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. …
Aren’t critics of genetically engineered food anti-science? Isn’t the debate over GMOs (genetically modified organisms) a spat between emotional but ignorant activists on one hand and rational GM-supporting scientists on the other? A new report released , “GMO Myths and Truths,” challenges these claims. The report presents a large body …
Conservation groups have condemned a move by European agricultural ministers to tone down some of the most controversial environmental proposals in the next phase of the EU's farm support program. Agricultural and fisheries ministers from the 27 EU countries called yesterday (15 May) for replacing conservation measures recommended by the …
Despite being home to an ever-expanding concrete jungle and rapid deforestation, Mumbai’s butterflies have managed to survive the odds and continue to delight nature enthusiasts. Now, a first-of-its-kind book on the 153 species of butterflies found in and around the city will document these winged insects. Launched on Tuesday at …
The corporate sector has evinced interest in the Assam farming sector for the first time by setting up the first farmer field school at Natoli in the Kaliabor subdivision of Nagaon district recently. The school, set up by United Phosphorus Limited (UPL)-Advanta, a crop protection, chemicals and seeds company, is …
Following directions from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in respect of growing cancer incidence on account of indiscriminate use of pesticides in Punjab, the state government has banned the manufacture, import and use of pesticides injurious to health. Responding to the NHRC orders, the Punjab Government has informed the …
Tea drinking is one of China's most cherished customs; and tea a symbol of Chinese culture. Today, China is the world's biggest tea producer, with 20 tea-producing provinces and eight million tea growers. And the area of tea plantations and annual tea output in the country is on a continuous …
The Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention) has announced that, following the approval by the Standing Committee of the draft resolutions for consideration by the 11th meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP 11), the Secretariat has finalized all the draft resolutions. This …
Evidence is limited that long-term human exposure to organophosphate (OP) pesticides, without poisoning, is associated with adverse peripheral nervous system (PNS) function. The researchers investigated associations between OP pesticide use and PNS function by administering PNS tests to 701 male pesticide applicators in the Agricultural Health Study (AHS).
Data on insecticide use for vector control are essential for guiding pesticide management systems on judicious and appropriate use, resistance management, and reduction of risks to human health and the environment. The researchers studied the global use and trends of insecticide use for control of vector-borne diseases for the period …
The report released on the occasion of a one-day workshop called “10 years of Bt cotton in Karnataka: Whither other cotton?”, with partial support from the Karnataka State Biodiversity Board on March 29th 2012. This report exposes the reality of fluctuating yields of cotton in the state, increasing use of …
This review of a decade of Bt cotton in MP by Beej Swaraj Abhiyan & Hamara Beej Abhiyan finds that that there have been no gains in the state as claimed by Bt cotton proponents & calls for strict regulations to regulate Bt cotton seed industry. A report released by …
Ten years after Bt cotton first made its appearance in India, the Coalition for GM-free India has released this special report and demands an immediate halt to the policy of promoting Bt cotton. In summary, the story of Bt cotton is clearly that of false hype and failed promises. Bt …
While organic farms are great, new research finds that farms that aim for high food production using environmentally-friendly practices could be better for the environment than both organic and conventional farms. A new study, led by Oxford University scientists, compared the environmental impact of different farming systems. They found that …
Human pesticide poisoning has become major public health issue these days. Throughout the world highest levels of pesticide exposure are found in the farm workers, applicators and people living adjacent to heavily treated agricultural land. Pesticides are linked to various chronic diseases like cancers, infertility, kidney failure, repr oductive problems …
Passengers on an unusual train journeying the through the thick of Punjab polls discuss their ailments afflicting an entire generation. Strangely, for the state's politics, which is as much blinded by materialism as the people there, these problems just don't exist.
Study finds 75% of wells contaminated A study of groundwater conducted across the district has found that 75 per cent of the water resources in 22 grama panchayats along the banks of the Kadalundipuzha and the Chaliyar are polluted. Apart from the usual pollutants, the rivers in these panchayats are …
Populations of honey bees and other pollinators have declined worldwide in recent years. A variety of stressors have been implicated as potential causes, including agricultural pesticides. Neonicotinoid insecticides, which are widely used and highly toxic to honey bees, have been found in previous analyses of honey bee pollen and comb …
Pesticides manufacturer, Excel Crop Care, on Wednesday said that following the Supreme Court order to allow export of unused stock of endosulfan, the company would be able to ship 1,188 kilo litres of the chemical. “The Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, by an order passed on December 13, 2011, allowed …
