News from our Members
WUR
EU, Wageningen University explore deeper agriculture partnership with Guyana
Senior officials from the European Union and experts from Wageningen University & Research (WUR) visited Guyana to deepen cooperation in agriculture, innovation and climate-smart food systems. The visit follows last year’s EU-funded business mission to Europe and aims to turn discussions into concrete partnerships.
EU Ambassador Luca Pierantoni highlighted strong potential for expanded collaboration, with up to three new EU-Guyana business missions planned for 2025–2026. Agriculture, education and technology were identified as key entry points.
The initiative aligns with the EU’s Global Gateway strategy and supports Guyana’s priorities in food security, agro-processing and value-added production.
During the visit, the WUR delegation met national institutions and private stakeholders, noting strong youth engagement and significant potential to strengthen technical skills, food safety standards and export capacity. More here.
Wageningen microbiologist awarded NWO grant for medicines from sea sponges
Wageningen microbiologist Detmer Sipkema has received an ENW-M grant of over €400,000 from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) to explore the production of medicines from sea sponges.
Sea sponges produce bioactive compounds, including antibiotics and molecules that inhibit cell division, making them promising for medical research. The project aims to cultivate sponge cells in the laboratory to produce these compounds sustainably.
A recent breakthrough now allows researchers to keep sponge cells alive outside their natural environment.
The team will first focus on barrettide, a protein from the Arctic sponge Geodia barretti, as a model compound.
Researchers will investigate how environmental triggers and gene-editing technology (CRISPR-Cas) can stimulate continuous production.
The grant supports high-risk, curiosity-driven research with strong scientific potential. For Sipkema, the project fulfills a research vision he first pursued twenty years ago. More here.
Fast-growing trees are taking over the forests of the future and putting biodiversity and climate resilience under pressure
Here is the summary in 10 lines, without bullets or numbering:
Climate change, deforestation and habitat loss are making forests more uniform, favouring fast-growing tree species. A global study covering more than 31,000 tree species shows that slow-growing, specialised trees are declining while fast growers are increasing.
Slow-growing species with dense wood and long lifespans play a crucial role in ecosystem stability, carbon storage and long-term resilience. Fast-growing species such as acacia, eucalyptus, poplar and pine thrive in disturbed environments but are ecologically more fragile.
These “sprinter” species are more vulnerable to drought, storms, pests and climate shocks, which can weaken forest resilience. Many naturalised (non-native) tree species possess traits that allow them to dominate disturbed landscapes.
Tropical and subtropical regions, rich in slow-growing endemic species, are particularly at risk.
Human activities, including intensive forestry and global trade, are accelerating these structural changes in forests. The researchers predict that fast-growing and naturalised species will become increasingly dominant in future forests. They call for active ecosystem management that prioritises the conservation of slow-growing and rare species to maintain biodiversity and resilience.
CIRAD
In sub-Saharan Africa, soil degradation threatens maize yields as much as climate change
In sub-Saharan Africa, soil degradation may threaten maize production as much as – or even more than – climate change. An international study published in Global Change Biology and coordinated by CIRAD, in collaboration with 32 institutes, shows that declining soil fertility could have a greater long-term impact on yields than rising temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, or increasing CO₂ levels.
Using four long-term field experiments and 15 soil–crop models, researchers simulated climate and soil changes across key maize-growing regions in Ivory Coast, Zimbabwe, and Kenya. Without fertilisation, soil organic carbon steadily declines, leading to significant yield losses. However, integrated soil fertility management—combining organic and mineral fertilisers—can triple yields over time and strengthen resilience under climate change.
Conducted within the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP), developed by NASA and Columbia University, the study highlights the urgent need to place soil restoration at the heart of climate adaptation strategies for African agriculture.
Couëdel, A., G. N. Falconnier, M. Adam, et al. 2026. “ Beyond Climate Change: The Role of Integrated Soil Fertility Management for Sustaining Future Maize Yield in Sub-Saharan Africa.” Global Change Biology 32, no. 2: e70720. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.70720.
