Planet Diversity World Congress on the Future of Food and Agriculture

Actualité

26.05.2009

Brazil regulator OKs Monsanto GMO cotton seed

Brazil's biosafety regulator CTNBio has approved the use of Monsanto's Bollgard 2 genetically modified cotton seed, the company said on Thursday. The pest-resistant cotton variety must still be approved by Brazil's Agriculture Ministry before it can be planted in the country. U.S.-based Monsanto has a total of six genetically modified varieties of cotton, soybeans and corn already approved for commercial planting in Brazil.

26.05.2009

Bt cotton is not in trouble in India, it’s in demand

Genetic engineering is a tough cover for even a well-worn agricultural journalist like me. But for a non-agricultural journalist to spend just four days researching the impact of GE seeds on cotton farmer suicides in India is a bit of a stretch. It’s like me being qualified to safely land a Boeing 747 after reading ”The Life and Times of Orville and Wilbur Wright.”

26.05.2009

German Nobel Laureate Nüsslein-Volhard: ”The ban on cultivating Bt maize sends an alarming signal”

In a joint memorandum, the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG) and German Agricultural Society (Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft, DLG) are demanding reliable conditions for research and development in the area of genetically modified plants. At a press conference in Berlin the presidents of the two organisations complained of a hostile climate to plant biotechnology and argued emphatically in favour of freedom of research and field trials.

26.05.2009

Victoria (Australia) forges global alliance with Dow AgroSciences for crop innovation

Victoria has forged a global alliance with Dow AgroSciences for crop innovation, Minister for Innovation of Victoria Gavin Jennings announced today at BIO2009 in Atlanta. The research partnership will see Victoria strengthen its position as a leader in agricultural biotechnology as scientists in Australia and the USA work together to develop new plant traits and plant varieties for Victorian and international farmers.

26.05.2009

Chinese Bt Cotton will be grown on 800 acres in Pakistan

A two Member Chinese follow up mission headed by Qiquan Zhang, Director General, Agri. Division, Xinjiang Production and Corporation, reached here Islamabad and called on the Chairman, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) Dr Zafar Altaf and discussed contents of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to be implemented in Punjab and Sindh for growing Bt Cotton.

25.05.2009

Multinationals and GE soy imports dominate Chinese soy market

In 2001 before entry WTO, China had already absolutely opened up the soybean market. The four largest multinational grain giants, including ADM, Bungay, Cargill and Louis Dreyfus, began to enter China gradually, which gradually occupy the domestic soybean market through the genetically modified soybeans. The multinational enterprises have controlled 80% of the soybean sources of the imported soybeans and 70% of the actual soybean processing capacity. According to the statistics in 2008, there were about 100 large oil processing enterprises in China, and over 60 enterprises were merged or held by the foreign funded enterprises. The multinational grain dealers have permeated into various soybean fields, such as planting, trade and circulation etc.

25.05.2009

Western Australian fasting protest a show of anti-GM sentiment

WILLIAMS, WA, canola farmers Jo Fowler, Janette Liddelow, Margie Haddrick and Catherine Higham staged a protest against the growing of Genetically Modified (GM) canola in WA on the steps of Parliament House last week. The protest involved a two day fasting vigil, with the ladies urging Agriculture Minister Terry Redman to abort the GM canola trials that will be grown across about 850 hectares this year, on three research stations and 17 WA farms.

25.05.2009

New Zealand largest stockfood manufacturer accused of false GE-free claims

Inghams advertisements are misleading the public by claiming that their chicken products have no genetically modified ingredients, according to the Soil & Health Association of NZ. ”Inghams are taking huge advantage of consumer resistance to GE foods by making GM free claims in television and print advertising, yet hidden well away on their website in their GM Policy(1), they argue for their use of GE soy in chicken feed,” said Soil & Health spokesperson Steffan Browning.

25.05.2009

Pig and Poultry Live: UK GM debate begins

The GM or ’biotechnology’ debate needs to start with consumers, according to NFU deputy president Meurig Raymond, following remarks made by a shopper at the conference, who said they would not buy anything with GMs although admitting feeling ”ignorant about so-called Frankenstein foods.” Sparking debate among the audience, pig producer James Black believed misrepresentation of facts had occurred around the whole GM debate.

25.05.2009

Livestock raisers in Negros Occidental (Philippines) calls for lifting GMO ban

Livestock raisers in Negros Occidental yesterday appealed to the provincial government to hasten the release of the recommendations on the ordinance banning Genetically Modified Organisms in Negros Occidental. Albert Lim Jr., president of the Negros Occidental Hog Raisers Association, said they are appealing for the ad hoc committee discussing the GMO issue to release the results of its discussions on the matter. He noted that the ordinance continues to put a halt to their use of GMO corn to feed their hogs and chickens as they wait for the recommendations.

