Archived News

2004

Move to GM Cotton a Win for Monsanto
29 December 2004 The Advertiser
Australian cotton farmers have embraced biotechnology, with more than 80 per cent of this season's national cotton crop to be genetically modified.

Biotech Corn Could Mark 10th Year By Crossing 50% Mark
28 December 2004 National Corn Growers Association
The 2005 planting season, which will be the tenth year in which biotech corn hybrids have been commercially available to US farmers, could see biotech seed planted on half of all corn acres, according to a projection from the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA).

The Bogus Protests of Biotechnology
24 December 2004 TechCentralStation
What, then, of charges that genetically altered foods are a potential Frankenstein monster?

Tobacco Helps Survive Anthrax Attack
23 December 2004 Checkbiotech.org
Recently many politicians in the US and the EU have received Anthrax-laced envelopes. The threat of biological warfare and terrorism is real; Anthrax is just one of many potential bio attack agents, but it is a serious one. Since the only vaccine existing so far against Anthrax has some disadvantages, researchers are now developing a new one.

More Than Just Corn…
23 December 2004 Checkbiotech.org
In a phase 1 clinical study, a research team has tested the efficacy of an oral vaccine produced by transgenic corn, obtaining encouraging preliminary results.

Biotech Cotton Produces Bumper Crop in India
22 December 2004 Council for Biotechnology Information
Genetically enhanced varieties of cotton led to yield gains of between 30 and 35 percent and boosted cotton production in India to record levels in 2004, according to India's agriculture minister.

EU Gets Approval to Import Monsanto Altered Rapeseed
21 December 2004 Bloomberg via St. Louis Post-Dispatch
According to this story, the EU handed the authority to permit the import of Monsanto's GM rapeseed to the European Commission on Monday. The Commission is expect to approve imports in January.

Growing Plants for Mars
21 December 2004 AP via The Charlotte Observer
N.C. State researchers will genetically modify plants to survive on Mars.

Engineering the Perfect Christmas Tree
21 December 2004 CNET
There's no such thing as a perfect Christmas tree, but genetic engineering may help keep the needles on the branches longer.

GM crops: Member States Still Failing to Implement Their Own Rules
21 December 2004 EuropaBio
Yesterday, the EU Council of Environment Ministers failed to reach a decision on a Commission proposal to approve the importation and feed use of GT73 GM oilseed rape in the EU.

Of Rice and Men
20 December 2004 Newsweek via MSNBC
After years of indecision, China may soon let its farmers plant genetically modified strains of Asia's staple crop.

Farmers Embrace GM Cotton
20 December 2004 The Sydney Morning Herald
Australian cotton farmers have embraced biotechnology, with the national cotton crop to be 80 per cent genetically modified this season.

New Push for Tagensvej Research Park
20 December 2004 The Copenhagen Post
The Danish government is accepting bids for a research park that will help Denmark develop and promote its biotechnology industry.

GM Boom 'Could Spell Economic Growth For Poor Nations'
20 December 2004 SciDev.Net
Developing countries are playing an important role in the expansion of genetically modified (GM) crops, and are set to play an increasingly important role both in growing and researching the plants in the next ten years, says a report from the Council for Biotechnology Information.

Workshop on Role of Biotech in 2005
17 December 2004 Crop Biotech
A workshop on The Role of Biotechnology for the Characterization and Conservation of Crop, Forestry, Animal, and Fishery Genetic Resources is slated for the 5th-7th of March, 2005, in Villa Gualino, Turin, Italy.

Genetically Modified Crops May be Tobacco's Future Here
17 December 2004 The News-Enterprise
Pharming tobacco to create medicines may help replace income lost by tobacco farmers.

GM Free or Not -- The Shaky Scientific and Legal Foundation of a Marketing Strategy
17 December 2004 AgBioWorld
The protection of the GM free status of the Australian food supply is the basis for Greenpeace's very public campaign against Australian chicken producers for their legal use of imported GM soy to feed chickens.

Exploring the Regulation of Leaf Growth
17 December 2004 CheckBiotech
Researchers from Michigan State University have identified two cooperating genes whose products mediate leaf growth.

Focus on Biotechnology Research, Scientists Told
16 December 2004 Sun Network
The Minister for Agriculture, K Srinivasa Gowda, said here on Wednesday that research on Bt cotton conducted by the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Dharwad, had received recognition by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research which had recommended it for commercial use.

GE Crops and Poverty Alleviation
14 December 2004 Al Rio and Peter Turner
Europe needs to take an urgent look at two recent World Bank reports on genetically engineered (GE) crops and food technologies in developing countries.

Lift the Crushing Burden on Biotech Foods
14 December 2004 The Financial Times
Lord Taverne argues that the over-regulation of the biotechnology and GM food industry stifles innovation and research in Europe.

Oil Eaters Slurp Up Spills
14 December 2004 Wired
We may never prevent oil spills, but advances in biotechnology are limiting the damage they inflict as scientists supercharge bacteria to rapidly devour petroleum.

Germany’s Lone White Horse to File a Legal Action
14 December 2004 CheckBiotech.org
The German newspaper, Die Welt, is reporting that the ruling party in the region of Saxony-Anhalt, the CDU/FDP, will soon file a legal action against the new German regulations and laws concerning genetic engineering.

Biotech Could Be Artwork's Saviour
14 December 2004 OneNews
Scientists in Venezuela are using biotechnology to save the country's treasured art from being destroyed by the tropical climate.

Jury Finds in Favor of Monsanto Company and Co-Defendant in Patent Infringement Case Brought by Syngenta Seeds
14 December 2004 Monsanto Co.
Monsanto Company announced today that a jury has found in favor of Monsanto Company and co-defendant DowAgroSciences in a patent infringement case brought by Syngenta Seeds, Inc.

'Triple stack' corn clear for '05
14 December 2004 Farm Week
With final Japanese approvals now in place, Monsanto plans to offer herbicide- and insect-resistant “triple stack” GMO corn varieties to Midwest growers in 2005.

The Possibilities of Biotechnology
13 December 2004 Deccan Herald
Biotechnology can help improve agriculture and the economy of both Karnataka and India.

University of Arkansas Leads Multi-state Rice Biotechnology Research Project
13 December 2004 University of Arkansas
Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman today announced a $5 million USDA grant for a multi-state rice biotechnology research project to be led by the University of Arkansas System’s Division of Agriculture.

Puny Petunia? Not This Winter Wonder
13 December 2004 The Toledo Blade
UT scientists engineer flower to thrive in below-freezing temperatures.

Land-Mine-Detecting Plants
12 December 2004 The New York Times
A Danish biotech company has genetically modified thale-cress to turn red in the presence of land mines.

Sunday Brunch: A friend of GMOs
12 December 2004 The Nation
Darunee Edwards says that Thailand should embrace this controversial technology while it has the chance.

India: Govt actively reviewing Bt cotton approval
11 December 2004 Fibre2Fashion
The transgenic cotton seed from Monsanto has been in the news for quite some time. The patented Bt cotton crop has been under review by the government for its performance developed by Mahyco-Monsanto for extending the period of its approval for the next three years.

India Emerging Biotech Power
10 December 2004 Financial Express
Area under Bt cotton cultivation is reported to have increased to 526,102 hectare in 2004, up 5.8% against last year. This situation has led to several international experts projecting the country’s position in the future global map for transgenic crops.

British Growing Ever More So...Ambivalent
09 December 2004 CheckBiotech.org
As reported in the Financial Times, UK adults are less opposed to genetically modified foods when compared to previous British Social Attitudes Surveys.

A Bittersweet Harvest
08 December 2004 The Independent
Our insatiable appetite for sugary products is causing massive environmental damage to some of the world's most complex and delicate ecosystems...

Experience Paves the Way for Continued Innovation in Biotechnology, Says Monsanto Executive
08 December 2004 Monsanto Co.
In a presentation to investors today, Monsanto Company's Chief Technology Officer Robert T. Fraley, Ph.D., will discuss how the company's significant experience with product development, the regulatory environment, and commercial strategy in biotechnology has given Monsanto a leadership position in guiding next-generation products to commercial reality.

Biotechnology and Developing Countries: The Potential and the Challenge
08 December 2004 PBI Bulletin
Can GM technology improve food security in developing countries?

Biotechnology Opportunities for Developing Countries
08 December 2004 SciDev.Net
Health biotechnology - the application of genetic engineering techniques to the development of new drugs and vaccines - is often seen as the preserve of rich countries.

Biotech Crops Said on Rise Around World
08 December 2004 AP via Yahoo!
A new report by a University of Minnesota researcher for the industry's Council for Biotechnology Information shows that the use of biotech crops is increasing around the world.

Chicken Genome Analysis Unlocks Secrets of Mammalian and Bird Evolution
08 December 2004 University of California, Davis
An international consortium of researchers, including a geneticist at the University of California, Davis, uncovered a treasure trove of data when they analyzed the recently sequenced chicken genome, a development that will benefit research in basic biology and medicine for years to come.

Plant Biotechnology Has Gone Global With Research and Production Underway in 63 Countries
08 December 2004 Council for Biotechnology Information
Less than a decade after the first biotech crop was commercialized in 1996, biotech crops are now being grown in 18 countries, and research and development is being conducted in another 45, according to a study by a leading U.S. food and trade policy analyst.

Greenpeace Declares Victory Against Wheat Patent
08 December 2004 Reason
Except it wasn't really a patent. And Greenpeace didn't really have anything to do with it.

Silk Purse from a Sow’s Ear? Spider Silk Production in Tobacco
07 December 2004 Information Systems for Biotechnology
Dragline spider silk is nature’s strongest known fiber and, since it compares well with many synthetic fibers, it has great potential for use in a wide array of industrial and medical applications that range from surgical sutures to bulletproof vests.

21st Annual Report on British Social Attitudes Published
07 December 2004 The Financial Times
Adults are, however, less opposed to genetically modified foods than they were - the proportion believing they should be banned, even if that means a rise in food prices, falling from 52 per cent in 1999 to 29 per cent now.

One Gene Could Increase Biodiversity
07 December 2004 CheckBiotech.org
Through genetic engineering, two research teams are trying to make plants flower earlier in order to obtain better yields and to increase biodiversity.

The Effects of Agricultural Practices on Biodiversity
07 December 2004 Crop Biotech
The use of herbicide tolerant or self-protecting Bt GM crops can positively impact agricultural species biodiversity, as these crops allow the management of weeds and insect pests in a more specific way than chemical herbicides and pesticides.

GM Malaria Parasite 'Could Lead to Vaccine'
07 December 2004 SciDev.Net
The first study showing that a live malaria parasite could one day be used as a vaccine to protect people from the disease was published yesterday.

Eat Up! Why Genetically Modified "Frankenfood" Is Gaining Ground
06 December 2004 Barron's via AgBioWorld
Barron's feature on the increasing recognized benefits of genetically modified crops.

European Roadblock to Biotech Crops Starts to Crumble
06 December 2004 St. Louis Post Dispatch
When farmers rev up their tractors next spring, they'll be planting the world's 10th commercial crop of genetically modified foods.

Impact of Bt Cotton on Bollworm Populations and Egg Parasitism
06 December 2004 Information Systems for Biotechnology
The cultivation of Bt cotton, therefore, allows the producer to use fewer insecticide sprays during integrated pest management programs where susceptible bollworm species are a problem.

Biotechnology a Tool for the Future
06 December 2004 Grand Forks Herald
Technology can feed the world's population while slowing destruction of wilderness.

In the Case of Biotech Crops, Ignorance Breeds Contempt
05 December 2004 The Des Moines Register
When it comes to science, or at least science and agriculture, there is plenty of ignorance to go around these days.

Biotech May Hold Answer to Floods, Erosion
05 December 2004 Malaya
Biotechnology experts yesterday said new varieties of crops and quick-growing hardwood may help control floods and prevent soil erosion.

Biotechnology Helps Create a Healthier French Fry
05 December 2004 Council for Biotechnology Information
Genetically enhanced potatoes absorb less oil when cooking.

