UN scientists have unveiled a plan that they believe can limit the root causes of dangerous climate change. A key UN body says in a report that there must be "rapid, deep and immediate" cuts in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

Global emissions of CO2 would need to peak within three years to stave off the worst impacts. Even then, the world would also need technology to suck CO2 from the skies by mid-century.

European farmers are set to buy more genetically modified animal feed from the U.S. and South America after Russia’s invasion cut off corn shipments from Ukraine.

The war in Ukraine is already pushing companies to turn to alternatives to sunflower oil, and that shift in trade flows is also likely to include corn, which is mainly used as animal feed. Ukraine’s non-GM corn accounts for about half the European Union’s imports.

However, 92% of U.S. corn is GM, according to the Center for Food Safety, with similar levels in Brazil.

The UK government will pay farmers in England to use greener fertilisers as global economic shocks send crop-growing costs soaring. A spike in gas prices has left British food producers facing surging costs for fertilisers, fuel and animal feed. The industry has warned this could lead to food shortages.

To help with costs, ministers are expected to set out cash incentives on Wednesday, aimed at farmers who move away from gas-dependent fertilisers.

"The significant rise in the cost of fertiliser is a reminder that we need to reduce our dependence on manufacturing processes dependent on gas," Environment Secretary George Eustice said.

An obscure species of wild grass contains 'blockbuster' disease resistance that can be cross bred into wheat to give immunity against one of the deadliest crop pathogens.

An international team of researchers, including from the UK's John Innes Centre, identified the stem rust resistance gene from the wild goat grass species Aegilops sharonensis.

The research team used bioinformatic advances to develop the first accurate genome map of the hardy relative of wheat, found in Israel and southern Lebanon.

NIAB has become the first UK crop science organisation to sign up as a ‘knowledge partner’ to the global Agricultural Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM4C) initiative.

This will ensure NIAB’s research to reduce the climate impact of crop production is accessible – to support international action and collaboration on this critical issue.

AIM4C is focused on accelerating the development and application of climate-smart agricultural innovations. The initiative aims to drive more rapid and transformative climate action around the world, supporting a quantum leap in agricultural innovation and empowering farmers globally to be part of the solution to the climate crisis.

People can no longer buy free-range eggs in the UK due the length of time hens have been kept indoors following outbreaks of bird flu.

Such eggs in shops will be labelled as "barn eggs" due to birds being kept inside for more than 16 weeks.

The country is experiencing its largest ever outbreak of avian influenza and measures are in place to prevent the virus it from spreading.

Grain and fertiliser imports decline after Russia’s invasion, raising concerns in Brussels over food security

The EU is reviewing the bloc’s sustainable food strategy after a concerted push against the planned reforms by national governments, farmers and the agriculture industry.

Brussels agreed two years ago to reform its farm practices as part of a drive to eliminate net carbon emissions by 2050. But Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has seen a drop in grain and fertiliser exports from those countries and raised concerns over food security.

Parliamentary approval will make it easier to conduct field trial research involving plants and crops produced by new genetic technologies, such as gene editing. The Statutory Instrument cleared its final hurdle in the House of Lords earlier this week, having already been approved by a clear majority in the Commons.

It marks a small but important step towards aligning UK regulations with other parts of the world, such as Australia, Canada, Japan, Argentina, Brazil and the US. NIAB welcomed the development, as gene editing "offers a potentially transformative research tool and plant breeding technique".

Even at the best of times, farming can be a tough business. Yet as the world grapples with the impacts of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, “it has actually become pretty frightening times for farmers”, says Hertfordshire-based farmer Stephen Roberts.

“Food security has been an unfashionable topic for a long time,” he adds. “But now, we really cannot allow anyone to take their eye off the importance of an island nation being able to feed itself and we need to be looking at any technology that can make us more resource-efficient in farming.” Robotics, says Roberts, is one such technology, or “it could be genetic engineering and genetic modification.”

British farmers are searching for options to stave off the likelihood of a food crisis which has been exemplified by the Russian president’s invasion of the breadbasket of Europe, such as technology-led solutions including genetic modification (GM).

Disease has led to fears of global shortages of the fruit but now Cambridge experts have shown different species can be grafted together.

The 1943 Louis Prima hit “Yes! We Have No Bananas” became the unofficial theme tune for rationing during the Second World War when the Ministry of Food banned the import of the fruit to save ships.

But now scientists have found a way to make sure bananas remain on grocery shelves. Cambridge University has discovered how to graft species of banana together to transfer beneficial characteristics, such as disease resistance - a task that was believed impossible before now.