Asia and Oceania continue to emerge as pivotal drivers in the global agricultural biotechnology sector, reaching a significant milestone of 20.81 million hectares of biotech crop area in 2024. These findings are detailed in the 2024 Biotech Facts and Trends: Asia & Oceania, a regional summary and analysis of biotech adoption, and supplementary to Brief 57: Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops in 2024.

Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo) causes bacterial leaf blight (BLB), a major rice disease causing up to 70% yield loss in Asia and West Africa. First described in Japan in 1884 and later reported in West Africa in the 1970s, BLB recently emerged in East Africa, with an epidemic reported in Tanzania in 2019. Remarkably, the disease was detected for the first time in Madagascar the same year, representing a serious threat to food security. To investigate the origin of BLB in Madagascar, we isolated 73 Xoo strains from symptomatic rice leaves collected between 2019 and 2023

A coalition of 31 European agri-food value chain organizations has issued a joint statement calling for the swift adoption of the New Genomic Techniques (NGT) regulation without further amendments. The group, representing plant breeders, farmers, food processors, and traders, emphasizes that a science-based and predictable regulatory framework is critical for the future of the European agri-food sector. They argue that NGTs are essential tools for developing crops that are more resilient to climate change, pests, and diseases, thereby ensuring long-term food security and sustainability across the continent.