SLU
Kyambogo University and AGRIFOSE Project Empower Rural Women Through Dairy Value Addition and Green Energy
For decades, the rhythm of life in Western Uganda has been dictated by the price of a liter of milk and the effect of climate change especially prolonged dry spells. When prices fell and scarcity of milk in the dry spells, families struggled. Today, a quiet but powerful revolution is unfolding as rural women swap traditional farming for high-tech entrepreneurship, turning cow ghee into skincare, nutritious foods and cow dung into clean energy.
Through a strategic partnership between Kyambogo University HuB and the AgriFoSe Project, hundreds of women across Kiruhura and Bushenyi districts have transitioned from subsistence farmers to “Value-Addition” experts.
The AgriFoSe project has successfully transitioned rural women from subsistence cattle-rearing to leading competitive agribusinesses. By integrating Value Addition (turning raw milk into high-value goods) with Renewable Energy (Biogas), the project has addressed the triple challenge of poverty, health risks from wood smoke, and environmental degradation. More here.
Three new Blended Intensive Programmes (BIP) proposed within EUNICE – international, intensive courses combining an online component with mobility abroad. This is an opportunity to gain practical experience, work on real challenges, and develop your skills in an international academic environment. Check which program best suits your interests and take advantage of the opportunity to gain experience that goes beyond the lecture hall.
- Green Makers Camp – Sustainable Living & Building (EUNICE Volunteering Camp)
From 29 June to 10 July 2026, students will take part in eco-renovation works at the historic Abbey of Maroilles (France), explore permaculture and biodiversity-friendly cultivation in Belgium, and join workshops on circular economy and sustainable housing. The programme also includes nature walks, wildlife observation, and cultural visits in the Avesnois and Mons regions.
- BIP Strengthening resilience in times of polycrises
Open to all EUNICE students (Bachelor, Master, PhD) who are interested in topics like resilience, crisis management, intelligence, and related transformation aspects. The course will take place both in Helsinki and in Vaasa. This allows the participants to meet national representatives from the Finnish Parliament and the Finnish Environment Institute so that students can familiarize themselves with the Finnish comprehensive security model, as well as local stakeholders such as the City of Vaasa.
- Innovating Solutions – Micro-Nano Technologies and Sensors for Global Challenges (2026)
International Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) focused on cutting-edge micro- and nanotechnologies and sensor systems addressing today’s global challenges.
This research-oriented summer school combines an online component with an intensive on-site week at the University of Cantabria (Spain). The programme offers a unique opportunity to deepen technical knowledge, collaborate in an international academic environment, and strengthen research and innovation skills. Check details and deadlines here.
Gembloux Agro-Biotech – Liège University
Acoustics: a neglected driver of evolution in fishes
A recent study by researchers at the University of Liège highlights that acoustic communication has played a significant but previously overlooked role in the evolution of fishes, particularly in boxfishes. Traditional studies often focus on visual traits like coloration for species recognition, neglecting how many fish use sound in social interactions such as reproduction and territory defense. Boxfishes (family Ostraciidae) have a unique rigid, bony body that limits typical swimming, which may have influenced the evolution of their sound-producing mechanisms. All boxfish species can produce sounds, but Atlantic and Indo-Pacific subfamilies use different anatomical systems, with Atlantic species possessing a novel structure called the sphaera sonica and Pacific species having more specialized sonic muscles. Comparative analysis with the related Aracanidae family, which lacks a sound mechanism, suggests that muscles once used for swimming in boxfishes were repurposed for acoustic communication. This evolutionary process reflects a transition from mute to vocal species and greater specialization of sound structures. The findings argue for reassessing acoustic communication as an important evolutionary driver in the natural history of fishes, beyond just visual traits.
