‘We’re backing Australian farmers’: Australia secures 90,000 tonnes of urea to shield farms from fertiliser shortages
Australia has secured roughly 90,000 tonnes of urea to support farmers and stabilise fertiliser supply as the government moves to protect the agriculture sector from disruptions linked to the Middle East conflict.
Bayer bets on ‘stronger than ever’ policy tailwinds to scale camelina for biofuels
Bayer says a step-change in global regulatory support for low-carbon fuels is creating the conditions needed to scale next-generation oilseed crops like camelina, while insisting its strategy will not come at the expense of food production
Collaboration refresh: Philippines, Japan seek deeper agriculture partnership ahead of presidential visit
The Philippines and Japan lay the groundwork to expand their agricultural partnership to fisheries and technology ahead of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s state visit later this month.
Glyphosate under pressure: campaigners’ push for restrictions likely to accelerate search for alternatives
As UK campaigners call for a ban on glyphosate as a pre-harvest desiccant, pressure is mounting on regulators – and on the industry – to find viable alternatives. Yet while options exist, none currently match glyphosate’s unique combination of...
EU opens door to €50,000 emergency support for farmers hit by Iran war cost spikes
Brussels has loosened state‑aid rules to help farmers and transport operators cope with soaring fuel and fertiliser prices linked to the conflict involving Iran, but payments will depend on national governments acting
Crisis response: ASEAN ag ministers call for stronger regional coordination amid global uncertainty
ASEAN agriculture ministers have called for stronger regional coordination to protect food security and agricultural trade amid persistent global shocks straining the region’s food systems.
World Agri-Tech São Paulo 2026
Why 2026 will be a defining year for Brazilian agriculture
2026 will be a defining year for Brazilian agriculture – influenced by presidential politics, global events, and technological advancements
No meaningful progress without women: Gender equality a must for food security and resilience – FAO
Empowering women farmers is essential to improving food security climate resilience and rural livelihoods across the region, says the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
Farm Bill heads to Senate without pesticide provision, following bipartisan backlash
Highlights from the House-passed Farm Bill include removal of controversial language around pesticide labeling and the creation of an Office of Biotechnology Policy
High costs, weak markets: Middle East conflict will have long-term impact on Asia’s food supply
Rising input costs and shrinking export markets are backing Asian farmers into a corner and locking in lasting consequences on the region’s next harvest.
Farmer profile
‘I’m going to work too,’ How this Indiana farmer navigates traffic, trash, tight margins
Lake County Farm Bureau President discusses the large and small issues impacting Indiana farmers
Bayer promises ‘first‑to‑the‑farm’ innovation as shareholders push back
Bayer’s 2026 Annual Stockholders’ Meeting laid bare investor patience wearing thin over the Monsanto acquisition and US glyphosate litigation, even as CEO Bill Anderson pointed to early signs of operational progress. For agriculture, the message was...
USDA signs $300m agreement with Palantir to boost farm security with AI
AI company Palantir makes further in-roads in the agriculture sector and continues its works with the USDA
UK biosolutions eye growth as resource insecurity sharpens
New data from BIA BioSolutions shows UK biosolutions companies have raised £1.46bn in equity since 2018, underlining the sector’s growing importance as policymakers and industry look for domestic, biology‑based solutions to insulate the economy from...
Women as ‘key economic actors’: South Korea’s latest five-year plan reinforces women’s role in agriculture
Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) is prioritising entrepreneurship, modern equipment and digital training to help female farmers.
Farmers can’t afford fertilizers, contemplate skipping springtime application
Farmers are feeling the pinch from higher fertilizer prices, but the impact is not uniform across the U.S.
Reality check: ASEAN leaders want stronger ag finance systems as climate risks intensify
ASEAN leaders call for stronger agricultural financial systems that can help the region’s smallholders withstand the losses from escalating climate pressures.
Support for specialty crop growers: USDA to provide over $275m in grant funding
Specialty crop growers will receive $275 million in grant funding on top of $1 billion in support, but some stakeholders worry that won’t be enough to address current volatility
Korea moves to stabilise farm input supply amid Middle East conflict ahead of spring season
South Korea’s agriculture ministry is intensifying efforts to stabilise the supply and pricing of key agricultural inputs in response to disruptions linked to the Middle East conflict.
CRISPR wheat cuts carcinogen risk without yield loss, strengthening case for precision gene editing
Ultra‑low asparagine wheat developed by Rothamsted Research shows how precision gene editing can help food producers meet tightening safety regulations, without sacrificing productivity, marking a significant step forward for safer, more compliant food...
USDA leans into agtech innovation with National Proving Grounds Network
The U.S. government is supporting agriculture technology with a program to test products and services with the goal of de-risking farmer adoption of agtech
Iran war’s long tail: Why crop protection prices could mirror fertilizer shocks
The U.S. might have been spared the blunt of high fertilizer prices, but Australia, India, and Brazil might not be so lucky
USDA, DOI help American ranchers better access grazing lands with MOU
The USDA and DOI are working to streamline the process ranchers use to apply for public grazing lands, while expanding communication channels and data access
Is price transparency a first step in addressing fertilizer volatility?
