News

2013-06-07 |

Field trials with bacteria-resistant GE bananas to begin Kenya in 2014

Confined field trials on Genetically Modified banana variety genetically engineered to resist a bacterial disease that has been decimating crops across Africa will begin in Kenya in 2014, a researcher said on Thursday. International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Plant Biotechnologists Dr. Leena Tripathi told journalists in Nairobi that the research conducted so far in Uganda shows that the variety holds a lot of promise. “We have proof of concept for bacteria wilt resistance and so another set of trials will be conducted in Kenya from 2014,” Tripathi said during an Open Forum for Agricultural Biotechnology conference (OFAB) in Nairobi.

2013-06-06 |

Slow take-up of GM canola in Victoria (Australia)

An agribusiness in western Victoria is selling genetically modified canola seed for half price because demand is limited. Across Australia, 8 per cent of canola plantings are GM varieties. Elders agronomist Jamie Ball says farmers are reluctant to sow GM canola because they’re concerned it will increase the number of herbicide resistant weeds on their farms.

2013-06-05 |

Monsanto legal risks linger with suit as wheat futures rebound

Monsanto Co., the world’s largest seed company, may face more complaints from farmers even as tests so far haven’t shown unapproved gene-altered wheat anywhere beyond an Oregon farm where it was found. The company was sued in federal court in Wichita by a Kansas farmer who accused it of negligently releasing genetically altered wheat seed in the U.S. and damaging the market for his crop. The lawsuit filed June 3 by Ernest Barnes of Morton County, Kansas, may be the first of many against St. Louis-based Monsanto alleging contamination, his lawyers said in a statement.

2013-06-05 |

Namibia gets GMO testing lab

This week Minister of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, John Mutorwa, inaugurated the first-ever Genetically Modified Organism testing facility in Namibia in the capital. [...] “If we are not careful, our genetic resources may disappear through the uncontrolled use of GMO seeds or plants and the list goes on,” Mutorwa said on Tuesday. “I am not against science, but what we are saying as food producers is tha: consumers have the right to know what they are consuming. Therefore proper, ethical, honest, and professional labelling of these products would give consumers choices whether to take GMO foodstuffs or not,” said the minister.

2013-05-31 |

Don’t fear GM crops, Europe!

The time has come to fight against this insidious attack on the progress of European science. It is fair to ask questions, demand answers, and ask for evidence of safety. But it is not fair to continue an aggressive campaign of Luddite opposition when all the evidence supports a positive role for GM agriculture in Europe. To rectify the situation we need to remove the political component in the approval process of GM crops and use an objective, science-based, and rational approach based on real evidence rather than short-term political ambitions. If we pander to a vocal but ignorant minority, the EU will end up the poor cousin in a world of growing affluence, where those willing to embrace biotechnology and its ability to address the global challenges of hunger, poverty, disease will become the future’s new economic leaders.

Go to page: ← ... 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 ... →