NOV 17, 2013 - Veto override will limit pesticide use, GMO crops on Hawaiian island - Reuter
The governing body on the Hawaiian island of Kauai voted on Saturday to override their mayor's veto of a bill that seeks to reign in widespread pesticide use and the testing of new genetically modified crops. MORE

NOV 12, 2013 - Food Fight Moves to Oregon - St. Louis Buisness Journal
While Monsanto and its supporters are claiming victory in their battle to overcome a measure requiring the labeling of genetically modified food in Washington state, the food fight is now moving on to Oregon. MORE

OCT 16, 2013 - Mexico Bans GMO Corn, Effective Immediately - Care2.com
Just when you think there’s no winning against the biotech industry, news out of Mexico City shows that all is not lost. After years of deliberation, a Mexico judge has placed an indefinite ban on genetically-engineered corn. Effective immediately, companies like Monsanto and DuPont/Pioneer will no longer be allowed to plant or sell their corn within the country’s borders. MORE

OCT 5, 2013 - Is a Federal GMO Labeling Compromise Looming? - Reason.com
Recent developments point to a possible federal compromise on mandatory GMO labeling. Sadly, the potential unintended consequences of this federal labeling scheme are so terrible and obvious that they appear to make for the perfect Washington compromise. MORE

OCT 1, 2013 - Source of Oregon GM Wheat Remains Mystery - Capital Press
APHIS says still no answer to how genetically engineered wheat got into eastern Oregon field. Drought, untimely heat and surprise frost would have been problems enough for Pacific Northwest wheat growers. Throw in the still-unexplained discovery of genetically engineered wheat growing in an eastern Oregon field and you’ve got a mess in the making. MORE

SEP 27, 2013 - Counties support bill pre-empting local GMO controls - Capital Press
A proposal to pre-empt local governments in Oregon from banning genetically modified organisms is being supported by an organization that represents counties in the state. The Association of Oregon Counties asked legislators to pass the bill included as part of a broader legislative package that will be considered by Oregon legislators at a special session of Sept. 30. MORE

SEP 27, 2013 - Senate seeks to reverse law on GM crops - Capital Press
The Senate addresses the "Monsanto Protection Act," which helped farmers avoid losses if their crops are caught up in legal challenges. The law is seen as a flash point in the debate over genetically modified foods. MORE

SEPT 17, 2013 - Golden Rice Study Violated Ethical Rules, Tufts Says - NPR
Tufts University announced Tuesday that one of its researchers broke ethical rules while carrying out a study of genetically modified "golden rice" in China. MORE

SEPT 4, 2013 - Hawaii GMO Investigation: Follow The Anti-Crop Biotech Money Trail - Forbes
The battle over the future of crop biotechnology on the island of Hawaii escalated with the opening of hearings this week on two measures designed to end crop biotechnology. MORE

AUG 24, 2013 - Golden Rice: Lifesaver? - New York Times
One bright morning this month, 400 protesters smashed down the high fences surrounding a field in the Bicol region of the Philippines and uprooted the genetically modified rice plants growing inside. MORE

AUG 23, 2013 - Coalition asks USDA to bolster monitoring of GM crops - Sustainable Industries
Dozens of farm organizations, food processors, millers, retail companies, bakeries, and seed businesses have signed a letter calling for improvements in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) oversight of experimental trials of genetically modified (GM) crops. MORE

AUG 21, 2013 - US and UK scientists collaborate to design crops of the future - National Science Foundation Press Release
Three Ideas Lab projects and a fourth NSF sponsored project aim to transform future farming while reducing pollution and energy consumption. MORE

AUG 17, 2013 - Naturally Grown: An alternative label to organic - Yahoo News
Justine and Brian Denison say they adhere to all the growing practices required for organic certification, yet if they label their beans and tomatoes "organic" at the farmer's market, they could face federal charges and $20,000 or more in fines. MORE

AUG 8, 2013 - 'Golden rice' GM trial vandalised in the Philippines - BBC News
A trial plot of genetically modified rice has been destroyed by local farmers in the Philippines. "Golden Rice" has been developed by scientists to combat vitamin A deficiency, which affects millions of children in the developing world. MORE

AUG 7, 2013 - Designer Fruit - Naples Illustrated
Anything is possible in food universe, and it’s left up to consumers to decide if the innovators have gone too far. David Cain is a fruit geneticist, a former researcher at the U.S. Department of Agriculture who now breeds experimental fruit for profit. His latest invention is the Cotton Candy grape, which supposedly delivers a flavor similar to a carnival cone of spun sugar. MORE

JUL 23, 2013 - Wheat researchers identify Ug99 resistance gene - Capital Press
Researchers have discovered the gene that will help build resistance in wheat against the stem rust disease Ug99, but they say it's a tool and not a cure-all. MORE

JUL 22, 2013 - Market-driven approach better than laws for GMO labeling, UNPA says - NutraIngredients-USA.com
A marketdriven approach that allows consumers to opt for foods made without genetically modified ingredients is preferable to mandatory labeling via either state or federal statutes, according to the United Natural Products Alliance. MORE

JUL 19, 2013 - What would the FDA do? Court asks agency to resolve GMO labeling issue in “All Natural” case involving Mission Tortilla Chips Lexology - Lexology (Association of Corporate Counsel)
Last month we highlighted a tentative decision out of the Northern District of California that contemplated a stay of proceedings in the Cox v. Gruma Corp. MORE

JUL 18, 2013 - Monsanto drops GM crop plan in EU - BBC News
Biotechnology giant Monsanto is scrapping plans to win approval to grow new types of genetically modified crops in the European Union. MORE

JUL 17, 2013 - Judge asks FDA if GMO foods can be 'natural' - Capital Press
A federal judge has asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to determine whether food made with genetically engineered crops can be labeled as "natural." The request springs from a lawsuit against the Gruma Corp. that accuses the company of falsely labeling its Mission tortilla chips as "natural" even though they contain genetically engineered corn. MORE

JUL 16, 2013 - Groups pay PR firm $35,000 to respond to GM wheat find - Capital Press
The Oregon, Idaho and Washington wheat commissions will pay $7,000 each toward bills accrued by a communications firm hired to help respond to media inquiries about unapproved genetically modified wheat discovered in an Oregon field. MORE

JUN 24, 2013 - GMO-free label gets USDA's stamp of approval - Capital Press
The USDA has approved a label that verifies the absence of genetically modified products in some foods. The Non-GMO Project, a nationwide organization based in Bellingham, Wash., sought the approval "pretty intensively" over the past year, said Megan Westgate, executive director of the organization. MORE

JUN 20, 2013 - 'Saboteurs' destroy GM sugar beets - Capital Press
Saboteurs damaged two fields of genetically modified sugar beets in southern Oregon earlier June, according to the FBI. The FBI considers the incidents, which occurred during the nights of June 8 and June 11 in Jackson County, to be crimes of "economic sabotage" that violate federal law. MORE

JUN 19, 2013 - GM wheat scenarios add up to mystery - Capital Press
The possibility that someone covertly kept and then lost track of biotech wheat seed may be how the restricted crop ended up in an Oregon field, an expert says. The scenario is the "most plausible among many implausible scenarios," said Norm Ellstrand, a biology professor specializing in gene flow at the University of California-Riverside. MORE

JUN 14, 2013 - Agriculture should move 'beyond conventional' - Capital Press
Recently some farmers have begun using the term "beyond organic" as a new label to set their products apart from other "(merely) organic" alternatives. This is, as one farmer friend explained to me recently, a way to bypass the complications and expense of organic certification and get back to the basics of the idea, although another farmer friend quickly replied that it was an arrogant move that involves no accountability and shows no appreciation for what the organic movement has accomplished. MORE

JUN 14, 2013 - GMO debate stretches from farm to table - Capital Press
Among the 20 genetically modified crops now awaiting USDA approval, two stand out -- a new potato and an apple. While most of the biotech crops being evaluated will be fed to livestock or crushed for biofuel feedstock, the potato and apple are intended for human consumption, sparking keen interest among both the farmers who will grow them and the public who will eat them. MORE

MAY 29, 2013 - USDA investigating detection of genetically engineered (GE) glyphosate-resistant wheat in Oregon - USDA-APHIS Newsroom
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced today that test results of plant samples from an Oregon farm indicate the presence of genetically engineered (GE) glyphosate-resistant wheat plants. MORE

MAY 19, 2013 - Hungary destroys all Monsanto GMO corn fields - Realfarmacy.com
Hungary has taken a bold stand against biotech giant Monsanto and genetic modification by destroying 1000 acres of maize found to have been grown with genetically modified seeds, according to Hungary deputy state secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development Lajos Bognar. Unlike many European Union countries, Hungary is a nation where genetically modified (GM) seeds are banned. In a similar stance against GM ingredients, Peru has also passed a 10 year ban on GM foods. MORE

MAY 13, 2013 - USDA takes closer look at 5 biotech crops - Capital Press
Recent actions by USDA have led biotech critics and proponents alike to think the agency will scrutinize genetically engineered crops more closely before commercializing them. MORE

MAY 13, 2013 - Supreme Court Supports Monsanto in Seed Replication Case - New York Times
The Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Monday that farmers could not use Monsanto’s patented genetically altered soybeans to create new seeds without paying the company a fee. MORE

MAY 3, 2013 - Comment period opens on biotech potato - Truth about Trade & Technology
Public comment will be accepted starting Friday on a line of biotech potatoes introduced by Simplot Plant Sciences with low acrylamide levels, low sugars and black-spot bruising resistance. MORE

MAY 3, 2013 - PR push by ag and biotech industries has a secret weapon: Moms - St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Betsie Estes is a mother of two young kids who lives in suburban Chicago. She’s also public relations gold. Last week, Estes was in the audience at an annual biotechnology industry conference in Chicago, attended by the industry’s power players, Creve Coeur-based Monsanto Co., and its competitors, Bayer, Dow, DuPont, among them. MORE

APR 25, 2013 - U.S. GMO food labeling drive has biotech industry biting back - Reuters
New efforts to force labeling of foods made with genetically modified crops, including a bill introduced by U.S. lawmakers Wednesday, have struck a nerve with biotech crop developers who say they are rushing to roll out a broad strategy to combat consumer concerns about their products. MORE

APR 16, 2013 - Del Monte gets OK to import biotech pineapple - Capital Press
An international fruit company has won approval from the USDA to ship genetically engineered pineapple into the U.S. The Del Monte Fresh Produce Co., based in the Cayman Islands, has developed a transgenic pineapple that has tissue of a "novel rose color." MORE

APR 15, 2013 - Human gene patent case could impact ag, trade group says - Capital Press
A U.S. Supreme Court case over the patenting of human genes could have significant repercussions for agriculture, according to a plant science trade group. The nation's highest court heard oral arguments April 15 over the patent eligibility of genes that have been isolated from the rest of human DNA. MORE

MAR 21, 2013 - Scientist testifies against GE fish ban, label bill - Capital Press
A University of California animal scientist cautioned Oregon lawmakers about adopting bills that would ban the sale and production of genetically engineered fish in the state. In a hearing before the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, Alison Van Eenennaan, a UC-Davis Cooperative Extension scientist, said the technology to genetically engineer fish can help satisfy the world's fish consumption needs and reduce pressure on wild caught fish. MORE

MAR 21, 2013 - Continuing resolution contains biotech 'rider' - Capital Press
Biotech critics are alarmed by a rider attached to a recent spending bill passed by Congress that relates to USDA regulation of genetically engineered crops. The provision was included in the continuing resolution that funds the federal government for the next six months, which was passed by the Senate on Wednesday and by the House on Thursday. MORE

MAR 11, 2013 - Whole Foods Requiring GMO Labeling by 2013 - Media Post
Whole Foods announced Friday that it would require products sold in all of its stores in North America to divulge on their labels if they contain genetically modified organisms [GMOs] by 2018. The retailer says it is just giving consumers what they want. MORE

FEB 23, 2013 - Monsanto seed suit and software patents - San Francisco Chronicle
It might seem strange that a dispute between a farmer and a seed company could have effects across Silicon Valley. Yet the outcome of Bowman vs. Monsanto, a case before the U.S. Supreme Court, could be crucial to the way software companies fight for their patents. MORE

JAN 28, 2013 - Missouri next battleground state for GMO labeling - KBIA Mid-Missouri Public Radio
When legislation mandating genetically-modified food labels was proposed in California, Oregon and Washington, I wasn't necessarily surprised. But the recent news that GMO labeling is being considered in Missouri was a little bit of a shock. The bill, Senate Bill 155, was sponsored by a Democratic senator from St. Louis named Jamilah Nasheed. If passed, it would go into effect on Sept. 1, 2015 and would require genetically-modified meat or fish produced and sold in the Show-Me State to bear labels noting that fact. MORE

JAN 21, 2013 - Science wins out against fear - The Garden Island
Vandana Shiva may have found a home amongst anti-GMO and anti-globalization protesters like Occupy Honolulu, but sadly, her Hawai‘i speaking tour glosses over the real problem of poverty and hunger throughout the world — especially famine and malnutrition in her own country of India. MORE

DEC 11, 2012 - U.S. trade deal could be a lot for Europe to swallow - Reuters
Can Europeans, who have balked for years at many U.S. food imports, accept a free trade agreement with the United States that opens the door for imports of genetically modified crops and chickens cleaned with chlorine? MORE

DEC 10, 2012 - Kenya bans GMO imports - Fresh Plaza
In Kenya, Public Health Minister Beth Mugo announced the complete ban on imported GMO foodstuffs, and that the ban would stay in place until such time as testing could be completed regarding health and safety. MORE

DEC 10, 2012 - Tufts University says probe under way on GM rice test in China - People's Daily Online
Tufts University is aware of the announcement made by Chinese public health authorities on a genetically modified (GM) rice research, and finds it inappropriate to make further comments at this time when its reviewing on the project is still ongoing, a spokeswoman said. MORE

DEC 10, 2012 - Food safety group calls for court to limit GMO seed patents - Reuters
Patent protection for genetically modified corn, soybeans and other crop must be limited so farmers can save their seeds and protect themselves against litigation, a public interest group said in a filing with the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday in a case involving global seed giant Monsanto Co. MORE

DEC 6, 2012 - Biotech advisory committee completes report - Western Farm Press
The USDA Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture (AC21) recently submitted to Secretary Vilsack their final recommendations on coexistence among organic, biotech and conventional farming operations. The organic community was demanding an indemnity fund supported by the technology providers to compensate for economic losses incurred by pollen drift of biotech crops. MORE

DEC 4, 2012 - Fast-growing fish may never wind up on your plate - Salon
Salmon that's genetically modified to grow twice as fast as normal could soon show up on your dinner plate. That is, if the company that makes the fish can stay afloat. MORE

DEC 3, 2012 - DNA imaged with electron microscope for the first time - New Scientist
It's the most famous corkscrew in history. Now an electron microscope has captured the famous Watson-Crick double helix in all its glory, by imaging threads of DNA resting on a silicon bed of nails. The technique will let researchers see how proteins, RNA and other biomolecules interact with DNA. MORE

NOV 30, 2012 - Scientists torn over Kenya's recent GM food ban - SciDevNet
Scientists fear that Kenya's recent banning of the import of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) may be a significant blow to progress on biotechnology research and development in the country. MORE

NOV 1, 2012 - Court mulls USDA role in biotech - Capital Press
The USDA claims it was precluded from considering potential harm to endangered species and other environmental effects in its decision to commercialize biotech alfalfa. The agency recently defended its full deregulation of the transgenic crop before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which has been asked by biotech critics to reverse the decision. MORE

OCT 11, 2012 - Common sense speaks louder than pseudoscience - Capital Press
The French philosopher Voltaire famously said, "Common sense is not so common." Activists trying to disprove the safety of agriculture biotechnology seem devoted to proving his witticism. MORE

OCT 11, 2012 - Supreme Court ups biotech stakes - Capital Press
The outcome of a legal dispute over transgenic soybeans before the U.S. Supreme Court could upend the business model of biotech seed developers, legal experts say. The nation's highest court recently agreed to review a lawsuit over patents for genetically engineered crops, which means a previous ruling favorable to Monsanto and other biotech developers could potentially be reversed. MORE

OCT 10, 2012 - Vote for the Dinner Party - New York Times
One of the more interesting things we will learn on Nov. 6 is whether or not there is a “food movement” in America worthy of the name — that is, an organized force in our politics capable of demanding change in the food system. People like me throw the term around loosely, partly because we sense the gathering of such a force, and partly (to be honest) to help wish it into being by sheer dint of repetition. Clearly there is growing sentiment in favor of reforming American agriculture and interest in questions about where our food comes from and how it was produced. MORE

OCT 4, 2012 - EFSA publishes initial review on GM maize and herbicide study - European Food Safety Authority
The European Food Safety Authority has concluded that a recent paper raising concerns about the potential toxicity of genetically modified (GM) maize NK603 and of a herbicide containing glyphosate is of insufficient scientific quality to be considered as valid for risk assessment. MORE

OCT 1, 2012 - Scientists fret over FDA slowness on genetically altered animals - Manitoba Cooperator
Scientists have created a genetically modified milk that lacks a key protein involved in triggering allergies — an impressive technical feat that won plaudits in the biotechnology world. But the development, published Monday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, isn't likely to lead soon to less-allergenic milk. The process for getting government approval to sell food derived from genetically engineered animals appears to be a hopeless logjam. MORE

SEPT 20, 2012 - Study on rats fed Roundup-tolerant corn draws skepticism - Manitoba Cooperator
In a study that prompted sharp criticism from other experts, French scientists said on Wednesday that rats fed on Monsanto's genetically modified corn or exposed to its top-selling weedkiller suffered tumours and multiple organ damage. MORE

SEPT 11, 2012 - China investigates whether children used in GMO "golden rice" trial - Yahoo News
China's health authorities will investigate allegations that genetically modified (GMO) rice was tested on Chinese children as part of a Sino-U.S. research project, state media said on Tuesday. MORE

SEPT 10, 2012 - EU court case says EU bloc already approved GMOs - Ag Professional
In a ruling last week from the European Court of Justice, it was determined that genetically modified crops cannot be subject to individual nation’s authorization because the European bloc already approved their use and marketing. MORE

AUG 29, 2012 - USDA biotech committee reaches compromise - Capital Press
The Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture appeared on Aug. 28 to have reached a compromise agreement on a crop-insurance-based mechanism to compensate growers suffering damages from contamination from genetically modified crops grown nearby. MORE

AUG 15, 2012 - Genetically modified rice a good vitamin A source - Reuters Health
Genetically modified rice could be a good source of vitamin A for children in countries where deficiency in the vitamin is common, a new study suggests. MORE

AUG 14, 2012 - Monsanto’s Genetically Modified Sweet Corn Sparks Debate - Audubon Magazine
Protesters of genetically modified food were outraged in early August when Wal-Mart Stores Inc. confirmed that the company plans to sell Monsanto’s genetically modified sweet corn as soon as the crop rolls in. MORE

