Climate & Water Security: Governments across the Greater Mekong are stepping up cross-border action to prevent another transboundary haze episode as hotter-than-usual conditions and rising hotspots threaten agriculture and public health. Food Systems Under Stress: A new study warns modern rice production is pushing environmental limits for climate, freshwater and nutrient cycles, raising questions about how to keep yields without destabilizing natural systems. El Niño Risk to Farming: Nepal’s Paddy Day celebrations play out amid warnings of a drier monsoon, while Zambia’s Muchinga urges farmers to reserve maize for home use and sell only responsibly to food reserves as El Niño threats loom. Policy & Regulation: Australia’s Nationals face backlash after a “mistake” vote on fuel excise relief that includes a cap, while Victoria (Australia) launches Safe Food Victoria, consolidating food safety regulators from July 1 to reduce burden and modernize oversight. Ag Innovation: India’s Annam.AI at IIT Ropar, with Syngenta and Google, kicks off Hackcore 2026 to build AI tools for crop health, pest control, soil intelligence and climate-resilient farming. Market & Supply Chains: UK forecasters warn extreme heat could trigger a chicken shortage, echoing wider concerns about heat impacts on livestock and food supply. Regenerative Agriculture: Nestlé is accelerating a shift toward regenerative agriculture through a global programme aimed at scaling practices across supply chains. Food Safety & Oversight (US): Bipartisan US legislation proposes risk-based oversight for organic certification to focus inspections where they matter most and cut unnecessary burdens on compliant farms.