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2009-05-14 |

Monsanto’s ”Water Utilization Learning Center” to open soon

Monsanto’s new ”Water Utilization Learning Center” -- a demonstration farm for genetically altered crops -- will open in late spring or early summer, manager Chandler Mazour said recently. Located on 155 acres near Highway 47 two miles south of Gothenburg, the center will have an interactive learning center inside with rooms for lectures and presentations.
The facility will be capable of videoconferencing with organizations anywhere in the world, Mazour said.

2009-05-14 |

Latvia bans GE crop cultivation

The Supervisory Council for Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) today approved GMOs for sale in Latvia, yet each GMO will have to be examined beforehand, but banned GMO production in Latvia. Ten out of fourteen Supervisory Council for GMOs members voted for the proposal.

2009-05-14 |

Kenya GE maize debate heats up in Parliament

Prime Minister Raila Odinga was on Wednesday put to task to explain why genetically modified and 'poisonous maize' was imported to the country even after government agencies raised health issues with the shipment. MPs used the PM's time in Parliament to grill him on his role in the maize saga. ”The Prime Minister is confusing us by tabling too many papers in the House. We have listened to him and there was evidence of contradiction and the results he got,” he said.

2009-05-14 |

Monsanto sees U.S. seeds business doubling

Monsanto Co said on Wednesday that it expects its U.S. gross profit from sales of seeds and traits to double by 2012 from the 2008 level, while its international businesses should grow by 85 percent. The world’s biggest seed company said it will launch a ”high impact technology” product every one to two years, with the goal that each project will deliver more than $300 million in ”gross revenue opportunities” by 2020 in the country where it is launched.

2009-05-14 |

Africa Union expert says ”GMOs can save millions of lives in the continent”

The opposition by African governments to genetically modified (GM) foods is overblown, some science experts say. [...] Dr Sarah Olembo, a senior policy officer (Food Security Division) of the African Union Commission (AUC) says technologies for genetic modification offered a solution to Africa’s food security challenges. [...] ”Although widely considered risky to human health and the environment, food produced through genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can save millions of lives in the continent,” she said.

2009-05-13 |

Golden Rice: A dangerous experiment

Changing agricultural models have contributed to vitamin A deficiency. Interestingly, WHO’s recommended practice of growing beta-carotene-rich leafy vegetables in home gardens was common in developing countries before the arrival of World Bank, IMF and other Western-backed programmes that forced farmers into growing cash crops for export. [...] It is ironic that Golden Rice is a ”solution” promoted by Western interests to a problem that was arguably generated by Western interests in the first place.

2009-05-13 |

Call for agricultural research to serve people, not corporate interests

Farmers and food consumers worldwide need a stronger say in how agricultural research is funded, designed, implemented and controlled to ensure that the knowledge produced brings the most social and environmental benefits. So says a multimedia e-book published by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) today to coincide with the annual meeting of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development, which focuses heavily on agriculture.

2009-05-13 |

Consumers still unsure about GM wheat, president of Canadian Federation of Agriculture

It has been five years since U.S. seed and chemical company Monsanto dropped its plans to introduce genetically modified (GM) wheat in the face of consumer opposition -- and while some attitudes have shifted since then, by and large many people still aren’t certain they want GM wheat included in their bread. Consumers are willing to accept many types of new technology without reserve but when it comes to GM food, feelings run very high, said Canadian Federation of Agriculture president Laurent Pellerin.

2009-05-13 |

Purple GE rose pricks thorny debate in Nambucca Shire Council (Austalia)

A purple/blue rose is responsible for causing a rift in Nambucca Shire Council ranks and sparking Nambucca Valley Conservation Association (NVCA) concern over council’s ability to keep up with the times. [...] A recommendation for council to simply note the application from Florigene was criticised by Cr Paula Flack. She told council it should follow the ”precautionary principle” and object to the proposal because ”we don’t know what effect it will have on our local industry”.

2009-05-13 |

Australian Pioneer GM canola planter ready for more

A WEST Wimmera farmer has been so pleased with the results of Roundup Ready canola, he’s going to increase his planted area this year. The uptake of genetically modified (GM) canola has been furiously debated, with proponents claiming farmers will enjoy the benefits of being able to tidy up paddocks with glyphosate, and opponents saying that the increased costs and regulation will outweigh the benefit of the technology.

2009-05-13 |

Sites chosen for GM grain receival in Australia

CO-OPERATIVE Bulk Handling has announced two sites likely to receive Genetically Modified canola being planted at 20 sites throughout the State. CBH Albany zone manager Richard Simonaitis said while the company was still working with Monsanto to finalise details of sampling and testing GM and non-GM grain, the CBH Group had nominated two receival sites likely to receive deliveries of GM canola. ”At this stage, those sites are Mt Kokeby and the Metro Grain Centre in Forrestfield,” he said.