A bipartisan piece of legislation wants to bring more transparency to the fertilizer market, amid rising prices due to the Iran war
Trump announces biofuel, DEF changes at White House event attended by John Deere, AGCO, Farm Bureau
President Donald Trump revealed changes to biofuel blending and diesel exhaust fluid system sensor requirements at the Great American Agriculture Celebration — all designed to help farmers save money
USDA announces NIFA grants to protect ag production from pests, diseases
Grants will help researchers develop solutions to combat new and re-emerging pest problems that pose a risk to food security
AI for all: South Korea unveils national plan to democratise AI access down to every farmer
South Korea has unveiled national strategy to ensure that artificial intelligence becomes accessible to every farmer as part of a wider push to expand AI across the sector.
Where’s the data? Philippine Senate pushes investigation into failure to track commercial fishing
The Philippine Senate is grilling the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) for alleged failures in using vessel monitoring data to track commercial fishing, leaving municipal waters exposed to illegal incursions.
Vietnam pushes ag sector towards high-value production, sustainability to maintain export momentum
Vietnam’s ag ministry is rolling out a series of measures to sustain its strong export growth by shifting the sector toward higher-value production, greater sustainability and stronger alignment with increasingly strict global market standards.
Iran war: Middle East conflict kicks up more uncertainty for 2026 growing season
All eyes are on the Strait of Hormuz, as an ongoing war in the Middle East is putting the agriculture supply chain on edge, with fertiliser supply concerns rising
USDA bolsters New World Screwworm readiness with Texas facility contract
The New World Screwworm has yet been spotted in the U.S., but the government is working to push the pest further south
South Korea reports limited agri‑food disruption from Middle East crisis
South Korea says agri‑food exports and key inputs remain largely unaffected by Middle East unrest but has intensified daily monitoring to prepare for potential long‑term risks.
Confident but cautious: NZ dairy sector set for major reforms on path to responsible growth
New Zealand’s dairy sector is bracing for sweeping reforms in gene technology, methane targets and resource management that will shape its journey towards responsible growth, says Dairy NZ.
‘Farmers worse off’: NZ industry pushes back on freshwater farm plan requirements
The head of industry body Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) says the current draft of the Natural Environment Bill (NEB) could leave farmers in a less favourable position.
Can new incentives accelerate precision agriculture adoption in the UK?
The UK’s flagship farm‑payment scheme has been overhauled into a more streamlined, delivery‑focused model. But will SFI26’s push toward measurable, on‑farm action transform precision agriculture into a practical necessity for British farmers?
EU policy recap: February’s big shifts in farming rules, trade and tech
From fertiliser reforms to wine sector rescue plans, Brussels unleashes a wave of measures that could impact agtech demand across the continent
Hungary creates first clear EU pathway for legal drone spraying, SynTech Research says
New national guidelines position Hungary at the forefront of drone‑based biocontrol regulation, opening the door for next‑generation pest‑management solutions
USDA opens enrollment for one-time bridge payments to address 2025 volatility
The USDA released enrollment details on one-time bridge payments for row and specialty crop growers
Fast‑tracked Ukraine accession could upend EU agriculture, crop care group warns
ECCA’s Paolo Marchesini says uneven regulations and Ukraine’s cost advantages risk destabilising farmers unless the EU fixes its own internal barriers first
‘Ensure effective use of farmland’: Japan advances full paddy utilisation plan to bolster food security
Japan’s move toward full utilisation of all rice paddies is part of a broader food security strategy to diversify production and reduce reliance on imports.
China 2026 fisheries agenda: MARA prioritises safety, enforcement to drive sector modernisation
China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) outlines a 2026 fisheries roadmap as it aims to modernise the sector while strengthening environmental protection and regulatory enforcement.
Trade turmoil continues: Trump reacts to Supreme Court decision with new tariff plan
The Trump administration is not giving up its use of tariffs as a tool to shape economic and trade policy quite yet
Syngenta breaks ground with Europe’s first scalable hybrid wheat
Whole‑genome screening, precision trait mapping and hybrid‑breeding advances have enabled Syngenta to deliver Europe’s first commercially scalable hybrid wheat, marking a pivotal moment for a crop long considered too genetically complex for hybridisation
Domestic disconnect: High costs, weak producer ties hinder local sourcing for Japan’s food makers
Japanese food manufacturers say high costs, unstable supply and weak direct ties with producers prevent them from shifting to domestically sourced raw materials.
‘A map that’s green everywhere’: ISF chief pushes for global alignment on gene‑edited seeds
International Seed Federation (ISF) secretary general Michael Keller warns that a fragmented regulatory landscape risks stalling innovation, slowing climate‑resilient crop development and shutting out smaller breeders
On the ground in Mato Grosso
‘A very tough moment,’ Brazil’s ag sector navigates geopolitics, financial pressures to grow
Brazil’s agriculture sector embraces the mantle of free trade and multilateralism, amid a rise in trade isolationism
What the U.S. farm bill could mean for the future of precision agriculture
The draft of the 2026 farm bill includes a provision to develop a precision agriculture standard, but will that be enough to boost adoption?
UK unveils first PFAS strategy as scientists warn soil contamination is poorly understood
With major evidence gaps remaining around how PFAS behave in soils and what this means for food systems, the government has launched new plan to track ‘forever chemicals’
On the ground in Mato Grosso
Brazil’s ag boom: Can the country overcome logistical challenges to sustain growth?
Can Brazil keep up with demand for its agricultural products or will persistent logistic challenges drag growth down?