AUG 12, 2012 - Would Rachel Carson Embrace 'Frankenfoods'? - This Scientist Believes 'Yes - Forbes
The ‘Frankenfoods’ debate is coming to your dinner table. Just last week, a mini-war developed in Europe, when the European Union’s chief scientist, renowned biologist Anne Glover, said that foods made through genetic engineering, such as soy beans—about 80 percent of U.S. grown soybeans have been engineered to grow with the use of less pesticides—are as safe as organic or conventional foods. MORE

JULY 10, 2012 - USDA speeds release of data on biotech crops - Capital Press
The USDA is speeding up the public release of data about genetically engineered crops submitted by biotech developers. Under the agency's new policy, petitions seeking deregulation for transgenic crops will be disclosed when the agency decides the submissions are complete. MORE

JUNE 19, 2012 - GMOs should be safety tested before they hit the market says AMA - Chicago Tribune
The American Medical Association called for mandatory pre-market safety testing of genetically engineered foods as part of a revised policy voted on at the AMA's meeting in Chicago Tuesday. MORE

JUNE 19, 2012 - In Defense of Genetically Modified Crops - Mother Jones
Genetically modified Bt crops get a pretty bad rap. The pest-killing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) bacteria protein these plants are bioengineered to make has been accused of harming monarch butterflies, honey bees, rats, and showing up in the blood of pregnant women. MORE

MAY 29, 2012 - In Perspective: Who influences GMO approvals? - Ag Professional
An article from the Harvard Business School proposes a theory about what factors influence how genetically modified crops are approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. MORE

MAY 22, 2012 - Expert Meeting Discusses Testing of Oxitec Transgenic Mosquitoes in Panama - Oxitec
International scientific and government experts held a forum on 16 May 2012 to discuss the potential use of Oxitec's genetically modified Aedes aegypti mosquitoes as a tool to combat Dengue Fever in Panama. MORE

APR 25, 2012 - Will Organic Food Fail to Feed the World? - Scientific American
A new meta-analysis suggests farmers should take a hybrid approach to producing enough food for humans while preserving the environment. MORE

APR 17, 2012 - Uganda to market first GM crop in 2014 - The East African
Uganda expects to take its first genetically modified crop to the market in 2014 when a regulatory framework to guide production will have been enacted, say scientists at the National Agriculture Research Organisation NARO. MORE

APR 17, 2012 - DA to continue commercializing Golden Rice - Business Mirror
In a statement, DA Biotechnology Program Implementing Unit (BPIU) Director Candida Adalla said planting biotech crops offer farmers the best option to increase their incomes and for the government to combat malnutrition and other ills. MORE

APR 7, 2012 - IRRI using biotech for developing rice varieties - The News (Pakistan)
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI-Philippines) is making headways in effective use of biotechnology for developing rice varieties that are nutrient-rich, resistant to drought, salt, flood and diseases. MORE

APR 5, 2012 - Supreme Court Considers GM Crop Patent Case - Western Farm Press
Can a farmer commit patent infringement just by planting soybeans he bought on the open market? This week, the Supreme Court asked the Obama administration to weigh in on the question. The Court is pondering an appeals court decision saying that such planting can, in fact, infringe patents. MORE

MAR 21, 2012 - Long-term study finds no negative effects from GM food - Western Farm Press
At a press conference in Vienna, an international research consortium reported that it had not found any harmful health effects of GM food in animals. In their studies the scientists investigated potential long-term risks associated with feeding genetically modified Bt maize MON810 and a GM pea to pigs, salmon and mice. Through their research they hope to find suitable biomarkers that can be used as more sensitive indicators to detect harmful effects of authorized GM foods in humans. MORE

MAR 19, 2012 - Overuse of Genetically Engineered Bt Corn Tied to Accelerated Resistance - ENews Park Forest
A group of 22 prominent entomologists has submitted formal comments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency casting doubt on the future viability of certain varieties of genetically engineered corn. MORE

MAR 19, 2012 - Can corn tolerate drought? Tests set - Journal Gazette
Seed giant Monsanto Co. plans large-scale tests this year of the first government-approved biotech crop developed to deal with drought. MORE

FEB 25, 2012 - Stuart Leavenworth: GMO foes should rebut Morain, not seek to censor him - Sacramento Bee
The Internet has been described as the great equalizer of democracy, and used responsibly, that is undoubtedly true. But in lightning-fast fashion, the Internet also makes it easier for partisans to engage in hate speech, spin conspiracy theories and use intimidation in an attempt to squelch opposing opinions. MORE

FEB 24, 2012 - Genetically Modified Crops to Get Faster Approval, USDA Says - Truth about Trade and Technology
Seed companies including Monsanto Co., the world’s largest, will get speedier regulatory reviews of their genetically modified crops under forthcoming rule changes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said. MORE

FEB 23, 2012 - Expert: With care, transgenic alfalfa can coexist with neighbors - Capital Press
Can genetically modified alfalfa coexist near conventional and organic fields? Yes, with certain caveats, an expert says. The most likely scenario in which genes could be transferred is from hay contacting other hay, and hay is usually cut before flowering occurs, said Dan Putnam, an alfalfa and forage specialist from the University of California-Davis. MORE

FEB 21, 2012 - Western Great Plains Growers Gearing Up To Plant Monsanto's New DroughtGard Hybrids - Monsanto Press Release
U.S. farmers across the Western Great Plains this spring will be the first to plant Monsanto's newest drought-tolerant corn system as part of on-farm trials. The hybrids, made available to growers under the new DroughtGard Hybrids name, are designed to help farmers mitigate the risk of yield loss when experiencing drought stress. MORE

FEB 17, 2012 - Genetically modified acres increase, despite resistance - Western Producer
Genetically modified crops continue along their projected growth path halfway through the second decade of commercialization. In its annual report detailing the global adoption of the seed technology, the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications said 16.7 million farmers in 29 countries planted 395 million acres of GM crops in 2011. MORE

FEB 14, 2012 - First E.U. Science Adviser: 'We Are Sitting On a Goldmine' - Science Magazine
Last month, Scottish microbiologist Anne Glover took office in Brussels as the first European chief scientific adviser (CSA). Glover will provide the European Commission with evidence-based policy advice and will be a European spokesperson on scientific issues; she reports directly to European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. MORE

FEB 2, 2012 - 5 misleading food labels - CBS News
Do those "all natural" peanut-butter fudge cookies really "lower your cholesterol?". Separating fact from fiction in the grocery aisles is no easy feat. In a recent survey by Nielsen, more than two-thirds of consumers around the world thought nutritional claims were either never or only sometimes trustworthy. Close to 60 percent admitted to having a tough time deciphering labels altogether. MORE

JAN 30, 2012 - Support on rise to label GM food - Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne, IN)
Some Washington state wheat farmers have thrown their support behind legislation requiring labeling of genetically modified foods, giving food safety advocates fresh hope that lawmakers also will get behind the bill. MORE

JAN 27, 2012 - Disgruntled GMO firms start pulling out of EU market - EurActiv
Monsanto has announced it will scrap plans to sell an insect-resistant maize in France, the second move in a week by biotech company to retreat from the genetically modified foods market in Europe. MORE

JAN 25, 2012 - New study reignites debate over GMO safety - IVN (Independent Voter Network)
Chinese researchers at Nanjing University have found small segments of rice ribonucleic acid (called microRNA or miRNA for its tiny size) in the blood and organs of people who eat conventional rice. MORE

JAN 24, 2012 - Genetically Modified Food Safe, Animal Study Suggests - Science Daily
A three year feeding study has shown no adverse health effects in pigs fed genetically modified (GM) maize. The maize, which is a Bt-maize bred for its insect resistant properties, was sourced from Spain. MORE

JAN 24, 2012 - The California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act - Organic Bytes
We are on the road to victory in California with coalition members, strategic allies, and key donors increasing their support all the time. We now have over 50 environmental, alternative health, and sustainable food organizations and businesses advocating for our cause. But, most importantly, we have over 1,500 dedicated CA volunteers trained and ready to hit the streets when signature gathering begins in February. You can go here to volunteer by gathering petition signatures in California. MORE

JAN 10, 2012 - UK’s Two Main Political Parties Back GMOs And The US Agenda - UK Progressive
Last week the Guardian announced that the two main political parties in the United Kingdom, Tories and Labour, were backing genetically modified food crops. MORE

JAN 10, 2012 - The next generation of GMOs could be especially dangerous - Grist
Did a recent scientific study just change the way we should think about the safety of genetically modified foods? According to Ari Levaux at the Atlantic, the answer is a resounding yes. MORE

DEC 28, 2011 - Pesticide Use in California Increases after Four-Year Decline - California Department of Pesticide Regulation News Release
Pesticide use in California rose in 2010 after declining for four consecutive years, according to data released today by the Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR). More than 173 million pounds of pesticides were reported applied statewide, an increase of nearly 15 million pounds – or 9.5 percent – from 2009. MORE

DEC 2, 2011 - Monsanto Corn May Be Failing to Kill Bugs, EPA Says - Bloomberg
Monsanto Co. (MON) corn that’s genetically engineered to kill insects may be losing its effectiveness against rootworms in four states, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said. MORE

NOV 28, 2011 - French ban on biotech Monsanto corn ruled illegal - Agrimoney
France's government vowed to investigate ways to maintain a ban on planting biotech Monsanto corn seed despite the curbs being ruled illegal - by both the country's own and European judges. MORE

NOV 23, 2011 - African Scientists, Media, Policymakers and the GMO Debate - Truth about Trade & Technology
The media in Africa was penultimate week awash with views, commentary and news expressing all shades of opinions on why the continent and countries such as Kenya should either go ahead or drop its ambition of popularising genetically modified organisms otherwise referred to as GMOs. MORE

NOV 21, 2011 - Biotech beets heat up discussion at USDA Hearing in Corvallis - KPLU
Sugar beet seed is a rare bright spot for struggling grass-seed farmers. Farmer John Reerslev of Junction City says the GMO product provides a safe way to control weeds. The U.S. Department of Agriculture held a hearing to consider the possible deregulation of biotech sugar beets, developed by agribusiness giant Monsanto. MORE

NOV 17, 2011 - USDA weighs biotech compensation plan - Capital Press
The USDA is floating the idea of creating a mechanism to compensate farmers harmed by cross-pollination from genetically engineered crops. MORE

NOV 15, 2011 - Who Will Dominate Ag in Ten Years? - Farm Futures
Last week I had the chance to meet with several BASF executives at the company’s headquarters in Ludwigshafen, Germany. MORE

OCT 28, 2011 - Cattle parasite vaccine offers hope to world's poorest farmers - BBSRC
A new approach to vaccinating cattle could help farmers worldwide, research suggests. Scientists funded by BBSRC have developed a technique using a harmless parasite – which lives in cows but has no effect on their health – to carry medicines into the animals' bloodstream. Researchers created the vaccine by inserting key genetic material from a vaccine into the parasite's DNA. The manipulated parasite is intended to be injected into cattle, where it would continue to thrive in their bloodstreams, releasing small amounts of vaccine slowly over time. MORE

OCT 25, 2011 - Approvals of GMOs in the European Union - EuropaBio
The European Union (EU) has a thorough and comprehensive system for the assessment and authorisation of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) for import and processing, consumption as food or feed, and cultivation. MORE

OCT 20, 2011 - How Hemp Got High: Cannabis Genome Mapped - Science Daily
A team of Canadian researchers has sequenced the genome of Cannabis sativa, the plant that produces both industrial hemp and marijuana, and in the process revealed the genetic changes that led to the plant's drug-producing properties. MORE

OCT 19, 2011 - Biotech sector set to grow at 20% in near future - Hindu Business Line
India’s biotech sector is expected to grow at 20 per cent per annum in the near future, given the growing demand for biopharmaceuticals, biosimilars and vaccines. MORE

OCT 18, 2011 - Nanofoods - coming to a plate near you? - EU Observer
Chocolate that does not make you fat. Drinks designed by the press of a button. 'Meat' made from plant protein. Burgers that give you all the vitamins you need. MORE

OCT 13, 2011 - GM cotton genes found in wild species - SciDevNet
Genetically modified (GM) cotton genes have been found in wild populations for the first time, making it the third plant species - after Brassica and bentgrass - in which transgenes have established in the wild. MORE

OCT 12, 2011 - Monsanto, Dupont Seeds Won’t Solve Hunger, Howard Buffett Says - Bloomberg News
Howard Buffett said seeds made by Monsanto Co. (MON) and DuPont Co. shouldn’t be over-emphasized as a way to end hunger and develop farming in Africa, arguing that poor countries have needs that improved crop inputs won’t fix. MORE

OCT 12, 2011 - State Department: Biotech labeling would scare consumers - Des Moines Register
The Obama administration shows no sign of changing the government’s position on labeling of biotech foods despite a renewed effort by consumer advocacy groups and environmental organizations require manufacturers to disclose the use of genetically engineered ingredients. MORE

OCT 4, 2011 - Groups File Legal Petition With FDA Demanding Labeling of Genetically Engineered Foods - Center for Food Safety
Today, the Center for Food Safety (CFS) announced its filing of a groundbreaking new legal petition with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) demanding that the agency require the labeling of all food produced using genetic engineering. CFS prepared the legal action on behalf of the Just Label It campaign; a number of health, consumer, environmental, farming organizations, and food companies are also signatories. MORE

SEPT 29, 2011 - Judge sides with elevator against biotech crop - Capital Press
A major biotech seed developer won't be able to force a global grain elevator company to accept its genetically engineered crop. MORE

SEPT 23, 2011 - GM Wheat Trial Approved in UK by DEFRA - Seed Today
The United Kingdom's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DSFRA) has announced its approval for a new genetically-modified (GM) wheat trial to take place in 2012-13. MORE

SEPT 23, 2011 - New instances of severe rootworm damage to Bt corn reported - Southeast Farm Press
More incidences of severe corn rootworm injury to Bt corn have been observed in northwestern and north central Illinois, said University of Illinois Extension entomologist Mike Gray. MORE

SEPT 21, 2011 - $40 million project to revitalize Africa's orphaned crops announced - UC Davis Press Release
A visionary $40 million effort to boost Africa’s health and economic vitality by genetically sequencing and breeding some of the continent’s most important, but neglected, native crops was announced during the Clinton Global Initiative meeting in New York City by a consortium of international partners, including the University of California, Davis. MORE

SEPT 14, 2011 - Consumers willing to pay premium for healthier genetically modified foods: ISU study - Iowa State University
Consumers are eager to get their hands on, and teeth into, foods that are genetically modified to increase health benefits - and even pay more for the opportunity. A study by Iowa State University researcher Wallace Huffman shows that when consumers are presented with produce enhanced with consumer traits through intragenic means, they will pay significantly more than for plain produce. MORE

SEPT 8, 2011 - Harmonizing Biotech Regulations - Truth about Trade & Technology
When Syngenta received deregulation status from USDA for the Agrisure Viptera trait for seed corn in April 2010, it began preparing for commercial production by corn farmers across the U.S. in 2011. MORE

SEPT 7, 2011 - The Gates Foundation Uses Genetic Modification For Good - Fast Company
The Gates Foundation is bringing stronger, hardier versions of staple crops to the developing world. Do the good motives outweigh the issues with GM food? MORE

AUG 31, 2011 - GM wheat research in full flow - Farmers Weekly Interactive
After several years of being the forgotten crop in the global development of genetically modified crops, wheat is suddenly smack bang in the middle of most biotech programmes. MORE

AUG 25, 2011 - Breaking the Cycle on Food Shortages - Truth About Trade & Technology
The United States has survived its debt-ceiling showdown, but it just found an extra $17 million for famine relief in East Africa. This new commitment, announced earlier this month by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, boosts the amount of aid for Ethiopia, Somalia, and my country of Kenya to more than $580 million this year. MORE

AUG 24, 2011 - Severe root damage to Bt corn confirmed in northwestern Illinois - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Severe root damage observed in Bt corn in northwestern Illinois last week should alert growers to carefully consider 2012 seed selection choices, said Mike Gray, University of Illinois Extension entomologist. MORE

AUG 19, 2011 - Engineering Food for All - New York Times
Food prices are at record highs and the ranks of the hungry are swelling once again. A warming climate is beginning to nibble at crop yields worldwide. The United Nations predicts that there will be one to three billion more people to feed by midcentury. MORE

AUG 17, 2011 - From food to fuel, concerns grow about impact of GM corn - Brisbane Times (Australia)
United States farmers are growing the first corn plants genetically modified for the purpose of putting more ethanol in petrol tanks rather than producing more food. MORE

AUG 15, 2011 - AgBiotech and Combating Climate Change - University of California Blog
There is a growing concern about climate change and much of the worry pertains to the implications of climate change for food and agriculture. MORE

AUG 15, 2011 - Expert Perspective...Eat Your Fruits and Veggies and Don’t Fear the “Dirty” Rhetoric - Food Insight
Should you be worried about pesticide residues on specific fruits and vegetables? The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a U.S.-based environmental advocacy group, believes you should be, and has just released the latest version of its annual “Dirty Dozen” list, representing the 12 fruit and vegetable commodities alleged to contain the greatest relative levels of pesticides. Are such rankings validated by a careful examination of scientific evidence? Absolutely not. Should you continue to try to eat more fruits and vegetables? Absolutely! MORE

AUG 3, 2011 - Report: Agriculture and Agricultural Sciences Key to U.S. Economic Growth - Iowa State University Press Release
A new report makes the case that agriculture and agricultural sciences are poised to drive economic growth and job creation to new heights - with the essential research and extension support of land-grant universities like Iowa State University. MORE

AUG 3, 2011 - Africa modifies its stance on GM crops - Truth about Trade and Technology
Genetically modified food has always been a tough sell, but nowhere more so than Africa, where it is banned in all but a handful of countries. Now, this appears to be changing. With a famine declared once again in East Africa, Kenya has become only the fourth country on the continent to allow the full-scale importation and production of GM crops. MORE

JULY 27, 2011 - The Changing Roles of Beet and Corn Crops in the West - New West
Both corn and beets have been used to sweeten the billions of soft drinks Americans have consumed for decades. And both crops have shaped and been influenced by the politics, perceptions and changing technologies that have driven the sweetener market for decades. MORE

JULY 21, 2011 - Australia police raid Greenpeace over GM crop raid - Truth about Trade and Technology
Australian police raided on Thursday the Sydney headquarters of Greenpeace after activists from the environmental group broke into the country's top science agency to destroy a trial plot of genetically modified wheat. MORE

JULY 20, 2011 - Transgenic grass skirts regulators - Nature
When the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced this month that it did not have the authority to oversee a new variety of genetically modified (GM) Kentucky bluegrass, it exposed a serious weakness in the regulations governing GM crops. These are based not on a plant's GM nature but on the techniques used for its genetic modification. With changing technologies, the department says that it lacks the authority to regulate newly created transgenic crops. MORE

