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2009-09-25 |

Judge overturns USDA ruling for genetic sugar beets

Red River Valley sugar beet growers are evaluating a federal judge’s decision that could overturn the approval of the popular Roundup Ready sugar beets. [...] More than half the sugar produced in the U.S. comes from sugar beets, and the Red River Valley is the largest beet growing region in the country.

2009-09-25 |

UK to explore consumer views on GM food

The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has announced the formation of an independent steering group to engage with consumers over genetic modification. The agency said that it is forming the group in response a government request that it lead a dialogue project to explore the subject of genetic modification (GM) with consumers. ”This project will provide an opportunity to discuss with consumers their understanding of GM and what they think it might bring in terms of risks and benefits,” said an FSA spokesperson.

2009-09-25 |

EFSA holds two-day conference to debate GMO risk assessment

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) held a two-day conference on GMO risk assessment for human and animal health and the environment in Brussels on 14-15 September 2009, bringing together risk assessors from EU Member States, risk managers, and representatives from stakeholders including industry, consumer and environmental groups from the EU and beyond. Opening the conference, EFSA Executive Director Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle reaffirmed EFSA’s role as a provider of independent scientific advice on GMOs. ”EFSA is neither pro-GMO nor anti-GMO,” she said.

2009-09-25 |

GE protester released from prison - German Federal Constitutional Court decision

German beekeeper Michael Grolm was Germany’s first ’field liberator’ who went to prison for his actions. Together with numerous other activists he organised publicly-announced field liberations (German expression for decontamination of GM crop sites). Earlier this year, Michael Grolm was sentenced to a fine of 1,000 Euros because he entered a field despite an injunction barring him from doing so. The beekeeper refused to pay the fine and announced his intention to go to prison instead, to demonstrate his resolve against the use of GMOs in agriculture.

2009-09-24 |

The Romanian Government holds locations of GMO cultivation secret

Agent Green has submited two legal proceedings at the Bucharest Court of Appeal against Ministry of Agriculture and the National Agency for Environmental Protection because the institutions refuse to publish the locations where cultivation of GM maize MON810 takes place. The organziation has requested the court to oblige the institutions to publish the national register with locations cultivated with GMOs, to cover the trial costs and to fine the responsible persons with 20% of the gross salary for each day of delay on executing the court decision.

2009-09-24 |

China mulls blocking U.S. soybean imports in response to tire tariffs

The Ministry of Commerce is probing US dumping of cars and chicken onto the Chinese market in response to the 35 percent tariffs imposed on Chinese tires. But this mild response will not dampen the growing mood of protectionism in the Democratic Party. A better alternative would be to hit US farmers with curbs on soybean imports. This would enrage US farmers and put pressure on the Obama administration, while providing welcome relief for domestic soybean producers, who have been badly hit by massive imports of genetically modified beans from America.

2009-09-24 |

GE contaminations starting to have a dramatic impact on global trade

Biotechnology is starting to have a dramatic impact on global trade scenarios as international testing, container use and tolerance levels are inconsistent. Negotiations are ongoing to prevent intense stress felt by buyers, sellers and risk managers when international trade is disrupted.

2009-09-24 |

Indian researchers develop Bt eggplant

A team of researchers at the University of Agricultural Science (UAS) here has succeed in genetically engineering a widely grown vegetable crop in the country to manage fruit and shoot borer pest with the development of six Bt brinjal varieties popular across three south-western states. The pest-resistant transgenic varieties of brinjal were developed under a centrally funded project spread over five years, using a process similar to the one used in the development of Bt cotton.

2009-09-24 |

Don’t sell us GM food, over 24,000 people tell Indian firms

Over 24,000 people have asked big manufacturers of processed foods in India, including Nestle, Britannia and Hindustan Unilever, not to use genetically modified (GM) foods after Greenpeace put up a list of companies that could be using GM products. The NGO put up a list on the internet 11 days ago mentioning firms that did or did not say they used such foods.

2009-09-24 |

Indian Ministries in race to set up a new GMO regulator

There seems to be a competition among ministries in India about setting up of an autonomous regulator for genetically modified (GM) products replacing the existing Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) which is presently functioning under the Union ministry for environment and forests. The stated design of the proposals of these ministries is to ensure safety of GM products. But unfortunately this serious issue is turning out to be like -- much ado about nothing.

