The Swiss parliament has decided to ease restrictions on genetic engineering in agriculture, while extending in principle a moratorium for genetically modified organisms (GMOs) until 2025.

The Senate on Tuesday asked the government to propose details for the use of gene editing techniques on plants and seeds by the middle of 2024.

However, exemptions will only be allowed if they are considered an added value for agriculture, consumers and the environment compared with conventional methods.

U.S. regulators on Monday cleared the way for the sale of beef from gene-edited cattle in coming years after the Food and Drug Administration concluded the animals do not raise any safety concerns.

The cattle by Recombinetics are the third genetically altered animals given the green light for human consumption in the U.S. after salmon and pigs. Many other foods already are made with genetically modified ingredients from crops like soybeans and corn.

The cattle reviewed by the FDA had genes altered with a technology called CRISPR to have short, slick coats that let them more easily withstand hot weather.

Growers in England can use neonicotinoid seed treatments in sugar beet under strict conditions after Defra confirmed the disease threshold for use has been met.

Rothamsted Research modelling has forecast a national virus yellows infection of 68.9% in the absence of any intervention.

This is significantly higher than the required level of 19%, set out by Defra, to trigger the use of Cruiser SB on the 2022 sugar beet crop.

Russia's attack on Ukraine is causing wheat prices to spike, exacerbating already high food prices. Wheat futures were up about 5.35% Tuesday, reaching prices not seen since 2008. The higher prices make wheat more expensive for food makers, who will likely pass those costs on to consumers.

Ukraine and Russia together are responsible for about 14% of global wheat production, according to Gro Intelligence, an agricultural data analytics firm. The two countries supply about 29% of all wheat exports.

Prior to the Russian invasion, Ukraine was on track for a record year of wheat exports, while Russia's wheat exports were slowing, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine threatens global food supplies, Norwegian fertiliser maker Yara International said on Tuesday, adding that the international community needed to reduce its dependence on Russian raw materials for agriculture.

Ukraine and Russia are both major exporters of some of the world's most basic foodstuffs, together accounting for about 29% of global wheat exports, 19% of world corn supplies and 80% of world sunflower oil exports. But Russia also exports crop nutrients as well as natural gas, which is critical for producing nitrogen-based fertilisers. Yara said that in total, 25% of the European supply of the key crop nutrients nitrogen, potash and phosphate come from Russia.

"With the geopolitical conditions out of balance, the biggest sources of raw material to Europe's food production are being subject to limitations, and there are no short-term alternatives," Yara said in a statement.

Government focus on food security should be of 'critical importance' in times of war, Copa and Cogeca has said following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Copa and Cogeca, the EU farmers' organisation, said the European farming community was watching the worsening conflict with 'deep sorrow'.

Russians and Ukrainians are key international agricultural exporters. Ukraine is the EU's fourth biggest external food supplier and provides the EU with a quarter of its cereal and vegetable oil imports, including nearly half of its maize.

A Cornish start-up has developed a technique using artificial intelligence to predict what the surface of the UK looks like under gloomy skies.

The satellite technology is being targeted at the agricultural sector to help farmers better manage their crops. Cloud too often prevents them from seeing the ground to know where and when to sow seed or apply fertiliser. Aspia Space's technology can produce a clear synthetic image of fields in all weathers.

The Penryn-based company is one of a cluster of operators hoping to benefit from the new space economy being built around Spaceport Cornwall, which is due to start launching rockets from Newquay this summer.

An innovative feed additive that reduces the emission of methane from livestock farming has been granted formal marketing approval by EU countries.

On Wednesday (23 February), Bovaer, a feed additive developed by the Dutch company DSM, was approved by the standing committee on Plant, Animals, Food and Feed (scoPAFF), which brings together representatives of EU27 member states and is chaired by a European Commission representative.

This feed additive aims at suppressing the enzyme that triggers methane production in a cow’s rumen. According to the DSM, the additive reduces enteric methane emissions by approximately 30% for dairy cows and as much as 90% for beef cows.

A lack of guidance surrounding sustainable farming means the UK may be ‘sleepwalking into its own food crisis’, an MP has cautioned.

Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Science and Technology in Agriculture and MP for York Outer Julian Sturdy, said that while the UK now had the opportunity to become a ‘global hub for agri-science and innovation’, he voiced concerns over the Government’s ‘direction of travel’, saying that its ‘future vision for agriculture’ was far from clear.

Speaking at a Westminster Hall Debate earlier this week, Mr Sturdy said he had written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson last year to urge him to allow the UK to sign up to the Global Coalition for Sustainable Productivity Growth which would enable farmers to ‘adopt environmentally friendly and climate-smart farming practices without sacrificing productivity’, but as yet had had no response.

A purple tomato genetically modified to make it rich in the beneficial pigments found in “superfoods” such as blueberries could soon go on sale in the US. A small company called Norfolk Plant Sciences applied for approval last year and is confident of getting the go-ahead.

“We are optimistic that we will get the approvals that we need,” said Eric Ward, an adviser to Norfolk Plant Sciences, during an online presentation on 22 February. The company hopes to sell seeds to gardeners and supply fresh tomatoes and other tomato products to shops.

The purple tomato was created by Cathie Martin at the John Innes Centre in the UK. In 2008, her team reported that mice whose diet was supplemented with purple tomato powder lived nearly 30 per cent longer than those on a standard diet or a diet supplemented with powder from normal tomatoes.