Archive for June, 2005

The media should educate the public about biotechnology

Last week, a group of journalists from four Anglophone West African countries engaged some African scientists in a discussion on the place of biotechnology in Africa.
This was a unique encounter. It was fruitful. The journalists, perhaps for the first time had an opportunity to grasp , firsthand, what modern biotech can do to [...]

WHO reaffirms safety of genetically modified foods

The debate on the safety of genetically modified foods reached an important milestone, this week, when the World Health Organization (WHO), reaffirmed their safety. In fact, WHO said GM foods can contribute to enhancing human health and development.
These findings are contained in a report of a study conducted by eminent scientists from both [...]

Ecowas Urged to Support Biotechnology

June 24, 2005
AllAfrica.com
By: Ibrahim Karim-SeiAccra
Executive Secretary of Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), Dr. Monty P. Jones has observed that if Africa continues to rely on conventional methods of food production, the 6% growth rate for the continent would not he achieved.
Addressing journalists from West Africa at the close of a two-day training [...]

WHO says GM food may benefit health and environment

June 24, 2005
SciDev.net
By: James Njoroge
A report released by the World Health Organization (WHO), yesterday (23 June), acknowledges the potential of genetically modified (GM) food to enhance human health and development.
The report, Modern Food Biotechnology, Human health and Development, notes that pre-market assessments done so far have not found any negative health effects from consuming [...]

Africa needs Bt to save itself

June 23, 2005
Accra Daily Mail
By: Ama Kudom-Agyemang
A number of journalists from Anglophone West African countries including Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and The Gambia, have had frank discussions with African scientists on biotechnology and related issues.
This was at a two-day workshop in Accra from June 16-17, at the end of which, they agreed that there is [...]

Two Nobel Peace Laureates’ Different Views on Biotech

Prof. Norman Borlaug and Prof. Wangari Maathai have several things in common. One, both are Nobel Peace Prize laureates. Borlaug, 91 won the prize in 1970, “for improving crop management practices that transformed food production in much of the developing world.” Maathai, 65, on the other hand, clinched it last year (2004), for “her [...]

Genes help Africa’s farmers

June 16, 2005
The New York Times
Every year Kenya’s corn farmers lose about 15 percent of their crop to the stem borer, an insect that drills into the corn stalk. Farmers who can afford it douse their corn repeatedly with pesticides, which poison the environment. And last year at least 125 Kenyans, most of them [...]

GMOs: Many Holes in Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety

Early this month, representatives of 119 countries gathered in Montreal, Canada, to consider the adoption of rules to govern trans-boundary movement of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
This is a key requirement of Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. No agreement was reached. The impasse, again, exposed deficiencies and inconsistencies that have become the hallmark of this protocol. The [...]

Zimbabwe

Two years ago, drought and famine ravaged Zimbabwe. Many Zimbabweans cheated death by a whisker as their leaders haggled over whether to accept food aid, especially maize (corn) from the World Food Programme (WFP).
The borne of contention was whether to allow WFP deliver genetically modified food to hungry Zimbabweans. In the words of the then [...]

Most efficient exit from extreme poverty

June 06, 2005
The Japan Times
By: Lennart Bage
For years, the world has looked to Asia as a leader in many areas, particularly business and technology. Now Asia is serving as an important example to follow in the international race to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Economic growth in the region has raised annual per capita [...]