2009-09-23 |

Catholic bishop backs anti-GMO hunger strike on Negros Occidental (Philippines)

Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra yesterday expressed his strong support to the hunger strike initiated by Green Alert members opposing amendments to the controversial genetically-modified organism ordinance of Negros Occidental. ”The Diocese of Bacolod urges the provincial officials to desist from amending the ordinance under whatever pretenses,” Navarra said in a statement of support. He added, ”Public officials must yield to the greater good and not to narrow commercial interests.”

2009-09-23 |

Monsanto Australia declares GE canola spreading as ”normal occurance”

MONSANTO has dismissed reports of genetically modified canola contamination along the Riverina Highway near Berrigan. Monsanto spokeswoman Honi McNaughton said a few plants found outside a paddock ”did not equate to ”rogue weeds or contamination” but was a normal, agriculture occurrence. This followed claims by Berrigan farmer Gai Marshall that GM canola weeds were found on the highway near her farm.

2009-09-23 |

Growers for Biotechnology calls for support for Monsanto’s new phosphate mine

You can make a difference! As supporters of biotechnology it is important to know about a critical comment period for a Draft Environmental Impact Statement, DEIS, prepared by the Bureau of Land Management, BLM. Monsanto’s wholly-owned subsidiary, P4 Production LLC, is seeking a permit to open a new phosphate mine in Southeast Idaho, named the Blackfoot Bridge Mine. This mine will supply the phosphate ore needed to make elemental phosphorus, the key ingredient used to manufacture Roundup herbicide.

2009-09-23 |

Glyphosate resistant weeds threaten conservation tillage in the USA

In July, ”we began hearing horror stories all over the state. ’Man, there are ankle-high weeds out there that Roundup won’t even touch.’ It hit us in the face between rains.” There are now documented cases in the state where 4X rates of Roundup won’t even clean up pigweed problems. [...] In many areas, the Mid-South has already reverted back to tillage to control weeds.

2009-09-23 |

GMO taro ban wins initial approval in Maui County (USA/Hawaii)

A bill prohibiting genetically modified taro in Maui County has received initial approval from the Maui County Council. [...] the council voted unanimously Friday to approve the bill at first reading. While some expressed concerns about how the ban would be enforced, all nine councilors said they were moved by testimony from Native Hawaiians and supporters, and believed taro’s cultural and spiritual significance was more important than any other factor.

2009-09-23 |

U.S. District Judge declares approval of Monsanto’s GE sugar beets as illegal

The government illegally approved a genetically modified, herbicide-resistant strain of sugar beets without adequately considering the chance they will contaminate other beet crops, a federal judge in San Francisco has ruled. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White rejected the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s decision in 2005 to allow Monsanto Co. to sell the sugar beets, known as ”Roundup-Ready” because they are engineered to coexist with Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide.

2009-09-22 |

Industrial biotechnology can build green economy say WWF Denmark and Novozyme

The WWF report Industrial biotechnology – more than green fuel in a dirty economy?, which has been published today, concludes that industrial biotechnology can provide dramatic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and provide strong progress toward a green and sustainable economy. WWF calls for increased political backing for the industry to leverage the positive environmental effects. The findings are based on peer-reviewed research from Novozymes, the world leader in bioinnovation, as well as contributions from experts and WWF.

2009-09-22 |

Education key to GM and irradiation acceptance in the USA

The report, published in the Food Quality and Preference journal, reveals a strong correlation between knowledge and acceptance of new technologies. It suggests that as people become more informed about technologies, their attitudes may become more positive. ”Food irradiation, in particular, becomes more acceptable as consumers become more informed, principally because their concerns about its effects on the environment and nutrition are eased,” it states.

2009-09-22 |

Israeli-U.S. cooperation on crop breeding for Europe by directed mutagenesis

Israeli crop-protection company Makhteshim-Agan is investing $37 million in San Diego ag-tech startup Cibus Global to spur the development of new strains of crops that will be resistant to various forms of disease, pests, and herbicides. [...] Unlike the transgenic approach used by Monsanto, where a foreign gene is inserted into a plant’s genome to confer, [...] Cibus’s technology teases out such characteristics from the genome without inserting foreign material.

2009-09-22 |

Monsanto gets nod for GE seed business in India

The agriculture ministry has okayed Monsanto India’s plan to do business in genetically modified material. The move would be a step forward for the company which wants to integrate its agro-chemical business in India with its US parent’s seed business. The agriculture ministry has said that Monsanto India can be allowed to deal in genetically modified seeds or planting material in compliance with the existing environment protection laws.

