Archive for August, 2006

The U.S. Government Defends Genetically Modified Rice

Lately, there have been reports of countries banning the importation of genetically modified rice from the U.S. for its alleged contamination. Opponents of genetically modified food have been having a field day misinforming and misreporting on the issue. Finally, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued a press release assuaging the public that [...]

Africa Soliciting Views on Biotechnology

The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad) has been assembling researchers and policy makers to define Africa’s position on biotechnology. The group’s latest meeting took place in Kenya last month. A draft report was produced, and the public is being encouraged to read it before it’s submitted to African heads of state summit next year [...]

GM maize protects chickens from deadly virus

Wagdy Sawahel
18 August 2006
Source: SciDev.Net
Mexican researchers have genetically modified maize to create an edible vaccine against Newcastle disease, a major killer of poultry in developing countries.
The scientists, who published their findings online in Transgenic Research on 12 August, hope their approach can help small-scale poultry farmers protect their flocks..
Vaccines against the disease that can [...]

Agricultural Biotechnology is Beneficial to Smallholder Farmers

Anti-biotech activists are fond of casting genetically modified (GM) crops as a domain for stinking-rich farmers. They have vainly tried to ingrain in the minds of many that smallholder farmers have nothing to gain from GM crops cultivation.
But a research published last month by Marnus Gouse and Johann Kirsten, both of the University of Pretoria, [...]

Africa Doesn’t Need Labels on GM Food

It’s sometime amusing to watch and listen anti-biotech activists moralize about food issues. They purport to be God-anointed custodians of our health. It’s like we’re so naïve to take care of ourselves and that we are handicapped in deciding which food is healthy for us.
Who can really entrust his/her health to activists? I pose this [...]

Dr. Norman Borlaug Talks About the Green Revolution

Dr. Norman Borlaug, the winner of the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize for his contributions to world peace through increasing food supply recently featured in Penn Jillette’s radio show. Dr. Borlaug discussed the “Green Revolution” and how it revolutionized farming in such Asian countries as India and Pakistan. Dr. Borlaug said biotechnology is the [...]

GM foods will end world famine: expert

By Jennifer Thomson
Monday Aug 7 14:54 AEST
National Nine News
Problems associated with genetically modified food are only an issue in countries where food is plentiful, an African professor has told a biotechnology conference.
Professor Jennifer Thomson said when people were starving the advantages of stronger, healthier crops far outweighed the risks..
“When you live in a country where [...]

PanAfrica: Plan to Grow Aids Cream in Tobacco Plants

By Anjali Nayar,
Special CorrespondentNairobi
The East African
Tobacco, long associated with health complications, could soon help save lives instead of ending them, according to new research from the UK.
A team of scientists led by Dr Julian Ma of the University of London is using transgenic tobacco plants to make affordable microbicidal vaginal creams that prevent HIV transmission.
Although [...]

Agricultural Biotechnology International Conference Kicks Off in Australia

A major international conference on agricultural biotechnology starts in Melbourne, Australia, today (August 6, 2006).The Agricultural Biotech International Conference (ABIC) brings together representatives of biotech companies, agricultural researchers and policy makers from across the world.
The theme of this conference is Unlocking the Potential of Agricultural Biotechnology. Some of the topics to be discussed include:

Importance of [...]

Africa Must Give Serious Thought to Biotech

The African Union (AU) and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad) have been holding meetings to explore how biotechnology can contribute to Africa’s development.
The latest of these meetings took place in Kenya last week. Participants, who included experts in biotechnology and policy makers from all over Africa, produced a draft report, which tacitly acknowledges [...]