SciDev.Net

Jatropha will not be saving the world anytime soon, say researchers, but it could work in local biofuel projects in developing countries.

Ambitious reforms aimed at meeting the world's food demands lie ahead for the agency that networks agricultural research in poor regions.

Nutrient-rich foods could combat malnutrition — but getting from the lab to the plate is proving a challenge.

Climate change is a reality in developing regions, who say the international community must not neglect better adaptation strategies.

Persuading Cambodian river-dwellers to use a newly designed floating toilet instead of the river could cut soaring diarrhoea rates.

Hannah Chalmers gives the low-down on how reducing emissions from deforestation can play a central role in tackling climate change.

Remote sensing is crucial for getting the measure of forest loss. Countries don't need their own satellites but they do need training.

An agricultural scientist whose work in sorghum improvement has benefited African farmers has won the World Food Prize.

Locking carbon away as charcoal in the soil could help to mitigate climate change but whether it will work in practice remains a mystery.

Nanotechnology could help give millions clean drinking water. David J. Grimshaw outlines the potential, the progress and some of the risks.

Can nanosponges solve a continent's water contamination problems? Munyaradzi Makoni investigates.

Developing world farmers are leading the way in the adoption of genetically modified crops.

Is hydroponics — a system using no soil and very little water — a route to increased food security? Some Cape Verdean farmers think so.

China's profitable rubber industry is a boon for some rural communities, but the environmental costs could be much higher.

Growing forests might be easy but getting developing-country forests onto the carbon market is proving more difficult.

Opinions on China's recent US$3.7 billion GM roll-out remain divided, with concerns over potential risks and regulation loopholes.

Mozambique's science and technology minister, Venâncio Massingue, tells SciDev.Net how he hopes to ensure that science benefits everyone.

Science must take the lead role in economic development, says Chinese premier Wen Jiabao.

Greg O'Hare explains the what, why, when and how of cyclones, and reviews their effects in South Asia.

Bay of Bengal cyclones are often hugely destructive. India hopes to cut deaths in the region through improved storm prediction and research.