Fertilizer Watch: U.S. urea prices have slid 36% from April peaks and returned near pre-conflict levels, easing pressure on farmers, but El Niño-linked drought risk could still feed food inflation. Ag Tech on the Ground: California growers are cutting pesticide use by 70% and saving $250 per acre with AI laser-robot weed and pest control. Packaging Upgrade: Thai Coconut is expanding exports with Sidel’s aseptic PET line, targeting 45,000 bottles/hour while supporting both still and carbonated drinks. Food Safety & Compliance: Kyrgyz authorities inspected Bishkek’s Ak-Sai market and ran nitrate tests on watermelons, finding no exceedances; they’re tightening sanitary and phytosanitary checks. Innovation Partnerships: South Africa’s Coega and the Technology Innovation Agency are teaming up to speed tech from research to market-ready solutions. Market Signals: Vietnam’s coffee brands lost ground in 2026 rankings as KFC and Jollibee gained momentum. School Feeding Funding: USDA is offering up to $240M for McGovern-Dole school meal programs, with strong U.S.-sourcing and oversight requirements. Food System Risk: A prolonged Gulf conflict could remove up to $39.6bn from global ad growth, with Southeast Asia flagged as especially exposed.