Good Food is First Food. It is not junk food. It is the food that connects nature and nutrition with livelihoods. This food is good for our health; it comes from the rich biodiversity of our regions; it provides employment to people. Most importantly, cooking and eating give us pleasure. …
Genetic resources and livelihoods across the Asia-Pacific region are being destroyed due to commercialisation of plant genes by transnational companies and national governments. This has been observed in a report compiled by Genetic Resources Action International (grain), a Barcelona-based group, and Kalpvriksha, an Indian environmental organisation. The document warns that …
Philippines joins CNG bandwagon: Yet another country attempting to switch its public transport to compressed natural gas (CNG) mode is Philippines. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has announced that a bus company, will undertake a pilot project by 2003, which will include 100 buses to be fully fuelled by CNG. Devious strategy …
I happened to be in Hirekur taluk in Haveri district of Karnataka to attend an Independence Day flag hoisting function this year. Farmers dominated the gathering. Not surprisingly, all talk seemed centred around the Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) cotton experiment in the state. Pleased with my evident interest in their talk, …
The uk has finally stood up to the arm-twisting it has been subjected to at the hands of us biotechnology corporations. Top government functionaries of the country publicly voiced their resentment at being coerced into carrying out trials of genetically modified (gm) crops. The outburst came hard on the heels …
cabbage could well become the latest focus of the never-ending debate on the viability of genetic modification (gm), with a group of Indian scientists successfully developing a gm cabbage. The development might create a furore in the future, as the vegetable has been modified by inserting the gene of Bacillus …
finally, there's hope on the horizon for Zimbabwe's hunger-stricken population. The country's government has reached an agreement with international relief agencies for the quick release of thousands of tonnes of food aid. In an unusual pact between the Zimbabwean government, the un World Food Programme and Zimbabwe's Grain Marketing Board, …
just when the Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) cotton row was showing signs of dissipating, the issue has resurfaced. And this time, a controversy is brewing in Karnataka. On August 9, 2002, thousands of farmers of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (krrs), a group of farmers' associations organised a massive rally in …
In a major blow to the us biotech industry, the European parliament recently approved one of the world’s most stringent regulations on labelling of genetically modified organisms (gmo). The parliament has also decided to retain the ongoing moratorium on the import of numerous gm products till the regulation comes into …
A compromise has been made to stave off starvation. Although Zambia initially rejected genetically modified (gm) maize in food aid, it has now asked the World Food Programme (wfp) to buy the cheaper gm corn to feed its people. In June Zambian agriculture minister Mundia Sikatana had banned imports of …
scientists have checked the bite of the mosquito. They have successfully inserted into the anopheles mosquitoes an artificial gene that renders the insects incapable of transmitting the malaria parasite. Preliminary findings of this experiment, conducted by researchers from the Ohio-based Case Western Reserve University, suggest that such genetically engineered mosquitoes …
scientists have recently discovered the 22nd amino acid, the building blocks of proteins that carry out the functions of a living cell. This is a significant discovery that would enable scientists to manipulate the human genetic code to make proteins to speed chemical reactions. The amino acid was discovered by …
scientists have accomplished a feat that could one day lead to better treatments for cancer. They have sequenced the genome of the bacterium, Streptomyces coelicolor. This feat is expected to aid the development of several new antibiotics as the bacterium S coelicolor and its relatives are sources of nearly two-thirds …
in a valiant attempt to reduce inequalities in healthcare between rich and poor nations, the World Health Organisation (who) has suggested a strategy to help developing countries benefit from new discoveries in genetic research. The suggestions were made in a recently released who report called Genomics and World Health. The …
Imagine, a world without hunger. And rice in India for perhaps less than Rs 2? It is possible only if the idea of social benefit wins over the temptation of big bucks. Scientists have decoded the rice genome. This means for the first time the wise men have understood and …
OUR diet. How and where does it come from? Its impact on us and the entire ecosystem is of utmost concern to us. John Robbins' previous works have explored this subject in some detail. This book takes his readers a step forward, telling them about genetically modified (GM) foods, mad …
Originally called www.purefood.org, the website is the project of Organic Consumers Association (OCA). This site focuses on safe and sustainable systems of food production and consumption. The site lists various campaigns of the organisation to drive out genetically engineered food off the market. The recent and most prolific campaign is …
all foods produced through the use of biotechnology should be subjected to safety assessments before they are sold. An agreement to this effect was signed recently in Yokohama, Japan, among 226 participants of the United Nations' Codex inter-governmental task force on foods derived from biotechnology. It was also decided that …