2009-09-22 |

Seeds grow Monsanto’s business

CEO Hugh Grant aims to boost profitability and market share further [...] by building seeds that produce healthier, better tasting fruit and vegetables. Monsanto is spending about $75 million developing new vegetable seeds. Much of its budget still goes to traditional and advanced breeding. With few exceptions, it’s not investing in genetically modified varieties, which involve introducing new genes to make plants resistant to pests or herbicide.

2009-09-22 |

Gene giants - recent business news

Bayer aims to boost its genetically-modified (GM) seeds business and challenge Syngenta of Switzerland for the No. 3 spot among the world’s largest supplier of GM crops, it said. Bayer, also jostling with its Swiss rival for market leadership in conventional pesticides, needs to shore up its plant biotech operations because old and new approaches to crop protection were gradually converging, the head of Bayer’s CropScience unit told Reuters.

2009-09-21 |

EU rejects more U.S. soy with illegal GM corn traces

Spanish authorities detected traces of unauthorised forms of genetically modified (GM) corn in U.S. soy shipments on August 25 and blocked the imports, a European Commission spokeswoman said on Friday. Traces of corn variety MON88017, which is yet to be approved in the EU, was found in different shiploads of soy from the same company and the shipments were sent back to the U.S., the spokeswoman said. The MON88017 variety is manufactured by Monsanto, an official at the biotech company in Spain said.

2009-09-21 |

Swiss tired of GE crop debate

Despite its sometimes controversial reputation, green biotechnology is failing to arouse great interest in Switzerland. According to a new study, stakeholders are tired of the topic, the media is not reporting on it and the public is ambivalent. And most people welcome the government’s proposal to extend the current moratorium on the commercial use of genetically-modified (GM) plants.

2009-09-21 |

GMO crops can help climate and environment says Danish Ministry for Agriculture

Today, GMO crops are grown on 8% of the world’s agricultural soil, and GMOs have potentials regarding climate and environment. These are the conclusions of a new report from the Danish Food Ministry The Danish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries has released a report on GMO’s showing that the production of genetically modified (GM) crops has the potential to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases such as CO2. The report also shows that GMOs are a promising way of producing plants that are more resistant towards changes in climate conditions.

2009-09-21 |

New U.S. wheat industry paper says biotechnology will help ensure adequate wheat supplies

Biotechnology has the potential to help reverse the loss of wheat acres in the United States and help ensure there will be adequate supplies to feed a hungry world. That is the conclusion of a new wheat industry analysis released Thursday. [...] the rapid adoption of biotechnology traits in other crops produced around the world, and grower testimonials in support of these traits, lends credence to the idea that biotechnology can make a significant contribution.

2009-09-21 |

Farming technology and GE seeds could curb famine in South Africa

Farming technology can help increase food security in Africa, said an Enterprise Africa study report released in Johannesburg on Wednesday. According to the report, the use of technologies such as hybrid and genetically modified seeds, greenhouses, irrigation and plug seedlings could boost farming. It could also make life more prosperous for many African farmers, including the rural ones with no resources.

2009-09-21 |

UK government to press EU on GM crops

Fears that feed prices could be driven prohibitively high by current EU policy have been raised by all sectors of livestock farming – including the egg industry. In April this year we reported the view of economic analyst Peter van Horne, who told those attending the International Egg Commission conference in London that expenditure on feed could increase by as much as 600 per cent for egg producers if the EU did not act. The British Government has now raised the issue as part of a study on the country’s future food security.

2009-09-16 |

Farmers in Pakistan protest against Monsanto’s Bt cotton trials

This August, ActionAid Pakistan and thousands of farmers mobilized in a series of rallies across the Sindh and Punjab provinces of southern and central Pakistan to voice their concern about the government’s decision to allow the Agri Food giant, Monsanto, start BT cotton* trials in the country. [...] In Pakistan 77 million people do not have enough to eat. Yet the government is actively offering incentives to Multinational Companies (MNCs) to grow these genetically modified crops which, far from uplifting the rural poor, will have devastating effects on both food security and the environment.

2009-09-16 |

Thailand suggests GE coy ban at Greater Mekong Delta meeting

Viet Nam is one of five neighbouring nations considering issuing a declaration against the use of genetically modified soybeans. This was announced at the second annual conference of the so-called Greater Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta Sub-region (GMS) a the weekend. [...] The move to ban transgenic materials was made by Thailand, one of the six members of the GMS.

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