JULY 14, 2011 - To abolish hunger and malnutrition, Africa must embrace GM technology - Daily Nation
Once again, drought is menacing the Horn of Africa. Britain’s pledge this week to increase food aid for 1.3 million Ethiopians facing starvation to help them to reach the next harvest can be the only right response. MORE

JULY 10, 2011 - Genetically modified food labels don't sit well in U.S. - Los Angeles Times
An agreement that some consumer activists say opens the door for labeling probably won't have much effect in the U.S. Some scientists say that's a good thing. MORE

JULY 8, 2011 - Sugar beet yields could double in next 20 years - Farmers Guardian
While the yield potential of sugar beet crops could double by 2030, winter wheat will need a step change in breeding development if the yield potential of the crop is to rise sufficiently to meet the demands of the future. MORE

JULY 8, 2011 - Need for better wheat yields cited at congressional hearing - AgInfo
Most of the U.S. corn, soybean and cotton crops are comprised of biotech varieties, but not wheat. There is as yet no commercial modern biotech wheat and wheat yields have not improved at the same rate as those biotech crops. One obstacle has been the opposition to biotech wheat by some overseas buyers. MORE

JULY 8, 2011 - Invigorating plants - University of Cambridge
Understanding how plants "silence" invading viruses could hold the key to releasing their hidden potential. One of the key elements of the Green Revolution - when a series of agricultural initiatives dramatically boosted crop productivity worldwide - was the harnessing of hybrid vigour. This phenomenon occurs when the crossing of two inbred strains results in offspring with superior qualities. MORE

JULY 7, 2011 - GM fears and facts - American Council on Science and Health
In welcome news for the people of Kenya, a set of new laws will allow the production and importation of genetically modified (GM) crops. MORE

JULY 6, 2011 - In Major Shift, USDA Clears Way for Modified Bluegrass - New York Times
In a decision set to upturn the biotech industry and outrage its opponents, the Agriculture Department announced late last week that it does not consider a lawn grass genetically engineered to resist a weedkiller within its regulatory domain, ratifying a pathway for certain classes of bioengineered plants to bypass federal regulation. MORE

JUNE 24, 2011 - EU allows unapproved GM material in feed imports - Reuters
The European Union adopted new rules on Friday allowing traces of unapproved genetically modified (GM) material in animal feed imports, in a bid to secure grain fodder supplies to the import-dependent bloc. MORE

JUNE 24, 2011 -The promise of agricultural biotechnology - iPolitics (Canada)
From Calestous Juma’s testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development, Research, Biotechnology and Foreign Agriculture. MORE

JUNE 16, 2011 - Bentgrass eradication plan unveiled - Capital Press
Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. executives were surprised last fall to learn plant escapes from an Idaho field of transgenic bentgrass were found several miles away in irrigation canals south of Ontario, Ore. MORE

JUNE 15, 2011 - Help Bio-Designed Cassava Save the World - San Francisco Chronicle
The human population, now approaching 7 billion, may top 10 billion by 2100. Agronomists predict food shortages in our future, and it doesn't take an advanced degree to understand why. MORE

JUNE 9, 2011 - Greater spending on food output promoted - Des Moines Register
A group of agricultural policy experts assembled by biotech giant DuPont is calling for both the private sector and governments to invest more money in boosting food production in poor countries. MORE

JUNE 7, 2011 - California Ballot Initiative: What You Can Do Now - Organic Consumers Association
The California initiative movement is building exponentially. I've been on the road throughout the state, meeting some amazing folks who care deeply about this issue. Committed leaders have already come forward and are actively organizing their counties. Things are popping all over the place and should be exploding within the next few weeks. MORE

JUNE 3, 2011 - Study Reveals Future "Hotspots" of Risk for Hundreds of Millions Whose Food Problems are on a Collision Course with Climate Change - CGIAR
A new study has matched future climate change “hotspots” with regions already suffering chronic food problems to identify highly-vulnerable populations, chiefly in Africa and South Asia, but potentially in China and Latin America as well, where in fewer than 40 years, the prospect of shorter, hotter or drier growing seasons could imperil hundreds of millions of already-impoverished people. MORE

MAY 31, 2011 - EPA Proposal Would Exempt Some GMOs From Registry - Science Magazine
Many forest ecologists dream of restoring the once-great American chestnut tree to the Appalachian range. For decades, researchers have been trying to transfer the natural blight-resistance genes of the closely related Chinese chestnut by crossbreeding the two trees, with varying degrees of success. If the Chinese chestnut's resistance genes were known-and forest geneticist Charles Maynard at the State University of New York (SUNY) in Syracuse says his group is close to identifying a few-using existing transgenic techniques to transfer them directly into the American variety would be a welcome shortcut. (Vol. 332 no. 6030 p. 652). MORE

MAY 31, 2011 - Food prices will double by 2030, says Oxfam - Daily Mail (UK)
The prices of some staple foods will more than double by 2030 unless world leaders reform the global food system, Oxfam has warned. The aid charity warned that millions more people could suffer food shortages in two decades due to a 'perfect storm' of ecological and sociological factors. MORE

MAY 27, 2011 - Medicines from plants - Checkbiotech
Some people think of herbal teas, others of tobacco when they hear the buzzword ‚medicines from plants'. One research team succeeded in producing biopharmaceuticals - such as an antibody against HIV, for example, - in tobacco plants. MORE

MAY 26, 2011 - Deterrent law to check fake seeds proposed - The Times of India
The state government is contemplating to bring about a deterrent legislation to check manufacture and sale of spurious seeds. Fake seeds, especially of Bt cotton, are in much circulation and many gullible farmers get cheated and buy them as they come cheap. MORE

MAY 11, 2011 - Peru allows GM food imports - Living in Peru
The farmers came from organizations that together form the Parque de la Papa in Cusco, a farming community of 6,000 people that represent six communities. They worry the introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) will compromise the native species of Peru, including the giant white corn, purple corn and, of course, the potato. MORE

MAY 10, 2011 - California Assembly votes to label GM fish - Food Navigator
Genetically modified fish in California would have to be labeled as such according to a bill approved by the California Assembly Health Committee last week. MORE

MAY 5, 2011 - Plant to Deliver Nutritionally Enhanced Sorghum to Africa - Checkbiotech
ST. LOUIS and DES MOINES, Iowa - The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and DuPont announced a $4 million grant from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation to bring healthier sorghum to underserved communities in Africa. MORE

MAY 3, 2011 - Co-Existence Can Work For Alfalfa Growers - Hay and Forage Grower
Hay growers can grow organic, conventional and Roundup Ready alfalfa in co-existence without fear of contamination, says Don Cameron, who manages Terranova Ranch, Helm, CA. MORE

APR 20, 2011 - What will happen when biotech crop patents expire? - South East Farm Press
As biotech patents expire and regulatory approvals for overseas markets become uncertain, a significant question exists as to whether farmers will continue to have access to these markets. The patent expiration of the first generation of RR soybean trait in 2014 will be the first time that a major biotech trait will become potentially subject to competition with generic traits. MORE

APR 20, 2011 - Vitamin A enriched rice in five years to defeat deficiency - All Headline News
Agriculture scientists in Bangladesh have plans to develop a genetically-engineered variety of rice enriched with Vitamin A in five years. A genetically modified variety called Golden Rice, developed in Europe, will go through greenhouse and field tests before advancing into the production phase of cultivation and harvest. MORE

APR 20, 2011 - Prenatal pesticide exposure tied to lower IQ in children - The Berkeleyan
In a new study suggesting pesticides may be associated with the health and development of children, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley’s School of Public Health have found that prenatal exposure to organophosphate pesticides – widely used on food crops – is related to lower intelligence scores at age 7. MORE

APR 19, 2011 - GM crops to be allowed into Britain under controversial EU plans - Checkbiotech.org
Genetically modified crops will be allowed to enter the UK food chain without the need for regulatory clearance for the first time under controversial plans expected to be approved this week. The Observer understands that the UK intends to back EU plans permitting the importing of animal feed containing traces of unauthorised GM crops in a move that has alarmed environmental groups. MORE

APR 13, 2011 - New seed corn technology comes with risks, entomologist says - Purdue University News Release
Bags of corn seed that mix genetically modified hybrids with and without Bt toxins that kill insects provide farmers easier compliance with federal regulations but could, over time, hasten insect resistance to Bt, a Purdue University entomologist said. MORE

APR 4, 2011 - Biotech: Is Organic GM the Answer? - American Institute for Public Policy Research
Consider these unlikely matches: Woody Allen and Soon-Yi Previn; Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller; Felix Unger and Oscar Madison. Odd, all of them. But for dedicated greenies, nothing creates cognitive dissonance like the marriage of love and policy between Raoul Adamchak and Pamela Ronald. MORE

APR 1, 2011 - Scientists question claims in biotech letter - Forbes
The widespread Internet posting of a letter by a retired Purdue University researcher who says he has linked genetically modified corn and soybeans to crop diseases and abortions and infertility in livestock has raised concern among scientists that the public will believe his unsupported claim is true. MORE

MAR 31, 2011 - Biotech Alfalfa Puts Spotlight on Coexistence - Food Safety News
Call him the "co-existence kid," if you will. He won't mind. In fact, he readily dubs himself "a poster child for co-existence." He's Don Cameron, manager of Terranova Ranch, a nearly 5,500-acre farm near Fresno, CA. As manager, he oversees the production of a wide swath of conventional, organic and biotech crops, among them tomatoes, alfalfa, carrots, corn, vegetable-seeds, cotton, grains, and garlic. He's been at it for years. MORE

MAR 29, 2011 - The surprisingly complex debate over whether Genetically Modified foods should be labeled - Hartford Advocate
A proposal would require labels for genetically modified food. Letting Connecticut consumers know if the food they're buying has been genetically modified seems like an innocent enough idea. After all, U.S. government experts say it's safe, the agri-industrial giants say it's safe, and so do the food manufacturing conglomerates. MORE

MAR 25, 2011 - China to host first pigs for animal-to-human organ transplants - People's Daily Online
The first batch of genetically modified (GM) pigs will be born in the second half of 2011. These pigs are expected to provide suitable organs for transplant into human bodies and to ease the nation's shortage of transplant organs, genetic engineering experts in eastern China's Nanjing recently announced. MORE

MAR 23, 2011 - Is Europe's ban on Monsanto's GMO crops illegal? - Red Green and Blue
Monsanto got a big boost in Europe yesterday when an official ruled that the European Union’s constituent countries couldn’t independently ban genetically modified crops (GMOs) on their turf. France and five other EU countries have put a blanket ban on GMOs, citing safety concerns. MORE

MAR 17, 2011 - New attempt to make progress on GM crops - Science Business
The European Commission is launching a public relations offensive to try and shift opinions on the cultivation of genetically modified crops in Europe. MORE

MAR 17, 2011 - Can we coexist? - Biofortified
With religious wars around the world erupting almost constantly, you might be feeling grateful that you live in a country where there is separation of church and state. But dont rest too easy, another conflict is brewing- this time in agriculture. MORE

MAR 9, 2011 - Mexico approves GM maize pilot project - Mother Nature Network
Mexico has approved its first pilot project to grow genetically-modified maize, a move expected to draw fire from environmental groups who fear its impact on treasured local corn. MORE

MAR 7, 2011 - EC proposes shift away from zero tolerance on biotech imports - International Center for Trade and Sustainable Development
The European Commission (EC) has endorsed an end to the policy of “zero tolerance” on genetically modified (GM) material in animal feed imports. If both the European Parliament and Council do not oppose the move, the threshold for unapproved GM material in imports for animal foodstuffs would be raised from 0 to .1 percent by summertime. MORE

FEB 25, 2011 - EU, Greenpeace row over safety of GM food - Mail & Guardian
The European Union Commission stressed on Thursday that health and environmental factors were foremost in approving genetically modified foodstuffs, while protesting farmers and environmentalists called for an outright ban. MORE

FEB 25, 2011 - Monsanto Wins Reversal of Order to Destroy Sugar Beet Plants - Bloomberg
Monsanto Co. and the U.S. Agriculture Department won reversal of a judge’s order to destroy genetically modified sugar beet seedlings planted last year, a federal appeals court in San Francisco ruled today. A three-judge panel, ruling in a lawsuit filed by environmental and organic seed groups over sugar beet plants modified to withstand Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide, said the groups hadn’t shown that the seedlings were likely to contaminate natural sugar beet plants. MORE

FEB 22, 2011 - USDA gives green light to amylase corn production - Farm & Ranch
There has been a flurry of activity during the past three weeks at the USDA on issuing regulations for genetically engineered crops. The latest action involved the deregulation of alpha-amylase corn, which is genetically engineered to produce an enzyme that breaks down starch into sugar, which improves ethanol production. Earlier the agency had given approval, to varying degrees, to Roundup Ready alfalfa and sugarbeets. MORE

FEB 22, 2011 - More of world's crops are genetically engineered - USA Today
The amount of land devoted to genetically engineered crops grew 10% last year, and 7% in the year before, as farmers in major grain and soy exporting countries such as Brazil and Argentina continued to adopt the new seeds. These so-called biotech crops, often bred with genes that allow them to tolerate weed killers or generate their own insecticides, now cover 10% of the world's farmland, up from nothing just 15 years ago. MORE

FEB 17, 2011 - Malaysia releases transgenic mosquitoes in controversial dengue study - TropIKA
A study involving the release of transgenic mosquitoes to combat dengue fever has taken place in Malaysia. This follows reports (see TropIKA.net) that the release had been postponed, in response to protests made by a number of environmental non-government organizations (NGOs). MORE

FEB 16, 2011 - The Genetically Modified Alfalfa Scare: Don't Panic - The Atlantic
The USDA's recent decision to (re)deregulate genetically modified (GM) alfalfa has sent a shock wave of panic through the organic foods industry. Samuel Fromartz explained to Food Channel readers how "the move has been opposed by organic farmers and consumers because of the strong possibility that genetically modified alfalfa will cross-pollinate non-GM alfalfa." In essence, organic growers (who produce between .5 and 1 percent of the nation's alfalfa) could have their product contaminated by gene flow from genetically modified seed and, as a result, have their hard-earned organic designation undermined. Of course, this seems terribly unfair. MORE

FEB 14, 2011 - Monsanto blocks research on GMO safety, harasses scientists - Eat Drink Better
Monsanto has been systematically blocking researchers from using its patented gene modified (GMO) seeds to learn if there are problems with them, according to an explosive op-ed in yesterday’s LA Times by Doug Gurian-Sherman of the Union of Concerned Scientists. MORE

FEB 9, 2011 - Bill would add more scrutiny to approval process of new genetically modified seeds - The Globe and Mail
The future of genetically modified crops in Canada is in question as Ottawa prepares to vote on whether to add a new layer of scrutiny to the approvals process. MORE

FEB 9, 2011 - Honey Made Near Monsanto GM Maize May Face EU Limits - Bloomberg News
Beekeepers with hives close to fields cultivating genetically modified crops can’t sell honey in the European Union without regulatory approval, an adviser to the EU’s highest court said. MORE

FEB 4, 2011 - USDA Announces Partial Deregulation for Roundup Ready Sugar Beets - USDA News Release
WASHINGTON, Feb. 4, 2011 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is announcing its decision on the petition to partially deregulate sugar beets that have been genetically engineered to be resistant to the herbicide commonly known as Roundup®. MORE

JAN 27, 2011 - GM mosquitoes deployed to control Asia's dengue fever - The Independent
A genetically modified mosquito carrying an artificial fragment of DNA designed to curb the insect's fertility has been released for the first time in south-east Asia as part of an ambitious attempt to combat deadly dengue fever that affects up to 100 million people worldwide. MORE

JAN 27, 2011 - Re-engineered plants may root out terrorism threats - Denver Post
A government-backed Colorado State University scientist has re-engineered plants so that they can detect explosives, air pollution and toxic chemicals. Plants fixed with custom-made proteins in biologist June Medford's lab signal the presence of potentially deadly vapors by turning from green to white. MORE

JAN 27, 2011 - USDA Announces Decision to Fully Deregulate Roundup Ready Alfalfa - USDA News Release
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today announced its decision to grant non-regulated status for alfalfa that has been genetically engineered to be resistant to the herbicide commercially known as Roundup. MORE

JAN 21, 2011 - USDA obeys GM rules, within law on alfalfa-Vilsack - Reuters
The Agriculture Department bases its approval of genetically modified crops on scientific safety reviews, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said on Thursday, despite charges he may put unjustified restrictions on an alfalfa strain. MORE

JAN 18, 2011 - Scientists complete first citrus gene sequencing - Reuters
Scientists have completed the genetic sequencing of two varieties of citrus trees, a key step in fighting diseases that threaten the global citrus fruit industry, researchers said on Tuesday. MORE

JAN 17, 2011 - GM crops can make the world greener - The Herald (Scotland)
At last the fog of the EU’s muddled thinking on genetic modification and cloning is beginning to clear. Last week’s seminar in Brussels on genetically modified (GM) produce was another small step forward in the debate. A leading US expert, Professor Martina McGloughlin of the University of California, outlined the benefits of GM products to both farmers and the environment. She told delegates pesticide use was reduced by 15.4%, insecticide use by 90% and fuel use went down by 20 gallons per acre. The reductions in carbon emissions are equivalent to removing six million cars from the roads. MORE

JAN 15, 2011 - GM crop patents near end, US farmers ask what next - Montreal Gazette
The biotechnology industry should develop a format to handle the looming expiration of patents on the first wave of genetically modified (GM) crops, to avoid seed shortages or trade disruptions, the largest U.S. farm group said. MORE

DEC 16, 2010 - USDA Announces Final Environmental Impact Statement for Genetically Engineered Alfalfa - USDA News Release
The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced the availability of the final environmental impact statement (EIS) that evaluates the potential environmental effects of deregulating alfalfa genetically engineered (GE) to be resistant to the herbicide glyphosate, which is known commercially as Roundup. This GE alfalfa is commonly referred to as Roundup Ready (RR) alfalfa. MORE

DEC 13, 2010 - GMO research again points to safety of biotechnology - Western Farm Press
In order to help inform debate on genetically modified organisms, the European Commission is publishing a compendium entitled A decade of EU-funded GMO research. MORE

DEC 10, 2010 - Greenpeace gathers million signatures against GMOs - Bloomberg News
Greenpeace has handed the European Union Farm Commissioner more than 1 million signatures on a petition against the further spread of genetically modified crops in the EU. MORE

DEC 2, 2010 - Monsanto appeals order to uproot GM sugar beets - Food Safety News
The first possible destruction of a genetically modified crop in the United States is not going to happen without review by higher courts. MORE

NOV 30, 2010 - Vatican advisers recommend modified crops - United Press International
World scientists have both the right and a moral duty to genetically modify crops to help the world's poor, scientific advisers to the Vatican say. MORE

NOV 25, 2010 - Hybrid yam a sweet blessing for the malnourished in Africa - Jakarta Globe
As we all prepare to gain a few pounds over Thanksgiving, I promise not to be a buzz kill wagging my finger about starva ... well, never mind. You see, this is that rarest of birds: a happy column about hunger. MORE