Science Makes Exciting Ag Advances, But 'Natural' Naysayers Stand In Way
05 December 2004 L.A. Daily News
There has never been a more exciting time for agriculture and the plant sciences.

Getting Ready for Biofuel
04 December 2004 New Straits Times
From cooking oil to biofuel: Malaysia is close to making palm diesel a commercial reality.

Indonesian Farmers Agree to Adopt Modern Biotech
03 December 2004 Crop Biotech
Farmers in Indonesia voiced out the need for freedom of choice in deciding what crops to plant. Specifically, they asked government to allow the use of seeds derived from biotechnology.

Farming 'Must Embrace the New'
03 December 2004 BBC
UK agriculture must take up new technologies in order to remain competitive in the future.

Monsanto's Chief Sees the Future of Biotech in Our Back Yard
03 December 2004 St. Louis Post Dispatch
Monsanto's chief sees the future of biotech in our back yard: Hugh Grant stresses the importance of educating the kids who'll grow into tomorrow's leader.

The EU Biotech Regulatory Process--A New Tower of Babel
03 December 2004 USDA Foreign Agricultural Service
While the EU pays homage to implementing regulatory measures that are proportionate to the alleged risks, the reality for biotech and other food products is often far different.

Asia Holds the Key to the Future of GM Food
02 December 2004 Yale Global
Most media coverage of genetically modified (GM) food has centered on disputes between Europe and the United States. "But it is in Asia that the new techno-food will live or die," writes John Feffer.

Monsanto Chief Technology Officer to Address Chemical Industry Investors
02 December 2004 Monsanto Co.
Monsanto Company's Chief Technology Officer Robert T. Fraley, Ph.D., will address chemical industry investors at 2:30 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Dec. 8 at the 15th Annual Chemical Conference sponsored by Smith Barney Citigroup in New York.

A New World of Watermelon
02 December 2004 Agricultural Research Service - USDA
ARS develops low-sugar melons, finds mini-fruit rich in key nutrients.

Biosafety Pact Threatens Future of Food Exports
01 December 2004 The New Zealand Herald
The Cartegena Biosafety Protocol undermines the free-trade rules of the World Trade Organization.

Will the Drugs of the Future Grow in Greenhouses?
01 December 2004 CheckBiotech.org
One day plants might play an important role in producing therapeutic proteins as they offer some distinct advantages compared to other expression systems.

New Research Proves That Co-Existence is NOT a Problem
01 December 2004 PG Economics
Co-existence of GM and non GM maize crops can be successfully delivered by applying a few simple measures according to a report published today.

Biotechnology's Benefits for Biodiversity
01 December 2004 The Globe and Mail
Around the world these Bt crops have allowed farmers to reduce the amount of organophosphate insecticide sprayed by close to a hundred-million pounds each year.

GM Law 'a Blow for Science'
01 December 2004 The Scientist
The final passage of a highly restrictive genetically modified (GM) crops law is being hailed as a major victory by German Agriculture Minister Renate Künast, but the bioscience community and biotech sector see the new legislation as a blow to German science and industry.

Can Transgenic Crop Technology Benefit Biocontrol?
01 December 2004 Information Systems for Biotechnology
Because of a lack of harmonization between plant breeders and biocontrol specialists, breeders have continued to strive for total resistance to pests, whilst biocontrol specialists have often ignored the role of the plant in enhancing successful natural enemy foraging behavior.

Bacteria Enlisted for New Trials on Dental Health
30 November 2004 The New York Times
Biotech companies are genetically engineering bacteria to prevent cavities and tooth decay.

UT Southwestern Initiating Trials in Humans for Ricin Vaccine
30 November 2004 University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
A potential vaccine for the deadly toxin ricin, a "Category B" biological agent, will enter the first phase of clinical testing in coming weeks at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.

Decisions on National Bans on GMOs to be Referred to Council
30 November 2004 EUROPA
A draft decision to lift national bans on certain authorised genetically modified organisms currently in place in five EU Member States will pass on the Council of Ministers.

GM Pasture Plant No Greater Weed Risk
30 November 2004 CSIRO
New research has shown that genetically modified (GM) subterranean clover is unlikely to be more of a weed threat than conventional subterranean clover.

Growers Welcome International Tomato Gene Project
30 November 2004 Just-Food.com
The UK is to join 9 other international teams in sequencing the genes of the tomato. This research will enable the development of disease-resistance and improved nutrition in future tomatoes.

China Looks to GM Rice to Solve Food Problems
30 November 2004 Business Report (South Africa)
China is on the verge of introducing genetically engineered rice on a large scale as it seeks ways to adequately supply the basic staple to its people, who make up one-fifth of the world's population.

Genome of Economically Important Fungus Soon to be Identified
30 November 2004 Plant Research International
Plant Research International makes major contribution to the battle against number one wheat disease.

Study Finds Benefits in GM Crops
29 November 2004 BBC
A major study of genetically modified crops in the UK has found no evidence that they harm the environment.

More Heat Than Light Shed on GM Corn in Mexico
29 November 2004 Mexdata.info
Should Mexico import GM corn? Should Mexican farmers get on the worldwide bandwagon and start using GM corn, or GM cotton, or GM soybeans, or GM rice?

Area Under Bt Cotton Rises
29 November 2004 Financial Express
The area under genetically modified cotton, Bt cotton, in the country has grown to 13 lakh acres in Kharif 2004, from 72,000 acres in 2002, when it was released for commercial cultivation, and 2.3 lakh acres in 2003.

When Science Is 'Pathological'
29 November 2004 Tech Central Station
Often, the targets of activists' opprobrium are socially beneficial and highly cost-effective products or processes.

Draft Decision on Genetically Modified Maize MON 863 to be Referred to Council
29 November 2004 EUROPA
Following today's vote in the Regulatory Committee on the release of genetically modified organisms into the environment, the draft decision to authorise the import and processing of the genetically modified maize known as MON 863 will pass on to the Council of Ministers.

Sizzling New Soybeans
29 November 2004 AgWeb
All soybeans are not created equal—not anymore. Production contracts for new designer varieties containing lower levels of linolenic acid are germinating across the Soybean Belt faster than you can super size your fries.

EFSA Response to Report of Friends of the Earth Europe Regarding Risk Assessments of the EFSA GMO Panel
29 November 2004 European Food Safety Authority
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) believes that it fully fulfills its role of providing independent, authoritative advice on issues related to genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Biotech to Trigger 'Green Revolution' - India's Agric Minister
26 November 2004 Crop Biotech
There has been a 20% increase in yield in cotton production this year, thanks to the use of innovative biotechnology solutions and a good monsoon, Pawar said.

Third EU GM food approval on the way?
26 November 2004 Food Navigator
According to this story, the EU will soon be meeting to discuss clearance for Monsanto's MON 863, rootworm-resistant corn. This would be the third biotech product approved for consumption in the EU since the end of Europe's moratorium on GMOs.

Monsanto Welcomes Results of Test Cultivation: Starting Shot Has Sounded for Commercial Cultivation of Genetically Modified Corn in 2005
24 November 2004 Monsanto Germany
Monsanto welcomes the results of the test cultivation with genetically modified corn, which was presented today at a press conference in Germany, called by the Federal Land of Saxony-Anhalt and the association InnoPlanta e.V.

Thankful for Moral Leadership
24 November 2004 Truth About Trade & Technology
[M]any folks are surprised to learn that the Vatican is one of biotechnology's best friends.

Agricultural Research Gets Double Boost from Qatar
24 November 2004 SciDev.Net
Qatar last month announced two projects to boost agricultural cooperation and food safety in the Gulf region: an online information centre on agricultural research, and a research centre for agricultural biotechnology.

Monsanto Highlights Availability of YieldGard Plus With Roundup Ready Corn 2 Technology for 2005 Season
22 November 2004 Monsanto Co.
Monsanto Company today highlighted the availability of the biotech industry's first triple trait offering, YieldGard Plus with Roundup Ready Corn 2 technology. The new product will offer corn growers in-seed protection against devastating corn insects and the flexibility of herbicide tolerance in one seed.

Golden Wonder
21 November 2004 The Sunday Times
A yellow genetically modified potato grown in Scotland is being hailed as the answer to Third World hunger and the nation’s poor health.

Forget the Tiger. Put Some Mushrooms in Your Tank.
21 November 2004 The Observer
Gene scientists turn waste into fuel for Europe's cars.

Feeding Prejudice
20 November 2004 EMBO Reports
Reluctance within the European Union to accept genetically modified crops may hinder the benefits of this technology reaching the developing world.

New GM Rice Resistant to Bacteria
20 November 2004 The Manila Times
A genetically modified (GM) rice that can resist the destructive bacterial leaf blight (BLB) is being developed by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PRRI) that is seen to cut 60 percent loss from BLB that festers even high-yielding hybrid rice varieties.

BT cotton: Cotton Production up by 20%
20 November 2004 Team India
Good monsoon and faster adoption of genetically modified BT Cotton by farmers will increase cotton production by 20 per cent this year, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said today.

Enhanced Animal Feed Will Be a Boon for the Environment
19 November 2004 Council for Biotechnology Information
Plant biotechnology is already making animal feed safer for a wide variety of livestock and holds even more promise for creating feed that is more nutritious and better for the environment.

Spanish Committee Recommends Genetically Modified Crops
19 November 2004 CheckBiotech.org
In Spain, an Ethics Advisory Committee for Scientific Research recommended that research and cultivation of genetically modified crops should continue late last week.

New Transgenic Cottons to Have ‘Fit’ in Mid-South
19 November 2004 Delta Farm Press
Cotton farmers are about to move to the next level of transgenic, insect-tolerant technologies – products that promise to provide improved control of caterpillar insects such as bollworms and, until now, largely uncontrolled foliar feeding pests.

Making the Desert Bloom
18 November 2004 The Wall Street Journal Europe
Researchers at Cairo's Agricultural Genetic Engineering Research Institute have shown that by transferring a single gene from barley to wheat, the plants can tolerate less watering for a longer period of time before their leaves wilt.

Soya on Rice to Go
18 November 2004 The Economist
According to this story, Brazil and China are preparing to legalise genetically modified crops.

Biotech is Better
18 November 2004 Truth About Trade & Technology
But what if we were able to do more than claim that biotech-enhanced foods are as safe for you as conventional varieties--and actually state that they’re better for you?

SIU Study Backs Safety of GMO Feed
17 November 2004 Farm Week
A new Southern Illinois University (SIU) study further documents the safety of feeding GMO grain, in a language an SIU swine specialist hopes European officials can understand.

Prospects for Bt Cotton Technology in India
17 November 2004 AgBioForum
Cotton is a very important crop in India; farmers there face the challenge of losses due to various insect pests.

The Tough Grass That Sweetens Our Lives
17 November 2004 The Daily Telegraph
How genetics revived a sugar industry plagued by disease.

Researchers Discover New Way to Boost Grain Crops’ Drought Tolerance
17 November 2004 University of California, Riverside
Researchers at the University of California, Riverside report the development of technology that increases the tolerance of grains crops to drought by decreasing the amount of an enzyme that is responsible for producing the plant hormone ethylene.

Proceed With Caution Over Genetically Modified Crops - But Proceed We Must
16 November 2004 Western Mail
Countries must be willing to implement new technologies such as genetically modified foods, or face falling behind in global competition.

Monsanto Forms American Seeds, Inc., an Investment Vehicle for Regional Seed Companies
16 November 2004 Monsanto Co.
Monsanto Company announced today the formation of American Seeds, Inc. (ASI), a new holding company established to support regional seed businesses with capital, genetics and technology investments.

Transgenes Invade Mexico -- So What?
16 November 2004 Tech Central Station
First, a mea culpa -- nearly two years ago I criticized activist scientist Ignacio Chapela for trying to alarm Mexican farmers about transgenic "pollution" of their local varieties of maize. At the time, I asked two questions -- is he right and does it matter?