22.05.2009

GMO ban bill passed in Tasmania (Australia)

Tasmania's ban on the release of genetically modified organisms to the environment will continue for at least another five years under a Bill passed by Parliament today. The Minister for Primary Industries and Water, David Llewellyn, said today that the State's GMO-free status is a key factor in the Tasmanian Brand. ”Tasmania's GMO-free status is a vital factor for our primary producers, helping them realise their full potential in international and interstate markets,” Mr Llewellyn said.

20.05.2009

GMO companies sprinkle cash at the Hawai’i Capitol (USA)

For the second year in a row, proponents and opponents of genetically modified crops have fought their way to no action in the Hawaii State Legislature. [...] Both bills generated anti-GMO pressure from the environmentalists, organic farmers and Native Hawaiians and pro-GMO pressure mainly from the University of Hawaii and agribusiness companies and organizations. There may have been some pressure generated from another source. During the last election, at least 18 candidates for the legislature–all incumbents–received campaign contributions from companies that had major investments in GM crops.

20.05.2009

The American Academy Of Environmental Medicine calls for immediate moratorium on genetically modified foods

The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) today released its position paper on Genetically Modified foods stating that ”GM foods pose a serious health risk” and calling for a moratorium on GM foods. Citing several animal studies, the AAEM concludes ”there is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects” and that ”GM foods pose a serious health risk in the areas of toxicology, allergy and immune function, reproductive health, and metabolic, physiologic and genetic health.”

20.05.2009

Tell Congress not to force GE crops on other countries

An effort to fight global poverty and hunger may become a Trojan horse to force genetically engineered crops on countries and farmers that do not want them. In the Senate, Senators Bob Casey (D-Penn.) and Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) introduced the Global Food Security Act, which increases funding for agricultural research in the developing world, and a companion bill in the House of Representatives is expected to be introduced soon.

20.05.2009

GE crops holds seeds of hope for Africa

there are new technologies on the horizon that can help farmers lessen the impact of drought. Through biotechnology, researchers at Monsanto are developing a drought-tolerant corn to reduce lost yields caused by drought. [...] The technology has been submitted for regulatory review in the United States and we expect it to be a valuable tool in the Western corn belt in a few years. But as with the latest medications, it is inconceivable that African farmers should have to wait longer for the technology.

20.05.2009

GE crops making important contributions to sustainable farming

”Since 1996, biotech crop adoption has contributed to reducing the release of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, decreased pesticide spraying and significantly boosted farmers' incomes,” said Graham Brookes, director of PG Economics, co-author of the report. ”The technology has also made important contributions to increasing the yields of many farmers, reducing production risks, improving productivity and raising global production of key crops.

20.05.2009

GE crop debate rages on in Uganda

Amid concerns on the safety of genetically-modified cro ps and the cost of acquiring GM seeds by the largely peasant African farmers, the debate over the acceptability of biotechnology continues to rage in Uganda, just it does in most parts of Africa. Supporters of biotechnology said it offered Africa the best chance of guarding against food insecurity because it enhances agricultural productions. Opponents countered by questioning the safety of the relatively new technology as well as its affordability.

19.05.2009

DuPont alleges anti-competitive conduct by Monsanto in response to lawsuit over stacked traits

Monsanto is trying to deny farmers access to alternative technologies at a time when farmers are struggling with weeds that are increasingly resistant to current Monsanto products, said James C. Borel, DuPont group vice president.
”The litigation filed today by Monsanto is more of what we have come to expect from them,” said Borel, in response to the filing of a lawsuit by Monsanto in federal court in St. Louis, Mo. ”Monsanto has a long history of using litigation and aggressive tactics to preserve their monopoly and attempt to intimidate customers, seed partners and competitors.

19.05.2009

Farmers reveal: The truth about GM corn in the Philippines

A forum on the case study on the socio-economic impact of Genetically Modified (GM) Corn or RR Corn in Capiz was held last April 30, 2009 [...] Ms. Eloisa Bosito, MASIPAG-National Secretariat presented & discussed the results of the socio-economic study which shows that almost all of the farmers in both municipalities are dependent with the local financiers in the area, with 57% of the corn farmers in Dumarao are paying an interest of 7% per month. In Maayon, most of the farmers are paying as high as 10% per month.

19.05.2009

Vatican science academy pushes GMOs as safe way of feeding the hungry

Sandwiched amid Pope Benedict XVI’s trip to the Middle East and President Barack Obama’s commencement address at Notre Dame, a behind-closed-doors ”study week” in Rome sponsored by the Pontifical Academy for Sciences on genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, has so far flown largely below radar. Yet the May 15-19 event could help drive the Vatican toward a pro-GMO stance, disappointing some social justice activists, as well as a cross-section of Catholic bishops and theologians, who see genetically altered crops as risks to the environment and human health as well as a boondoggle for giant agribusiness corporations.

Go to page: ← 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 →

NewsActualitéNachrichtenActualidad

Comité Local d'Organisation