NOV 24, 2010 - ISU researcher, collaborators, re-sequence 6 corn varieties, find some genes missing - Iowa State University
Researchers at Iowa State University, China Agricultural University and the Beijing Genomics Institute in China recently re-sequenced and compared six elite inbred corn (maize) lines, including the parents of the most productive commercial hybrids in China. MORE

NOV 12, 2010 - GM mosquito battles dengue fever - Channel 4 (United Kingdom)
British scientists say they have found a way to cut down on cases of the potentially fatal disease dengue fever, by releasing genetically modified mosquitoes into the wild. MORE

NOV 2, 2010 - Are GM foods a solution for Africa's food problem? - Daily Monitor
The debate about whether or not Africa should turn to genetically modified (GM) food production as a measure to end hunger has been going on for several years now. MORE

NOV 2, 2010 - China goes hi-tech to feed growing population - Checkbiotech.org
Scientists in China are looking for ways of using these to feed a rapidly increasing population. A population that's projected to grow to 1.44 billion by 2030 according to World Bank figures. MORE

OCT 26, 2010 - Aussies give thumbs up to biotechnology - Life Scientist
A national survey to gauge how Australians feel about biotechnology has shown that the majority are strongly supportive of those efforts which lead to health and environmental benefits, while support for genetically modified (GM) food has fallen amid ongoing confusion and uncertainty. MORE

OCT 22, 2010 - Could water-efficient maize boost Africa's food security? - Checkbiotech.org
A team of scientists in the United States, Mexico, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa and Mozambique has developed water-efficient maize varieties under the Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) project. MORE

OCT 17, 2010 - States rip apart EU bid to fix GM crops mess - Daily News & Economic Review
European states accused of "flouting" WTO rules by banning genetically-modified crops on Thursday rejected EU moves to speed new authorisations. MORE

OCT 8, 2010 - Grain of Hope: Researchers Seek a Super-Rice - LiveScience
Food scientists are furiously racing to come up with new rice varieties and growing techniques to meet the rising demand presented by a growing population in Asia. MORE

OCT 8, 2010 - Genetically modified crops limit corn borer, U study reports - MinnPost
While environmental scientists continue to assess the full impact of genetically-modified crops, a new University of Minnesota study concludes they’ve seriously set back one insect: the European corn borer. MORE

OCT 8, 2010 - Genetically Altered Trees and Plants Could Help Counter Global Warming - American Institute of Biological Sciences
Forests of genetically altered trees and other plants could sequester several billion tons of carbon from the atmosphere each year and so help ameliorate global warming, according to estimates published in the October issue of BioScience. MORE

SEP 27, 2010 - Bill and Melinda look on the bright side - The Guardian (UK)
Bill and Melinda Gates believe there have been too many negative stories written about global development, talking up the dire plight of the poor and the dispossessed and under-playing the real benefits they believe aid is bringing about. MORE

SEP 27, 2010 - Insecticides from Genetically Modified Corn Found in Adjacent Streams - Science Daily
In a paper published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Cary Institute aquatic ecologist Dr. Emma Rosi-Marshall and colleagues report that streams throughout the Midwestern Corn Belt are receiving insecticidal proteins that originate from adjacent genetically modified crops. The protein enters streams through runoff and when corn leaves, stalks, and plant parts are washed into stream channels. MORE

SEP 22, 2010 - Genetically Modified Rice Causing a Scandal in the Philippines - Fast Company
Genetically Modified (GM) foods have caused quite the scandal in the U.S. over the years, but the new ground zero is the Philippines--a country often seen as an example to other developing parts of Asia for its agricultural sector. MORE

SEP 20, 2010 - S.African maize may feed Chinese chickens - AFP
South Africa produces too much maize. Its neighbours not enough. But rather than feeding its neighbours, South Africa's surplus maize may feed Chinese chickens, due to regional worries about genetically modified crops. MORE

SEP 6, 2010 - EU summons BASF over 'illegal' potatoes in Swedish field - AFP
Europe slapped a summons on German chemical giant BASF on Monday after a "blunder" allowed seed from a new genetically modified potato to remain in a field in Sweden. MORE

SEP 5, 2010 - The Modified Fish Fight - The Atlantic
The FDA has scheduled meetings for September 19 to 21 to hear advice about whether the agency should approve GM (genetically modified) salmon. These, you may recall, are Atlantic salmon bioengineered by AquaBounty Technologies. Atlantic salmon only grow for a few months per year; they do not produce growth hormone in non-growth months. AquaBounty scientists combined growth hormone genes from an unrelated Pacific salmon with DNA from the anti-freeze genes of an eelpout fish. MORE

AUG 26, 2010 - Researchers discover novel mechanism protecting plants against freezing - Michigan State University Press Release
New ground broken by Michigan State University biochemists helps explain how plants protect themselves from freezing temperatures and could lead to discoveries related to plant tolerance for drought and other extreme conditions. MORE

AUG 24, 2010 - The Philippines first to grow Vitamin A-fortified 'Golden Rice' - Manila Bulletin
The Philippines will be the first to grow “Golden Rice,” the only rice variety to be fortified with Vitamin A to prop up the immune system and combat blindness, particularly among children. MORE

AUG 16, 2010 - Judge Revokes Approval of Modified Sugar Beets - Checkbiotech.org
A federal district court judge revoked the government’s approval of genetically engineered sugar beets Friday, saying that the Agriculture Department had not adequately assessed the environmental consequences before approving them for commercial cultivation. MORE

AUG 9, 2010 - Kenya to grow GM cotton on large scale by 2012 - The East African
Kenya’s cotton production is set to increase six-fold by 2012, after the country adopts biotech cotton (Bt cotton). The country awaits the Biosafety Act whose regulations are to be gazetted later this month, before Bt cotton can be produced on large scale. MORE

AUG 9, 2010 - Golden rice by 2012, hopes Bangladesh Rice Research Institute - Checkbiotech.org
The country is likely to complete all necessary experiments on golden rice, a genetically modified crop variety, tentatively by 2012, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) sources said. MORE

AUG 6, 2010 - Uganda trials GM bananas - Checkbiotech.org
GM bananas are currently being tested in Uganda, but doubts remain concerning the benefits of GM for African farmers. Genetically modified (GM) bananas that could reduce blindness, diarrhoea and anaemia are a step closer to becoming a reality, according to initial results from a joint research project between Ugandan and Australian scientists. MORE

AUG 4, 2010 - Stanford researchers: Agriculture practices fight global warming - Checkbiotech.org
Advances in conventional agriculture have dramatically slowed the flow of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, in part by allowing farmers to grow more food without plowing up vast tracts of land, a study by three Stanford University researchers has found. MORE

JULY 29, 2010 - GM crop produces massive gains for women's employment in India - University of Warwick News Release
Research at the UK's University of Warwick, and the University of Goettingen in Germany, has found that the use of a particular GM crop in India produced massive benefits in the earnings and employment opportunities for rural Indian women. MORE

JULY 26, 2010 - Exploring Algae as Fuel - New York Times
In a laboratory where almost all the test tubes look green, the tools of modern biotechnology are being applied to lowly pond scum. Foreign genes are being spliced into algae and native genes are being tweaked. MORE

JULY 22, 2010 - Commission releases new Recommendations on GMOs coexistence - Euroalert
The European Commission has published in the Official Journal its Recommendation of 13 July 2010 on guidelines for the development of national co-existence measures to avoid the unintended presence of GMOs in conventional and organic crops. MORE

JULY 18, 2010 - ISU professor: Act now to avoid herbicide immunity in field weeds - Des Moines Register
Iowa State University agronomy professor Michael Owen receives calls and e-mails from farmers asking what to do about the threat of resistance by weeds to Roundup and other glyphosate herbicides. MORE

JULY 14, 2010 - New rules give UK autonomy on GM crop cultivation but agri groups are not happy - Horticulture Week
Europe's decade-long deadlock on GM technology has ended this week as the European Commission has renationalised the authorisation of the cultivation of GM crops - giving member states permission to set their own rules on the issue. MORE

JULY 14, 2010 - Bayer Loses Fifth Straight Trial Over U.S Rice Crops - Bloomberg
Bayer AG lost its fifth straight trial over contaminated U.S. long-grain rice to a Louisiana farmer who claimed the company’s carelessness with its genetically engineered seed caused exports to plunge. MORE

JULY 7, 2010 - Suit filed to halt GM tree planting - Brownfield Ag News
A coalition of environmental groups have filed suit to stop the open-air planting of genetically modified Eucalyptus trees in seven southern states. MORE

JULY 1, 2010 - Ambitious GM rice project enters next phase - SciDev.net
An international consortium aiming to re-engineer rice to increase yields by 50 per cent is about to move into the second phase of its decades-long project. The project aims to genetically modify rice to use a more efficient method of photosynthesis — the process by which plants convert carbon dioxide into carbohydrates needed for growth. MORE

JUNE 28, 2010 - Genetically Engineered Fish on FDA's Plate - AOL News
Care for some genetically engineered salmon for dinner? That could be your order if the Food and Drug Administration approves a proposal from a Massachusetts company for the first genetically engineered animal bred for human consumption. MORE

JUNE 21, 2010 - Court lifts limits on GMO alfalfa pending USDA - Reuters
A Supreme Court ruling in a case pitting environmentalists against biotech seed giant Monsanto Co could speed up a resumption of sales of genetically altered alfalfa, though any commercialization still depends on action by U.S. regulators. MORE

JUNE 14, 2010 - Making Hay: The Supreme Court is set to weigh in on genetically modified crops - National Review
This month, the Supreme Court will rule on its first-ever case involving genetically modified (GM) crops. It also prepares to welcome a new member who, as solicitor general, intervened on behalf of the controversial technology, angering many liberals. MORE

JUNE 9, 2010 - Leading Norfolk scientists plea over GM technology - EDP24 (United Kingdom)
A leading scientist at a world-renowned Norfolk food research centre has said that it's time 'to grow up' over the possible beneficial impact of GM technology. MORE

JUNE 8, 2010 - Commercial GM wheat 10 years away: report - Reuters
Australia needs to focus on wheat breeding technologies including genetically modified wheat, Peter Reading, managing director of Australia's Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) said on Tuesday. MORE

JUNE 7, 2010 - ArborGen bioengineered trees draw criticism - San Francisco Chronicle
The commercial paper industry's plans to plant forests of genetically altered eucalyptus trees in seven Southern states have generated more cries from critics worried that such a large introduction of a bioengineered nonnative plant could throw natural ecosystems out of whack. MORE

JUNE 4, 2010 - EU Plans to Ease Approval Process for Biotech Crops (Update1) - Bloomberg News
The European Union plans to change the approval process for growing genetically modified crops in the 27-nation grouping, easing a system that blocked all but one application in more than a decade. MORE

MAY 27, 2010 - Hand that Feeds U.S. defends ag - Capital Press
A pro-farming group recently came to this city to let the public know it has been misinformed about the nation's agriculture and has a right to know the real story. The Hand that Feeds U.S., a group funded by several U.S. commodity groups, chose to go to the epicenter of the local food movement to set the record straight. "Ninety-eight percent of American farms are family-owned farms," said Pamela Yoder, co-owner of Windy Hill Farm in Dalhart, Texas. "We are not factory farms spewing clouds of toxins and polluting the environment." MORE

MAY 25, 2010 - Monsanto receives geen light for trans-fat-free soy oil - Australian Food News
Monsanto has received a status of Generally Recognised As Safe for its new line of low-linolenic-acid Vistive Gold soybeans, giving a green light to food manufacturers and fast food companies for testing of the product. MORE

MAY 24, 2010 - Australia monitors US glyphosate woes - Stock and Land (Australia)
Australian farmers need to manage glyphosate rotations carefully to avoid the problems emerging in the United States, where glyphosate tolerant genetically modified (GM) crops have led to an over-reliance on the cheap and popular herbicide. MORE

MAY 13, 2010 - GM crop use makes minor pests major problem - Nature Biotechnology
Pesticide use rising as Chinese farmers fight insects thriving on transgenic crop. MORE

MAY 10, 2010 - Roundup-resistant weeds plague farmers - Sacramento Bee
Wary of environmental disasters like the Dust Bowl, when deep plowing caused soil to uproot and fly about the country in giant wind storms, some farmers have longed embraced the practice of no-till agriculture. However, this environmentally friendly practice is no more for many farmers. A superweed has taken hold in America's field, and farmers are being forced to kill it by plowing stronger herbicides into the soil. The New York Times reports that a new generation of superweeds is resistant to famed weed killer Roundup. Further, the weeds have evolved to become resistant to the herbicide, just as germs evolve to become resistant to bacteria. MORE

MAY 7, 2010 - Attention Whole Foods Shoppers - Foreign Policy
From Whole Foods recyclable cloth bags to Michelle Obama's organic White House garden, modern eco-foodies are full of good intentions. We want to save the planet. Help local farmers. Fight climate change -- and childhood obesity, too. But though it's certainly a good thing to be thinking about global welfare while chopping our certified organic onions, the hope that we can help others by changing our shopping and eating habits is being wildly oversold to Western consumers. Food has become an elite preoccupation in the West, ironically, just as the most effective ways to address hunger in poor countries have fallen out of fashion. MORE

APR 22, 2010 - US position could pose problems for GM-free labeling, organizations claim - Food Navigator USA
More than 80 food processing, farming and consumer organizations have called on officials to revise the US position on draft Codex food labeling guidance, saying it could cause problems for labeling food as GM-free. MORE

APR 14, 2010 - Are US regulators dropping the ball on biocrops? - FOREXYARD
Robert Kremer, a U.S. government microbiologist who studies Midwestern farm soil, has spent two decades analyzing the rich dirt that yields billions of bushels of food each year and helps the United States retain its title as breadbasket of the world. MORE

APR 14, 2010 - Modified Crops Touted - Wall Street Journal
A report by the National Research Council issued Tuesday found that genetically modified crops have increased profits for U.S. farmers while reducing the environmental damage caused by agriculture. Biotechnology is controversial among environmental activists, who worry that pollen from genetically modified crops can spread unwanted traits to organic farms. But the independent scientific group concluded that genetically modified crops on balance do less damage to the environment than conventional crops. MORE

APR 8, 2010 - Kenya rejects S.Africa's GM maize exports - The Africa Report
A 40,000 tonne consignment of South African genetically modified (GM) maize destined for Kenya is stuck at Mombasa harbour after protests against the technology, the Business Report newspaper reported on Thursday. MORE

APR 7, 2010 - E.U. Says Potato - Forbes
Approval of the genetically modified Amflora potato for non-food use shows Europe's views on the matter are bending, not breaking. MORE

APR 6, 2010 - Genetically Engineered Pigs, Earth-Friendly Poop - CBS News
Canada has approved for limited production a genetically engineered, environmentally friendly pig. The “Enviropig” has been genetically modified in such a manner that its urine and feces contain almost 65 percent less phosphorus than usual. MORE

MAR 24, 2010 - Academics Launch New Web Site Holding Jeffrey Smith’s Claims on GM Foods Up to Peer-Reviewed Science - WebWire
Two food science and biology academics are launching a new Web site, Academics Review, to examine claims against GM foods by Jeffrey Smith. MORE

MAR 22, 2010 - States look to join agricultural antitrust fight - Business Week
Montana is leading a 16-state effort to save small farmers and ranchers by urging the federal government to use antitrust weapons and enlist the states' help to fight increasing consolidation in agriculture. MORE

MAR 18, 2010 - First GM bananas harvested - ABC News (Australia)
Researchers say the first genetically modified (GM) bananas to be harvested in Australia are showing positive early results. MORE

MAR 17, 2010 - Genetically modified foods get U.S. traction, global debate - USA Today
For more than a decade, two opposing views of the technology used for genetically engineering crops have fought for the hearts and minds of the world's farmers. MORE

MAR 15, 2010 - Is that pig or mouse-pig? Genetically modified meat may be headed for the dinner plate. - San Francisco Examiner
I’m the type of guy who will eat seal meat, as I did last week and thanks to my Scottish heritage, I have an adventurous palate, ready to consumer haggis or black pudding. Still, I have a tough time getting past the idea of eating “transgenic meat.” MORE

MAR 10, 2010 - The future of GM crops in Europe - Cambridge Network
GM crops have, for many years, been a source of controversy in the EU. After a six year effective moratorium on new approvals, a revised regulatory system finally began to function in 2004. However, since then, the only crops approved have been soy and maize varieties for import. Now, after a 12 year gap, and 13 years after the original dossier was submitted, a further crop has at last been approved for European cultivation. This is the Amflora potato variety, developed by BASF and to be grown purely for industrial processing. MORE

MAR 10, 2010 - The History and Future of GM Potatoes - PotatoPro Newsletter
Last week the European Commission approved cultivation and processing of the genetically modified starch potato Amflora. The request for authorisation was submitted by Amflora's developer BASF in August 1996, more than 13 years ago! The scope of the application included cultivation, industrial use and the use of pulp as feed. Amflora is the first GM crop approved by the EC in 12 years and as such it is a major milestone on a continent that has always strongly opposed GM crops. MORE

MAR 2, 2010 - Commission announces upcoming proposal on choice for Member States to cultivate or not GMO's and approves 5 decisions on GMO's - European Commission Press Release
Commission announces upcoming proposal on choice for Member States to cultivate or not GMO's and approves 5 decisions on GMO's. MORE

FEB 16, 2010 - Biotech firm launches new fuel enzyme - Yahoo News
A Danish biotechnology company on Tuesday launched a new enzyme which it said will make it possible to turn agricultural waste into biofuel at a competitive price. The breakthrough will allow the biofuel industry to produce cellulosic ethanol for less than two US dollars per gallon (around 37 euro cents per litre), Novozymes said in a statement. MORE

FEB 12, 2010 - Scientists slam key study behind Bt brinjal ban - Hindustan Times
A vital study cited by Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh to justify his decision to disallow the commercial cultivation of Bt brinjal in India is flawed, claim top European scientists. MORE

FEB 12, 2010 - Sweeping changes in agriculture needed as world warms and grows - One India
A group of prestigious scientists has warned that the looming threats of global climate change and population growth call for sweeping changes in agriculture. MORE

FEB 10, 2010 - CBS report on antibiotic use in animal agriculture not factual, says AZFB - AZ Rural Times
Yesterday, CBS News producers created a special report on the use of antibiotics in livestock production. The piece, reported by Evening News anchor Katie Couric, is not a factual representation of the scientific, safe and careful use of antibiotics in animal agriculture. MORE

FEB 9, 2010 - India puts on hold first GM food crop on safety grounds - BBC News
India has deferred the commercial cultivation of what would have been its first genetically modified (GM) vegetable crop due to safety concerns. Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said more studies were needed to ensure genetically modified aubergines were safe for consumers and the environment. MORE

FEB 2, 2010 - Board votes to regulate commercial GE crops - Lake County Record Bee
The Lake County Board of Supervisors unanimously accepted the recommendation Tuesday to regulate commercial genetically engineered crops through a registration process. MORE