Rice Researchers Converge on Campus
15 November 2004 The Arizona Daily Wildcat
More than 240 rice researchers from around the world will gather at the Marriott University Park Hotel today to kick off a three-day conference on altering rice genes to create better rice.

Poppies' Growing Role as Nature's Pharmacy
15 November 2004 ABC (AU)
Genetically modified opium poppies could "grow" their own drugs to fight cancer and malaria, say Australian scientists.

Scottish Crop Research Institute Scientists Boost Potato Carotenoid Levels Almost 6 Fold
15 November 2004 Scottish Crop Research Institute
SCRI scientists hope to transfer improvements in the nutritional “fortification” of potato to developing countries if a multi million dollar bid to the Bill and Melinda Gates “Global Challenge in Human Health” Programme is successful.

Denmark Opens Doors to Food Biotech
12 November 2004 Crop Biotech
A new, 10-year strategy on food biotechnology has just been passed to the Parliament of Denmark, in an effort to free up funding to investigate the key role biotechnology could play in designing better tasting, safer foods, and ultimately the opportunity for higher quality, cheaper foods.

Vegetables are More Than Nutritious
12 November 2004 CheckBiotech
New studies promise an approach to prevent diabetes by eating a vegetable instead of depending on an often unpleasant injection.

Europe Surrenders in Biotech War
12 November 2004 The Hudson Institute
In effect, the EU is finally surrendering to the reality that genetically engineered crops are safe and effectively regulated.

How Nature Makes Transgenic Plants
10 November 2004 BetterHumans
Plant parasitism has been confirmed to swap genes between species, showing how nature created transgenic plants long before humans.

Bolivia: Soya Growers 'Prepared to Work with GMOs'
10 November 2004 Hoy Bolivia
The Santa Cruz soya sector in Bolivia is prepared to work with GM crops, "given that they can improve the level of competitiveness vis-à-vis third countries"...

Hepatitis B Antibodies Produced in Plant Cells: Safe, Easy and Very Affordable
09 November 2004 CheckBiotech.org
With the high costs of the technology needed to produce Hepatitis B medical solutions, developing countries aren't obtaining all the help they need. Inexpensive transgenic plants that produce biopharmaceuticals may help change that.

Genetically Engineered Corn Poses No Immediate Threat to Mexican Crops
08 November 2004 Ohio State University
Genetically modified (GM) corn won't threaten native corn species in Mexico, according to a new report issued by the North American Free Trade Association (NAFTA).

U.S. Says NAFTA Report on Genetically Modified Corn is "Flawed"
08 November 2004 US Embassy (London)
The U.S. government says a report by an environmental commission of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) regarding genetically modified maize (corn) is "fundamentally flawed and unscientific."

'GMO Contamination' Claim Unsubstantiated
07 November 2004 The Honolulu Advertiser
Successful coexistence of GMO crops with conventional and organic crops is taking place all over the world.

Brussels Says No Member State Can Prohibit GM Crops
06 November 2004 Irish Independent
According to this story, the EU Commission has warned Ireland against instituting a ban on genetically modified crops as certain crops have been approved for EU-wide use.

Feeding Half the World...Sustainably
06 November 2004 IRRI
An international effort has been launched to renew focus on the development of sustainable strategies to feed the half of the world’s population that depends on rice.

Pesticides Found in 'Organic' Food
06 November 2004 Stuff (NZ)
Pesticide residues found in "organic" produce have prompted fresh concerns that shoppers are being misled.

Non-Food Crops Can Profit Science, Business, Environment
05 November 2004 UK Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Plans to exploit the commercial, scientific and environmental potential of crops grown for manufacturing were unveiled today by the government.

Helping Cotton Thrive in the Heat
05 November 2004 Agricultural Research Service - USDA
Cotton grown in the United States comes from areas prone to periods of extremely high temperatures that can have a negative effect on cotton yield.

Bt Cotton Helps Boost India's Cotton Output to Record Level
05 November 2004 Indo-Asian News Service
Monsanto's Bt cotton has been a significant contributor to India's record cotton production this season, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said here Friday.

Genomics Predicted to Transform World Economies
04 November 2004 London Free Press
Nations that do not embrace the new "language" of genetics will end up backward and poor, warns a renowned economist and author who visited London yesterday.

Paraguayan GMO Approval Seen as Market Milestone
04 November 2004 Farm Week
Paraguay’s nod for biotech soybean production is seen as “a good symbolic move” that could boost global GMO acceptance and help close Latin America’s biotech black market.

"Spurious" Science Dominates Anti-GM Debate!
04 November 2004 BioSpectrum
Even though commercialization of GM crops is in full swing around the world without a single instance of anything having gone wrong, the anachronistic pitch continues to queer new heights.

Biotech Soybeans Double Yields and Income for Romanian Farmer
03 November 2004 Council for Biotechnology Information
Herbicide tolerant soybeans, which have been commercially grown in Romania since 1999, have led to a doubling of both income and yields...

Voters Reject Engineered Crops Ban
03 November 2004 California Farm Bureau Federation
Organized opposition by family farmers led to defeat for initiatives aimed at banning agricultural biotechnology in two California counties.

Continued Investment in Biotechnology & Early Entry Position Monsanto at Leading Edge of Industry Trend
03 November 2004 Monsanto Co.
In a presentation to investors this afternoon, Monsanto Company’s Chief Technology Officer Robert T. Fraley, Ph.D., will illustrate how the company’s early investment in biotechnology and genomics-based research has established the company as a leader in the market segment and positioned Monsanto on the leading edge of a significant shift in the composition of the agricultural industry.

Biotech Flax with Increased Omega-3 Levels Could Improve Human Health
03 November 2004 Council for Biotechnology Information
A team of researchers led by Ernst Heinz from the University of Hamburg in Germany has successfully developed a genetically enhanced flax (or linseed) plant that has boosted levels of healthful long chain polyunsaturated omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids that are believed to reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's and many other diseases.

Breakthrough Takes Root in Acid Soils
03 November 2004 CSIRO
Acidity affects more than 40 per cent of the world's arable land, limiting agriculture when naturally occurring aluminium dissolves and inhibits root growth in sensitive plants.

UCR Researchers Identify Three Genetic Suppressors of Immune Response in Plants
03 November 2004 University of California, Riverside
Researchers at the University of California, Riverside, with colleagues at the University of Florida and at UC Davis, have uncovered how viruses circumvent the immune response of plants.

The Crops of Wrath
03 November 2004 Tech Central Station
"Left" and "Right" may be useful concepts in many respects, but not as far as the debate over genetically modified crops is concerned, at least in Italy.

The Future of Fraud
02 November 2004 The Hawaii Reporter
The following movie review is important for Hawaii because of the significance that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have for this state.

Continuing the Effort
02 November 2004 AgBioForum
Since the emergence of agricultural biotechnology as a bona fide method for crop improvement, farmers in a growing number of countries have benefited, some to greater extents than others.

Technology Boosts GM Cotton Plantings
02 November 2004 ABC (AU)
A record amount of genetically modified (GM) cotton has been planted in New South Wales and Queensland this year.

Gene May Repel Aphids
02 November 2004 AP via Illinois Farm Bureau
According to this story, researchers at the University of Illinois have discovered a gene in soybeans that makes them resistant to aphids.

Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church
02 November 2004 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The "Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church" helps to clarify the Church's position on biotechnology.

Seeds Bring in the Harvest
02 November 2004 AgWeb
Farmers hit the ball out of the park with the 2004 record corn harvest. Weather was a big help, but seed genetics and technologies can take some credit, too.

Organic Farming: Facts and Fallacies
02 November 2004 The Hindu
Organic farming is being touted as the panacea for a whole range of maladies afflicting third world rural society.

Social Constraints on Crop Biotechnology in Developing Countries
01 November 2004 AgBioForum
Westerners often see the social components of agriculture in developing countries as constraints on development. However, the same social components play vital roles in facilitating cultivation.

Consensus Grows: Voters Should Reject Biotech Bans
01 November 2004 California Farm Bureau Federation
A growing list of academic and scientific organizations and elected officials urges voters to reject initiatives to ban agricultural biotechnology.

After Cotton, Genetically Tweaked Eggplant Soon
29 October 2004 New Kerala
After developing genetically modified, pest-resistant cotton, Indian scientists are hoping for a similar breakthrough in brinjal to make its varieties resistant to pest attacks without high doses of insecticide.

Designing Genes for Safety and Sustainability
29 October 2004 World Resources Institute
Risks can be reduced and the benefits of future genetically engineered (GE) crops enhanced by designing GE crops for safety and sustainability.

GCC Agree on Safety Assessment of Biotech Foods
29 October 2004 Crop Biotech
Representatives from the States of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) met in Rome, Italy where they agreed on the importance of establishing the necessary regulations governing the production, distribution, and the imports and exports of genetically modified (GM) foods, at national and regional levels.

Genetically Modified Rice Adoption: Implications for Welfare and Poverty Alleviation
29 October 2004 World Bank
Welfare gains stand to be more significant than farm productivity gains as a result of the potential health-enhancing attributes of golden rice.

Plant Biotechnology in Asia
29 October 2004 AgBioForum
Crop improvement facilitated by modern biotechnology is one the most significant developments in plant biotechnology research and development (R&D).

EU Agency Says Monsanto's Biotech Maize Strain Safe
29 October 2004 The Philadelphia Inquirer
According to this story, the European Food Safety Agency has declared Monsanto's GM maize to be safe for humans, animals and the environment.

German Chancellor Campaigns for Genetic Engineering
29 October 2004 Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
German Chancellor Gerhard Schoeder called for more open-mindedness towards the use of genetic engineering.

Maize Genes Amaze Scientists
29 October 2004 SciDev.Net
Scientists have moved a step closer to learning the genetic secrets of maize, one of the world's most important food crops, and using this knowledge to boost crop yields.

Biotechnology is Becoming Essential to Feed the Planet
29 October 2004 Western Daily Press
Scientists from the Independent Science Panel may be urging the abandonment of GM technology in agriculture but they are not carrying the overwhelming mass of scientists with them, nor do many people out there seem to be listening.

Australia 04/05 Cotton Crop Seen Rising 50 Pct
28 October 2004 CheckBiotech.org
Australia is expected to see a great improvement in crop yield this season, due in part to increased use of genetically modified cotton seed.

India Joins the Biotech Club
28 October 2004 AgWeb
A generation ago, India was a full partner in the Green Revolution.

Is Organic Food Really Worth the Money?
27 October 2004 The Daily Telegraph
Special report on the costs and benefits of organic foods vs conventional products.

New Pinto Bean Now Resists Anthracnose Disease
27 October 2004 Agricultural Research Service - USDA
A new pinto bean germplasm line resistant to anthracnose is now available for use in developing new varieties of the legume crop.

U.K. Scientists Look into Producing Biodiesel from Used Cooking Oil
27 October 2004 The Scotsman
University of the West of England researchers have been experimenting with making biodiesel from recovered vegetable oil from the university's catering operations. The biodiesel is made by filtering the oil and adding methanol and sodium hydroxide.

Farmers Don’t Need a New Superstar Toxin to Fight Bugs
26 October 2004 Purdue University
A new Michael Jordan of toxins isn’t required to increase crop protection against bugs as long as the right genes are strategically placed to take their shots at destructive insects, researchers report.

Monsanto's Roundup Ready Corn 2 (NK 603) Technology Completes European Union Food Approval Process
26 October 2004 Monsanto Co.
The European Commission today approved the use of Monsanto's Roundup Ready(R) Corn NK603 and its processed products as food and food ingredients under the Novel Foods Regulation.

Growing Mon810
26 October 2004 European Biotechnology News
The European Union-wide approval of Monsanto' s genetically modified (GM) maize Mon810 (see p. 5) is likely to affect the cultivation in Poland, according to the Austrian daily DER STANDARD.

Swiss Federal Council Rejects GM Moratorium
26 October 2004 European Biotechnology News
The Swiss Federal Council ("Bundesrat") has rejected a referendum to halt commercial cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops in Switzerland for the next five years.

