A total of 43.1 million hectares were organic at the end of 2013, representing a growth of almost 6 million hectares compared to the previous survey. The countries with the largest share of organic agricultural land of their total farmland are the Falkland Islands, followed by Liechtenstein and Austria

Overly optimistic assumptions about transgenic crops that produce two or more Bt toxins active against the same pest can lead to inadequate strategies for delaying evolution of pest resistance

The efficient production of both biofuel and animal feed from one crop is now possible, and can be done on a farm without the need for off-site processes

Many currently available insecticides present environmental and health risks. The need to develop novel effective insecticides is therefore urgent

Research from the University of Copenhagen now suggests that the war on weeds can be conducted more sustainably by asjusting sowing patterns and crop density

A research group of the UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country has used a material known as chitosan, made from crustacean shells, to substitute petroleum by-products

The cup in which the coffee is served may affect us as a function of our perception of the general properties of the cup

A systematic overview of more than 100 studies comparing organic and conventional farming finds that the crop yields of organic agriculture are higher than previously thought. The study, conducted by UC Berkeley researchers, also found that certain practices could further shrink the productivity gap between organic crops and conventional farming

Agricultural decisions made by our ancestors more than 10,000 years ago could hold the key to food security in the future, according to new research by the University of Sheffield

Incorporating a grain legume in a two-year cropping rotation decreased greenhouse gas emissions from wheat production, according to a study by researchers from The University of Western Australia

Feeding honey bees a natural diet of pollen makes them significantly more resistant to pesticides than feeding them an artificial diet, according to a team of researchers

Research findings should reduce trade barriers and boost pest control measures. The international collaborative effort, involving close to 50 researchers from 20 countries, began in 2009 and was coordinated by FAO and the International Atomic Energy Agency

Joint BioEnergy Institute researchers combine systems biology with genetic engineering to improve production of isopentenol in E.Coli

Plants may not travel around as animals do, but they have evolved many strategies that allow them to cope and make the most of the environment they live in

C4 crops including maize, sorghum, switchgrass and sugarcane are able to withstand drought, heat, nitrogen and carbon dioxide limitations better than C3 crops, such as rice, wheat, barley and oats, due to their ability to efficiently make use of carbon dioxide and water that make carbohydrates we eat and cell wall polysaccharides

The symbiotic bacteria help the plants extract nutrients and defend against invaders – an important step in preventing pathogens from contaminating fruits and vegetables

Dry soil and at enhanced temperatures: both conditions may occur more often in the future due to climate change. Singularly and combined these factors lower the toxicity threshold of fungicides for springtails

The study identifies the pests likely to be the most invasive in coming years, including: three species of tropical root knot nematode; Blumeria graminis, a fungus that causes powdery mildew on wheat and other cereals; and the Citrus tristeza virus