FEB 2, 2010 - Fighting HIV in developing countries -- with tobacco - The Guardian
Fighting HIV with tobacco doesn't sound like something a doctor would normally recommend. Condoms and/or abstinence are the two standardly recommended methods of avoiding infection, but both clearly have inherent drawbacks. MORE

FEB 1, 2010 - Beet Case Continues in Court - Nebraska Farmer
Sugar beet limbo is over for producers in the Nebraska Panhandle and across the country, at least for the 2010 crop. Producers will be able be able to plant Roundup Ready sugar beets this spring while legal maneuvering over the biotech seed winds its way through the courts. MORE

JAN 30, 2010 - Q&A with Roger Beachy - Nature Biotechnology
Plant scientist Roger Beachy has joined the Obama administration to lead the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), the new research funding arm of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Beachy, whose research led to the first transgenic crop, was previously the long-time head of the not-for-profit Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis. Emily Waltz talks to Beachy about his plans for the new agency. MORE

JAN 29, 2010 - First Genetic Modification Case to Go Before Supreme Court - Epoch Times
Genetic modification food giant Monsanto and a San Francisco-based consumer advocacy group are set to take the battle over genetically engineered foods to court. This week, the Supreme Court decided to hear a case over Monsanto's genetically-engineered alfalfa sprouts designed to be resistant to the Monsanto herbicide Roundup. MORE

JAN 22, 2010 - Feeding Future Populations with Nutritionally Complete Crops - ISB News Report
Imagine a world in which no one goes hungry and no one is malnourished. It sounds too much to hope for when we look around the real world and see that up to half the population lacks access to a balanced diet. MORE

JAN 21, 2010 - Bt brinjal divides science & health ministers - India Today
Minister of state for health Dinesh Trivedi has opposed Bt brinjal. He, however, expressed his views as a Member of Parliament and not as a minister. "Bt brinjal needs lots of discussion and research," Trivedi said. He plans to take up the issue within his ministry. MORE

JAN 13, 2010 - Organic farmers must embrace GM crops if we are to feed the world, says scientist - Times Online (UK)
The organic movement should overcome its hostility to genetically modified crops and embrace the contribution that they can make to sustainable farming, one of the world’s leading agricultural scientists has told The Times. MORE

JAN 11, 2010 - Non-GMO label getting a local push by Lundberg Family Farms - Chico Enterprise Record
Over the past two years, Lundberg Family Farms, which produces organic rice products, and others in the organic industry have created a new labeling system and verification process to label foods as "non-GMO." MORE

JAN 11, 2010 - Safety of GM Sugar Beets Subject of Hearing - Food Safety News
Could a federal judge in San Francisco who has already found the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) lacking when it comes to making sure genetically modified sugar beets are safe end up blocking planting of Roundup Ready sugar beets this spring? MORE

DEC 22, 2009 - UA researcher says crop pests abroad resistant to controls - Arizona Daily Star
A UA researcher says pests that destroy corn and cotton have developed resistance to the most effective and benign method to kill them. Bruce Tabashnik, University of Arizona research entomologist, said resistance does not pose an immediate threat to the vast acreages of Bt corn and cotton grown with genetically introduced Bt toxins, but argues for continued monitoring. MORE

DEC 18, 2009 - Flexible management better for coexistence of GM and non-GM crops - Checkbiotech.org
Flexible measures, such as pollen barriers, for regulating the cultivation of GM and non-GM crops in the same landscape are more likely to encourage the adoption of GM technology by farmers than rigid measures, such as isolation distances, according to a recent study. MORE

DEC 17, 2009 - Go green, go biotech, says university study - Western Producer (Canada)
Social activist groups and non-governmental organizations are expressing concern that climate negotiators in Copenhagen are embracing flawed technologies as solutions to the world’s climate woes. MORE

DEC 8, 2009 - Ag Groups File Supreme Court Brief in Biotech Alfalfa Case - Voice of Agriculture
Lower courts failed to adequately consider the mountains of evidence that prove biotech alfalfa is safe, and thus those courts abandoned a well-established legal principle when they banned the planting of the crop. That is just one of the points supporting a request for the United States Supreme Court to review a case related to biotech alfalfa, according to a brief filed by several groups. MORE

DEC 7, 2009 - Genetically modified rice leads to ruling against Bayer CropScience - Triangle Business Journal
A St. Louis jury on Friday found Research Triangle Park-based Bayer CropScience responsible for traces of genetically modified rice that was released into the U.S. rice supply in 2006. MORE

DEC 3, 2009 - Bugs engineered to make biofuels - Public Radio International
Genetically modified microbes engineered to make fuels, like ethanol and diesel, are creating a lot of buzz in biofuels. MORE

NOV 29, 2009 - Monsanto's dominance draws antitrust inquiry - Washington Post
The vast majority of the nation's two primary crops grow from seeds genetically altered according to Monsanto company patents. Ninety-three percent of soybeans. Eighty percent of corn. MORE

NOV 21, 2009 - Origin Agritech announces final approval of world's first genetically modified phytase corn - Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News
Origin Agritech Limited (NASDAQ GS: SEED) (“Origin”), a leading technology-focused supplier of crop seeds and agri-biotech research in China, today announced it has received the Bio-safety Certificate from the Ministry of Agriculture as a final approval for commercial approval of the world’s first genetically modified phytase corn. Origin’s phytase corn is the first transgenic corn to officially introduce the next generation of corn product approved and sold commercially into the domestic marketplace. MORE

NOV 19, 2009 - The Ethics of Selling Crop Seed - Checkbiotech.org
The four earliest commercial biotech crops commercialized in 1995/1996 were squash (virus resistant), corn (insect resistant), potatoes (insect resistant), and soybeans (herbicide tolerant). For the squash, corn and potatoes, commercialization was straight forward because it was already standard practice for farmers to buy new seed (tuber seed pieces in the case of potatoes) each year. MORE

NOV 19, 2009 - USDA scientists, colleagues sequence corn genome - USDA Press Release
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists and their colleagues have completed a four-year effort to sequence the genome of corn, an achievement expected to speed up development of corn varieties that will help feed the world and meet growing demands for using this important grain crop as a biofuel and animal feed. The results represent the largest and most complex plant genome sequenced to date, and are the cover story in the November 20 issue of the journal Science. MORE

NOV 12, 2009 - Organic GM alternative considered - Checkbiotech.org
Concern was raised over the organic agriculture industry’s ability to cope with the onslaught of climate change while spurning GM technologies, at a high-level debate in the capital last week. MORE

NOV 10, 2009 - Europe's genetic mutation - Business Spectator (Australia)
The European Union has just approved three genetically modified maize varieties for importation and processing, but not cultivation. As I have previously discussed, the EU has a policy of ‘zero tolerance’ of unapproved GM feed. The EU feed industry organisation FEFAC estimates that over 180,000 tonnes of US soya has been denied entry to the EU since June 2009 on the grounds that it contained traces of non-approved maize varieties. MORE

NOV 4, 2009 - Will Eggplant be the World's Next GM Crop? - Truth About Trade & Technology
The debate over genetically modified crops has flared up in India, where critics have stalled the commercial release of insect-resistant eggplant, despite recent approval from the country's biotechnology regulatory committee. India's Genetic Engineering Approval Committee announced in October, that the new crop is safe for human consumption and ready to be made available to farmers. But its release still awaits final clearance from India's environment minister, Jairam Ramesh, whose office has since been bombarded with faxes and emails from concerned scientists and activist organizations such as Greenpeace. MORE

NOV 2, 2009 - Plant biotechnology to receive more support - Checkbiotech.org
The coalition agreement presented by the new German government on Saturday advocates responsible use of plant biotechnology in Germany. Key aspects of the agreement between the CDU, CSU and FDP are an endorsement of the cultivation of genetically modified Amflora starch potatoes, flexible, regionally determined minimum distances between fields with genetically modified crops and fields with conventional crops, and positive ‘GM-free’ labelling at European level. As far as the German cultivation ban on MON810 maize is concerned, the coalition intends to await the outcome of the ongoing court case. MORE

OCT 30, 2009 - Monsanto asks Supreme Court to review alfalfa ban - St. Louis Today
Monsanto Co. asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review a lower court's decision to ban the planting of genetically modified alfalfa until an environmental review is complete. The petition by Creve Coeur-based Monsanto argues that taking biotech alfalfa off the market creates an unnecessary burden for alfalfa hay and seed growers. MORE

OCT 30, 2009 - Tests on treasured maize ignite fears in Mexico - The Age (Australia)
As scientists race the clock to increase food production worldwide, new trials to plant genetically-modified maize have stoked anger in Mexico, the cradle of corn. Many here are sensitive about meddling with maize, which dates back to pre-Hispanic times, when mythologies held that people were created from corn. MORE

OCT 23, 2009 - A Level Field - New York Times
Editorial: Many people think of agriculture as a tradition-bound occupation. It is far more like information technology, as high-tech companies genetically engineer seeds and a few powerful companies strive to dominate the market. Following a decade of unchecked consolidation, it is time for the Justice Department to take a hard look at potentially anticompetitive behavior. MORE

OCT 15, 2009 - Mariann Fischer Boel Member of the European Commission Responsible for Agriculture and Rural Development GMOs: letting the voice of science speak Policy Dialogue at "European Policy Centre" Brussels - European Commission News Release
Transcript of presentation available. MORE

OCT 15, 2009 - Bill Gates shifts focus to fighting hunger - Financial Times
Microsoft founder turned philanthropist, has put the focus of his multi-billion-dollar foundation firmly on agriculture, saying on Thursday that making poor farmers more productive will have a ìmassive impactî on hunger. MORE

OCT 8, 2009 - Vilsack Launches National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Announces Vision for Science and Research at USDA - USDA Press Release
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today launched the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) with a major speech regarding the role of science and research at USDA. At an event at the National Press Club with John Holdren, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, Vilsack outlined his vision for addressing the some of the world's major challenges over the coming decades. MORE

OCT 2, 2009 - Flax industry, CGC race to trace GMO source - Agbios
The Flax Council of Canada, flaxseed exporters and the Canadian Grain Commission have been working extremely hard to identify the source of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) found in a shipment of the commodity to Europe, according to a council official. The European Union has a zero-tolerance policy for GMOs. The discovery by European labs of the genetic marker in Germany in early September has led to the complete suspension of all Canadian flaxseed imports to Europe, said Barry Hall, president of the Winnipeg-based Flax Council of Canada. MORE

OCT 1, 2009 - Obama taps Beachy to lead new federal agency - Washington University Record
President Barack Obama has asked Roger Beachy, Ph.D., president of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and professor of biology in Arts & Sciences, to lead a new federal agency that will transform the way that plant science research is funded in the United States. Beachy is the founding president of the Danforth Plant Science Center, a private, nonprofit research institute in St. Louis County founded in 1999 by a partnership that includes Washington University. MORE

SEP 22, 2009 - Roadblocks on the path to GM superfoods - Checkbiotech.org
GM foods engineered to contain high levels of nutrients could be a neat solution to micronutrient deficiencies in poor countries, but there are many scientific, social and political hurdles. MORE

SEP 22, 2009 - Judge overturns approval of Roundup Ready beets - San Francisco Chronicle
A federal judge overturned government approval of a variety of sugar beet genetically engineered to resist a popular weed killer produced by agricultural giant Monsanto, according to a ruling released Tuesday. MORE

SEP 20, 2009 - US grain exports to EU shown the red card over genetic alteration worry - Economic Times
US soybean and soymeal shipments to the European Union will remain on hold for at least a month as EU authorities decide whether to relax a zero tolerance policy on unapproved genetically altered grain, analysts said. MORE

SEP 9, 2009 - Big Food Vs. Big Insurance - New York Times
To listen to President Obama’s speech on Wednesday night, or to just about anyone else in the health care debate, you would think that the biggest problem with health care in America is the system itself — perverse incentives, inefficiencies, unnecessary tests and procedures, lack of competition, and greed.

No one disputes that the $2.3 trillion we devote to the health care industry is often spent unwisely, but the fact that the United States spends twice as much per person as most European countries on health care can be substantially explained, as a study released last month says, by our being fatter. Even the most efficient health care system that the administration could hope to devise would still confront a rising tide of chronic disease linked to diet.

That’s why our success in bringing health care costs under control ultimately depends on whether Washington can summon the political will to take on and reform a second, even more powerful industry: the food industry. MORE

SEP 8, 2009 - Growing number of genetically modified crops worldwide could disrupt international trade - Checkbiotech.org
The number of commercialised genetically modified (GM) crops in the world is foreseen to multiply by four from about 30 today to over 120 in 2015. This is the forecast presented in the report "The global pipeline of new GM crops: implications of asynchronous approval for international trade", recently published by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC). It compiles a list of new GM crops to be commercialised and analyses their possible impact on international trade. Their increasing number may cause trade disruptions due to their asynchronous approval. MORE

SEP 4, 2009 - Bayer CropScience and Precision BioSciences Inc. collaborate to create site-specific genome modifications in plants - Bayer CropScience Press Release
Bayer CropScience and Precision BioSciences Inc., a biotechnology company headquartered in Research Triangle Park, NC, USA, announced today that they have entered into a collaborative agreement to create site-specific genome modifications in plants. The agreement provides Bayer CropScience with non-exclusive access to aspects of Precision BioSciences’ proprietary Directed Nuclease Editor™ (DNE) technology, which can be used to develop novel traits in plants. MORE

AUG 31, 2009 - The problem with 'eat local' - Forbes
With the world population headed toward 9 billion by 2050, Texas author James McWilliams wants more genetically modified organisms and more subsidies to feed people, not cattle. His new book, Just Food: Where Locavores Get it Wrong and How We Can Truly Eat Responsibly, is sure to irritate organic food fundamentalists. He recently talked to Forbes. MORE

AUG 13, 2009 - Do seed companies control GM crop research? - Scientific American
Advances in agricultural technology—including, but not limited to, the genetic modification of food crops—have made fields more productive than ever. Farmers grow more crops and feed more people using less land. They are able to use fewer pesticides and to reduce the amount of tilling that leads to erosion. MORE

AUG 12, 2009 - Food, Inc. misses the mark: Food is a business - Barfblog
Two weeks ago I went to see Food, Inc. with a couple of food safety colleagues. Reference to the documentary pops up daily on blogs and listservs -- most remark on how it will change buying patterns, it's the modern-day version of The Jungle, and is a wake-up call to consumers about food. MORE

AUG 11, 2009 - Universal DNA barcode proposed for plants - Checkbiotech.org
An international team of scientists has agreed on a DNA 'barcode' for the identification of plant species, paving the way for the tracking and safeguarding of biodiversity in the developing world. MORE

AUG 5, 2009 - Agricultural Biotechnology: Scourge or Savior? - Huffington Post
With the battles over genetically engineered (GE) crops quieting down, at least temporarily, it's a good time to take stock of a technology that has been portrayed as either the scourge or savior of the world's food supply. MORE

AUG 3, 2009 - Wheat suffers on GM canola advent in Canada - Commodity Online
Canada Grains Council on Sunday said nearly six million hectares of farm land is now used for Genetically Modified canola. According to CCC there has been a sharp fall in the amount of land used to grow wheat since GM canola crops were introduced in 1995. MORE

AUG 1, 2009 - National Post editorial board: More natural doesn't mean more healthy - National Post (Canada)
A new study from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine brings us the “news” that organically grown food bears no relevant nutritional differences from conventionally grown food. The real news is that anyone might have ever thought otherwise. MORE

JUL 31, 2009 - Sustainably Engineered Organic - Wired Magazine
Organic farming teacher Raoul began the joint presentation with a checklist for truly sustainable agriculture in a global context. hen I wrote a column recently about my questions about organic produce, I expected that I'd get a lot of mail. Especially after I started with the statement: "I don't believe in organics." MORE

JUL 29, 2009 - 'Organic' debate goes on, naturally - Los Angeles Times
When I wrote a column recently about my questions about organic produce, I expected that I'd get a lot of mail. Especially after I started with the statement: "I don't believe in organics." Organics is an article of faith for a lot of people and what I had to say was pretty far from the accepted dogma. Still, it was something I thought really needed to be said and if, after more than 20 years of covering farming and food issues for The Times, I wouldn't say it, who would? MORE

JUL 29, 2009 - Organic food is no healthier, study finds - Checkbiotech.org
Organic food has no nutritional or health benefits over ordinary food, according to a major study published Wednesday. Researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine said consumers were paying higher prices for organic food because of its perceived health benefits, creating a global organic market worth an estimated $48 billion in 2007. MORE

JUL 7, 2009 - European Union JRC report: The global pipeline of new GM crops: implications of asynchronous approval for international trade - Checkbiotech.org
The commercialisation of GM crops is a regulated activity and different countries have different authorisation procedures, i.e. new GM crops do not get simultaneously approved worldwide. MORE

JUL 7, 2009 - Defining ‘Sustainable Agriculture’ - New York Times
Conventional farmers, organic farmers, giant agribusiness companies, environmentalists — all have varying views on what “sustainable agriculture” really means. MORE

JUL 2, 2009 - Uganda: Food court - Genetically modified versus organic foods - AllAfrica.com
Over 700 of Africa's best agricultural research scientists crammed the arrival and departure lounges at Entebbe International Airport last week. One group, under the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Producers, promoting organic farming, rushed to Sheraton Hotel in Kampala and started "fast-tracking" how the continent can tap into the vast potential from organic farming. MORE

JUL 1, 2009 - Anti-biotech groups obstruct forest biotechnology - Physorg.com
The potential of forest biotechnology to help address significant social and environmental issues is being "strangled at birth" by the rigid opposition of some groups and regulations that effectively preclude even the testing of genetically modified trees, scientists argue in a new report. MORE

JUL 1, 2009 - 'Organic' label doesn't guarantee quality or taste - Los Angeles Times
I don't believe in organic. There, I've said it and I feel better. It's something that's been on my mind for years. Now, don't get me wrong: I've got nothing against organic farmers. In fact, some of my favorite farmers are organic. I really admire them: Growing delicious food and doing it according to organic standards is adding a degree of difficulty that I wouldn't wish on anyone. MORE

JUN 26, 2009 - Successful initial safety tests for genetically-modified rice that fights allergy - American Chemical Society
In a first-of-its-kind advance toward the next generation of genetically modified foods -- intended to improve consumers’ health -- researchers in Japan are reporting that a new transgenic rice designed to fight a common pollen allergy appears safe in animal studies. Their report is in the current issue of ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. MORE

JUN 25, 2009 - Indian scientists dish up GM fish - Livemint.com
Even as genetically modified brinjal—the first transgenic food crop to be available in India—has reached the final stage of field trials, scientists at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), a prominent Hyderabad-based research institution, have taken the first steps to steer genetically modified (GM) fish—now confined to their labs—to Indian plates. MORE

JUN 24, 2009 - EU ministers leave open possibility of clone food - AFP
EU farm ministers revived the row over 'Frankenfoods' Monday by retaining the possibility of cloned animal products being sold in Europe, despite scientific uncertainty and Green opposition. MORE

