Archive for March, 2007

USDA and FAO Sign an Agreement on Agricultural Biotechnology

The United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), have signed an agreement to support the development of sustainable agriculture in developing countries.
This agreement allows FAO to access USDA’s funds, including human resources, to support sustainable agricultural development in developing countries. The ultimate aim is to [...]

Biofuels spark biotech rally

By PAUL ELIAS
Associated Press via Jackson News-Tribune
March 21, 2007
SAN FRANCISCO - Biotechnology was first applied in medicine, then farming. Today, dozens of lifesaving drugs are on the market, while many crops are genetically engineered to withstand weed killers.
Now, a 2-year-old push to develop alternative fuels is driving biotechnology’s growth into the industrial sector.
Thousands [...]

Monsanto, BASF in $1.5 bln genetic seeds venture

By Laura Mandaro,
MarketWatch
Mar 21,2007
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — U.S. seed company Monsanto Co. and German chemical giant BASF Ag on Wednesday announced a $1.5 billion partnership to develop more genetically modified crops to meet growing demand for vegetable-based fuels.
St. Louis-based Monsanto which currently has the lead on selling corn seeds with biotech traits to North [...]

Genetically Modified Organisms: France allows 13 GM trials for 2007

France has authorized about thirteen field trials for genetically modified organisms in 2007. This is a landmark decision considering the prevailing anti-GMOs sentiments in Europe.Other European countries should go the way of France. To read more about the latest move by France to embrace GMOs, read the article currently appearing in Forbes.com.

Sphere: Related [...]

Time to Try the Forbidden Fruit

By Olivia Judson
The Daily Telegraph, via BioPortfolio
GM food has had a terrible press, but without it we would all starve, argues biologist

I like genetically modified (GM) food. I’d happily tuck into a bowl of GM soy; I’d even choose it over a bowl of organic soy. I know this sounds eccentric: genetic modification [...]

China To Increase Spending On Agricultural Biotechnology

By Richard Bowden
All Headline News
March 20, 2007
Beijing, China — China is expected to increase its spending on agricultural biotechnology almost five fold by 2010 in an attempt to improve food security for its rapidly increasing population the Financial Times reported on Thursday.
China ’s population, currently 1.3 billion or twenty percent of the world’s total, [...]

GM Corn - MON863: Nothing New nor Dangerous

By Andrew Apel
Agbioworld
March 20, 2007
“Monsanto Corn Allegedly Toxic,” reads a headline in the March 15 edition of Red Herring. [1] They were beat to press by Britain’s Daily Mail, which proclaimed, “GM corn ‘could cause liver and kidney damage’.” [2] Underscoring these shrill headlines was the announcement by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) [...]

A Biotechnology Manifesto European Union Must Read

The European Association for Bioindustries has unveiled a Green Biotechnology Manifesto, which spells out the road map for genetically modified organisms (GMOs) adoption in Europe.
Released at a biotechnology gathering in Lyons, France, organized by BioVision, an international platform that fosters dialogue, debates and proposals in Life Sciences, the manifesto underscores the importance of agricultural [...]

UW prof: Ban on genetic alfalfa could hurt

Staff and Wire Agencies
Star Tribune
March 5, 2007
A decision temporarily halting the planting of genetically engineered alfalfa could affect Wyoming production, according to an alfalfa breeder and University of Wyoming professor.
Robin Groose, who teaches plant breeding and genetics, said the preliminary injunction issued Tuesday by a federal judge in response to a lawsuit against the [...]

Seeking better biotech ‘yields’

By SUDHIR CHOWDHARY
The Financial Times Express
March 12, 2007
Genetic modification is going through the same fear process which many technologies have seen in the past. “Any new technology would reach perfection over time and the same holds true for genetically modified (GM) or transgenic crops,” says B Sesikeran, director, National Institute of Nutrition.
Despite [...]