This week brings fascinating news from a team of international scientists led by the UK’s John Innes Centre – the team has discovered a way to watch genes move within a plant cell.  Meanwhile, a cocoa disease that has affected Ghana is now affecting the Ivory Coast and a microbiologist explains  how plant microbes may bring advances to agriculture.

Our media fellows as always bring a wealth of article, radio stories and video, including stories on cassava, sorghum, millet and a female farmer who is planting a new variety of sweet potato (sorry – that one is only in a Ugandan language!)

In Nigeria there are suggestions that the President may soon sign the Biosafety Bill, and other fellows report on Nigeria’s challenges with cassava.  Tanzanian fellows focus on coffee and a wider story on African leaders and a new agenda for science.

B4FA Media Fellows report on coffee projects in Tanzania

On 27-28 August, ten B4FA Media Fellows in Tanzania had the oppportunity to visit a fascinating social enterprise that focuses on coffee, a farmers’ coffee cooperative and lastly, scientists at TACRI who have developed varieties that resist diseases that affect coffee plants… Read the full story on our web site.

Please read on for even more interesting articles from this week!  As always, we welcome your feedback [email protected].
Biosciences and Plant Genetics

East African Parliament plans superior regional legislation for GMOs
Africasti.com, by B4FA Media Fellow Charles Kazooba

Cocoa plant disease pushes into Ivory Coast heartland
WorldBulletin.net

Moving genes have scientists seeing spots
e! Science News

Buddhist Economics and A GMO rethink
Scientific American (blog)

Forum: The truth about GMOs
Boston Review

Plant microbes have potential to unlock advances in agriculture, according to microbiologist
Phys.org

Leaders in rice genetics to converge in Manila
IRRI

GLP Infographic: International science organizations on crop biotech safety
Genetic Literacy Project

Ghana

VIDEO: Interview with Ugandan scientist on biotech bananas
VIDEO: Farmers benefit from SMS Alert from Esoko Ghana
By B4FA Media Fellow Noah Nash

AUDIO: Improved maize in Accra - Interview with Prof. Eric Danquah
JOY FM, by B4FA Media Fellow Fred Kuuku Smith

Nigeria

Jonathan Will Sign Bio-safety Bill Into Law Soon – Official
Leadership / NAN, by B4FA Media Fellow Ifeanyi Charles Nwoko

Why Nigeria cannot export cassava now – Experts
Daily Trust, by B4FA Media Fellow Eyo Charles

African leaders back new science agenda
The Citizen, by B4FA Media Fellow Polycarp Machira

Tukiwekeza, bei ya kahawa inaweza kupanda - ‘Coffee prices could rise’ (Swahili)
Changamoto, by B4FA Media Fellow Samson Kamalamo

Mchango wa kahawa kiuchumi shakani - ‘Coffee contributes to economic misery‘ (Swahili)
Changamoto, by B4FA Media Fellow Waandishi Wetu

Uganda

AUDIO: Conservation farming or Biotech for improved livelihoods - Transcript
UBC, by B4FA Media Fellow Sarah Mawerere