JUN 22, 2009 - EU ministers approve sale of food from cloned animals' offspring - Deutsche Welle
Milk and meat from the progeny of cloned animals could soon be hitting the shelves of European supermarkets. Some groups have been critical of such products, which are already on sale in the United States. MORE

JUN 19, 2009 - Q&A: Food Inc. Director Robert Kenner on Monsanto, Obama, and Breakfast - Vanity Fair
If we are what we eat, Robert Kenner’s new documentary Food Inc. tells us we should be scared. Teaming up with Eric Schlosser, the author of Fast Food Nation and sometime Vanity Fair contributor, and Michael Pollan, who wrote The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Robert Kenner’s Food Inc. travels from farm to fork trying to answer the simple question: “Where does our food come from?” After screening at the Toronto Film Festival this September and opening in New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco this past week, Food Inc. opens today in 45 theaters nationwide. Before the nationwide premiere, Kenner spoke with VF Daily about the movie’s success, the Obama administration’s food policy, and what he had for breakfast. MORE

JUN 15, 2009 - "Super cassava" to enter field trials in Nigeria - Monitor Online
An ambitious attempt to bioengineer cassava into a “complete meal” took a step forward with the approval of field trials for the plant by Nigeria’s National Biosafety Committee. The genetically modified cassava contains 30 times as much beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A, as its normal counterpart. MORE

JUN 12, 2009 - Ethiopian scientist named 2009 World Food Prize Laureate - World Food Prize
Dr. Gebisa Ejeta of Ethiopia has been named winner of the $250,000 World Food Prize for his monumental contributions in the production of sorghum, one of the world’s five principal cereal grains, which have dramatically enhanced the food supply of hundreds of millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa. MORE

JUN 12, 2009 - AAEM calls for moratorium on genetically modified foods - American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM)
The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) today released its position paper on Genetically Modified foods stating that "GM foods pose a serious health risk" and calling for a moratorium on GM foods. Citing several animal studies, the AAEM concludes "there is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects" and that "GM foods pose a serious health risk in the areas of toxicology, allergy and immune function, reproductive health, and metabolic, physiologic and genetic health." MORE

JUN 4, 2009 - Update on county GMO situation - Lake County Record-Bee
The Lake County Genetically Modified Organisms advisory committee met Monday, May 18 in the supervisors' chambers with input from citizens and Anita Grant, Lake County Counsel. MORE

JUN 3, 2009 - Segregation needed for gene crops in Europe: scientists - AFP
Genetically-engineered crops and conventional crops would have to be grown in segregated areas to meet environmental concerns about transgenic farming in Europe, agricultural scientists said on Tuesday. MORE

JUN 3, 2009 - Apple trees destroyed - GMO Safety
On 1 June 2009, 270 apple trees on a trial site owned by the Institute for Breeding Research on Horticultural and Fruit Crops of the Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) in Dresden-Pillnitz were destroyed by unknown intruders. Most of the trees were genetically modified plants being grown in tubs in a special safety tent under field-like conditions. It is the first time that protesters have destroyed plants that were not being grown in the field. MORE

JUN 3, 2009 - Eat, Drink, Think, Change - New York Times
Into this world comes “Food, Inc.,” a documentary on the state of the nation’s food system that opens in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco on Friday.. MORE

MAY 29, 2009 - Poland wins battle with EC to limit GMOs - Warsaw Business Journal
In one of the most difficult negotiated issues with the European Commission, government representatives managed to convince officials in Brussels to limit the cultivation of genetically modified organisms (GMO). MORE

MAY 28, 2009 - County may let modified beets grow on its land - Checkbiotech.org
Boulder County may allow six farmers to grow genetically modified sugar beets on 960 acres of leased open space, a move that could cause plenty of environmental problems, including the rise of "super weeds," the head of an organic farming group said. MORE

MAY 22, 2009 - Food Web, Meet Interweb: The Networked Future of Farms - Wired
Silicon Valley thinks the internet can transform anything from car sales to anonymous sex, but the way Americans grow and buy food is rooted in ancient, offline systems. Now, a Bay Area startup has launched a service to make it easier and cheaper for restaurants to buy food from small, local farms. With a suite of mobile apps for use in restaurants and on farms, FarmsReach wants to create an online food marketplace that would directly connect farms with restaurants. MORE

MAY 15, 2009 - Agriculture in Ghana: Few signs of concern as GM crops advance - Checkbiotech.org
Ghanaians are daily consuming genetically modified (GM) products imported by various traders without much care. However, as the government prepares to allow the planting of GM crops locally in a bid to boost food production, one non-governmental organisation, Friends of the Earth (FoE) Ghana is sounding the alarm. MORE

MAY 13, 2009 - Nobel Laureate Nüsslein-Volhard: "The ban on cultivating Bt maize sends an alarming signal" - GMO Safety
In a joint memorandum, the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG) and German Agricultural Society (Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft, DLG) are demanding reliable conditions for research and development in the area of genetically modified plants. At a press conference in Berlin the presidents of the two organisations complained of a hostile climate to plant biotechnology and argued emphatically in favour of freedom of research and field trials. MORE

MAY 13, 2009 - Golden rice an effective source of vitamin A - Baylor College of Medicine Press Release
The beta-carotene in so-called "Golden Rice" converts to vitamin A in humans, according to researchers at Baylor College of Medicine (www.bcm.edu) and Tufts University in an article that appears in the current issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. MORE

MAY 7, 2009 - Seed Biotechnology Symposium to mark 10th anniversary - UC Davis Press Release
The Seed Biotechnology Center at the University of California, Davis, will celebrate its 10th anniversary with a May 11-12 symposium titled “Seed Biotechnologies: Filling the Gap between the Public and Private Sector.” MORE

MAY 4, 2009 - 81 unusual projects get $100K in Gates grants - Business Week
Can tomatoes be taught to make antiviral drugs for people who eat them? Would zapping your skin with a laser make your vaccination work better? Could malaria-carrying mosquitoes be given a teensy head cold that would prevent them from sniffing out a human snack bar? These are among 81 projects awarded $100,000 grants Monday by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in a bid to support innovative, unconventional global health research. MORE

MAY 1, 2009 - German spud go-ahead inflames GM row - Checkbiotech.org
Germany's agriculture minister Ilse Aigner has approved cultivation of BASF's genetically-modified potato Amflora just two weeks after banning a strain of genetically modified maize. MORE

APR 28, 2009 - Engineered corn's vitamin boost - BBC News
A genetically modified (GM) corn fortified with three vitamins has been created by European researchers. The modifications make the growing corn, or maize, produce large amounts of beta carotene and precursors of vitamin C and folic acid. MORE

APR 17 2009 - This petunia carries this artist's DNA - Star-Tribune (Minneapolis-St Paul)
The ever-accelerating March of Science has brought us cloned sheep, cows and most recently a camel. Are we ready now for a "plantimal"? That is, a creature combining genetic material from a plant and an animal? Specifically a petunia infused with human DNA? MORE

APR 15, 2009 - Germany bars genetically modified corn - Checkbiotech.org
Germany announced plans on Tuesday to ban the only genetically modified strain of corn grown in the European Union, dealing a new blow to the American manufacturer, Monsanto, and raising the specter of trade tensions with the United States. MORE

APR 8, 2009 - Chocolate eggs under growing threat from witches' broom - New Scientist
It's chocolate egg season again, and sales of the pagan and Christian symbols of rebirth are as strong as ever. But the hunt for Easter eggs may truly be on next year, because chocolate trees are in increasing trouble. MORE

APR 7, 2009 - Swenson committed to building bright future for wheat growers - Agri News
Biotechnology is critical for wheat's future, says Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers president Scott Swenson. He's not the only one calling for biotech wheat seed development. Wheat grower groups from around the world have signed a letter calling for biotech wheat development. MORE

MAR 27, 2009 - Norman Borlaug, Happy 95th Birthday! - Reason Magazine
One of the true giants of our time, plant breeder and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Norman Borlaug turns 95 today. Borlaug is the person who has saved more human lives than anyone in history. How? He was the father of the "Green Revolution" that more than doubled crop productivity in the 1960s and 1970s thus averting the massive global famines predicted by many doomsayers.norman borlaug I had the honor of interviewing Borlaug nine years ago for Reason. MORE

MAR 25, 2009 - Agricultural technology could feed rising population, but who will own crops? - Checkbiotech.org
The genetic revolution has come to food, as debates over how to deal with future pressures of population and climate change look to agricultural technology in hope of answers. But questions still remain over who owns the technology, who will do the research, and what forms of - and even whether - biotechnology is appropriate to human needs and the needs of smallholding farmers. MORE

MAR 20, 2009 - Biotech under Barack - Nature Biotechnology
The Obama administration looks to be a welcome shot in the arm for the scientific endeavor, but the current economic crisis is likely to keep several issues of key interest to biotech firmly on the back burner. MORE

MAR 19, 2009 - Mexico-ban lifted on GM maize - Checkbiotech.org
Mexico has lifted the ban on experimental cultivation of transgenic maize imposed in 1999 in this country where the crop was first domesticated and shaped human culture. Biotech giants have put forward two dozen projects for approval and have announced investments of 382 million dollars up to 2012. MORE

MAR 13, 2009 - Survey says growers do like biotech - Capital Press (subscription needed)
Wheat producers across the U.S. favor pursuit of genetically modified wheat, according to a survey. The National Association of Wheat Growers mailed surveys in January and February to about 21,000 producers with more than 500 acres of wheat and 1,000 acres in total production. MORE

MAR 13, 2009 - Flood-resistant rice aids farmers in South Asia - Voice of America News
Most rice grows in wet environments, but too much water can be disastrous for rice crops. Plant biologist Pamela Ronald helped create a type of flood-resistant rice that is being introduced to India and Bangladesh. In Davis, California, we spoke with Ronald about her new rice and its promise for small farmers in South Asia. MORE

MAR 12, 2009 - Collectively facing Ug99, a new stem rust to which most of the wheat and barley grown in the world has no resistance - Checkbiotech.org
When the threat to a food staple like wheat is worldwide, the best way to counter it is to enlist the world’s experts in a research coalition. That’s just what has been done to answer the very real threat of Ug99, a new stem rust to which most of the wheat and barley grown in the United States and the rest of the world has no resistance. MORE

MAR 5, 2009 - Grad student campaigns for White House farmer - Capital Press (subscription needed)
Having finished strongly in a national contest to pick a White House farmer, Davis graduate student Margaret Lloyd has become a national campaigner for local food. The effort to convince the President to install a garden on the White House Lawn and appoint an overseeing farmer has become a high-profile symbol of the local-food movement. MORE

MAR 3, 2009 - Europe ban on modified maize upheld - Financial Times (UK)
Efforts by Monsanto to introduce genetically modified maize into the European Union hit a fresh roadblock on Monday when member states upheld bans imposed by Austria and Hungary. MORE

MAR 2, 2009 - Ghana to undertake field trials on GM crops - Checkbiotech.org
Ghana will soon begin field trials with Genetically Modified crops, which, when successful, will help enhance agricultural modernization and productivity. This follows the coming into force of a legislative instrument in May 2008 allowing research into GM crops pending the passage of the Biosafety Bill. MORE

FEB 25, 2009 - Time for more R&D to keep food on the table - Checkbiotech.org
Agriculture research and development needs to be increased and better targeted if the world is to feed itself in the 21st century, according to a visiting expert. MORE

FEB 20, 2009 - Crop scientists say biotechnology seed companies are thwarting research - Checkbiotech.org
Biotechnology companies are keeping university scientists from fully researching the effectiveness and environmental impact of the industry’s genetically modified crops, according to an unusual complaint issued by a group of those scientists. MORE

FEB 18, 2009 - Kenya - Biosafety Act now paves the way for GMOs - Business Daily (Nairobi)
President Kibaki has finally assented to the Biosafety Act 2008, paving the way for the commercialization of modern biotechnology products or genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Kenya. MORE

FEB 16, 2009 - Biotech rice may be in the market by 2010 - Business Mirror
Biotech rice—the insect resistant variety and Golden Rice—will lead the new genetically modified crops for commercial use in the second wave (2006 to 2015) of market availability, according to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agribiotech Applications (ISAAA). MORE

FEB 13, 2009 - Poland grows most GMO foods in EU - Checkbiotech.org
Poland is amongst the most prolific growers of genetically modified foods in the European Union, according to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications. MORE

FEB 12, 2009 - Australia may sell transgenic canola to Japan - Weekly Times (Australia)s
Marketers of genetically modified canola grown in Western Australia could sell the oilseed to Japan if it were allowed to be grown commercially, a key marketer said. MORE

FEB 6, 2009 - Gates unleashes skeeters at technology conference - Associated Press
"There's no reason only poor people should have the experience," the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft said at the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conference Wednesday in Long Beach. Audience members including technology leaders laughed nervously as the insects swarmed across the auditorium. Gates assured them that the bugs were not carrying malaria. MORE

FEB 6, 2009 - FDA Approves Orphan Drug ATryn to Treat Rare Clotting Disorder - FDA press release
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued its first approval for a biological product produced by genetically engineered (GE) animals. The approval is for ATryn, an anticoagulant used for the prevention of blood clots in patients with a rare disease known as hereditary antithrombin (AT) deficiency. These patients are at high risk of blood clots during medical interventions, such as surgery, and before, during and after childbirth. MORE

JAN 30, 2009 - Genome sequence shows sorghum's immense potential - University of Georgia press release
Southerners may best know sorghum as sweet, biscuit-topping syrup. But the small grain's uses range from a dependable, drought-tolerant food crop to biofuel source, says a University of Georgia researcher who led a team that recently sequenced the plant's genome. MORE

JAN 29, 2009 - More nations warm to bioengineered crops - Capital Press (subscription needed)
Zeng Yawen's outdoor laboratory in the terraced hills of southern China is a trove of genetic potential - rice that thrives in unusually cool temperatures, high altitudes or in dry soil; rice rich in calcium, vitamins or iron. "See these plants? They can tolerate the cold," Zeng said as he walked through a checkerboard of test fields sown with different rice varieties on the outskirts of Kunming, capital of southwestern China's Yunnan province. MORE

JAN 27, 2009 - Goats supply controversial new drug through genetic engineering - Natural News
A new drug may soon be introduced to the market whose origins are a subject of suspicion and controversy. The drug is no ordinary medication manufactured in a laboratory. It was made in goats which have been genetically engineered to produce a large amount of the protein antithrombin in their milk. This protein acts as a blood thinner in humans. MORE

JAN 26, 2009 - U.S.-African Partnership Developing Drought-Tolerant Maize - America.gov
Biotechnology is a key component of a public-private partnership that could save millions of lives by developing drought-tolerant maize for small-scale farming operations in sub-Saharan Africa. MORE

JAN 23, 2009 - Drugs from genetically engineered animals poised to debut in US - Medill Reports Chicago
Medication from genetically engineered animals could appear as early as next month if, as anticipated, the Food and Drug Administration approves ATryn, a blood thinner made from the milk of genetically engineered goats. MORE

JAN 22, 2009 - Poll hopes to find GM wheat support - Checkbiotech.org
Wheat growers south of the border are getting a chance to express their opinion on genetically modified wheat. MORE

JAN 20, 2009 - EU fails to approve GM rapeseed, carnation imports - Reuters
EU ministers failed to reach a majority on Monday to approve applications for importing a genetically modified rapeseed and carnation flower, paving the way for a default approval by the EU executive, officials said. MORE

JAN 16, 2009 - Hong Kong scientists produce chicken feed with bird flu vaccine - Checkbiotech.org
Hong Kong scientists on Friday claimed to have created a genetically modified rice that provides protection for chickens from the bird flu virus. The rice contains genetic material from the traditional Chinese medicine plant called yuzhu which has been found to inhibit the growth of viruses such as the deadly H5N1. MORE

JAN 12, 2009 - USDA unable to weed out unapproved modified foods - Reuters
The U.S. food supply is at risk of being invaded by unapproved imports of genetically modified crops and livestock, a USDA internal audit report released Wednesday said. MORE

JAN 9, 2009 - As acres dwindle, wheat farmers consider options in biotechnology - Checkbiotech.org
As acres planted in wheat continue to dwindle against more profitable crops in Oklahoma and across the country, farmers need to decide whether they’re ready to fight back with biotechnology, the National Association of Wheat Growers is asking. MORE

DEC 18, 2008 - Co-existence of GM and non-GM crops in Australia - Checkbiotech.org
Introduction of genetically modified (GM) canola varieties into the Australian supply chain will not create significantly more work for industry, but may require expansion of existing sampling and testing regimes. MORE

DEC 18, 2008 - GM crops reach 9 percent of global primary crop production - Checkbiotech.org
New estimates by Worldwatch Institute in the US have revealed that genetically modified (GM) crops have reached 9 percent of global primary crop production in 2007, bringing the total GM land area up to 114.3 million hectares. MORE

DEC 12, 2008 - Italy approves GM field trials for some fruit and vegetables - Checkbiotech.org
Italy's has approved the resumption of biotech field trials after a hiatus of 10 years. Protocols for nine crops were approved but leave implementing regulations up to the regions—many of which have declared themselves to be GMO free. MORE

DEC 11, 2008 - Arcadia Biosciences and the African Agricultural Technology Foundation enter into agreement for development of improved African rice - Checkbiotech.org
Arcadia Biosciences, Inc., an agricultural technology company focused on products that benefit the environment and human health, and the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), a not-for-profit organization focused on the access and delivery of new agricultural technologies for African smallholder farmers, today announced an agreement in which Arcadia will perform technology development activities for Nitrogen Use Efficient and Salt-Tolerant African rice. MORE

DEC 5, 2008 - UN says plant-breeding technique using radiation can save millions from hunger - Checkbiotech.org
The United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) called for increased investments in a nearly century-old technique using radiation to produce high-yielding plants to help millions of people worldwide in the throes of hunger. MORE

DEC 5, 2008 - SemBioSys begins phase I/II trial of insulin produced in plant seeds - Checkbiotech.org
SemBioSys Genetics Inc. (TSX:SBS), a biotechnology company developing protein pharmaceuticals in crop plants, today announced that it has initiated a phase I/II clinical trial of its plant-produced insulin with the first injection of its drug in humans. The trial, taking place in the United Kingdom (UK), will include up to 30 healthy volunteers in a three-arm study (SBS-1000 insulin and two commercial standards) to demonstrate the bioequivalence of safflower-produced insulin to comparator insulin products. Full results are expected to be available during the first half of 2009. MORE

DEC 4, 2008 - Fight over adding hormones, labeling milk rages on - Checkbiotech.org
Anti-biotech forces turned out in Kansas on Tuesday to argue against a state plan that would limit how dairy products free from artificial hormones can be labeled. MORE

NOV 20, 2008 - Organic and GM—Why Not? Review of "Tomorrow's Table" - Science
Review of book, "Tomorrow's Table: Organic Farming, Genetics, and the Future of Food" by Pamela C. Ronald and Raoul W. Adamchak. MORE

