Author: Hithaishi CB

Brazil’s National Technical Biosafety Commission (CTNBio) classifies FuturaGene’s gene-edited eucalyptus as a conventional organism. FuturaGene, the biotechnology subsidiary of the world’s largest pulp supplier, Suzano, has received formal regulatory approval from Brazil’s National Biosafety Technical Commission (CTNBio) for its new variety of gene-edited eucalyptus. CTNBio has confirmed the variety meets the criteria for exemption under Normative Resolution No. 16 (RN 16). This development was produced using CRISPR-Cas9, a New Breeding Technique (NBT), which allows for precise, targeted edits within the eucalyptus genome. Because the process introduces no genetic material from other species, the resulting modification is functionally comparable to genetic…

Promoting Canada–Asia Collaboration on Food Security, Energy Security, and Infrastructure The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (APF Canada) successfully concluded the Canada-in-Asia Conference 2026 (CIAC 2026) in Singapore, bringing together more than 700 senior policymakers, business leaders, investors, and experts from Canada and across the Asia Pacific.  Held against a backdrop of geopolitical uncertainty and economic transition, CIAC 2026 centred on three key pillars: food security, energy security, and infrastructure, exploring how Canada and Asia can develop resilient, future-ready partnerships through policy alignment, investment, and cross-border collaboration. The conference was attended by senior government representatives, including Maninder Sidhu, Minister of International Trade (Canada) and Gan Siow Huang, Minister of State…

Includes two insecticides: PLINAZOLIN® technology – a breakthrough active ingredient with novel Group 30 mode of action, paired with Group 4 thiamethoxam.  Syngenta Canada Inc. unveils Equento® Cereals seed treatment, a first-of-its-kind mortality solution with both contact and systemic activity on wireworms in addition to four fungicides to control a broad range of seed- and soil-borne diseases in western Canadian cereal crops.  At the heart of Equento Cereals is PLINAZOLIN® technology, a novel active ingredient developed by Syngenta with a unique Group 30 mode of action to control wireworms. “Equento Cereals seed treatment gives growers in Western Canada facing significant wireworm pressure a reliable tool to control…

New foundational AI “brain” trained on 150 million plants enables a step-change in crop management Carbon Robotics, a worldwide leader in agriculture AI and robotics, announced a major breakthrough for global agriculture with the launch of the world’s first Large Plant Model (LPM) – the most advanced AI model for plant detection and identification. Trained on the largest, most diverse, and fastest growing agricultural dataset ever built with 150 million labeled plants, the LPM enables farmers to start laser weeding any field or crop in minutes. New capabilities make it simple and fast to personalize the LPM for each farmer’s…

Together with The Nature Conservancy, Nestlé is helping drive the shift to farming practices that restore and improve natural resources. To accelerate the transition to regenerative agriculture and encourage young people to enter and lead the future of farming, Nestlé is working with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and Goodwall globally.  “Regenerative agriculture is essential to the long-term resilience of our business and the global food system,” said Stephanie Hart, Chief Operations Officer of Nestlé. “By combining TNC’s conservation expertise with Goodwall’s ability to mobilize millions of young people, we can accelerate progress and build a more sustainable future for farmers, communities and…

The 10th anniversary edition will bring together investors, scientists, policymakers and entrepreneurs in Singapore to explore technologies shaping the next generation of food, health and environmental systems. Future Food Asia (FFA) said it will rebrand as Future Fit Asia in 2026, reflecting a broader focus on the links between food, human health, environmental integrity and long-term resilience. The milestone 10th anniversary conference will take place on 12–13 May 2026 in Singapore. Founded a decade ago as an agrifood technology startup competition, FFA said its mission has expanded as climate risk, ecosystem degradation, chronic disease and ageing populations have made food…

The initiative will harness Arkadiah’s cutting-edge forest measurement and monitoring solutions to establish scientifically rigorous baseline measurements for land cover, biomass and carbon stock in this ecologically diverse landscape. Global agribusiness Golden Agri-Resources (GAR) announced a strategic collaboration with Singapore-based climate tech firm Arkadiah Technology (Arkadiah) that aims to enhance monitoring and protection of climate-critical tropical forests. This initiative is supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) and the Office for Space Technology and Industry (OSTIn), Singapore’s national space office. Southeast Asia is home to around 15% of the world’s tropical forests, which play a vital role in mitigating climate change by removing and storing carbon from…

Virtual wind PPA with guarantees of origin to decarbonize Syngenta’s plants in Europe Syngenta, one of the world’s biggest agricultural innovation companies, and Statkraft, a leading provider of innovative green energy solutions in Europe, have signed a virtual power purchase agreement (vPPA) covering Syngenta’s CP & Seeds operations for a period of five years. The volume amounts to 125 GWh per year and a total of 625 GWh of green electricity by the end of the contract in 2030. With the vPPA, Statkraft is supporting Syngenta in advancing its sustainability strategy through the purchase of renewable energy. “This is Syngenta’s…

To advance next-generation microbial ingredient discovery in food, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and agro-veterinary industries Concerto Biosciences®, the microbial ecology company, announced that it has signed a development and commercialization agreement with Sacco System, a global biotechnology company specializing in the research, development and production of natural and innovative biotechnological solutions for the food, nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and agro-veterinary industries, to advance next-generation microbial ingredient discovery. The companies aim to develop novel ingredients composed of synergistically interacting microbes with desirable functional properties. Sacco System contributes its heritage library of food-grade cultures and expertise in applied food microbiology. Concerto will apply its intelligence platform…

Reflects growing concerns within the sugar industry about the economic impact of sugar substitutes Philippines Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) have received a unified manifesto from the Philippine sugar industry, urging the regulation of artificial sweeteners and stricter policies on sugar substitutes that are reducing demand for locally produced cane sugar. This manifesto, signed by major sugar federations from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, as well as millers, refiners, and allied groups, represents an uncommon consensus in a sector often divided by competing interests. The issue was first identified in 2024 when the DA and SRA…