Eric Parmentier, Louise Eche, Céline Greeven, Marine Banse, Frédéric Bertucci, Marc Thiry, Xavier Raick, Terry J Donaldson, David Lecchini, Morphological innovations and evolutionary transitions in boxfish acoustic communication, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, Volume 146, Issue 2, October 2025, blaf079. Access here.
Global organic market hits all-time high in 2024 – Farmland holds steady at 99 million hectares
In 2024, global retail sales of organic food and drink rose to 145.0 billion euros, underlining resilient consumer demand across major markets. At the same time, the global organic farming area remained close to 99 million hectares, providing continuity in the production base. According to the latest figures presented today at Biofach, the United States remained the world’s largest market, while Switzerland recorded the highest per capita consumption and the highest organic market share worldwide.
Consumers are spending more on organic food and drink across key markets, sending a clear signal to producers, processors, and retailers that demand remains resilient. The global retail sales of organic food and drink rose to 145.0 billion euros in 2024 (increase of 6.9 billion euros). In 2024, the United States remained the largest market (60.4 billion euros), followed by Germany (17 billion euros) and China (15.5 billion euros).
Switzerland recorded the highest per capita consumption worldwide at 481 euros per person and the highest organic market share globally at 12.3 percent of total food sales in 2024.
On the production side, organic farmland remained broadly stable at 98.9 million hectares, indicating continuity in the global production base. Australia had the largest organic agricultural area (53.0 million hectares), and Liechtenstein had the highest organic farmland share (43.5 percent).
The number of organic producers reached 4.8 million worldwide.
In 2024, combined organic imports into the EU and the United States reached 5.9 million metric tons, reflecting strong market pull and increasingly connected supply chains (up 12.3 percent, by 0.6 million metric tons). The largest exporters to the EU and U.S. markets were Mexico, Ecuador, and Canada.
The World of Organic Agriculture 2026: Statistics and Emerging Trends is the leading global reference for organic sector data on land area, producers, markets and international trade, compiled by FiBL in cooperation with IFOAM – Organics International and national data partners. Access publication here.
Get involved in IRD’s researcher competitions
IRD’s researcher competitions offer you a unique opportunity to get involved in research and training projects co-developed with our partners in tropical, subtropical and Mediterranean regions, as well as overseas territories.
Projects could address strategic themes such as:
- Understanding ocean resources and terrestrial systems;
- The interplay between health and society;
- Ecology, biodiversity and energy transitions;
- Societal dynamics in the context of globalization.
Whether you specialize in the physical sciences, life sciences, human and social sciences, or data and model sciences, and whether you adopt specialized or interdisciplinary approaches, your work will have a place at IRD, addressing key challenges in sustainable development.
The 2026 competitions provide for the opening of :
- 18 research director positions ;
- 19 research associate positions.
You have until March 10, 2026 at 05:00 pm (CET) to submit your application here.
Czech University of Life Sciences Prague
When Biodiversity Meets Finance: Hynek Roubík on Building a Business Model for Nature
Can biodiversity protection become not only a moral and ecological imperative, but also a sound investment opportunity? As climate finance accelerates, new models are needed to fund nature in ways that are credible, measurable, and economically viable. In his commentary “Biodiversity Needs a Business Model,” Hynek Roubík, Dean at the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, explores how science and finance can work together to make biodiversity investable. Citing estimates from the World Bank that ecosystem degradation could cost USD 2.7 trillion annually by 2030, he highlights the urgent need for scalable solutions. The international BIO-CAPITAL project addresses this gap by developing science-based financial mechanisms that attract private capital while safeguarding ecological integrity. Through tools such as AI-powered monitoring, natural capital accounting, biodiversity credits, and innovative financial instruments, BIO-CAPITAL aims to enable responsible, transparent, and long-term investment in nature. At the same time, Dr. Roubík stresses that strong governance, scientific rigor, and community involvement are essential to prevent greenwashing and ensure lasting impact.
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