NOV 20, 2008 - Another thing candidates can run on: Their genetic profile - AFP
In this year's presidential race, John McCain's campaign made sure voters heard about his mother, still sharp and energetic at 95, while Barack Obama's campaign staff kept relatively quiet about his grandfather's death from prostate cancer, a history that suggests an above-average risk of the disease. Family history is one thing, but what if voters had access to detailed genetic information about the candidates? Could candidates be doomed politically if the electorate learned they carried genes that raised their risk of lethal diseases or psychiatric conditions? That idea might not be so far-fetched, scientists suggest today in the New England Journal of Medicine. MORE

NOV 13, 2008 - Vietnam to grow genetically modified crops: reports - AFP
Vietnam plans to test genetically modified (GM) agricultural crops from now until 2010 and then grow them on a large scale, media reports in the communist country said on Thursday. MORE

NOV 12, 2008 - UC Davis researchers study the prevention of gene flow in alfalfa - The California Aggie
Consisting of 22 million acres, alfalfa is the fourth largest crop produced in the United States. Like most crops, there is an ongoing battle between genetically engineered producers and organic producers of alfalfa. However, a recent study conducted by UC Davis plant scientists suggests that gene flow between GE alfalfa and organic alfalfa can be minimized. MORE

NOV 12, 2008 - Modified genes spread to local maize - Nature News
Transgenes from genetically modified (GM) maize (corn) crops have been found in traditional 'landrace' maize in the Mexican heartland, a study says. The work largely confirms a similar, controversial result published in Nature in 20011 and may reignite the debate in Mexico over GM crops. MORE

NOV 10, 2008 - IRRI chief volunteers to be human guinea pig for GM rice - Checkbiotech.org
International Rice Research Institute chief Dr. Robert Zeigler has said he will be the first to eat genetically modified (GM) “golden” rice when the IRRI introduces it in the Philippines in 2012 to show Filipinos it is both safe for human consumption and nutritious. MORE

NOV 3, 2008 - 3-in-1 rice helps prevent Vitamin A deficiency - The Manila Times
Here comes Golden Rice, slated for field-testing this year and hopefully on your table soon after. Golden Rice, one of the parents of the 3-in-1 rice, is genetically modified since it has 23 times more carotenoid (pro-Vitamin A). Two genes from other organisms were inserted to provide beta-carotene production, giving the rice grain its yellow color—and name. MORE

NOV 1, 2008 - Budgets Squeezed, Some Families Bypass Organics - New York Times (subscription required)
Once upon a time, sales of organic and natural products were growing in double digits most years. Enthusiastic grocers and venture capitalists prowled the halls of trade shows looking for the next big thing. Grass-fed beef? Organic baby food? Gluten-free energy bars? But now, shaky consumer spending is dampening the mood. It turns out that when times are tough, consumers may be less interested in what type of feed a cow ate before it got chopped up for dinner, or whether carrots were grown without chemical fertilizers — particularly if those products cost twice as much as the conventional stuff. MORE

OCT 23, 2008 - Lake County ban on GMOs gets OK - Capital Press (subscription required)
Lake County is set to join some of its neighbors in banning the cultivation of genetically modified crops. County supervisors preliminarily approved the ban Tuesday, Oct. 21, after more than three hours of debate. Supporters said the ban will protect the county's organic growers from potential contamination from genetically modified crops and it will help create a lucrative niche for naturally grown products. MORE

OCT 23, 2008 - Extension brings research home - Capital Press (subscription required)
The land-grant universities of the West are home to extension programs designed to educate and assist producers and county residents with operational decision making, school nutrition programs and practical, applicable research. MORE

OCT 9, 2008 - Council bans GMO taro, coffee - West Hawaii Today
The genetic modification of taro and coffee on the Big Island is now a banned practice. The Hawaii County Council voted 9-0 Wednesday in favor of a bill from North Kona Councilman Angel Pilago on its second reading to ban genetically modified taro and coffee. MORE

OCT 23, 2008 - Golden rice, red tape - Checkbiotech.org
Biotechnology applied to crafting nutritional improvements in rice is on the verge of offering the kinds of public health benefits to Asia we haven't seen since the 20th-century's green revolution improved the nutrition and longevity of billions of people. MORE

OCT 22, 2008 - New DNA tool probes rice genome - study - Checkbiotech.org
A new tool for investigating the rice genome has been developed by researchers at UC Davis led by Pamela Ronald, professor of plant pathology. MORE

OCT 17, 2008 - Consumers buy GM-labelled foods when offered for sale - study - Checkbiotech.org
There are at least 69 grocery products on sale in Europe labelled as containing genetically modified ingredients. That is one of the conclusions of an EU-funded study(1) across ten European markets published this week. MORE

OCT 17, 2008 - Over 40 NGO’s stage protests against GMOs in Nairobi - Checkbiotech.org
Over 40 Non Governmental Organizations, community groups and consumer associations under the auspices of the Kenya Biodiversity Coalition, on Thursday staged peaceful protests in Nairobi condemning the government move to introduce Genetically Modified Organism (GMO’s) in the country. MORE

OCT 9, 2008 - UC-Davis researcher discovers rice gene that fights leaf blight - Capital Press (subscription required)
A researcher at the University of California-Davis, has identified a protein in rice that could help control the spread of leaf blight across Asia. MORE

OCT 3, 2008 - Viral bacteria engineered to spot E. coli - Checkbiotech.org
Intelliphage, West Lafayette, Ind., has developed what could be a breakthrough in the ongoing food safety campaign. MORE

OCT 2, 2008 - Vietnam: Certain crops require genetic modification - Checkbiotech.org
Maize, soybean, cassava, and potato are crops that Vietnam needs to genetically modify to improve productivity as soon as possible, said Dr. Nguyen Quoc Binh, Deputy Director of the HCM City Biotechnology Centre on Sept. 29. MORE

SEP 25, 2008 - Draft law aimed at mandatory GM food labels hailed - Checkbiotech.org
A new draft law stipulating mandatory labelling of genetically modified (GM) foods has been welcomed by a government watchdog body as an important contribution towards improving quality of life. MORE

SEP 25, 2008 - Secret ingredients behind germinated rice - Checkbiotech.org
A team of researchers has identified the active compounds that contribute to the health benefits of pre-germinated brown rice; the healthy components are a related set of sterol-like molecules known as acylated steryl-beta-glucosides (ASGs). MORE

SEP 12, 2008 - Slow Food must shed elitist label - Capital Press (subscription required)
Here's a message that might make the nation's foodies splurt their biodynamic cabernet sauvignon all over their microgreen salads with goat cheese croutons. If Slow Food is to accomplish its ambitious goal - to persuade Americans to foresake the drive-thru in favor of local, organic food - it needs to focus less on people who nosh fine prosciutto and more on folks for whom a trip to McDonald's is a splurge. MORE

SEP 12, 2008 - South Africa okays sorghum trials to improve nutrition in Africa: official - Checkbiotech.org
The South African government Thursday approved trials on genetically-modified sorghum in a bid to improve nutrition in Africa, an official statement said. MORE

SEP 8, 2008 - Field of participants narrowed in GMO suit - Capital Press (subscription required)
A federal judge has partially barred the Monsanto Co. from participating in a lawsuit over glyphosate-resistant "Roundup Ready" sugar beet seeds. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White ruled Aug. 15 that Monsanto, several sugar beet companies and other interested parties could not intervene in the initial "merits" phase of the lawsuit, which will examine whether the USDA breached federal law by deregulating Monsanto's Roundup Ready sugar beets. MORE

AUG 26, 2008 - A new weapon to fight cancer - tobacco plants - Checkbiotech.org
But scientists in Arizona and elsewhere believe tobacco plants may hold the key to developing a personalized cancer vaccine as well as treatments for other diseases. MORE

AUG 21, 2008 - Promising results from field studies with drought resistant wheat in Australia - Checkbiotech.org
Professor Dr. German Spangenberg was raised in Uruguay. He studied in Germany and performed research in Switzerland. Today he is Research Director of Primary Industries Research of the state of Victoria, in Australia. MORE

AUG 17, 2008 - Prince Charles wrong on GM, says minister - Telegraph
A senior minister has accused Prince Charles of "ignoring" the needs of starving people in the developing world by attacking genetically modified crops. MORE

AUG 13, 2008 - UK: Missing the signs of genetic irrelevance - BBC News
Prince Charles usually speaks from the heart; and his latest outpouring on genetically modified crops is expressed in terms that are forthright even for him. MORE

JULY 29, 2008 - Security becomes main cost in UK GM crop trials - Environmental News Network
Security has become by far the largest cost for field trials of genetically modified crops in Britain as researchers seek to protect sites against vandalism, a British scientist said on Monday.first locally developed genetically modified crop has finished its field trials and is now before an interdepartmental committee that will decide whether it can go on South African markets. MORE

JULY 25, 2008 - SA's GM spud awaits commercial approval - Cape Times
Africa's first locally developed genetically modified crop has finished its field trials and is now before an interdepartmental committee that will decide whether it can go on South African markets. MORE

JULY 25, 2008 - Europe fails to endorse milk and meat from clones - New York Times
The European Food Safety Authority pulled back on Thursday from giving milk and meat from cloned animals a clean bill of health, making it less likely that such products could reach store shelves in Europe anytime soon. MORE

JULY 21, 2008 - "Pharmed" vaccine passes early test - The Scientist
A team of researchers has completed human tests of the first plant-produced vaccine for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The successful results of a phase I clinical trial suggest that plants could provide a safe, inexpensive reservoir to "grow" vaccines for the common human cancer, according to a study published tomorrow (July 22) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. frica's first locally developed genetically modified crop has finished its field trials and is now before an interdepartmental committee that will decide whether it can go on South African markets. MORE

JULY 18, 2008 - Ventria gets $4 million grant - The Wichita Eagle
Ventria Bioscience has received nearly $4 million from the Kansas Bioscience Authority to help advance the human health and biomaterials sectors in Kansas. Ventria grows and processes a bioengineered rice that yields a protein that can be refined and used as an additive to oral rehydration solutions to decrease the severity and duration of infant and childhood diarrhea. MORE

JULY 16, 2008 - USDA announces $28.4 million in funding for specialty crop research - Western Farm Press
Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer announced today that USDA is making available $28.4 million for research and extension projects in fiscal year 2008 to address the critical needs of the specialty crop industry by developing and disseminating science-based tools to address needs of specific crops. MORE

JULY 10, 2008 - China to urgently boost GM crop development - AFP
China has said it must urgently step up the development of genetically modified crops as it faces mounting challenges to feed its 1.3 billion people due to shrinking arable land and climate change. MORE

JULY 5, 2008 - Breakthrough: Artificial DNA Could Power Future Computers - Live Science
Chemists claim to have created the world's first DNA molecule made almost entirely of artificial parts. The finding could lead to improvements in gene therapy, futuristic nano-sized computers, and other high-tech advances, the Japanese researchers say. MORE

JULY 4, 2008 - U.S. adoption for GE corn, cotton, soybeans - BIO
American farmers have adopted genetically engineered (GE) crops widely since their introduction in 1996, especially corn, cotton and soybean varieties, according to a new USDA report. MORE

JULY 4, 2008 - Authors: Organic GM crops can feed the world - Capital Press
Pamela Ronald and Raoul Adamchak say they're not proposing a seismic change in mainstream farming practices - just the next step in a long evolution. Ronald and Adamchak are the husband-and-wife authors of the book "Tomorrow's Table: Organic Farming, Genetics and the Future of Food," published in April. Ronald is a professor of plant pathology and chair of the Plant Genomics Program at the University of California-Davis; Adamchak manages UC-Davis' organic farm. MORE

JUNE 19, 2008 -Genetically modified mosquitoes may combat malaria - Associated Press
In a cramped, humid laboratory in London, mosquitoes swarming in stacked, net-covered cages are being scrutinized for keys to controlling malaria. Scientists have genetically modified hundreds of them, hoping to stop them from spreading the killer disease. MORE

JUNE 9, 2008 - Forbidden Fruit: Transgenic Papaya in Thailand - Plant Physiology (subscription required)
Dressed in white, hooded "personal protection suits," Greenpeace activists donned goggles, gloves, and respiratory masks—the kind of dress you expect to see in the clean zone of a nanotechnology laboratory, not in a field in bucolic northeast Thailand. Easily bridging a barbed wire fence with a stepladder, they began pulling transgenic papaya (Carica papaya) from the trees, throwing the fruit into biohazard waste bins. The protestors stood for photographs—the press had been alerted—before a large yellow banner printed both in Thai and English that read: "Stop GMO Field Trials." MORE

MAY 22, 2008 - Terminator seed ban under threat - The Guardian
As the world grapples with the impact of global food shortages (Six million Ethiopian children at risk of malnutrition, May 21), the livelihoods of 1.4 billion of the world's poorest farmers who rely on harvesting seeds from one crop for sowing the next season is under threat from biotech companies which are pushing to commercialise "terminator" technology - genetic engineering that results in plants producing sterile seeds. The advent of these so-called suicide seeds represent an insidious attempt to privatise plant life - and force poor families in developing countries to buy new seeds each year from the large companies that control the $19bn global seed market. MORE

MAY 21, 2008 - Agreement lays groundwork for holding producers liable for biotech - Feedstuffs
The Cartagena Protocol on the transboundary movement of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) will be revised by 2010 to include legally binding rules on liability and redress for damage to biodiversity. This is the basic path agreed on by the 147 parties to the international convention at the 4th meeting of the UN Conference on Biosafety (MOP 4) in Bonn, Germany. Northern California biotech company announced Wednesday that it will clone dogs for the five highest bidders in a series of online auctions. Some ethicists condemned the offer, fearing it could lead to human clones. MORE

MAY 21, 2008 - Company offers to clone dogs for 5 highest bidders - San Francisco Chronicle
A Northern California biotech company announced Wednesday that it will clone dogs for the five highest bidders in a series of online auctions. Some ethicists condemned the offer, fearing it could lead to human clones. MORE

MAY 16, 2008 - Difficult compromise: Basic decision on genetic engineering liability - GMO Safety.eu
The Cartagena Protocol on the transboundary movement of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) will be revised by 2010 to include legally binding rules on liability and redress for damage to biodiversity. This is the basic path agreed on today by the 147 parties to the international convention at the 4th meeting of the UN Conference on Biosafety (MOP 4) in Bonn. However, many questions concerning the details remain unanswered.he debate on next-generation agrofuels could be transformed by the new field of synthetic biology. Also known as synbio, synthetic biology goes beyond genetic engineering to create life from scratch by combining nanoscale biology, computing, and engineering. "Using a laptop computer, published gene sequence information, and mail-order synthetic DNA, just about anyone has the potential to construct genes or entire genomes from scratch," informed the ETC Group in a recent report. "At the core of synthetic biology is the belief that all the parts of life can be made synthetically, engineered, and assembled to produce working organisms." MORE

MAY 2, 2008 - Synthetic biology's role in agrofuels - Americas Program
The debate on next-generation agrofuels could be transformed by the new field of synthetic biology. Also known as synbio, synthetic biology goes beyond genetic engineering to create life from scratch by combining nanoscale biology, computing, and engineering. "Using a laptop computer, published gene sequence information, and mail-order synthetic DNA, just about anyone has the potential to construct genes or entire genomes from scratch," informed the ETC Group in a recent report. "At the core of synthetic biology is the belief that all the parts of life can be made synthetically, engineered, and assembled to produce working organisms."t Stephen Fleishman's busy Bethesda shop, the era of the 95-cent bagel is coming to an end. MORE

MAY 1, 2008 - Genetically altered trout approved for release in U.K. - National Geographic
Plans to pour tankfuls of genetically altered fish into wild lakes and rivers have been given the go-ahead in the United Kingdom after conservation scientists backed the project. According to a recent study, releasing the modified fish for anglers to catch is a better option than traditional trout farming and may even benefit native trout populations.t Stephen Fleishman's busy Bethesda shop, the era of the 95-cent bagel is coming to an end. Breaking the dollar barrier "scares me," said the Bronx-born owner of Bethesda Bagels. But with 100-pound bags of North Dakota flour now above $50 -- more than double what they were a few months ago -- he sees no alternative to a hefty increase in the price of his signature product, a bagel made by hand in the back of the store. MORE

t Stephen Fleishman's busy Bethesda shop, the era of the 95-cent bagel is coming to an end.

