posted on Soyatech
New Scientist

Now it’s official: genes from genetically modified corn have escaped into wild varieties in rural Mexico. A new study resolves a long-running controversy over the spread of GM genes and suggests that detecting such escapes may be tougher than previously thought.

In 2001, when biologists David Quist and Ignacio Chapela reported finding transgenes from GM corn in traditional varieties in Oaxaca, Mexico, they faced a barrage of criticism over their techniques. Read Full Article »

Posted in Media/News

Overhaul of Management and Culture Needed

Appointment of Kathleen Merrigan as Deputy Secretary: First Sign of “Change”

Cornucopia, WI – President Obama and new USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack are being urged to take immediate action to repair the USDA’s increasingly dysfunctional National Organic Program (NOP). Suspect imports of grains, nuts, and vegetables from China and other countries, questionable organic milk, beef, and eggs from giant factory farms, and the erosion of opportunity for family farmers are plaguing the organic sector.

Consumer demand for organic production has skyrocketed in recent years, propelling organics into an over $20 billion dollar a year business. That same hunger for organics has encouraged some large corporations, factory farms, and foreign producers to move into the U.S. organic business, but without upholding federal organic production standards.

On February 12, The Cornucopia Institute, a national organic watchdog representing family famers, sent a formal letter and briefing paper to President Obama and Secretary Vilsack specifically asking that they take “a very strong and proactive posture in turning around management at the National Organic Program,” which they described as being “Katrina-ed” by the Bush administration. Read Full Article »

Posted in Cornucopia News

The New York Times
By ANDREW POLLACK

Biotechnology companies are keeping university scientists from fully researching the effectiveness and environmental impact of the industry’s genetically modified crops, according to an unusual complaint issued by a group of those scientists.

“No truly independent research can be legally conducted on many critical questions,” the scientists wrote in a statement submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency. The E.P.A. is seeking public comments for scientific meetings it will hold next week on biotech crops. Read Full Article »

Posted in Media/News

Daily Mail
By Sean Poulter

Children have been used as ‘lab rats’ in GM rice trials that were carried out in breach of ethics rules drawn up in response to the medical crimes of Nazi Germany, it is claimed.

Youngsters aged 6-10 were fed so-called Golden Rice, which has been modified to contain enhanced levels of beta carotene or vitamin A.

The rice is being developed to combat Vitamin A deficiency, which is linked to damage to the sight, poor brain development and immune system failure.

However high consumption can also have harmful toxic effects and cause birth defects. Read Full Article »

Posted in Media/News

The Environment News Service

NAIROBI, Kenya – Over half of the food produced globally is lost, wasted or discarded as a result of inefficiency in the human-managed food chain, finds a new study by the United Nations Environment Programme released today.

This staggering amount of waste plus environmental degradation is putting an end to a 100-year trend of falling food prices, the study warns. Food prices may increase by 30 to 50 percent within decades, forcing those living in extreme poverty to spend up to 90 percent of their income on food, findings that are supported by a recent report from the World Bank. Read Full Article »

Posted in Media/News