GM Trials Get Clean Bill of Health
26 October 2004 Farmers Weekly
All Genetically Modified trial sites in England have been managed appropriately, according to the latest GM Inspectorate report.

GAO – Biotech Foods Safe
25 October 2004 Truth About Trade & Technology
The investigative arm of the U.S. Congress says biotech foods pose no long-term health threats and that safety tests are adequate.

Organic Industry Lobby Misrepresents Own Rules to Undermine Competitors and Promote Fear in Consumers
25 October 2004 The Hudson Institute
The Organic Trade Association (OTA), the lobby organization for the $10 billion organic foods industry, is falsely claiming that so-called genetic contamination of organic crops from genetically engineered crops will have “detrimental effects on the organic industry, and ultimately consumer choice.”

Ducking The Truth About EU GM Policy
22 October 2004 EU Reporter
The EC has long attempted to justify its strict health and environmental regulations premised on the precautionary principle as necessary to protect the public from uncertain risk. The World Bank report, Trade, Standards and the Political Economy of Genetically Modified Food, debunks this myth and offers empirical evidence regarding the Commission’s true motivation.

Biotechnology in the United Kingdom: a Strong Wish to Maintain the Leadership
22 October 2004 Teknoscienze
The UK is currently the leading biotechnology nation in Europe, and remains second in the world after the United States. Public research is suffering from long term under-investment which could threaten the UK’s long-standing leading position in biotechnology.

Inventory of OECD Biotech Stats
22 October 2004 Crop Biotech
A working paper that attempts to provide an accurate assessment of the current state of biotechnology statistics in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) member and observer countries is now available.

GM Soy Approved by EO in Brazil
22 October 2004 Crop Biotech
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil has just signed an executive order that will allow planting and trade of genetically modified (GM) soy in the 2004-2005 harvest.

Biofuel Sorghum to be Tested in Philippine Fields
22 October 2004 SciDev.Net
Farmers in the Philippines could one day be producing a cleaner and cheaper alternative to fossil fuels if imminent field trials of a new variety of the cereal sorghum are successful.

Paraguayan Official Approves Commercial Planting of Soybean Varieties With Monsanto's Roundup Ready Technology
21 October 2004 Monsanto Co.
The Paraguayan Minister for Agriculture and Livestock yesterday approved four soybean varieties containing Monsanto's Roundup Ready technology for planting and marketing in Paraguay.

Genetically Modified Cotton and Farmers' Health in China
21 October 2004 International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health
This study provides the first evidence of a direct link between the adoption of a genetically modified (GM) crop and improvements in human health.

Boost Biotech in South, Report Urges
21 October 2004 Inter Press Service News Agency
The science of biotechnology could save tens of millions of lives each year in developing countries if the technology is shared equitably, says a new report to the United Nations.

Golden Staple
21 October 2004 The Advertiser
“Golden Rice” being grown at the rice research center here may be part of a solution to malnutrition in developing countries.

NCFAP Finds Biotechnology Boosts U.S. Grower Income, Environmentally Friendly Farming
20 October 2004 NCFAP
The widespread adoption of six biotechnology-derived (biotech) crops in 2003 increased farmer income, boosted yields, reduced pesticide and spurred greater use of environmentally friendly no-till agriculture, according to a new study by the National Center for Food and Agricultural Policy.

GM Crops Cut Herbicide Use
20 October 2004 BetterHumans
The use of herbicide-resistant canola has been found to significantly cut herbicide use, challenging fears that the genetically modified plants adversely affect the environment.

Icrisat Gears Up for Phase 2 with GM Crops
20 October 2004 The Financial Express
International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (Icrisat) is planning next generation of genetically modified (GM) crops in the range of controlled gene expressions, marker-free transgenics, plant-based vaccines, enhanced nutritional content, functional foods and phytoceuticals, plant-derived plastics and polymers and transgenic plants for phytoremediation.

Scientists Try to Demystify Biotechnology for the Media
20 October 2004 The Hindu Business Line
IS agri-biotechnology getting a raw deal because of controversy dogging the use of genetically engineered crops? Yes, said scientists at a workshop organised last week for journalists at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Patancheru, near Hyderabad.

Statue of Liberty Goes Green With Soy-Based Elevator Fluid
19 October 2004 Agricultural Research Service - USDA
Visitors to the Statue of Liberty may not know it, but the monument's elevator now runs on a new, biodegradable hydraulic fluid made from soy oil.

Question and Answers on the Regulation of GMOs in the EU
19 October 2004 EUROPA
An updated Fact Sheet is available that addresses GMO regulations in the European Union.

Agri-Biotech Can Raise Food Supply With Limited Space
18 October 2004 Financial Express
Agri-biotechnology has taken the agriculture sector beyond conventional breeding to newer varieties of transgenics which can increase food supply with decreasing agricultural space, conserve biosafety with more efficient use of external inputs.

Research Gaining Momentum by Silencing Genes
18 October 2004 VIB, Flanders Interuniversity Institute of Biotechnology
Along with five European academic laboratories, researchers from the Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) connected to Ghent University are accelerating the study of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana.

Farmers From Around the World Praise Biotech Crops
18 October 2004 Council for Biotechnology Information
About 7 million farmers in 18 countries plant biotech crops, and more than 85 percent of these are resource-poor farmers in the developing world...

Record Harvest Ahead
18 October 2004 Quad-City Times
Quad-City area farmers see record corn production thanks to genetic engineering.

Biotechnology Should Help Ensure Food Security
16 October 2004 The Hindu
Global food security and conservation of biodiversity should be the primary objectives of scientific progress in biotechnology, and unless these are achieved, no human effort will be able to ensure food for all...

World Food Prize 2004 Awarded to Rice Breeders
15 October 2004 Crop Biotech
In a fitting tribute to the International Year of Rice, this year's World Food Prize will be awarded to rice breeders Yuan Longping of China and Monty Jones of Sierra Leone.

ICRISTAT 'Harnesses Biotech for the Poor'
15 October 2004 Crop Biotech
The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) based in Hyderabad, India, is using biotechnological tools to improve the performance of orphan and poor man's crops like groundnut, pearl millet, chickpea, and pigeonpea.

Research Explores Public's Perceived Risks Regarding GM Technology
15 October 2004 Crop Biotech
A paper by Lennart Sjöberg in the latest copy of the EMBO journal correlates principles of risk perception with the public’s view of gene technology.

UK Boost for Biomass Fuel Crops
15 October 2004 BBC
The UK is to encourage the production of biomass, crops grown specially for use as environmentally-friendly fuels.

Eating Spinach Still Seems to Be the Simplest Solution
15 October 2004 CheckBiotech.org
Researchers in the US succeeded in generating transgenic plants that produce enhanced levels of folates, leading them one step closer to delivering adequate folate levels via biofortified foods.

Better Quality Cotton Varieties Improving Grower Prospects
15 October 2004 SouthWest Farm Press
Daniel Lyons, a Memphis, Tenn., cotton buyer, counts only one domestic mill among his customer base and says the foreign demand for higher quality cotton is changing the way farmers and seed companies view the future.

India and Denmark Sign MoU to Promote Cooperation in Biotechnology
15 October 2004 Press Information Bureau - India
India and Denmark today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote development of long term cooperation in the fields of biotechnology between the two countries and to facilitate joint collaboration on specific areas of interests.

World Food Prize Laureates Credit Biotechnology
14 October 2004 Des Moines Register
Two rice breeders who will be jointly awarded the World Food Prize tonight in Des Moines said modern biotechnology provided a shortcut in their work to develop high-yielding rice plants.

Egyptian Scientists Produce Drought-Tolerant GM Wheat
14 October 2004 SciDev.Net
The researchers, at Cairo's Agricultural Genetic Engineering Research Institute (AGERI), say their technique reduces the number of irrigations needed from eight to one, and that the wheat could be cultivated with rainfall alone in some desert areas.

Soy Industry to Launch a Healthier Future With QUALISOY(TM)
14 October 2004 QUALISOY
As the soybean industry gathers today at the annual Soy Symposium, farmers and industry leaders will announce the launch of QUALISOY, a one-of-a-kind agricultural initiative focused on improving the quality and competitiveness of U.S. soybean varieties.

Banning Biotech May Deny Safer Foods to Developing Countries
14 October 2004 San Luis Obispo Tribune
A vote to ban biotech crops in California counties could contribute to more babies being born with undeveloped brains or other neural tube defects.

Ramsamy Promotes Use of Bio-Fuels
14 October 2004 Mmegi/The Reporter
Southern African Development Community (SADC) executive secretary, Dr Pregga Ramsamy has said if bio-fuels could replace even a fraction of conventional fuel in the coming years that would be a major breakthrough for agricultural growth and development within the region.

GM Opponents' Theory on Co-existence "Exaggerated" According to New Report
14 October 2004 PG Economics Limited
Five key principles are all it takes to ensure the successful co-existence of GM, organic and conventional crops. This is according to a new research paper released today by PG Economics.

Court Rules in Favor of Monsanto; Eliminates Substantial Damage Claim by Delta and Pine Land
13 October 2004 Monsanto Co.
A state circuit court in Clarksdale, Mississippi, has granted Monsanto Company's (NYSE: MON - News) request for partial summary judgment in a lawsuit brought by Delta and Pine Land (D&PL) Company, thereby eliminating a key element of DPL's damage claim against Monsanto.

Another GMO Barrier Hurdled
13 October 2004 Delta Farm Press
Agricultural Research Service committed $24 million in fiscal 2004 for biotechnology risk assessment and risk mitigation research, covering such issues as allergenicity of GM foods to ways to block movement of genes from GM crops to non-GM crops.

Transgenics Gone Wild!
13 October 2004 Reason
Biotechnology foes have always warned us that genetically modified creatures, once free in the outside world, are beyond our control.

Bacteria are Genetically Modified by Lightning
13 October 2004 New Scientist
Lightning is nature’s own genetic engineer. By opening up pores in soil bacteria it allows them to pick up any stray DNA present.

UK GM Planting Regime: UK Government's Reply to the EFRA Committee's Report
13 October 2004 UK Parliament
The Government welcomes the opportunity to respond to the EFRA subcommittee’s conclusions and recommendations regarding the issue of the coexistence of GM and non-GM crops and the related issue of liability.

The Biotechnology Program of the Nation's Largest University System Opposes California's Anti-GMO Initiatives
12 October 2004 CSUPERB
The 23-campus California State University system-wide biotechnology program (CSUPERB) opposes the anti-GM initiatives in Butte, San Luis Obispo, Humboldt, and Marin counties that would prohibit the cultivation of biotech crops.

Rutgers-led Research Offers New Clues in the Genetic Mysteries of Maize
12 October 2004 Rutgers
Rutgers researchers, with the support of the National Science Foundation, have pushed back the frontiers on the genetic nature and history one of the world's most important crops – corn.

Modified Crops Should be Specific to Each Country`s Needs
12 October 2004 Business Standard
In 2003, the global area of transgenic crops continued to grow for the seventh consecutive year at a sustained double-digit growth rate of 15 per cent, as compared with 12 per cent in 2002.

Plant Genetic Resources: Great Success in an Important Step Towards an Accord on Access to Agricultural Seeds and the Sharing of Commercial Benefits
12 October 2004 EUROPA
The MTA will specify the rights and obligations of all providers and recipients of seeds, for agricultural research and the breeding of new plant varieties.

Bringing Plants Back into the Cold
11 October 2004 Information Systems for Biotechnology
The genetic basis for plant cold tolerance, that is, which genes are needed to convey cold tolerance to plants, has been a long standing goal of plant scientists.

The Organic Food Placebo
11 October 2004 The Scientist
He characterizes the organic food movement as a massive con trick: "...the craze for organic food is built on myth. It starts with a scientific howler, has rules with neither rhyme nor reason. None of the claims made for it have ever been substantiated, and if it grows it will damage the nation's health."

