IPS UN Bureau Report

‘Act Before It Gets Worse’ – Experts Warn as Agrifood Problems in Global South Intensify

As agrifood systems in the Global South buckle under the weight of climate change, biodiversity, and even pollution, experts such as Dr. Himanshu Pathak call for urgent innovative solutions, as, at the current pace, the problems of the Global South are going to intensify with escalating climate change.

‘With Science, We Can Feed the World of 9.7 Billion by 2050′

Animal scientist Lindiwe Majele Sibanda became what her grandmother earnestly prayed for when she was growing up on a farm in southern Zimbabwe.

CGIAR Gender Impact Platform Needs a ‘Bold Approach’ in Agriculture Research

Women farmers face structural issues that prevent them from realizing their full potential, from societal perceptions that dictate their limitations to poor land. However, CGIAR's Gender Impact Platform Director, Nicoline de Haan, argues that leaning into a "victim" narrative does not serve them, especially when women are demonstrably more involved in agriculture.

Lessons from the Global South on Transforming AgriFood Systems

The state of food and nutrition security in the Global South masks the great strides and investments made to increase agricultural yields to feed a rapidly growing population. As discussions deepen at the ongoing CGIAR Science Week, plenary discussions on Wednesday (April 9) explored transformative strategies and innovations driving agricultural resilience across Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America.

Partnerships Expected to Enhance Agricultural Development

Two crucial partnerships were signed at the CGIAR Science Week in Nairobi today (April 9, 2025), aimed at delivering research for development at scale across Africa.

Farmers Need Science Solutions in Their Hands Sooner Than Later

Climate change is outpacing science and farmers are paying the price. Agricultural research innovations need to reach farmers before it is too late.

ASEAN-CGIAR Regional Programme Can Encourage South-South Collaboration

The ASEAN-CGIAR program "unlocks opportunities to look at commodities in the region, interest, markets, and capacity building, Director General of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) Dr. Yvonne Pinto said during a plenary that focused on fostering regional integration, scaling innovation, and amplifying the impact of CGIAR's research in addressing agricultural challenges.

Myanmar Reels From Its Strongest Earthquake in Over a Century

The 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck central Myanmar on March 28, marked the strongest earthquake the nation has experienced in over a century and the second deadliest in it’s history. The earthquake caused extensive damage in Myanmar and Thailand, with infrastructures in southern China and Vietnam also having been affected.

Science-Backed Solutions Buoying Water Security in East Africa

In East Africa, climate change has made water a lifeline and threat. In a region highly dependent on rainfall for growing crops, climate change is threatening water security but science-backed solutions are helping turn the tide.

Growing Legacy: Raising Ambition in Agriculture Scientific Research as CGIAR Unveil New Portfolio

Global food and nutrition insecurity levels are hurtling towards a catastrophe. To counter these problems, leading world experts say science is the 'silver bullet.' That science will build climate-resilient agri-food systems, improve livelihoods across the value chain, and ensure more affordable, nutritious food while safeguarding the environment.

Behind the Feeding of the 5,000 (or Should That Be 10,000) at CGIAR Science Week

Good Food for All is the motto of The Chef's Manifesto, a project that brings together more than 1,500 chefs from around the world to explore how to ensure the food they prepare is planet-friendly and sustainable.

Welcoming Science: CGIAR Week-Long Focus on Innovation for Food, Climate-Secure Future

The world’s leading scientists and decision-makers in agriculture, climate, and health are meeting in Nairobi this week to promote innovation and partnerships towards a food, nutrition, and climate-secure future. As current agrifood systems buckle under multiple challenges, nearly one in 11 people globally and one in five people in Africa go hungry every day.

CGIAR Science Week Seeks Solutions for a Food-Secure, Climate Resilient Future

CGIAR and the Kenyan Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) are bringing together the world’s leading scientists and decision-makers in agriculture, climate, and health for the first CGIAR Science Week. This gathering will be a key moment to advance research and innovation, inspire action, and establish critical partnerships that can secure investment in sustainable food systems for people and the planet.

Trapped by Tradition: The Widows of Ukerewe and the Ritual They Cannot Escape

The night after her husband was laid to rest, 24-year-old Vivian Magesa sat in the dimly lit brick-walled house, surrounded by women from her late husband’s family. She had spent the past few days in mourning, wrapped in a white shroud, her head shaved as custom dictated. But as the hushed voices of her in-laws filled the room, Magesa realized her grief was far from over.

Global Disability Summit Galvanizes Education Support for Crisis-Impacted Children with Disabilities

Of the nearly 234 million children and adolescents of school age affected by crises, 85 million are already out of school. At least 20 percent of them—or 17 million—are children living with disabilities.

World Autism Awareness Day 2025: Sustainable Development Must Include Neurodivergent Perspectives

In 2007, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly designated April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD), in an effort to promote inclusion and human rights for autistic individuals. Much work has been done and pushed forward by autistic advocates to bring lived experiences to global discussions.

Solar-Powered Spinning Machines Help Indian Women Save Time and Earn More

As light enters through the small window of a modestly constructed tin-roofed house, Philim Makri sits on a chair deftly spinning cocoons of eri silk with the help of a solar-powered spinning machine in Warmawsaw village in Ri Bhoi district of Meghalaya in northeast India.

Hunger and Heightened Insecurity Pushes Sudan to the Brink of Collapse

After nearly two years of extended warfare and protracted crises as a result of the Sudanese Civil War, Sudan remains the world’s biggest internal displacement crisis. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), heightened insecurity, widespread famine, economic strife, and climate shocks threaten the lives of approximately 25.6 million people.

Regime Obstructs Aid But Finally Declares Ceasefire in Quake-hit Myanmar

Boosting faint hopes of still finding survivors, rescue workers from Myanmar and Turkey pulled a man alive from the rubble of a hotel in the capital early on Wednesday, five days after the quake hit. But hope of finding more survivors is slim after central Myanmar was devastated by a massive earthquake last Friday. Now aid workers are struggling to deliver body bags, medicines and food and water against the backdrop of civil war.

Bangladesh Chief Advisor’s China Tour Cements Dhaka-Beijing Relations

Bangladesh's Chief Adviser, Professor Muhammad Yunus's state visit to China, where he met Chinese President Xi Jinping, was seen as an opportunity to reaffirm old diplomatic and economic ties between the two countries.

UN Staff Put on Alert — as US Visa Holders Face Threats and Deportation

The Trump administration’s ground-rules are dangerously clear—and devastating. If you are a pro-Palestinian demonstrator, denouncing Israeli atrocities in Gaza, you are either a supporter of the “terrorist organization” Hamas or you are described as anti-Semitic veering on hate crimes liable for prosecution.

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