Plant health services in Ethiopia boosted through PlantwisePlus partnership
A strategic partnership with the CABI-led PlantwisePlus programme has boosted plant health services in Ethiopia. Recently, a refresher course held in October delivered plant clinic training to 61 of the country’s plant doctors and plant health experts, a quarter of whom were women. CABI and the government of Ethiopia jointly delivered the three-day PlantwisePlus capacity-strengthening…
One Health in Burundi: Solving challenges to human, animal, plant and ecosystem health
This One Health Day, we look at the interconnected challenges and innovative solutions that shape the health of people, animals, plants and ecosystems in Burundi. One Health in Burundi presents a solution to a complex set of challenges. This East African country faces health issues that threaten its people, livestock, and crops. Agriculture is the…
PlantwisePlus marks five years of impact at FAO’s Science and Innovation Forum
On 13 October 2025, PlantwisePlus and its core donors co-hosted a networking reception at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) headquarters in Rome to celebrate five years of the programme. Following the FAO’s Science and Innovation Forum, diplomats from countries across the global North and South, FAO colleagues, and agricultural researchers…
PlantwisePlus: Growing knowledge, skills and resilience across Vietnam
Across Vietnam’s rice paddies, coffee farms, and pepper plantations, CABI, in partnership with the Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Sciences (VAAS), is helping farmers protect their crops through the PlantwisePlus programme. In Vietnam, the programme supports smallholder farmers through plant clinics, digital tools, and advisory services, directly reaching over 51,500 farmers. Additionally, 2,946 enrolments in CABI…
Advancing gender-inclusive agricultural advisory services in Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, agriculture forms the backbone of rural communities. It employs nearly two-thirds of the workforce, many of whom are women. However, the sector faces significant threats from plant health challenges, including devastating crop pests such as invasive fall armyworm. Moreover, the threats disproportionately affect smallholder farmers, especially women. At 58%, women make up an…
Meet Shahadul Islam: the rice farmer using digital tools to improve yield and quality
Meet Shahadul Islam, a farmer from Jhenaidah District, Bangladesh. Shahadul is now a local role model for sustainable rice production, having adopted the PlantwisePlus digital tools and transformed his farming practices. For nearly a decade, Shahadul cultivated rice on his one-acre land. He regularly faced pest and disease challenges such as rice blast and brown…
Burundi strengthens food security and adds PlantwisePlus pest management training to 40 agricultural schools
Burundi has been busy stepping up its efforts to train more PlantwisePlus plant doctors to meet the country’s need to strengthen its food security and help more farmers grow more and lose less to crop pests and diseases.
Meet Ignitious Chilembo, a Zambian researcher championing responsible pest management
In Zambia, smallholder farmers face various pest and disease challenges, including fall armyworm in maize and cassava brown streak disease. Pesticides are often used to manage these threats; however, improper use can harm both human health and the environment, as well as reduce farm productivity and cause pesticide resistance. Reducing pesticide risk requires supporting advisors…
Using chilli pepper extract to manage insect pests
In the search for economical and environmentally friendly approaches to pest control, particularly with chemical resistance becoming an increasing issue, biological alternatives can be important. One such solution lies in the humble chilli pepper. The compound responsible for its heat, capsaicin, has demonstrated insecticidal activity against a range of crop-damaging insect pests.
Study briefs: PlantwisePlus supports Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka achieve climate and agricultural goals
CABI has published three new study briefs exploring how the CABI-led global PlantwisePlus programme supports Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka achieve some of their climate and development priorities within agriculture.