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. …
crucial issues such as protection of traditional knowledge, and creation of an international regime on access to genetic resources and benefit sharing were taken up by two working groups of the Convention on Biological Diversity (cbd) in December. The bodies met separately in Montreal, Canada, to address matters that will …
One of New Zealand's biggest food companies, Goodman Fielder, has decided to exclude all genetically modified (gm) ingredients, including animal feed, from its products. New Zealand Greenpeace campaigner Steve Abel says the company's new policy is a victory for the New Zealand consumer. As the single biggest user and distributor …
On climate change What is the role of science in political negotiations on climate change? The distinction you make between science and politics is not one I adhere to. Good political decisions are made on the basis of the best advice given to governments, on the basis of proper analysis, …
Last year's controversy about food aid from the us containing genetically modified (gm) materials appears to have left African nations wiser. Fourteen countries from the southern part of the continent have agreed upon a common strategy to manage gm products. The guidelines were formulated at a meeting of the Southern …
simple remedy: Garlic not only keeps the vampires at bay, but also pests such as slugs and snails, which cause millions of dollars worth of damage in countries with cool or temperate climates. Scientists from the uk-based University of Newcastle upon Tyne have found that the pungent herb could act …
The term genetically modified (GM) is highly controversial. While the science of transferring desirable genetic traits from one organism to another has applications in several fields
Notwithstanding the resounding failure of its Bt cotton, Monsanto has begun to introduce another genetically modified (gm) crop into India, its proprietary maize variety called Roundup Ready corn. The government's Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation has given permission for Monsanto to bring in breeding material and start work. It clearly …
glyphosate, the world's most widely used herbicide, encourages the growth of toxic fungi that devastate wheat fields. This is the alarming finding of a study conducted by scientists working for the Canadian government. The conclusion could prove to be a major blow for backers of genetically modified (gm) wheat, especially …
at a time when the uk Prime Minister (pm), Tony Blair, is facing considerable embarrassment with regard to the death of weapons expert David Kelly, the subsequent Hutton inquiry and the core issue of the country's involvement in Iraq, he can ill-afford to land himself in the soup over any …
T he animal in us may just be a rat. A team of researchers from the National Human Genome Research Institute (nhgri) and other universities in the us has found the human gene code to be more similar to that of rats than cats. The project involved comparison of a …
A three-year moratorium has been put on the use of genetically modified organisms (gmos) in the state of Victoria in Australia. The need for comprehensive inquiry and public debate on the contentious issue has spawned the decision, taken by the Municipal Association of Victoria (mav)
nearly one-fifth of the farmers in the us midwest are ignoring federal rules about how much transgenic maize they should plant, indicates a recent study. Experts fear this non-compliance could encourage pests to develop resistance to the insecticide produced by the crop. Some transgenic maize contains a gene from the …
A struggle by farmers in Chhattisgarh to protect indigenous seed varieties from being appropriated by multinational corporations is snowballing into a major movement in the State. Women working in the fields at Khapridih village in Raipur district, following a paddy crop failure due to lack of rains last year. Chhattisgarh, …
reports about the demise of the y chromosome and a consequent extinction of men are exaggerated. This was revealed during the genetic sequencing of the much talked about chromosome. The male-determining y has long been considered a vestigial chromosome
Patents on life forms are unethical, contrary to the principles and cultural norms of various societies, and should be prohibited. This was the crux of the argument advanced by a group of African countries at the trips (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) Council meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, from June …
post-Iraq, the us is gearing up for another fight. This time, it is over the export of genetically modified (gm) food to the eu. The us is moving the World Trade Organization (wto), along with Argentina, Canada and Egypt against the eu's "five-year moratorium' on allowing the sale of gm …
In an era of a rapidly shrinking biological resources, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is a historic landmark, being the first global agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. The CBD is one of the few international agreements in the area of natural resource conservation in …
The Great Wall of China, built to hinder marauding tribes, hampers the flow of plant genes too. Members of the same species growing on either side are genetically quite different, indicates a new study of the Juyong Guan region. The alterations in the plants' genetic make-up are likely to have …
The uk's Food Standards Agency (fsa) has sought the people's opinion on the controversial issue of genetically modified (gm) crops. The watchdog body seeks to engage a "citizen's jury', comprising 16 people from the town of Slough in the southern part of the country, to discuss whether gm food should …