Resistance Genes Discovered in Ancestral Tomato Species
11 October 2004 American Association for the Advancement of Science
Dutch researcher Marco Kruijt has discovered two resistance genes that were probably present in an ancestral tomato species, prior to the evolution of modern tomato species.

GM Food 'Healthier Than Conventional'
11 October 2004 Union of the German Academies of Science and Humanities
GMO products have been tested to a particularly high extent and are subjected to rigid legislation control.

Vaccine Development Needs a Booster Shot
10 October 2004 The Washington Times
Every year in this country influenza kills tens of thousands and hospitalizes about a quarter-million.

Berlusconi Opens Door to GMO Foods
10 October 2004 ANSA
The Italian government's decision to block tough new measures aimed at protecting traditional Italian agriculture against the encroachment of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) was motivated by the need to guarantee citizens greater freedom of choice, Premier Silvio Berlusconi said here today.

GM Seeds Make their Way into 25% of Farmland
09 October 2004 The Economic Times
For the first time, one out of every four hectares in the world growing food, feed and fibre crops is now using transgenic seeds.

Indian Council of Ag Research Optimistic About Golden Rice
08 October 2004 Crop Biotech
Rice fortified with iron and Vitamin-A will be ready for use in two years time, Dr Mangla Rai, secretary of India’s Department of Agriculture Research and Education in the Union Agriculture Ministry, said, at the 'From Green Revolution to Gene Revolution' symposium in Hyderabad.

Rice Genome Helps Put Other Cereals "On the Map"
08 October 2004 Agricultural Research Service - USDA
Think of how superior a map showing roads, terrain, rivers, and cities is to one showing just a featureless land mass. That's the thought behind the research of ARS computational biologist Doreen Ware and colleagues working with genome maps of rice, maize, and sorghum.

ASPB Opposes Ban of GE Crops in Butte County Ballot Measure D
07 October 2004 The American Society of Plant Biologists
Measure D's proposed GE crops ban is a step backwards for science and agriculture.

GM Crops on Cards
07 October 2004 The Daily Star
Land-strapped Bangladesh is set to grow genetically modified (GM) crops to augment food production to meet the growing demand of a growing population.

UC Riverside Researchers Identify Key Plant Defense Enzyme
07 October 2004 University of California, Riverside
The development holds out hope of improving crop yields, which are dependent on plants being able to fend off multiple types of pathogens.

Taking the Next Step Toward Growing Our Own Fuel
07 October 2004 University of Illinois
Developing a petroleum-free fuel from corn bi-products is one of the goals of a new research project at the University of Illinois.

Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health Section: Genetically Modified Food and Feed and Environmental Risk
06 October 2004 EUROPA
The summary record of the 3rd meeting held on 24 September 2004 is now available.

The Toxic Politics of Biotech
06 October 2004 Tech Central Station
How far does grass pollen travel? Ask someone who has hay fever, and the response is likely to be "much too far."

The Next Green Revolution
06 October 2004 The New York Times
Op-ed piece on the benefits of helping Africa develop sustainable agriculture rather than solely providing emergency food aid.

Gene Revolution to Solve Problems in Agri-Sector
06 October 2004 Newindpress.com
Bio-technology has emerged as a dynamic force in 21st century in solving problems related to agriculture, human diseases and also in agricultural technology sector, said consultant in agri-bio-technology and former director Monsanto Research Centre Dr T M Manjunath.

Brazil Moves Closer to Legalising Biotech Soy
06 October 2004 Reuters
According to Reuters, Brazil's Senate has finally passed the biosafety bill. The bill must now clear the lower house before being signed into law by the President.

More Crop for the Drop
06 October 2004 Washington Times
Your morning espresso at Starbucks will soon be more expensive. Unless, that is, they find a way to make it without water or coffee, both increasingly in short supply.

Winners of the International Year of Rice Global Scientific Contest Announced
06 October 2004 FAO
Scientists from China and from Japan have won the International Year of Rice (IYR) Global Scientific Contest, FAO and IRRI jointly announced today.

Spinach Could be Better for You Than You Think
05 October 2004 The Philadelphia Inquirer
Companies are using biotechnology to develop plant-produced vaccines to counteract bioterrorism and Third World health threats.

Monsanto Wins Key Patent Dispute Regarding Dicot Plant Transformation
05 October 2004 Monsanto Co.
The decision by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that Monsanto's scientists were the first to invent this important discovery ends a 12-year patent interference dispute with the Max Planck Institute and other parties.

Europe Closes Ranks on Bioengineered Food
05 October 2004 International Herald Tribune
This article from IHT provides an overview of European views about GMOs and how those views are affecting multinationals and international trade.

EU to Review National GMO Bans from Moratorium Era
05 October 2004 Reuters
The European Commission may pressure member states with individual biotech bans to lift these bans in light of the case filed against the EU at the WTO.

Children Face Higher Risks from Pesticide Poisoning: Better Protection and Awareness Raising Needed, UN Agencies Say
05 October 2004 FAO
Children face higher risks from pesticides than adults and need greater protection against these chemicals, particularly in developing countries, according to a joint report published by FAO, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

The Father of Rice Revolution
05 October 2004 BioSpectrum
Dr. Khush is one of the global leaders on crop breeding and a major brain behind the development of productive rice varieties and the Green Revolution in plant breeding.

Researchers Improve Drought Tolerance in Plants
04 October 2004 Council for Biotechnology Information
Vitamin C provides link to a plant's ability to withstand drought conditions.

Research Shows: Antibiotics in Genetically Modified Plants are a Non-Issue
04 October 2004 EUFIC
The probability that antibiotic resistance markers (ARMs) which are used in some genetically modified plants could transfer to bacteria harmful to humans is less than winning first prize in the national lottery three weeks in a row.

How Roots Control Plant Shoots: Biologists Discover Gene That Helps Roots Limit Leaf Growth
04 October 2004 University of Utah
University of Utah biologists discovered a gene that allows a plant's roots to tell the leaves to stop growing, presumably when water is scarce, soil is too compacted or other conditions are bad.

Siberian Scientists Use Tomatoes to Develop AIDS Vaccine
04 October 2004 The Moscow News
Scientists from Siberian research institutes have created AIDS and hepatitis B vaccines using tomatoes.

Global Challenges for Guiding and Managing Biological Technologies: A Workshop
04 October 2004 The National Academies
The National Academies’ Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources and Board on Life Sciences will host a workshop on October 25-26, 2004 in Washington, DC.

GMOs and the Politics (Perils) of Precautionary Principle
04 October 2004 BioSpectrum
Luddites will never tell the public that world scientific and medical community has wholeheartedly endorsed the technology and GM crops as safe or that GM crops have undergone hundreds and thousands of tests the world over.

Greenpeace Must Make An Effort to Support Biotech
04 October 2004 Farmers Weekly
It appears that Greenpeace now espouses Chaos Theory with Ben Ayliffe's suggestion that growing GM soya in Argentina affects the ice fields in Patagonia.

Who’s Afraid Of Genetically Modified Foods?
03 October 2004 News Informant
With an ever-increasing global population, massive third world hunger, and the health risks of pesticides, you would think people would see genetically modified food as a hero, coming to the rescue. Instead, in many places, genetically modified food is treated as the greatest threat ever to human civilization.

Bt Cotton – Good News for Farmers in Developing Countries?
03 October 2004 ID21
Use of bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton – a pest-resistant genetically engineered variety pioneered by Monsanto - is spreading rapidly in the major cotton growing regions of China.

Scientists Chew on Idea of Edible Vaccines
03 October 2004 The Straits Times
Vaccines which can be taken just by having a drink or eating a snack could help patients skip the often-feared injections.

There Are Ample Facts to Support Biotechnology
01 October 2004 Down to Earth
Clive James, chairperson, International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications gives T V Jayan and Clifford Polycarp his prescription for feeding the hungry world.

Biotech Food for the Hungry
01 October 2004 International Herald Tribune
Article written by Jim Nicholson, United States Ambassador to the Holy See, on the potential of biotechnology to reduce hunger in developing countries.

Results of Transgenic Wheat Trial Look Promising
01 October 2004 CIMMYT
CIMMYT took a historic step in March 2004 by planting a small trial of genetically engineered wheat in its screenhouse at headquarters in El Batan, Mexico. It was the first time that transgenic wheat has been planted in Mexico under field-like conditions, and encouraging results have spurred plans for a more extensive follow-up trial.

Hillman Says Niche Market Will Be Key to Survival
01 October 2004 The Scotsman
According to this story, Professor John Hillman, director of the Scottish Crop Research Institute, says that UK farmers should reconsider the potential of biotechnology to counteract the constriction of the industry expected as a result of common agricultural policy changes.

Genetically Modified Bacteria Used to Create Anti-cancer Vaccine
01 October 2004 University of California, Berkeley
An experimental cancer vaccine using defanged listeria bacteria is showing great promise in animal studies, successfully treating new cancers that have spread into the lungs of mice.

Father of Green Revolution Speaks at Congress
01 October 2004 Crop Biotech
Professor Monkombu Swaminathan, who has been recognized as the father of the Green Revolution, said crop-yield growth rates had fallen below levels needed to overcome malnutrition in developing countries.

Generation Challenge Program for Developing Countries
01 October 2004 Crop Biotech
The Generation Challenge Program (GCP) was formally launched during the Fourth International Crop Science Congress in Brisbane, Australia to propel the use of plant genetic diversity and genomics research for the resource poor.

Biologists Launch 'Open-Source Movement'
01 October 2004 Crop Biotech
The Biological Innovation for Open Society (BIOS) initiative is being established with a US$1-million grant from the Rockefeller Foundation to make research tools more readily available to biologists who could not otherwise afford them.

Italy Tests GM Grapes and Berries
01 October 2004 Crop Biotech
Italy has been field-testing genetically modified (GM) grapes, raspberries, and strawberries since 2001.

Open Letter to FAO on Biotech
01 October 2004 Crop Biotech
The International Consortium of Agricultural Biotechnology Research (ICABR) is encouraging scientists to sign an open letter to the General Director of the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) supporting its recent report on biotech foods' potential role in developing countries.

Toyota Aims to Increase Bioplastics Production to 20m Tonnes a Year
01 October 2004 Auto Industry UK
Since 2001, Toyota Motor Corporation has been pioneering bioplastics derived from sweet potato crops grown in Indonesia.

GM Opponents Accused of Fear Campaign
30 September 2004 ABC (AU)
The Network of Concerned Farmers has been accused of using fear tactics in its push to get the location of GM trial sites disclosed.

Sowing Seeds of Doubt – the GM Food Controversy
29 September 2004 The African Scientist
Is Genetically Modified maize the evil monster of food aid, or a goodwill offering bringing relief from starvation for millions of people throughout southern Africa?

Measure D for the Farmers
29 September 2004 The Orion Online
The capability to specifically modify genes could lead to an array of health benefits. Genetic engineering could help reduce the presence of allergens, anti-nutritive factors and toxins from certain foods. Additionally, the levels of anticancer elements in common foods could be increased as well.

Monsanto Chief Technology Officer Previews Advancing Pipeline of Next-Generation Biotech Traits
29 September 2004 Monsanto Co.
In a presentation to investors, Monsanto Company's Chief Technology Officer Robert T. Fraley, Ph.D., previews developments in the company's research-and-development (R&D) pipeline that signal the advancement of next-generation agronomic and consumer-benefit-oriented biotechnology traits to the commercial market.

IFB, Other Groups Focusing on 'New' Crop Education
29 September 2004 Farm Week
Farmer awareness of new market dynamics and knowledge of seed purity, grain identity preservation (IP), and other issues related to raising and marketing value-added crops — is the goal of a new statewide “non-commodity production education program.”

Benefits, Challenges of Roundup Ready Alfalfa Examined
29 September 2004 Western Farm Press
An overview of the Roundup Ready alfalfa that is expected to become available in the US next year.

New UGA Research Shows Plants Can Shuffle and Paste Gene Pieces to Generate Genetic Diversity
29 September 2004 University of Georgia
A team of researchers at the University of Georgia has discovered a new way that genetic entities called transposable elements (TEs) can promote evolutionary change in plants.

