Full Coverage: Genetics

05.03.2008 The newly-opened Global Seed Vault (GSV) at Svalbard in Norway is being criticised by Indian and other NGOs for excluding farmers from its institutional framework. Farmers being the first link in the food chain, should be involved in conserving genetic biodiversity, they argue.

24.01.2007 Farmers in the developing world are increasingly turning to genetically modified crops, with planting up 21 per cent in 2006 according to a new report.

13.12.2006 SANTIAGO, Dec 12 (IPS) - In Chile, transgenic seeds may only be planted to produce crops for export. However, imported transgenic foods can be eaten here.

29.11.2006 From seed breeding to GMOs, do new technologies hold the solution to world hunger? Or are they a pandora's box?

12.09.2006 Geenimuunneltujen tuotteiden kasvava käyttö on uhka Etelä-Amerikan tärkeimmille viljelykasveille. Elintarvikkeiden valmistajia ei ole saatu merkitsemään geenimuunneltuja tuotteitaan riittävän hyvin, mikä rikkoo kuluttajien oikeuksia ja valinnan vapautta. Esimerkiksi Perussa kuluttajan on mahdoton tietää, onko hän ostamassa geenimuunneltua tuotetta.

06.09.2006 Greenpeace Internationalin mukaan Kiinasta tuotu laittomasti geenimuunneltu riisi on saastuttanut elintarvikkeita Ranskassa, Saksassa ja Isossa-Britanniassa. Greenpeace on muistuttanut päättäjiä siitä, että laittomasti geenimuunneltu riisi on vakava terveysriski. Järjestö vaatii Euroopan hallituksia aloittamaan välittömästi toimet kuluttajien suojelemiseksi. Geenimuunneltu riisi löytyi Greenpeacen ja Maan ystävien Isossa-Britanniassa tekemissä testeissä.

06.09.2006 Greenpeace International released findings that show illegal GE (genetically engineered) rice from China has contaminated food products in France, Germany and the UK. Greenpeace has notified authorities that the illegal GE rice poses serious health risks and calls upon European governments to take immediate action to protect consumers.

22.06.2006 The Indian Science Writers’ Association (ISWA), Science Technology and Development Initiative (STAD) and the Indian Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) are holding a workshop on bio-safety for science journalists and communicators on July 5-6, 2006 in New Delhi.

16.06.2006 After three days of sustained pressure, Indian agriculture and food minister Sharad Pawar met Greenpeace activists at his residence on Friday morning. The minister assured that he would take into account the concerns raised by Greenpeace in the memorandum but will "not influence the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC)" in the upcoming decision on whether to allow large scale field trials of GM brinjal next month.

13.06.2006 Dressed as cattle Greenpeace protestors tried to seek an audience on Tuesday with Indian agriculture minister Sharad Pawar over the mysterious deaths of livestock in the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, allegedly due to consumption of genetically modified crops.

09.06.2006 As Agriculture ministers from seven states of the country are meeting in Hyderabad to discuss the issue of BT seeds, a non-government organisation campaigning against genetically modified seeds has demanded a ban on BT seeds in India.

12.05.2006 Suman Sahai argues that India's new agricultural biotechnology deal with the United States will take power away from farmers and endanger a rich genetic heritage.

12.04.2006 Organized by the European Commission and Austria, the current Presiding Country of the EU, the “Co-Existence of Genetically Modified, Conventional and Organic Crops – Freedom of Choice” conference was held in Vienna, April 4-6, 2006. Professor Marijana Petir reports and comments on the Conference on behalf of Kneja.

30.03.2006 Cotton farmers in the south Indian state of Andhara Pradesh are being lured into debt by seed MNCs by selling expensive genetically modified seeds which have failed to deliver a good harvest. Farmers allege that a black market has been created for the seeds, gifts are being given to farmers and even unapproved GM seeds are being sold.

28.03.2006 Calls for the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which is meeting at Curitiba in Brazil, to end its six-year moratorium on the planting of infertile genetically modified (GM) crops have been rejected. Though Australia, Canada and New Zealand backed the proposal, but opponents say that such seeds could make farmers dependent on MNCs.

27.03.2006 Greenpeace activists protested in front of the New Zealand Embassy in New Delhi on Friday, with a banner exhorting New Zealand to 'Keep the Ban on Terminator Seeds'. The protestors also distributed leaflets to hundreds of passers-by in peak hour traffic.

16.03.2006 The Eko-svest (Eco Awareness) environmental organizations presented its comparative analysis of GMO (genetically modified organisms) related legislation, prepared under the Macedonia – GMO Free Zone project, financially supported by Milieukontakt.

09.03.2006 Kneja Cultural Association for Coexistence with the Nature, and Duga Plus association submitted yesterday s proposal to the Administrative Department of Economic Development of Medjimurje District to adopt a decision for prohibition of growing, production and marketing of GMOs on the whole territory of the country.

07.03.2006 India has increased its annual science and technology budget by 16 per cent to 200 billion rupees (US$4.5 billion), and will upgrade research programmes at three major universities. Sectors set to gain from the increased budget include biotechnology, nanotechnology and pharmaceutical research.

06.03.2006 After a decade of aggressive expansion of GM soybeans in Latin America, the results are severely damaging to the environment, to food security, to productive investment and to people's lives, according to two leading agricultural academics.
* Their call was reinforced today - as Brazil's President Lula begins a state visit to Britain - by an Amazon tribe's claim that 'Soya is killing us'