Crop yields are projected to decrease under future climate conditions, and recent research suggests that yields have already been impacted. However, current impacts on a diversity of crops subnationally and implications for food security remains unclear. Here, we constructed linear regression relationships using weather and reported crop data to assess …
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 …
we might be weakening our children's immune system by feeding them soya-based infant formula. A recent study conducted by researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, usa, indicates that soya-based infant formulas are rich in genistein, a chemical that adversely affects children's immune system. To prove their claim, the …
There is disappointment down under over the us farm bill which has recently become a law. The us bill will provide new subsidies for domestic farmers over the next decade. It raises subsidy rates for soyabean, wheat, corn, cotton and barley. Australian trade minister Mark Vaile says that a dithering …
Brazil is set to challenge the controversial us farm subsidy programme. It is likely to file a case with the World Trade Organisation (wto) regarding the farm bill that would deprive the Brazilian soyabean and cotton farmers of more than us $1.5 billion a year in exports while boosting annual …
Biotech Sense China is heeding biotech warnings. It plans to introduce a law to regulate the use of biotechnology in agricultural production. This proposed law is intended to protect people's health and environment. It would ensure regular inspection of biotechnology methods to reduce harm on the ecosystem. The administration is …
Sri Lanka becomes the first country to ban genetically modified foods from May 1, 2002. The environment ministry has issued a list of 21 items, including a range of soya and tomato foods, to be banned unless proved they are not GM foods. The move receives the support of environment …
Their harvest having tested positive for the presence of genetically modified (gm) soya, the farmers of nine fields in southern Brazil may face trial by the public prosecutor's office. They may be charged with illegal planting and sale of gmf soyabeans. This was revealed by Paulo Borges, the agriculture ministry's …
A draft government document shows that China is banning new foreign investment in development and manufacture of seeds of genetically modified plants, such as corn and soyabean in the country. It also intends to restrict foreign investment in the production of cereals, potatoes, cotton and oilseeds. The draft document shows …
Replacing solvents in food and pharmaceutical processing with plain water could reduce environmental problems, say researchers Ed Clausen and Julie Carrier from the University of Arkansas, USA. "It has always amazed me that a chemical as toxic as hexane is used as a solvent in processing soybeans,' said Clausen. "I …
New regulations in China regarding the import of genetically modified (gm) products have created a furore in the us trade and political circles. According to the us department of agriculture, 68 per cent of us soybean falls under the gm category. "It is critical to our soybean exports that China …
Armed with the permission to undertake large-scale trials of Bt cotton, a genetically modified (GM) variety, biotech giant Monsanto has now got permission from the Indian government to import certain strains of its GM soyabean for testing under controlled laboratory conditions. The Round-up Ready soyabean is a variety that has …
Consumer and environmental groups in Brazil who are trying to stop the government from legalising the cultivation of genetically modified (gm) soyabean have another confrontation ahead. The pro-gm lobby is appealing against a federal court's ruling that prevented the legalisation of gm soyabean cultivation in Brazil. The lawsuit was filed …
Monsanto has been given the nod by the Indian government to import certain lines of its genetically-engineered soyabean for testing under controlled laboratory conditions. This is subject to clearance by the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources after quarantine clearance in case they harbour exotic pathogens, that is pathogens not …
the Union government is considering banning import of edible oils made from genetically modified (GM) soyabean and other seeds, said Union agriculture minister Nitish Kumar. He said that this measure will help in curbing dumping by some countries, which has adversely affected the Indian farmers. These countries resort to dumping …
bio-diesel , an alternative fuel made from renewable resources, such as soybean oil, has become the first and only alternative fuel to have successfully completed the health effects testing requirements of California's Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. The tests also showed that the use of bio-diesel would result in …
biotechnology giant Monsanto seems perpetually embroiled in controversies. While new research has revealed that the warm climates can affect the growth of Monsanto's herbicide-resistant soya beans, Granada Food Services, which runs the cafeteria at Monsanto's headquarters in London, has decided to remove all food that is genetically-modified (gm ) from …
japanese traders have recently bought corn and soybeans grown exclusively from non-genetically modified (gm) seeds, at premiums roughly 40-50 per cent higher than those for mixed gm and gm crops. "Japanese food companies will start receiving non- gm corn deliveries from the us in November. The volume of imports of …
The administration of Brazil's southern-most state has planned a crackdown on illegal cultivation of soyabean from genetically modified ( gm ) seeds smuggled from neighbouring Argentina. Adopting a firm stance against the growing demand for gm seeds, the Rio Grande do Sul State has launched a blistering attack on the …
Cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops is increasingly becoming popular. Supporters of biotechnology feel that GM crops are the answer to the problem of food security and will curb the excessive use of harmful chemical pesticides. Critics argue that GM crops could wreak havoc with the environment. They warn that …