Global Meeting on Rice Revolution Next Week
29 September 2004 The Hindu Business Line
`Rice - from Green to Gene Revolution' will be the focal theme of an international symposium to be held in Hyderabad during October 4-6, as part of the celebrations to mark the International Year of Rice.

Biotech Opens Up 'Whole New World'
28 September 2004 London Free Press
London Free Press feature on the potential of biotech in fuel production, pharmaceuticals and consumer goods.

Choice Is to Modify or Starve
28 September 2004 The Courier-Mail
Genetic modification of food crops and enhanced conventional breeding techniques would be needed to feed the world's population in the face of a grain shortage, an international conference was told yesterday.

Anti-GE Crowd Spews Distortions, Lies at City Hall
28 September 2004 Western Farm Press
Western Farm Press editorial critique of the anti-GM seminars being held in California.

Mexican Connection Helps Boost Early Maturity in Canadian Wheat
28 September 2004 Western Grains Research Foundation
For many Canadian wheat researchers, it's their "ace in the hole" for winning the fight against common wheat production problems - a partnership with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) in Mexico.

Brazil GMO Decree Due This Week
28 September 2004 Dow Jones Newswires via CheckBiotech.org
According to this DJ story, Brazil is expected to issue a decree this week allowing farmers to plant GM seeds until the issue goes before Congress in October.

Families Fund a Search for Rare Disease's Cure
27 September 2004 The Chicago Tribune
Group partners with biotech firm to fight ailment drug giants avoid.

'Gene Chips’ Research in Cotton Could Lead to Superior Variety
27 September 2004 Texas A&M University - Agricultural Communications
A technology that uses "gene chips," which can help analyze tens of thousands of different DNA elements in a cotton plant, could lead to cotton varieties with superior traits and improved fiber quality.

Biotech Leaders Welcome Smart Regulations Report and Celebrate National Biotechnology Week
27 September 2004 BIOTECanada
While celebrating Canada's inaugural National Biotechnology Week, BIOTECanada commented on the release of the report from consultations on Smart Regulations presented to the federal government for action.

Vatican Urges Further Study of Genetically Engineered Food
26 September 2004 Voice of America
Efforts to combat world hunger have led to increased attention on biotechnology, not only by farmers looking to produce more and better quality food, but now also by the Vatican.

GMOs and Science: What Have We Learned
25 September 2004 AgBioWorld
Any effort to deny access to technologies that are demonstrably helpful in feeding the people of the world must for this reason be judged from a moral and ethical point of view in relation to its real, not imagined, effects on human welfare.

ESOF Provides Forum for Non-EU Scientists
24 September 2004 Crop Biotech
The EU must identify obstacles to global collaboration and address them, urged non-European scientists from Japan, the US, and South Africa, at The first EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF2004), held at Stockholm, Sweden, on August 25-28th 2004.

Jamaica to Draft Biotech Road Map
24 September 2004 Crop Biotech
The Scientific Research Council in Jamaica reports that Caribbean experts are preparing to draft a regional road map for the commercialization of biotechnology.

India's NCL Working on Pest-Resistant Crops
24 September 2004 Crop Biotech
The plant molecular biology unit of the biochemical sciences division of the National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) at Pune, India is working on enhancing industrially important crops such as chickpea, cotton, sunflower, tomato, pigeonpea, and okra through identifying proteinase inhibitors (PIs), which could be used to develop pest-resistant varieties of crops.

Green Energy Gets Tapped in Spinach
24 September 2004 Crop Biotech
Another type of biotechnology is underway at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology...an electronic device that uses spinach to convert light into electrical charge.

Dissecting The Fallacies Underlying The Anti-Industry Industry
24 September 2004 MeatingPlace.com
I'm struck by an overwhelming irony: Namely, the very efforts that consume the often passionate partisans of the NGOs, LOLs and VIPs involved in "positive change" actually end up undermining the very goals they espouse.

One Step Closer to the Perfect Crop Plant
24 September 2004 CheckBiotech.org
Herbicide tolerance is the most common transgenic crop trait in the world. Its importance might increase in the next years, as researchers discovered a new gene, providing a robust tolerance against glyphosate, one of the most important commercially sold herbicide active ingredients.

NSF Awards Cornell $6.5 Million for Research for Genetic Improvements
24 September 2004 Cornell University
The National Science Foundation has awarded $6.5 million to Cornell University researchers to sequence the tomato genome, improve genetic manipulation of maize to learn how to make crops more aluminum tolerant and to develop and use innovative computational algorithms for the simulation of turbulent combustion.

Greens Confuse Science & Politics
24 September 2004 New Zealand Life Sciences Network
The Green Party has confused science and politics, in claiming that Europe has rejected the genetically modified (GM) corn New Zealand accepted, the Chairman of the Life Sciences Network Dr William Rolleston said today.

Avery and Benbrook on Organic Foods
24 September 2004 MetroFarm.com
We now spend over $10 Billion a year on organic foods. And so it’s time to ask, “Is organic food really better than food that is not organic?”

Feeding a Hungry World: The Moral Imperative of Biotechnology
24 September 2004 U.S. Embassy to the Holy See
Last but not least, if we really want to further exploit the potential of biotechnology to the benefit of the developing world and do it as soon as possible, every player has a role.

Scientists Engineer Mosquitoes That Can't Cause Malaria Infection
23 September 2004 The Scotsman
Scientists are genetically engineering mosquitoes in an attempt to wipe out malaria, the disease responsible for more deaths worldwide than any other.

Automakers Give Biodiesel a Boost
23 September 2004 Wired
Environmental activists and farmers have been the primary advocates fueling the demand for biodiesel, but newfound interest from automakers could ignite the movement to replace the petrol in your gas tank with fuel made from plants.

Angry GM stalemate in Germany
23 September 2004 The Scientist
Fundamental opposition to green biotechnology is popular, but not enforceable in the EU any more...The likely outcome will be that decisions will be left to the courts.

Flexible Pain Relief with Morphine-Free Poppy
23 September 2004 CSIRO
A handful of genes in a morphine free poppy could hold the key to producing improved pain management pharmaceuticals.

Pesticide Residues Remain Low
23 September 2004 Farmers Weekly
Pesticide residue levels in food remain low, according to latest report from the Pesticide Residues Committee.

Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health Section: Genetically Modified Food and Feed and Environmental Risk
22 September 2004 EUROPA
A summary record of the 2nd meeting held on 23 June 2004 is now available. Topics include products produced by fermentation, self-cloned micro-organisms and labelling requirements for mass caterers and for honey.

China Makes Major Breakthrough for Transgenic Cotton
22 September 2004 People's Daily Online
The Transgenic Tech System of Cotton Commercialization was declared a success. Based on this system, 8 new cotton varieties have been developed and more than 32 million mu land has grown insect-resistant transgenic cotton.

Farmers Must Take Up Battling Anti-biotech Groups
22 September 2004 Western Farm Press
A discussion of the battle for public opinion as areas of the western U.S. consider biotech bans.

Processor Preferred(TM) Brand Identifies Grain That Delivers Enhanced Value to Processors and Growers
22 September 2004 Monsanto Co.
Monsanto announced today that CASCO Inc., Canada's principle producer and supplier of corn-refined starches, sweeteners, oil and feed products, plans to pay a premium for grain from corn hybrids that have earned Monsanto's new Processor Preferred brand designation.

How Plant Cells Protect Themselves--From Themselves
22 September 2004 Colgate University
Colgate University biology professor Ken Belanger and an interdisciplinary team of researchers from Washington University in St. Louis, Pacific Northwest National Laboratories, and Saitama University are collaborating to better understand how plants protect themselves from naturally occurring but potentially damaging high-energy molecules.

GMOs: Whole Foods' Employees, Customers Need Better Information, Critics Say
22 September 2004 Citizens' Environmental Coalition
According to this story, Whole Foods Stores may carry hundreds of products containing GMOs, despite its reputation as the premier organic grocery store.

Risking Our Clichés
21 September 2004 The Scientist
In fact, the protestors that I talked to did have a good grasp of the science. And they admitted that, while they have a visceral horror of the "global experiment in genetic modification," no evidence shows that any harm has come from the planting of genetically modified crops.

US Team to Help West Africa Improve Its Cotton Industry
21 September 2004 USDA
The United States will send a team of public- and private-sector experts to West Africa to assess that region's cotton industry and suggest improvements to production, processing and logistics systems so the region can become more efficient and competitive, Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman says.

NSF Awards 22 New Projects for Plant Genome Research
21 September 2004 EurekAlert
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has made 22 new awards as part of the seventh year of its Plant Genome Research Program (PGRP). From apples to Zea mays, the program's goal is to expand knowledge about the biology of the plant kingdom, especially plants that people around the world rely on for food, clothing and other needs.

Celebrate IMAGENENATION During Canada's First National Biotech Week
20 September 2004 BIOTECanada
Canada's inaugural National Biotech Week kicks off today with the launch of the official Web site, www.imagenenation.ca. In an unprecedented effort to raise awareness of biotechnology's role in addressing social and economic challenges, some of Canada's leading biotech CEOs and researchers will participate in a unique panel discussion at the Toronto Board of Trade on September 23rd.

7.2 Million Tons of GM Soybean to Grow in Brazil
20 September 2004 Agência Brasil
The planting season in Rio Grande do Sul runs from October 15 to December 15 and the government still has not made a final decision on the legality of planting GM soybeans...This year a total of 81.000 farmers signed the contract, declaring that they were growing GM soybeans.

Lack of Investment in Agriculture Hinders Overall Economic Growth in Developing Countries
20 September 2004 FAO
Agricultural investment needed to build the foundation to alleviate hunger and poverty - says FAO Director-General.

Partnerships 'Could Boost Biotechnology in Chile'
20 September 2004 SciDev.Net
Chilean researchers have warned that the country's biotechnology industry is unlikely to grow under current conditions, and have called for creation of a "overarching body" to bring together stakeholders from government, research institutions and the private sector.

GM 'Protato' to Cure India's Poor
20 September 2004 Nic Parkes
Genetically modified potatoes are to play a key part in a 15-year plan to combat malnutrition among India's poorest children. Anti-poverty campaigners have greeted the "Protato" with caution and varying degrees of support, but what actually is a Protato?

Is Bangalore Really a Biotech Hub?
18 September 2004 Newindpress.com
Newindpress.com interviewed agri-biologist Autar K. Mattoo about the potential of biotech and India's place in its development.

National Agricultural Biotechnology Council Conference
17 September 2004 Information Systems for Biotechnology
A not-for-profit consortium of 37 leading agricultural research agencies and universities in North America has chosen the University of Tennessee and the University of Kentucky to co-host its annual conference in 2005.

Biotech Media Workshop in Hyderabad
17 September 2004 Crop Biotech
The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Asian Media Information and Communication Centre, and the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications will hold a seminar-workshop on “Covering Biotech: Issues and Opportunities for the News Media” from October 11-13, 2004 in ICRISAT, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Australia Joins Global Wheat Breeding Team
17 September 2004 CSIRO
Australian wheat researchers are participating in the International Adaptation Trial (IAT) in an effort to develop better wheat varieties for Australia's $5 billion wheat industry.

Genetic Modification of Linseed Produces Healthier Omega 3 and 6 Fatty Acids
17 September 2004 American Society of Plant Biologists
Improved production of polyunsaturated fats in oilseed crops will benefit human health and the environment.

Weslaco Scientist Zeros In on Important Citrus Gene
17 September 2004 AgNews (Texas A&M University)
After years of high-tech lab work, a scientist in South Texas is inching closer to a gene in the DNA of a citrus relative that will change the way citrus is produced.

New Zealand Government to Ratify Cartagena Biosafety Protocol
16 September 2004 New Zealand Government
The government will ratify the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, Environment and Associate Foreign Minister Marian Hobbs announced today.

