Archive for July, 2005

Europe Must State Its Stand on Biotechnology

What is Europe’s position on genetically modified food? Ambiguous. The European Commission(EC) on one hand has endorsed importantion and cultivation of genetically modified food. EU member states, on the other hand, are voicing opposition to GMOs for reasons that the EC and the scientific community consider invalid.
Who is fooling who here? [...]

Kenya Inches Close to Food Sustainability

Kenya has begun a countdown to commercializing genetically modified maize(corn). Scientists at the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) and Insect Resistant Maize for Africa (IRMA) have already developed a new maize seed, resistant to the stem borer. Stem borer destroys 400,000 tonnes of Maize in Kenya, alone. In [...]

African Union sets up biotechnology advisory panel

SciDev.Net
By: Kimani Chege
A panel has been set up to advise the African Union on ways of building capacity to apply and safely handle modern biotechnology.
The African Panel on Biotechnology includes senior scientists and policymakers from across the continent. Its creation was announced on 30 June by the African Union and the New Partnership for Africa’s [...]

Farmers may start planting GM maize in three years

July 19, 2005
The Nation (Nairobi)
By: Gakuu Mathenge
A new maize seed resistant to the stem-borer will be available to farmers in 2008, scientists say.
Genetically modified at Sh456 million in the last six years, the Bt Maize is hailed by researchers as a milestone in the national struggle for food self-sufficiency.
The variety’s first seed samples were planted [...]

Eminent Scholars to Advise Africa on Biotechnology

This week, two major biotechnology-related events have taken place. The African Union (AU) Commission and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) have announced the establishment of African Panel on Biotechnology (APB). This panel will bring together eminent scholars, industrialists and policy makers. Their task is to design an African policy and strategy for biotechnology [...]

Africa missing out on biotech crops, researchers say

July 13, 2005
Scripps Howard News Service
By: Lance Gay
Regulatory hurdles are preventing African farmers from reaping the benefits of genetically modified foods that could relieve hunger and lessen the need for outside food assistance, a team of international food scientists said Wednesday.
Joel Cohen, a researcher at the International Food Policy Research Institute, said many African countries [...]

Egypt to develop biotech crops

July 2005
businesstoday.com
By: Joseph Krauss
In May of 2002, a number of southern African nations faced the worst food shortages in more than a decade when crop yields already weakened by poor management, political turmoil and the devastation wrought by AIDS were further aggravated by a summer of severe flooding, followed by an equally severe drought. [...]

Biotechnology rather than aid can alleviate poverty in Africa

G8 leaders have agreed to boost aid to Africa by $25 billion by 2010. The G8 countries include USA, Canada, Britain, France, Japan, Russia, Germany and Italy. As expected, Africa is in celebration mood. To many, this announcement heralds the demise of poverty in Africa. No more hunger, no more deaths by easily preventable [...]

Bill Gates donates Sh1.3b to biotech group

July 1, 2005
The Standard
By Tom Mogusu
A consortium led by a Kenya biotechnology company, Africa Harvest Biotech Foundation International (Africa Harvest), has won a Sh1.3billion (US$16.9 million) grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The grant, announced in the US this week, is under the Grand Challenges of Global Health programme of the foundation by [...]