The scientific and policy debate on the potential benefits and risks of biotechnologies remains polarized. As more genetically modified crops, insects, and fish are developed, the 2000 Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity provides a forum to monitor developments and address risk assessment and risk management …
Farmers and other stakeholders in agriculture, science and technology and health sectors have called for the adoption and promotion of bio-safety in order to improve agricultural production in Nigeria. The stakeholders made the request at a public hearing organised by the Senate Joint Committee on Agriculture and Science and Technology …
The weekly digest of important reports, research, policy documents, regulations, studies, court cases, protests, conflicts, initiatives, photos, data, statistics, infographics, presentations on the India Environment Portal, 04 - 11 October 2014.
The Chinese government is trying to convince Zhou Guangxiu that the corn in the congee she wants to feed her son is safe. That may not be easy. Zhou, the owner of a recycling business in the northeast coastal city of Weihai, said one source of her concern was an …
New Delhi: October 9, 2014: In the latest development on the raging debate around open trials of the controversial Genetically Modified (GM) crops in India, the Gujarat state govt communicated formally that No Objection Certificate (NOC), will not be given for any GM food crops in the state. The NOC …
A majority of US packaged foods labeled as “natural” and tested by Consumer Reports actually contained a substantial level of genetically modified ingredients, according to a report issued Tuesday by the non-profit product testing group. Consumers are being misled by the “natural” label, said Urvashi Rangan, executive director of Consumer …
The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives is looking at whether technology based on genetically modified organisms (GMO) could improve four so-called economic crops. The government is looking at ways to develop maize, cassava, palm and sugar cane. GM technology is considered "an option" for increasing yields, controlling costs, and cutting …
Global seed technology giant Monsanto said on Monday it has launched a global center in Mexico for developing new hybrid and genetically modified strains of corn, part of the company's push to boost output of the planet's most widely produced grain. The center, based in Tlajomulco de Zuniga on the …
Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association and 11 others organisations on Sunday sent a joint letter to the Ministry of Environment and Forest demanding cancellation of its gazette that permitted cultivation of Bt brinjal in the country. The organisations also sent a similar letter to the agriculture ministry and Bangladesh Agriculture Research …
Agricultural biotechnology has been used to address constraints in agriculture and has the potential to make a major contribution to the overall goal of sustainable intensification. The adoption of agricultural biotechnology, and specifically genetically modified (GM) crops, by many African countries has been quite limited to date, however. To further …
A private seed company is preparing to market three genetically modified Bt brinjal seeds ignoring protests that there had been no biosafety tests of the transgenic crop. Officials of agriculture ministry said that preparations were afoot for the commercial release of at least three more Bt brinjal seed varieties through …
A second company has sued Syngenta AG over sales of genetically modified corn seed not approved by China, raising the stakes for the Swiss-based seed maker by including byproducts used for animal feed in its complaint and seeking class-action status. Trans Coastal Supply Co, a major exporter of livestock feed …
Opponents of mandatory labeling for foods made with genetically modified organisms spent more than $27 million in the first six months of this year on GMO-related lobbying, roughly three times their spending in all of 2013, according to an analysis released Wednesday. The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) and major food …
Farmers, who were given Bt brinjal saplings, on Sunday demanded compensation for huge losses they incurred cultivating the genetically modified crop. At a press conference at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity, they alleged that they were ‘fooled’ and used as ‘guinea pig’ for the cultivation of the genetically modified Bt brinjal by …
The activist groups also said the government had violated the constitution and two international protocols – Convention on Biological Diversity and Cartegena Protocol – by releasing four genetically modified (GM) brinjal varieties at farmers-level Environment activists yesterday demanded the cancellation of the government’s decision to move extensively for further demonstrating …
The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety establishes the right of Parties to take socio-economic considerations into account when deciding on imports or domestic measures relating to genetically modified organisms (GMOs). While the specifics of putting this into practice have not been fleshed out in the Protocol, it does require Parties to …
A group of global biotech crop companies won a court victory on Monday that blocks enactment of a law passed last year limiting the planting of biotech crops and use of pesticides on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. U.S. Magistrate Judge Barry Kurren of the U.S. District Court in Hawaii …
China and France are jointly constructing a top-level biosafety lab in Wuhan, Hubei province, which will facilitate scientific research into dangerous viruses such as Ebola, according to French ambassador to China Sylvie Bermann. She made the remarks at the Sino-France Health Forum in Beijing on Friday, adding that the lab …
The BARI chief acknowledged the issue and told the Dhaka Tribune that October-November would be the appropriate season for brinjal cultivation Despite an apparent failure in the pilot project last year, the government has now planned to demonstrate genetically modified Bt brinjal at field level extensively in the upcoming season …
U.S. regulators on Tuesday said they are leaning toward approval of a new line of herbicide-tolerant crops developed by Monsanto Co even though they could increase problematic weed resistance for farmers. Under the draft "environmental impact statement" (EIS) by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service …
A trail aiming to provide a more sustainable source of omega-3 for both fish and humans is nearing completion. The groundbreaking research is aiming to produce genetically modified (GM) crops that are high in the oil usually found in oily fish, such as mackerel. The crops could help to alleviate …