Biotech Potatoes Could Save Fish
16 September 2004 The Penticton Herald
While critics say bio-engineered crops may pose hazards to the natural order, in some cases biotechnology can actually help prevent environmental catastrophes caused by traditional methods of farming.

Danish Delegation Learns at Monsanto Labs
16 September 2004 High Plains Journal
A group of Danish farmers and industry representatives toured Monsanto's research facilities in St. Louis to learn more about biotechnology.

Brazil GM Vote Delayed Until October
16 September 2004 Reuters
Farmers in Brazil, the world's second largest soy producer, are committed to planting genetically modified seeds despite a delay in regulatory approval.

Taiwan Science Official to Meet with EU Officials
15 September 2004 Government Information Office Taiwan
Republic of China Vice Chairman of the National Science Council Liao Chun-cheng will meet Sept. 24 with European Union science officials at a meeting in Brussels.

Veneman Announces $22.8 Million to Support Renewable Energy Initiatives In 26 States
15 September 2004 USDA
Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman today announced the selection of 167 recipients from 26 states to receive $22.8 million in competitive grants to support President Bush's renewable energy efforts.

Devgen and Monsanto Announce Collaboration to Discover New Insect Control Methods
14 September 2004 Monsanto Co.
Today, Monsanto Company (NYSE: MON - News) and Devgen N.V. announced a research and development collaboration to develop varieties of crop plants with improved resistance against insect pests.

FAO and European Commission Joining Forces to Alleviate Poverty and Hunger in Developing Countries
13 September 2004 FAO
The European Commission and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today signed a strategic partnership agreement designed to reinforce their joint efforts to reduce poverty, promote agricultural development and fight hunger in developing countries.

Why Californians Must Not Ban Biotech Crops
12 September 2004 AgBioWorld
California leads the country in agricultural production, growing over 350 different crops, and produces more than half of the nation's total of fruits, nuts and vegetables. This state's agricultural innovation is based on the fact that farmers have a choice in determining what method of farming they use - be it growing conventional, biotech or organic crops.

Biotechnology in India: International Knowledge Millennium Conference 2004
11 September 2004 IKMC 2004
It is the objective of IKMC 2004 to build the bridge between "Science & Industry'' in biotechnology. Hence equal emphasis will be placed on the science of Biotechnology as well as its implementation in the "real world" applications.

USDA-ERS Releases Database on U.S. Biotech Patents and Inventions
11 September 2004 USDA
This database identifies and describes U.S. patents on inventions in biotechnology and other biological processes with issue dates between 1976 and 2000 that are used in food and agriculture.

Australia All Set for GM Cotton
10 September 2004 Crop Biotech
Australia is set to reduce pesticide use by as much as 75 per cent by growing genetically modified (GM) cotton.

Brazil Court Eases Path for GM Corn, Cotton, Rice
10 September 2004 Crop Biotech
Brazil's biotech regulator was cited as saying on Friday that it could clear new varieties of genetically modified (GM) soy, corn, cotton and rice for commercial use by December.

GM Grapevines May Soon Be Planted in France
10 September 2004 Crop Biotech
A new strain of grapevines resistant to Fanleaf disease may soon be planted in a test vineyard in Alsace, France. The project hopes that modified vines might improve vineyard health, raise wine quality and reduce pesticide use, as well resurrect the French wine industry, currently suffering from competition from emerging wine leaders South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and South America.

Speaking Opportunities at BIO 2005
10 September 2004 BIO
Starting Sept. 1, BIO will accept online applications for educational sessions at BIO 2005 (June 19 to 22, 2005, in Philadelphia).

Divergence, Monsanto Collaborate to Develop Nematode-Resistant Soybeans
10 September 2004 Monsanto Co.
Monsanto Company and Divergence, Inc. announced today a collaborative relationship to develop nematode-resistant soybeans.

Putting the Icy Back in the Pole
10 September 2004 The Sydney Morning Herald
Unilever, the world's largest maker of ice-cream, is planning to genetically modify ice in order to prevent ice cream from sliding off of the stick.

Monsanto Invests in Canola Business, Strengthens Trait and Seed Platform with Acquisition of Advanta Seeds in North America
09 September 2004 Monsanto Co.
Monsanto today announced it acquired the North American canola seed assets of Advanta Seeds from Advanta B.V., a company recently purchased by Fox Paine Capital Fund II International, L.P., including the Advanta Seeds brand in Canada and the Interstate Seed brand in the United States.

FAO Warns of Pesticide Waste Time Bomb in Poor Countries
09 September 2004 FAO
High quantities of toxic chemical waste from unused or obsolete pesticides are posing a continuing and worsening threat to people and the environment in Eastern Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America, FAO warned today.

Guilt: Use It And Lose It
09 September 2004 The Truth About Trade & Technology
“The two biggest sellers in any bookstore are the cookbooks and the diet books,” Andy Rooney once observed. “The cookbooks tell you how to prepare the food, and the diet books tell you how not to eat it.”

Huge Boost For Monsanto Sales In India
08 September 2004 Associated Press
According to an Associated Press report, sales of Monsanto's BT cotton seeds reached 1.3 million packets, five times the number sold in 2003.

Commission Poised to Allow Commercial GM Seed Sales
08 September 2004 EUObserver
Despite strong consumer scepticism the European Commission is likely today (8 September) to authorise the introduction of the first genetically modified (GMO) seeds for commercial use across the EU.

Commission Proposal on GM Oilseed Rape GT73 to Be Sent to Council
08 September 2004 EUROPA
The European Commission has adopted a proposal to be sent to the Council of Ministers to authorise the import and processing of the genetically modified oilseed rape known as GT73.

Inscription of MON 810 GM Maize Varieties in the Common EU Catalogue of Varieties
08 September 2004 EUROPA
The European Commission approved today the inscription of 17 varieties derived from MON 810 maize in the Common EU Catalogue of Varieties of Agricultural Plant Species.

Tobacco Promising Factory For Biopharmaceuticals
08 September 2004 Science Daily
The economics of producing biopharmaceuticals from transgenic plants such as tobacco is still a roadblock to producing large quantities of urgently needed medicines, especially for people in underdeveloped nations.

Contradictory Signals by the European Commission
08 September 2004 EuropaBio
Today the European Commission withdrew from its agenda the proposal to establish labeling thresholds for trace amounts of EU approved GM seed in conventional seed. At the same time, the Commission moved forward in approving the addition of 17 GM maize varieties to the EU Common Seed Catalogue, allowing the sale of these varieties in all 25 EU Member States.

Mississippi State Announces Biotech Education Initiative
07 September 2004 Mississippi State University
A team of prominent international scientists led by a Mississippi State research administrator is helping guide production of a documentary series examining U.S. and international progress in agricultural biotechnology.

Australian Farmers Gear Up For New Bt Cotton
07 September 2004 Council for Biotechnology Information
More farmers than ever are expected to begin growing biotech cotton in Australia with the anticipated lifting of the limit on biotech cotton plantings and the recent introduction of a more effective second generation variety.

Behind The Organic Label
06 September 2004 The Los Angeles Times
The LA Times has published a feature on the growing skepticism of organic food's health and safety claims.

Three Scientists Inducted into Research Agency's Hall of Fame
05 September 2004 Agricultural Research Service - USDA
More vigorous alfalfa plants, easy-care cotton fabrics and advances in beef cattle breeding have earned three Agricultural Research Service scientists places in the agency's Science Hall of Fame. ARS is the chief scientific research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

How Safe Are Genetically Engineered Crops?
04 September 2004 Agricultural Research Service - USDA
A lot of people around the world want to know the answer to the question posed in the title.

ARS Leads in Assessing Risk in Transgenics
04 September 2004 Agricultural Research Service - USDA
Since before Mary Shelley published "Frankenstein" in 1818, people have oscillated between concern that what scientists create in the lab will be dangerous and hope that research progress will improve their lives.

India Pland New Policies To Support Biotech Projects
03 September 2004 Crop Biotech
The Indian government is formulating new policies to boost investment and research in the local biotechnology sector.

India Sets Up Local Biotech Park
03 September 2004 Crop Biotech
A 600 sq km area in Genome Valley, Hyderabad, India will soon be home to the Shapoorji Pallonji (SP) Biotech Park Pvt Ltd., an “incubation center”...

Taiwan To Set-Up Biotech Committee
03 September 2004 Crop Biotech
Meeting delegates noted that Taiwan was falling behind its regional competitors in the area of biotechnology, and recommended that an independent body was needed to steer the future direction of life sciences in Taiwan.

Interview with U.S. ambassador to the Holy See
02 September 2004 Rocky Mountain News
The Rocky Mountain News has published an interview with Coloradan Jim Nicholson, U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, which includes discussion on genetically modified foods.

Monsanto Launches VISTIVE(TM) Soybeans; Will Provide a Trans Fats Solution for the Food Industry
01 September 2004 Monsanto Co.
Responding to the growing demand for healthier foods, Monsanto today announced the development and commercialization of new, low-linolenic soybeans produced through conventional breeding that will reduce or eliminate trans fatty acids (trans fats) in processed soybean oil, while maintaining performance parity with leading soybean varieties.

Response to Consumers' Association Latest GM Poll from the UK's Agricultural Biotechnology Council
01 September 2004 abc
abc today called for the Consumers’ Association to reconsider its policy with respect to GM crops, as its stance favours denying choice to farmers and consumers who wish to experience the benefits of GM technology which have been appreciated by millions around the world for almost a decade.

"Which?" GM Foods Opinion Survey Results
01 September 2004 Monsanto UK
"Which?", the monthly magazine of the UK Consumers' Association (CA), has repeated some of the questions asked in its 2002 GM Foods opinion survey. In May this year, they posed a series of nine questions to 984 GB adults aged 15+.

Trade, Standards, and the Political Economy of Genetically Modified Food
01 September 2004 The World Bank Group
World Bank Research has released a paper which suggests that, in part, EU regulations concerning GMOs are more stringent than those in the US due to European producers' disadvantage in the industry.

The Latest Research On The Food That Feeds Half The World
31 August 2004 IRRI
Can Asia sustainably produce the rice it needs to feed its huge population in the future? Do Asia's millions of poor rice farmers have the tools they need to improve their livelihoods and lift themselves out of poverty? What role can rice play in the modern lifestyles of young Asians?

New Advisory Group On The Food Chain Created
30 August 2004 European Commission
A group bringing together notably consumers, the food industry, retailers and farmers is being created to facilitate consultation and dialogue between the European Commission and European organisations on food safety policy.

USDA Announces First Visit Of Borlaug Science And Technology Fellows
30 August 2004 USDA
Through this innovative program, international participants will have an opportunity to learn the latest in science and technology, which will help developing countries raise agricultural productivity, improve food processing and marketing and address global hunger and poverty."

Feeding a Hungry World: The Moral Imperative of Biotechnology
27 August 2004 U.S. Embassy to the Holy See
The world's needs and the potential of this new technology give rise to a moral imperative to investigate ways in which genetically modified foods can help the poor.

Thailand Allows GM Crops To Co-Exist With Conventional Varieties
27 August 2004 Crop Biotech
Thailand has agreed to allow the co-existence of genetically modified (GM) crops with conventional varieties. “This will allow farmers to choose which crop to plant,” said Dr. Darunee Edwards, scientist at the National Centre of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC) in Bangkok.

Malaysia PM Bats For Agric Revolution
27 August 2004 Crop Biotech
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi of Malaysia wants to bring about a revolution in agriculture - a revolution that would being about tangible benefits to Malaysia's farmers as well as make Malaysia a center for agro-based industries and biotechnology.

Issues Hindering Growth Of Agri-Biotech
27 August 2004 Crop Biotech
The growth of agricultural biotechnology is being hampered by three major issues: trade, biosafety regulations, and the food industry.

Swiss Cabinet Says NO To GM Crop Moratorium Initiative
27 August 2004 Crop Biotech
The Swiss government is against a proposal calling for a five-year moratorium on genetically modified (GM) crops in the country. It said the move would damage “Switzerland's standing in the field of agricultural research as well as its trade relations with other countries”.