2009-05-12 |

Monsanto’s ”Water Utilization Learning Center” to open soon

Monsanto’s new ”Water Utilization Learning Center” -- a demonstration farm for genetically altered crops -- will open in late spring or early summer, manager Chandler Mazour said recently. Located on 155 acres near Highway 47 two miles south of Gothenburg, the center will have an interactive learning center inside with rooms for lectures and presentations.
The facility will be capable of videoconferencing with organizations anywhere in the world, Mazour said.

2009-05-12 |

Irish celebrity chef Corrigan blasts authorities for ’low standards’

CELEBRITY chef Richard Corrigan yesterday called for Bord Bia to be abolished, claiming they are not doing a good job promoting Irish food to consumers. [...] Mr Corrigan said that Bord Bia quality assurance schemes do not guarantee that the products sold are Irish, free of genetically modified material or in the best interests of Irish consumers and farmers.

2009-05-12 |

Mississippi (USA) farmers trade cotton plantings for corn

”We’re closer than we’ve ever been to looking like Iowa,” said Danny Hargett, a veteran farmer who has decided for the first time not to grow any cotton this year on his 3,000 acres of fertile, well-irrigated land. ”It was extremely hard for me to make this decision, but the economics have made it almost impossible to make cotton a profitable crop.”
The most immediate cause of King Cotton’s decline is that people around the world are buying less clothing and home furnishings. Global cotton production and consumption are dropping, and the Agriculture Department expects the nation’s exports to fall by $1.2 billion this year.

2009-05-12 |

Scientists dicovered ”holy grail” gene to go for GE crought tolerant plants

By focusing on a plant’s natural defense mechanisms, University of California researchers believe they have cracked an elusive genetic secret – a discovery that someday could help farmers produce more food with less water. [...] ”It has indeed been a holy grail,” said Julian Schroeder, a biologist at UC San Diego who was part of the research team. [...] ”The discovery from Schroeder and Cutler may open new routes for breeding new crop, fruit and vegetable varieties which can be grown in dry areas, (such) as California,” Michael Metzlaff, senior scientist for Bayer BioScience based in Belgium, said via e-mail.

2009-05-12 |

Hungarian Agriculture Minister thanks Spanish colleague for supporting GE crop ban

Hungarian Agriculture Minister József Gráf met with his Spanish counterpart Elena Espinsoa Mangana in Budapest. [...] Gráf thanked his Spanish counterpart for supporting Hungary in its endeavor to keep the country free of genetically modified crops.

2009-05-12 |

United Arab Emirates and FAO discuss policy document on biotechnology in agriculture

H.E. Dr. Rashid Ahmed bin Fahad, Minister of Environment and Water, received Dr. Magdi Ahmed Madkour, consultant at the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) for discussion on the UAE national report on application of biotechnology in agriculture and environment. [...] The report will identify and assess current capacities at the ministry, public academic institutes and private laboratories.

2009-05-11 |

Sanaria (USA) announces clinical trials with non-GE malaria vaccine

While most malaria vaccines in clinical development consist of recombinant or genetically engineered proteins that represent small portions of the parasite, Sanaria’s Plasmodium falciparum sporozoite vaccine candidate contains a weakened form of the entire malaria parasite. While unique to the malaria vaccine field, such live vaccines are used for other diseases including smallpox, polio, and measles. When the attenuated parasite is given to individuals, they are expected to become immune to malaria and not get sick.

2009-05-11 |

Cow genome sequence could boost cattle quality

The sequencing of the cow genome, announced last week, could speed up efforts to improve the quality of cattle in the developing world, say livestock scientists. The sequence, the compilation of which involved 300 scientists from 25 countries, was published in Science last week (24 April). The genome contains 22,000 genes, according to the Bovine Sequencing Consortium. ”The cow genome sequencing work has some large implications for developing-country animal agriculture,” says Vish Nene, director of the biotechnology theme at the International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi.

2009-05-11 |

Lundbeck launches drug from DNA-altered goats in the USA

The first drug made using genetically engineered animals has gone on sale in the United States, marketed by the U.S. arm of Lundbeck, the Danish drugmaker said on Wednesday. ATryn is an intravenous anti-clotting therapy made using a human protein gathered from female goats specially bred to produce it in their milk.

