Archive for January, 2006

EU’s resistance to GMOs hurts the poor

The bitter dispute between the U.S., Canada, and Argentina, on one hand, and the European Union (EU), on the other, over the latter’s restrictive policies towards genetically modified foods reaches what is likely to be an acrimonious peak this week when the World Trade Organization (WTO) rules if the EU has violated trade rules by [...]

S.African Farmers weigh the pros and cons of GM crops

January 25, 2006
Reuters
By: Ed Stoddard
South African farmer Andre Kilian sees plenty of advantages to genetically modified (GMO) crops, making him a rare voice on a continent where the technology has struggled to find favour.
Opponents say GMO foods have not been adequately tested and could pose unknown risks to human health.
But producers like Kilian say they [...]

Discuss Biosafety Law Soberly

In the just ended week, South Africans have been engaged in an intense debate on the future of genetically modified foods to their country. In public hearings organized by their parliament to discuss amendment to the country’s biosafety law, South Africans raised pertinent issues about crop biotechnology. Predictably, self-appointed food rights activists were out in [...]

Debate on GM Foods a Luxury to Africa

Drought and famine are on rampage in many African countries. In East Africa alone, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), estimates that 11 million people risk starvation. The situation is worse in other African countries such as Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique, where, according to media reports, entire families are going day-in, day-out, [...]

WTO’s Verdict on GM Food Long Overdue

The World Trade Organization (WTO) has, again, postponed its verdict on the dispute between the U.S, Canada, Argentina and the European Union (EU) over genetically modified (GM) foods. The dispute dates back to 1998 when the EU slapped a de facto five-year moratorium on GM foods over claims that they might pose health and environmental [...]

Norman Borlaug Is The Greatest Living American Saving People and Nature With The “Green Revolution”

December 29, 2005
Center for Global Food Issues
By: Dennis Avery
As newspaper readers around the nation brace of the usual avalanche of profiles about various persons of the year, let me toss out an intriguing question: “Is Norman E. Borlaug the greatest living American?”
Borlaug has never received anywhere near the public applause he deserves for his contributions [...]

Coordination and Biotech Research

One of the reasons why Africa and other poor regions of the world trail in crop biotechnology is lack of collaboration and coordination among scientists. There are millions of well-trained crop biotechnologists in poor countries. But due to resource constraints and other challenges, hardly do they work together. So, we have a situation where [...]