Empowering farmers through digitalisation: Strengthening the future of the cotton industry

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When it comes to farmer advisory, are we really able to advise? That was the question posed to Katherine Cameron, CABI’s Head of Digital Advisory Tools, at the Better Cotton Conference 2025 which took place recently in Izmir, Turkey.
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Biosecurity and skills development workshop brings together key players in Africa’s plant health ecosystem

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CABI has convened a plant biosecurity training and skills development workshop bringing together key players in Africa’s plant health ecosystem keen to help the continent’s smallholder farmers improve their livelihoods and food security.
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Managing the pathogens threatening St Helena’s biodiversity and food security

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Conclusions from four-year research looking into the dieback of critically endangered trees The remote island of St Helena is a small speck in the vast South Atlantic Ocean, renowned for its rich history and isolation. It is the United Kingdom’s second-oldest overseas territory, after Bermuda.
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Strengthening the potato value chain in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

A lorry full of potato sacks in Iraqi Kurdistan, viewed from the rear.
On 30th May, we marked the International Day of Potato. In this blog, CABI’s Crop Health Advisor Anna Wood provides an update on a five-year project led by CABI to strengthen the potato value chain in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. An ambitious five-year project led by CABI to strengthen the potato value chain in…
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Making data work better in agriculture with FAIR principles

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CABI’s ‘Enabling FAIR data sharing and responsible data use’ project, funded by the Gates Foundation, is helping transform agricultural development by promoting FAIR data in agriculture. The project empowers stakeholders with tools and capacity to improve data sharing and digital innovation.
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Joint efforts towards strengthening harmonization in the pesticide regulatory landscape of the Philippines

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CABI together with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA) of the Philippines have produced working manuals to help strengthen harmonization of the pesticide landscape in the Philippines. The manuals include guidelines that ensure consistency in reviewing pesticide registration on globally accepted practices based on bio-efficacy and residue…
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Biodiversity loss: How can we reclaim our landscapes from threats to biodiversity?

Uprooting prosopis for farm preparation is labour intensive but benefits quickly outweigh the initial investment (Credit: René Eschen).
On 22nd May, we mark the International Day for Biological Diversity. In this article, CABI’s Global Director for Invasive Species Dr Hariet Hinz looks at how we can reclaim our landscapes from threats to biodiversity. Biodiversity loss is proceeding at an unprecedented pace. It jeopardizes the stability of natural ecosystems and increases vulnerability to climate…
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Equipping decision-makers with evidence to tackle global crop loss 

Banana seller looks on (credit: lauradbusiness0, Pixabay)
Every year, up 40% of crops are lost globally before they are even harvested. This loss, estimated by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), undermines food security, farmer livelihoods and economic stability. However, the problem is poorly understood, preventing effective action to reduce losses. Crop productivity is increasingly at risk from pests, plant diseases, and…
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Training workshop in Malawi shifts focus to effective data management practices as part of MaDiPHS project

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CABI has delivered a three-day refresher technical training workshop in Malawi aimed at encouraging greater effective data management practices as part of the Malawi Digital Plant Health Service (MaDiPHS) project. Henry Mibei, Manager, Digital Development, Africa, and Gideon Abegunrin, Data Policy Analyst, conducted the training for more than 30 people from 10 different organizations including the…
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Lessons in AI Governance from the GAIA Project

"E-plant clinics pre-pilot, Embu Market. The first ever e-plant clinic E-plant clinics. Kenya pre-pilot, Embu Market."
Generative AI is starting to reshape how agricultural advice is produced, shared, and used — but the shift comes with both opportunities and challenges. For smallholder farmers, agriculture advisory chatbots and AI-based diagnostic tools could offer faster, more localised, and scalable support. They are often adopted by farmers directly, whilst in the best cases they…
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