Author: Hithaishi CB

Musim Mas, Nestlé and AAK renew their partnership to address environmental, social and economic concerns Musim Mas, Nestlé, and AAK have renewed their partnership for the fourth consecutive year to continue supporting independent smallholder oil palm farmers in Aceh Subulussalam, Indonesia. This partnership, originally launched in 2021, focuses on the risks associated with deforestation and the broader environmental, social, and economic challenges faced by smallholders. The Subulussalam Smallholders Hub is at the heart of this collaboration. This landscape-based initiative by Musim Mas trains smallholder farmers and village extension officers (VEOs) in Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and NDPE (No Deforestation, No Peat, No…

A total investment of $3.5 billion is planned for the company’s integrated agri-industrial project for powdered milk production in Algeria. Baladna has announced the signing of initial contracts valued over $500mn between Baladna Algeria and a group of Algerian and international suppliers and consultants in the capital, Algiers. The agreements are part of the first phase of the company’s integrated agri-industrial project for powdered milk production in Algeria, which represents a total investment of $3.5B. The Baladna Algeria project is considered one of the largest agri-industrial ventures in the world and the first of its kind in Algeria. Spanning 117,000…

The collaboration aims to further strengthen Singapore’s capabilities in detecting emerging contaminants, such as microplastics, in the face of growing concerns Agilent Technologies Inc. has inked Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute (NEWRI), outlining their collaboration in advancing environmental and water research over the next three years. NEWRI is a leading research institute at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), ranked 13th globally for Environmental Sciences by QS World University Ranking in 2025¹. The collaboration aims to further strengthen Singapore’s capabilities in detecting emerging contaminants, such as microplastics, in the face of growing concerns. This marks…

The forecast for next year has been lowered to 4.6% from 4.7%; Oil production is expected to increase by 0.1 % points this year and next, resulting in higher growth projections. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has lowered its growth forecasts for economies in developing Asia and the Pacific this year and next year. The downgrades are driven by expectations of reduced exports amid higher United States (U.S.) tariffs and global trade uncertainty, as well as weaker domestic demand. ADB forecasts the region’s economies will grow by 4.7% this year, a 0.2 percentage point decline from the projection issued in…

Genetically modified soybean has been approved for food use in Australia and New Zealand, and for food, feed and planting in the United States and Canada. Korean Biosafety Information Exchange House announced the use of genetically modified soybeans DP-305423-1×DAS-44406-6 and genetically modified microorganisms DS003 for food, and genetically modified soybeans MON94313 for feed. The genetically modified soybean DP-305423-1×DAS-44406-6 was developed by Corteva. By introducing the fad2-1, 2mepsps, aad-12 genes and pat genes, it has the characteristics of tolerance to sulfonylurea herbicides, 2,4-D, glyphosate and glufosinate, and increased soybean oleic acid content. The genetically modified soybean has been approved for food…

The project, funded by the Government of Flanders, will train rice farmers on Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) standards BENEO, a leading manufacturer of functional ingredients for food, feed and pharma is partnering with international non-governmental organisation, Rikolto, and climate technology company, CarbonFarm, to launch a three-year project, funded by the Government of Flanders, promoting sustainable rice production in Vietnam. As one of the world’s largest rice exporters, Vietnam relies heavily on this staple crop for both economic stability and food security. However, the industry faces significant challenges related to sustainability, climate and environmental impact. Globally, rice cultivation practices account for…

Prevention and Smart Agriculture Alliance, aiming to localize R&D, promote field demonstrations, and implement prevention agriculture practices across regions JH Biotech, Inc. (USA) announced its official alliance with two leading Taiwanese agricultural input companies—Agro Greening Modern Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd. and Group Gain Bio-Agri Co., Ltd.—to join the global initiative led by the International Prevention Agriculture Institute (IPAI). Together, the three parties have established a new nonprofit organization in Taiwan, the International Prevention and Smart Agriculture Alliance, aiming to localize R&D, promote field demonstrations, and implement prevention agriculture practices across regions. This marks a critical milestone in building a cross-national,…

Southeast Asia’s digital transformation with green infrastructure for hydrogen-based energy DayOne, a Singapore-headquartered global data center pioneer, broke ground on its first data center in Singapore. The 20-megawatt (MW) facility spans about 40,000 square meters of gross floor area, with Phase One scheduled to be ready-for-service (RFS) in 2026. The groundbreaking event also saw the signing of two key strategic partnerships for DayOne – a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Sembcorp Power Pte Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sembcorp Industries (Sembcorp) to power its data center where all operations will be fully covered with renewable energy, and a research and…

Global reference for scientific collaboration and policy design based on pioneering next-generation soil mapping with cutting-edge technology A global initiative to measure, monitor and protect soil biodiversity will intensify with the establishment of the Global Soil Biodiversity Observatory, headed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and serving as a global reference for policy and scientific collaboration. The Global Soil Biodiversity Observatory (GLOSOB)  was launched by FAO at the COP15, where signatories adopted the Convention of Biological Diversity’s 2020-2030 plan of action. This plan calls for systematic assessment and monitoring of soil biodiversity to aid implementation of…

KAUST is partnering with digiLab on a new model for AI technology in the protection of coral reefs Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) is partnering with digiLab to develop a first-of-its-kind AI for coral conservation. This groundbreaking collaboration leverages cutting-edge technology for global coral conservation through ambitious KAUST Coral Restoration Initiative (KCRI), the world’s largest coral restoration project.  The integration of digiLab’s AI platform will provide scientists with real-time simulations and predictions of the 100-hectare reefscape’s behavior, greatly advancing understanding of how coral resilience, thermal tolerance, and growth are affected by changing environmental conditions. The integration, which…