2009-05-11 |

Novel upland non-GE drought-tolerant rice variety released in Jharkhand, India

A novel upland rice variety, Birsa Vikas Dhan 111 (PY 84), has recently been released in the Indian state of Jharkhand. It was bred using marker-assisted backcrossing with selection for multiple quantitative trait loci (QTL) for improved root growth to improve its performance under drought conditions. It is an early maturing, drought tolerant and high yielding variety with good grain quality suitable for the direct seeded uplands and transplanted medium lands of Eastern India.

2009-05-11 |

Marubeni and Brazil’s Amaggi strike deal for import of non-GE soy to Japan

Trading giant Marubeni Corp. said Friday it has concluded a cooperation deal with leading Brazilian agri-food company Amaggi Exportacao e Importacao for the procurement of soybeans, corn and other grains to enable stable supplies for Japan and China. [...] Amaggi owns 215,000 hectares of proprietary farmland on which it grows non-genetically modified soybeans. [...] The two companies are aiming to increase the annual volume of non-GMO soybeans and other grains like corn that they will jointly procure to 1 million tons in 2010, a volume equal to 3 percent of Japan’s annual imports of the products, Marubeni said.

2009-05-11 |

African scientists announce non-GE breakthrough in battle against aflatoxin

Scientists of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), Kenya, the United States Department for Agriculture (USDA) and International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, IITA, Nigeria, have developed a safe and natural method that could drastically cut aflatoxin contamination in African food crops by as much as 99 per cent. 
 The partners collaboratively demonstrated the ability of a natural fungi found in Nigeria to significantly reduce concentrations of aflatoxins in maize.

2009-05-08 |

Hormone free milk - Kansas (USA) Governor vetoes anti labeling rule

Just weeks after agrichemical businesses won in Ohio court, consumers win in Kansas, where Gov. Sebelius vetoed a measure that would have prevented dairies from simply labeling their milk ”hormone free.” Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is standing up for consumers’ right to know in a big way. She has repelled the latest attempt by the agrichemical industry to prevent the simple labeling of milk that is produced without the use of synthetic hormones.

2009-05-08 |

Nebraska (USA) bill would stop counties from banning GE crops

Several counties in California have banned growing genetically engineered crops and livestock, and about 100 towns in New England have passed resolutions supporting limits on genetically engineered crops. In Nebraska, a bill aimed at assuring Nebraska towns and counties don’t stray into those kinds of bans is moving through the Legislature. The bill (LB263), which would make certain state law is pre-eminent and that it overrides city and county regulations of seed or fertilizer, gained first-round approval Wednesday.

2009-05-08 |

Indian Supreme Court asks Government to respond to safety concerns of GMOs

India’s apex court on Thursday directed the government to respond to the proposals for setting up of an independent laboratory for carrying out relevant health and bio-safety tests of genetically modified (GM) crops and formation of a committee to address the problems of regulation for ensuring safety of GM crops.

2009-05-08 |

Committee formed to discuss GMO ban of Negros Occidental (Philipines)

Gov. Isidro Zayco yesterday said he is creating an ad hoc committee to find a win-win solution to the call to lift the ban on Genetically Modified Organisms entering Negros Occidental and the opposition to such move. The ad hoc committee will be chaired by Board Member Adolfo Mangao, who heads the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Committee on Agriculture, with Provincial Agriculturist Igmedio Tabianan and Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena as vice chairmen, Zayco said.

2009-05-08 |

Philippine bill eyes public listing of genetically modified crops

A bill has been filed in Congress pushing for the registration of all genetically modified organisms (GMO) used by companies and other institutions in the country. [...] Rep. Narciso Santiago, the bill’s author, said this registry should be open to the public upon request. He added that the information should also be accessible via the DA’s official website.

2009-05-08 |

Argentine glyphosate lawsuit alarms soy farmers

An environmental group’s push to temporarily ban a widely used herbicide in Argentina, citing a scientist’s preliminary study, has sparked concern in the country’s huge soy industry and generated disagreement within the government. An environmental group filed suit in April before the Supreme Court, seeking a ban on glyphosate, a weed killer used with genetically modified soybeans that has helped fuel Argentina’s soy boom by dramatically boosting yields.

2009-05-07 |

”Failure to Yield” report turns on biotech spin machines

Since the launch of Failure to Yield, several comments complained that the report does not include studies from the developing world. In essence, they claim that the report misses important parts of the picture. I think these comments are off the mark. By criticizing what is not in the report, they divert attention from its core finding that a solid body of research shows that despite decades of trying, genetically engineered (GE) traits in the United States contribute only marginally to increased yields, while at the same time, other means of agricultural innovation have shown great success at increasing crop yields.

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