APR 29, 2008 - Emptying the Breadbasket - Washington Post
At Stephen Fleishman's busy Bethesda shop, the era of the 95-cent bagel is coming to an end. Breaking the dollar barrier "scares me," said the Bronx-born owner of Bethesda Bagels. But with 100-pound bags of North Dakota flour now above $50 -- more than double what they were a few months ago -- he sees no alternative to a hefty increase in the price of his signature product, a bagel made by hand in the back of the store. MORE

APR 25, 2008 - GMO coupled with organic farms best for environment - Reuters
Genetic engineering, combined with organic farming, may be the best way to grow food for a rising population as the world confronts climate change and environmental degradation, a U.S. rice scientist said. MORE

APR 21, 2008 - In Lean Times, Biotech Grains Are Less Taboo - New York Times (subscription required)
Soaring food prices and global grain shortages are bringing new pressures on governments, food companies and consumers to relax their longstanding resistance to genetically engineered crops. MORE

APR 18, 2008 - BASF threatens EU over potato - Yahoo Finance
For nine months, the European Commission has been considering whether to approve cultivation of a genetically engineered potato. On Thursday, the company involved said it would take the EU executive to court if it doesn't decide soon. MORE

APR 11, 2008 - Cotton, rice and corn-ucopia: Hard work documented by video - Capital Press (subscription needed)
The unrelenting difficulty and abundant hard work of producing food and agricultural products are rarely presented when most of today's farm stories are told. A video by one department of the University of California might help change that. At least that's the hope of plant and microbiologist Peggy Lemaux, PH.D at Berkeley. Her upbringing on an Iowa farm was part of the impetus that led to production of the peer-reviewed documentary titled Cornucopia's Challenge. MORE

APR 11, 2008 - GM Golden Rice to take the field - The Economic Times
Researchers have started trials for genetically modified (GM) Golden Rice as prices of the grain soar internationally and importing nations fret about possible shortages. Gerard Barry, the co-ordinator of the Golden Rice Network, said on Thursday that field testing on the GM rice, enriched with Vitamin A, started last week in the Philippines. MORE

APR 7, 2008 - No end in site for animal cloning moratorium: USDA - Reuters
The U.S. Agriculture Department said on Monday it will not lift a voluntary moratorium on selling meat and milk from cloned animals to consumers any time soon. MORE

APR 3, 2008 - U.S. National Corn Growers Association urges House of Representatives to protect genetic research for vital crops - National Corn Growers Association
The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) Wednesday asked members of the U.S. House to protect the focus of the National Plant Genome Research Program on crops that are “agronomically important” – plants grown to bring value back to the consumer and the taxpayer, as stated in the program’s original intent and mandate.any of the foods we eat are already genetically modified or contain genetically modified ingredients, a genetic expert told Monterey County residents Thursday. MORE

APR 2, 2008 - Ban on meat, milk from cloned cow may be lifted - Japan Today
A state-run Japanese agricultural organization has concluded that there is no biological difference in the quality of meat and in the constituents of milk between products from next-generation cloned cows and those from conventionally bred ones, government sources said Tuesday. MORE

MAR 31, 2008 - GM sugarcane trials in Brazil, Australia - Checkbiotech.org
The structure, water use, fertiliser intake, sucrose content, and the very nature of sugar production in sugarcane are likely to undergo major changes with the modern tools of biotechnology and genetic modification. Field trials of GM sugarcane crops for these traits are being undertaken in Brazil and Australia. MORE

MAR 28, 2008 - Monterey County considers ban on genetically modified crops - The Salinas Californian
Many of the foods we eat are already genetically modified or contain genetically modified ingredients, a genetic expert told Monterey County residents Thursday. MORE

MAR 27, 2008 - Hawaii won't ban genetic coffee - USA Today
Hawaii won't ban genetically altered coffee, a decision that worries growers of the prized Kona coffee brand who want to keep it pure. MORE

MAR 26, 2008 - Dual testing no longer needed for US rice - Checkbiotech.org
Rice imported from the United States no longer needs to be tested for the presence of GM material both at the point of export and on arrival in the EU, following an amendment to emergency measures following the 2006 contamination incident.rop failure in Kenya and other parts of Africa will soon be a thing of the past following the launch of an ambitious programme to develop a drought-resistant maize variety. MORE

MAR 20, 2008 - Firm to develop maize that resists drought - Checkbiotech.org
Crop failure in Kenya and other parts of Africa will soon be a thing of the past following the launch of an ambitious programme to develop a drought-resistant maize variety. MORE

MAR 20, 2008 - GMO ban efforts start in Lake, Monterey counties - Capital Press
Groups in Lake and Monterey counties are beginning to lay the groundwork for bans on genetically modified organisms. Bans currently are in effect in Mendocino, Marin, Santa Cruz and Trinity counties and in the cities of Arcata and Point Arena. Chuck March, executive director of Lake County Farm Bureau, said the Farm Bureau is opposed to any localized ordinance against genetically engineered crops, which they believe should be controlled at either the state or federal levels. MORE

MAR 17, 2008 - The new organic - Checkbiotech.org
The future of food may depend on an unlikely marriage: organic farmers and genetic engineering. MORE

MAR 5, 2008 - United States move to label cloned food - Agbios
The debate over cloned food in the past year has been ferocious. As the Food & Drug Administration weighed whether to allow food from cloned animals into the country's food supply, more than 30,000 public comments flooded in, with the overwhelming majority opposed to the move. Lea Askren, one consumer who wrote to the agency, called the practice "unethical, disturbing, and disgusting." Yet on Jan. 15, the FDA sided with the scientists who have researched the issue, saying that meat and milk from cloned animals are "as safe to eat as food from conventionally bred animals." MORE

MAR 4, 2008 - GM Maize: 110,000 Hectares under Cultivation - GMO-Compass
The cultivation of genetically modified plants in the EU is increasing. In 2007, genetically modified maize was grown on a total of nearly 110,000 hectares in Spain, France, Portugal, the Czech Republic, and Germany. In the previous year, GM plantings comprised 62,000 hectares, totalling approximately 1 percent of maize cultivation areas. "doomsday" seed vault built to protect millions of food crops from climate change, wars and natural disasters opened Tuesday deep within an Arctic mountain in the remote Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. MORE

MAR 2, 2008 - Bollworms develop resistance - Natchez Democrat
A recently published study suggests that bollworms are developing a resistance to a common pest control method. Bt-cotton is a genetically engineered plant that produces the toxin Bacillus thuringiensis, which is deadly to several cotton pests. MORE

FEB 28, 2008 - Doomsday’ seed vault opens in Arctic - MSNBC
A "doomsday" seed vault built to protect millions of food crops from climate change, wars and natural disasters opened Tuesday deep within an Arctic mountain in the remote Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. MORE

FEB 28, 2008 - Trawl of two groups' genes shows differences - Reuters
A trawl through the genes of white people in Utah and Yoruba people in Nigeria shows a significant number of differences that can explain why some groups respond differently to drugs than others. MORE

FEB 28, 2008 - Famed geneticist creating life form that turns CO2 to fuel - AFP
A scientist who mapped his genome and the genetic diversity of the oceans said Thursday he is creating a life form that feeds on climate-ruining carbon dioxide to produce fuel. Geneticist Craig Venter disclosed his potentially world-changing "fourth-generation fuel" project at an elite Technology, Entertainment and Design conference in Monterey, California. team drawing on the Japanese government, universities and companies has developed rice that can act as a cholera vaccine by genetically altering it to include part of the protein of a cholera bacterium. MORE

FEB 28, 2008 - High food prices push China towards GMO: scientist - Environmental News Network
Rising food prices and concerns over grains security have caused a shift in Chinese regulators' attitude towards genetically modified crops, a prominent Chinese researcher and GMO advocate said on Wednesday. MORE

FEB 22, 2008 - Japanese team tweaks rice to serve as drug delivery system - TradingCharts.com
A research team drawing on the Japanese government, universities and companies has developed rice that can act as a cholera vaccine by genetically altering it to include part of the protein of a cholera bacterium. MORE

FEB 15, 2008 - Genetic engineering makes apples more environmentally friendly - Wageningen UR
Genetic modification of apples can result in a more sustainable way of cultivation. This was the outcome of an Wageningen UR study in which the resistance of 280 genetically modified apple trees against scab, the most common fungal disease in the apple farming industry, was researched in a field experiment. MORE

FEB 13, 2008 - Brazil gives final permit for GMO corn varieties - Reuters
Brazil's National Biosafety Council (CNBS) gave the final clearance on Tuesday for two varieties of genetically modified corn for commercial use. The varieties were insect-resistant MON 810 produced by Monsanto (MON.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and Liberty Link made by Bayer CropScience (BAYG.DE: Quote, Profile, Research), which is resistant to the herbicide glufosinate-ammonium. MORE

FEB 9, 2008 - French GM ban infuriates farmers, delights environmentalists - AFP
France officially banned Saturday a strain of genetically modified corn from US agribusiness giant Monsanto, delighting environmentalists but sparking outrage from the company and French farmers. MORE

FEB 8, 2008 - First evidence emerges of pest resistance to GM crops: scientists - AFP
Scientists poring over a mass of studies into the response of pests to genetically-modified cotton say they have found the first confirmation that insects have developed resistance to transgenic crops. MORE

FEB 1, 2008 - Darigold to take rBST-free route - Capital Press (subscription required)
Following in the footsteps of other dairy processors in the region, Darigold will institute a total ban on the use of rBST effective Jan. 1, 2009. MORE

FEB 1, 2008 - Retooled genetic engineering bill passes Californian (USA) Assembly - Capital Press (subscription required)
A reworked version of a bill introduced last year to protect farmers against being sued when their crops become contaminated with genetically modified materials is on its way to the state Senate. MORE

JAN 31, 2008 - Cloned food? Not in our kitchens, chefs say - Reuters
If pizza maker Simone Padoan saw a slab of cloned meat in his local supermarket, the Italian chef says he would be too scared to bring it into his kitchen. MORE

JAN 23, 2008 - Biotech critics challenging Monsanto GMO sugar beet - Reuters
Opponents of biotech crops said on Wednesday they were filing a lawsuit to challenge the USDA's deregulation of Monsanto Co's genetically engineered sugar beet because of fears of "biological contamination" and other harm to the environment. MORE

JAN 18, 2008 - Vatican slams California firm's cloning experiments - AFP
A leading Vatican official on Friday condemned a US company's announcement that it had created cloned human embryos from adult skin cells. MORE

JAN 17, 2008 - US consumers unfazed by GM foods - AFP
Fears over genetically-modified foods have failed to make much impact in the United States where consumers and the US media are less fired up about the issue than Europeans, activists say. MORE

JAN 13, 2008 - Biotech companies race for drought-tolerant crops - Reuters
Outside the headquarters of Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc, the pavement is iced over and workers arriving for the day are bundled up against the cold. But inside a laboratory, a warm, man-made drought is in force, curling the leaves of rows of fledgling corn plants as million-dollar machines and scientists in white coats monitor their distress. MORE

JAN 3, 2008 - Australia looks to GM crops after scorching 2007 - AFP
Australia's agriculture minister on Thursday hailed genetically modified crops as a means to help farmers combat climate change, as data showed 2007 was the country's sixth hottest year on record. MORE

JAN 2, 2008 - Both sides cite science to address altered corn - New York Times
A proposal that Europe’s top environment official made last month, to ban the planting of a genetically modified corn strain, sets up a bitter war within the European Union, where politicians have done their best to dance around the issue.The environmental commissioner, Stavros Dimas, said he had based his decision squarely on scientific studies suggesting that long- term uncertainties and risks remain in planting the so-called Bt corn. MORE

DEC 18, 2007 - Italians crack open DNA secrets of Pinot Noir - Reuters
Italian scientists have cracked open the genetic make-up of Pinot Noir, responsible for the great red wines of Burgundy, in a breakthrough that may lead to hardier vines and cheaper fine wines. MORE

DEC 18, 2007 - Lawmakers and consumers ask FDA to delay cloning ruling - Reuters
The Food and Drug Administration should delay a decision on whether milk and meat from some cloned animals are safe to eat until additional safety studies can be conducted, a Democratic lawmaker and consumer groups said in separate statements on Tuesday. MORE

DEC 16, 2007 - Pelosi leads the House to go organic in its cafeterias - San Francisco Chronicle
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi may have left her progressive instincts at the barn door when she drove a starch-, sugar- and fat-bloated bill that all but left out organic farmers through the House last summer, but when it comes to food for Congress, it's out with high-fructose corn syrup and in with uncaged hens and hormone-free milk. MORE

DEC 14, 2007 - Monsanto wins ruling on gene-modified canola - Edmonton Journal
Monsanto, the world's biggest seed producer, won a five-year legal fight in Canada over its genetically altered canola with the country's top court spurning a bid by a group of farmers and consumers to sue the company. MORE

DEC 12, 2007 - Scientists set to release new disease-resistant wheat - High Plains Journal
'Mace', a new winter wheat cultivar developed by Agricultural Research Service scientists and cooperators, could give growers an added measure of insurance against outbreaks of wheat streak mosaic virus. MORE

DEC 5, 2007 - GM rice unlikely to pose health threats, says EFSA - Foodproductiondaily.com
The genetically modified LLRice62 poses no evident harm to humans, animals or the environment, according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). German chemicals company Bayer CropScience applied for the placing of the GM rice on the market for food and feed uses, but not for cultivation, in August 2004. Following extensive scientific assessment, the Scientific Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms has now released its opinion. MORE

NOV 27, 2007 - Genetic engineering tames drought, climate change - Reuters
Climate change is a major issue these days that has awaken the concerns of the world as natural catastrophes intensify. One of its most common catastrophes is drought. However, now, a team of researchers is nearing a solution. MORE

NOV 26, 2007 - Scotts to pay $500,000 fine over biotech bentgrass - Reuters
Scotts Miracle-Gro Co will pay a $500,000 fine over allegations it failed to comply with U.S. rules while testing a genetically engineered grass variety that could one day be used on lawns and athletic fields, the Agriculture Department said on Monday. MORE

NOV 21, 2007 - Embryonic stem cells made without embryos - Reuters
Researchers have transformed ordinary human skin cells into batches of cells that look and act like embryonic stem cells -- but without using cloning technology and without making embryos. MORE

NOV 16, 2007 - Genetic techniques to speed tree improvement - Bend Weekly (Oregon)
A new move toward “marker based breeding” with economically important forest tree species is expected to improve and speed up the identification of trees with desirable traits – to achieve faster growth, drought resistance, wood quality or other useful characteristics. MORE

NOV 14, 2007 - Scientists say they have created first cloned embryo from primate - AFP
Scientists said Wednesday they had created the world's first cloned embryo from a monkey, in work that could spur cloning of human cells for use in medical research. In a paper published online by the British journal Nature, a team in the US said they had created cloned embryos of rhesus macaques, using the same method that famously led to Dolly the Sheep and other genetically duplicated animals. MORE

NOV 5, 2007 - Special variety tomatoes for Siachen soldiers - The Economic Times
Soldiers fighting extreme cold conditions in Siachen can now grow tomatoes in the higher plains. After detailed research in the field, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has succeeded in developing transgenic tomatoes for supplying to the soldiers in Siachen belt. MORE

NOV 5, 2007 - Scientists look at needs to develop sweet potato sector - Biopact
Next year is the 'International Year of the Potato'. Sweet potatoes, often misunderstood, underrated and disliked by local populations as a marginal food, are receiving new attention as a life-saving crop in developing countries. Scientists conducted a survey to understand why the sweet potato remains a relatively marginal crop, despite its large potential. MORE

NOV 1, 2007 - The bioeconomy at work: scientists make gold nanoparticles from soybeans - Biopact
The nanotech revolution is going green in an amazing way. Soon, gold nanoparticles, one of the darling materials of the new science field, could be made by utilizing soybeans instead of environmentally damaging synthetic chemicals. A team of researchers at the University of Missouri-Columbia (MU) has discovered a technique with which to literally turn soybeans into gold, with nothing more than a little water and the gold salts used in traditional nanoparticle production processes. MORE

OCT 24, 2007 - EU allows imports of four GMO crop varieties - Reuters
The European Union has authorized imports of four genetically modified (GMO) crop products for sale across its 27 national markets for the next 10 years, the European Commission said on Wednesday. MORE

OCT 23, 2007 - Genetically altered food: Labels hotly debated in Iowa - The Des Moines Register
Iowa is playing center stage in a global debate over whether people should be warned when the genetic makeup of their food has been altered. A national advocacy group believes consumers would demand that genetically modified foods be labeled if they knew just how much is being changed in labs. The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods is pushing presidential candidates to support making labeling the law - with some success.ponents call them Frankenfoods, man-made aberrations that should be banished from our
MORE

OCT 22, 2007 - Biotech foods are still hard to swallow - Los Angeles Times
Opponents call them Frankenfoods, man-made aberrations that should be banished from our
grocery stores or at least clearly labeled so consumers know what they're eating. MORE

OCT 17, 2007 - Genetically modified food in Kenyan shops - Daily Nation
Genetically modified foods have infiltrated Kenya's supermarkets without being labelled as such, new research commissioned by the Kenya Biodiversity Coalition (KBC) has found. MORE

OCT 17, 2007 - Plants work as assembly lines to fight cancer - Checkbiotech
Almost everyone has heard of, or experienced, the side effects of cancer chemotherapy. Now a laboratory at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia has described a plant- derived protein, which could soon be used as an anti- cancer vaccine, thus reducing the number of people who would need chemotherapy. MORE

OCT 10, 2007 - Genetically Engineered Corn Could Harm Aquatic Ecosystems - Science Daily
A study by an Indiana University environmental science professor and several colleagues suggests a widely planted variety of genetically engineered corn has the potential to harm aquatic ecosystems. MORE

OCT 6, 2007 - USDA can't pinpoint how biotech rice taint occurred - Reuters
A lengthy U.S. investigation failed to pinpoint how trace amounts of a biotech rice under development at a research facility made their way into two widely grown varieties of long-grain rice, Agriculture Department officials said on Friday. MORE

OCT 4, 2007 - U.S. corn yields soar thanks to stellar genetics - Forbes
Stellar genetics and favorable weather are boosting corn yields to unheard of levels this harvest season in the United States, agronomists and grains analysts said on Thursday. MORE

OCT 3, 2007 - French farmers say GMO ban harmful - Reuters
France risks losing its seat among top food producers if it rejects genetically modified (GMO) crops altogether in an upcoming law on biotech organisms, French farmers and producers said on Wednesday. MORE

OCT 3, 2007 - Canadian couple win award for defending biodiversity - Globe and Mail
Percy and Louise Schmeiser may not be winners in the eyes of the Canadian court system, but they have become victors to countless others. The couple from Bruno, Sask., both 76, have gained international fame as the prairie farmers sued by U.S. agribusiness giant Monsanto Co. for violating its patent on genetically engineered canola seeds back in 1997. MORE

OCT 1, 2007 - Genetic modification seen key for future biofuels - Reuters
Genetic modification has a major role to play in developing second generation biofuels, scientist Simon McQueen-Mason said on Monday. MORE

SEPT 27, 2007 - Biotech maize blocked in EU - Forbes
Agriculture ministers from 10 EU countries on Wednesday blocked approval of three genetically modified varieties of maize for use on the European market, reflecting continued deep divisions among EU nations over whether biotech crops pose a risk to human or animal health. MORE

SEPT 17, 2007 - Kansas rice to help childhood illness - The Wichita Eagle
Within a month, Kansas will begin its first-ever rice harvest.But this is not your average rice. The crop that will be harvested from about 300 acres of Geary County farmland has been genetically engineered to express a protein found in human breast milk. MORE

SEPT 14, 2007 - EU Court rejects Austrian biotech ban - supports right to choose biotech crops - EuropaBio
Yesterday, the European Court of Justice confirmed that statutory GMO-free regions are illegal. The Court dismissed the appeals of Upper Austria and the Austrian Government against their ban on the use of biotech crops in the region of Upper Austria. MORE

SEPT 13, 2007 - Salmon Spawn Baby Trout in Experiment - San Francisco Chronicle
Papa salmon plus mama salmon equals ... baby trout? Japanese researchers put a new spin on surrogate parenting as they engineered one fish species to produce another, in a quest to preserve endangered fish. MORE

SEPT 12, 2007 - More Nutritional Cassava (Yucca) For Developing World - Science Daily
An intensive international effort to improve the nutritional value of cassava -- a staple food for millions of poverty stricken people in sub-Sahara Africa and other areas -- has led to development of a New form of cassava that may be easier to digest than other varieties. MORE

SEPT 10, 2007 - Winston backs breeding 'designer pigs with hearts for humans' - Daily Mail
British scientists could be breeding designer pigs in just two years that would offer hope to transplant patients. The research, led by fertility expert Professor Lord Robert Winston, eventually aims to breed genetically-modified animals with organs that would not be rejected when transplanted into desperately-ill men and women. MORE

SEPT 7, 2007 - EU to clear new GMO beet - Reuters
EU ministers and national experts are due to approve a genetically modified (GMO) sugar beet variety this month despite a long running dispute over the use of biotechnology. MORE

SEPT 6, 2007 - Japan accepts U.S. genetically modified corn - Frederick News Post
Japan's recent agreement to accept genetically modified U.S. corn is a welcome turn of events for the national corn industry. The announcement comes as a sigh of relief, said Jamie Jamison, Dickerson, a grain farmer and director of the National Corn Growers Association. Japan is the largest importer of American corn, and the U.S. is the largest corn producer in the world. MORE