Fear Factor
27 August 2004 The American Enterprise
Today, Greenpeace has China's acceptance of biotechnology in its crosshairs.

Monsanto's Rivals Want A Bigger Piece Of Biotech Crop Pie
26 August 2004 St. Louis Post Dispatch
At least four major companies are identifying useful genetic traits and engineering them into a variety of crops. If these gain regulatory approval, some will compete head-to-head with Monsanto's products, while others may be sold alongside them.

New Zealand Government Gives $20 To Biotechnology
24 August 2004 New Zealand Government
“Innovation in biotechnology is very important to New Zealand's future. The Institute for Innovation in Biotechnology will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology and will work closely with the commercial sector,” Helen Clark said.

Thailand To Reverse Three-year Moratorium On Cultivation Of Genetically Modified Crops
24 August 2004 Kingdom of Thailand
Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Aug. 20 signaled an end to the country's three-year moratorium on the commercial planting and trading of genetically modified (GM) crops, in a move praised by agricultural industry representatives but roundly condemned by environmental and community organizations.

Biotech An Essential Tool For Farmers
23 August 2004 American Farm Bureau Federation
Access to agricultural biotechnology is essential to improving the profitability and productivity of America's farmers and ranchers, and this valuable farming tool should be defended against actions proposed by anti-biotech ballot initiatives, according to the president of the nation's largest farm organization.

Disease Resistant Papaya Saves Hawaiian Papaya Industry
22 August 2004 American Phytopathological Society
A new papaya, genetically resistant to papaya ringspot virus (PRSV), has rescued the Hawaiian papaya industry and may have the potential to do the same in other papaya-growing regions of the world, say plant pathologists with The American Phytopathological Society (APS).

Policy Initiatives For Crop Biotech In India
20 August 2004 Crop Biotech
Crop biotechnology is essential for food and nutritional security in India. However, policy initiatives are necessary to accelerate investments by technology holders and adoption by the farming community.

Potential Benefits Of GM Improved Rice
20 August 2004 Crop Biotech
Rice production has reached its maximum potential but genetically modified (GM) rice breeding with advancement of functional genomics will provide ample scope to increase yield, build plant protection, improve nutrition, and enable rice to grow using less water and in adverse environment.

Scientists Demand Use Of Biotech To Help Fight Banana Disease
20 August 2004 Crop Biotech
Banana wilt disease is threatening to wipe out Uganda's banana plantations unless urgent steps are taken to contain the situation.

Thailand's Biotech Assoc To Educate Public RE GM Crops
20 August 2004 Crop Biotech
The Biotechnology Alliance Association (BAA) in Thailand has been set up to educate the public about biotechnology applications including genetically modified (GM) crops.

Manifesto On Biotech For ABIC 2004
20 August 2004 Crop Biotech
Over three hundred scientists and technologists have already signed a manifesto favoring the "effective exploitation of scientific principles in modern agriculture, including, when useful, the safe adoption of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and ask the support of colleagues active at the interface between science and its applications."

Suitability Of BT Cotton
20 August 2004 Press Information Bureau - India
The studies have found reduction in infestation of Bt-cotton by bollworms and reduction of 2 to 6 in the number of pesticide sprays.

Three Arguments About Biotech Wheat Confronted
20 August 2004 Growers for Wheat Biotechnology
While Monsanto pulled the plug on its Roundup-Ready Wheat program a few months ago - and in fact discontinued its R&D on biotech wheat altogether - some public and private biotech wheat R & D continues, and most in the wheat industry view this positively. That's because biotech processes can help us address production challenges like drought and scab.

GM Crops - A Valuable Option For Subsistence Farming
19 August 2004 BioScience News
GM crops have undoubtedly proved to be beneficial to growers by enhancing their income, and the technology has acquitted itself wherever the crops have been allowed to grow; in North America, Argentina, Brazil, The Philippines, and Australia.

Pure But Not Yet!
19 August 2004 Butterflies and Wheels
The anti-transgenic forces have lost every round of the scientific argument, and every claim of adverse impact that they have made has been massively refuted. It would be difficult to find a respected scientific society or scientist of any reputability (as distinguished from the small number of scientists with varying degrees of competence that make up the anti-GM roadshow) to support the anti-transgenic cause.

Results Of Local BT Corn Studies Published
18 August 2004 SEAMO SEARCA BIC
The SEARCA Biotechnology Information Center (BIC) recently published two brochures that highlighted the results of studies conducted on Bt corn in the Philippines.

Enriched Rice A Distant Dream For India
14 August 2004 The Hindustan Times
Fears of environmental damage and food safety have held up India's plans to develop varieties of genetically modified (GM) nutrition enriched rice that could solve some of India's malnutrition problems.

Indian Govt To Create Enabling Environ For Agri-Biotech
13 August 2004 CropBiotech
“My Ministry would do its best to create an enabling environment for biotechnology to flourish in our country”, said Science and Technology Minister Sh Kapil Sibal, during his inaugural speech at the International Conference on Agricultural Biotechnology Ushering in the Second Green Revolution held at the Federation House, Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in New Delhi, India.

Inter’l Speakers Stress Positive Experiences With Gm Crops
13 August 2004 CropBiotech
The global experiences of using genetically modified (GM) crops have demonstrated the benefits that countries can reap from using the technology.

Partnerships Key To Deliver Biotech Benefits To Agriculture
13 August 2004 CropBiotech
Without formal, dynamic, and synergistic interfaces between the public and private sectors, much of the benefits of crop biotechnology will not reach those who need them most. The sharing of information and experiences across sectors is crucial to facilitate the flow and process that technologies undergo from the laboratory to the farm.

Bt Cotton Has Future In India, Says Agric Commissioner
13 August 2004 CropBiotech
Bt cotton in India is all set on a growth path with 1.3 million acres to be planted this year. It is already accounting for 40 percent of the total hybrid market value in the country.

Farmers Speak Out For 'Technology In A Seed'
12 August 2004 Council For Biotechnology Information
More farmers from around the world are planting genetically enhanced crops because they are producing better harvests, according to four international farmers who recently spoke at a news conference in support of biotechnology.

Are You Afraid Of Injections?
11 August 2004 Checkbiotech
In the future, instead of going to the doctor to be vaccinated, you may be able to eat a potato at home.

Does Hunger Outweigh GM Doubts?
10 August 2004 SciDevNet
Crop pests are a fact of life for African farmers, and chemical pesticides are often too expensive to allow profits. Two alternatives are genetically modified (GM) crops and insect resistant strains of crops developed by conventional breeding experiments.

Govt To Set Up Single Window Body For GM Crops
10 August 2004 The Hindu Business Line
THE Centre will put in place a single window regulatory body by January next to consider permission for cultivation of genetically-modified crops in the country, according to the Minister of State for Science and Technology, Mr Kapil Sibal.

Scientists Try To Make Wine That's Good for You
09 August 2004 allAfrica.com
LOCAL scientists are working on creating a genetically engineered wine that will help to fend off heart disease.

Wild Potato's Genes May Blunt Late Blight
09 August 2004 Agricultural Research Service
What's a potato's number-one enemy? Anywhere on our planet the likely answer is: late blight. But tomorrow's tubers may be safeguarded against this disease, thanks to research by ARS scientists from coast to coast.

Monsanto Donation Expected To Benefit Global Soybean Breeding And Research Effort
09 August 2004 SeedQuest
Monsanto Company announced today a donation of important soybean plant material to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agriculture Research Service (ARS) Soybean Germplasm Collection. The material is expected to benefit global soybean breeding and research efforts.

Genetically Engineered Vaccine Fights Allergies
09 August 2004 BETTERHUMANS
An allergy vaccine derived from genetically engineered birch pollen has proven effective in human subjects, showing that genetic engineering can be used to produce hypoallergenic therapies for treating many common allergies.

Icrisat's Agri-Bus Incubator Starts Gm Cotton Initiative
06 August 2004 Crop Biotech
The Agri-Business Incubator (ABI) at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in Hyderabad, India is now collaborating with private sector clients.

Pass Biosafety Law Says Uganda Minister
06 August 2004 Crop Biotech
Uganda's outgoing minister for agriculture, animal industry and fisheries, Dr. Wilberforce Kisamba-Mugerwa, has challenged the country's parliament to pass the national biosafety law to facilitate the use of biotechnology to ease problems faced by the country's agriculture sector.

China Likely To Approve Biotech Rice
06 August 2004 Wisconsin AgConnection
Reports say China will likely approve the planting of biotech rice in the next couple years.

Choice? What Choice?
05 August 2004 Eat First
Affluent societies expend countless hours on “fluff’ choices while ignoring places in the world where choices are truly tough and very different. In third world countries people choose between food or malaria medicine because they can’t have both. During drought, poor farmers must choose between feeding their kids today or feeding the family cow for milk tomorrow.

'GM Milk' Controversy
05 August 2004 Nature Biotechnology via the Meridian Institute
A German regional court, on June 23, banned Greenpeace from using the term "GM milk" to describe the products of Theo Müller, a German dairy company which feeds its cows on genetically modified (GM) crops.

GM Cotton Helps The Environment, Australian Study Finds
04 August 2004 Channel NewsAsia
The advent of genetically modified (GM) cotton has produced major environmental as well as economic benefits by slashing the use of destructive pesticides, an independent report showed.

Frankenfood Fiction
04 August 2004 The Center For ConsumerFreedom
The neo-Luddites from organizations like Greenpeace and the Organic Consumers Association are probably dancing in the fields -- the organic fields -- after a tiny county in northern California yesterday caved to their pressure and banned the production of genetically enhanced crops. Despite this tactical victory for the technophobes, and similar initiatives in other California counties, the more significant story is a pair of recent studies reiterating (once again) the safety and benefits of biotech crops. Thankfully, positive reports like these have not fallen on deaf ears in developing nations, where genetically enhanced crops have the greatest potential.

A Peek Into The Future
04 August 2004 AgWeb
"I never think of the future," said Albert Einstein. "It comes soon enough." Now, I'm not going to argue with one of the smartest people who ever lived, but I will say this: Sometimes I think the future can't come soon enough - especially when I have a chance to sit back and think about what's in the "biotech pipeline".

ICRISAT To Launch Trials Of GM Groundnut Next Season
04 August 2004 The Hindu Business Line
In what could provide major relief to farmers reeling under drought, International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) is set to launch field trials of genetically-modified short-term and high yielding groundnuts from next season and pigeon pea in 2006.

Bioengineered Seed Potato Shipped To China
03 August 2004 Just-food.com
The Canadian company Penn Biotech Inc. will ship 1.3 million pounds of bioengineered seed potatoes to China to meet increased demand for french fries and other potato products.

Biotech Holds “Enormous Promise” for Developing World, says U.N.
02 August 2004 Council for Biotechnology Information
Agricultural biotechnology holds "enormous promise" for helping poor people around the world — just as technological innovation from the Green Revolution of the 1960s and 70s launched a "virtuous cycle of rising productivity, improving living standards and sustainable economic growth … lifted millions of people out of poverty."

India Produces Indigenous `GM COTTON'
02 August 2004 Information Systems for Biotechnology
Insects, disease, and drought present the greatest impediments to realizing expected yields in major crops. In addressing these problems, development of transgenic varieties has assumed significance, primarily through use of durable resistance genes. However, a few multinational companies in developed countries own and patent many of these genes.

Regulating Plant Genes And Agbiotech Products — International Style
02 August 2004 Information Systems for Biotechnology
Challenges from pathogens, pests, and the climate fuel perpetual efforts to develop new crops with mixed traits. When a fungus decimated maize grown in the southern United States, for example, plant breeders devised a way to defeat the pathogen with a natural resistance trait harbored within a variety of African maize.

ISAAA Set To Launch Knowledge Centre In India
01 August 2004 The Financial Express
The US based International Service for the Aquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA) is slated launch its ‘knowledge center’ in India in collaboration with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT).

The Third Wave Of Biotechnology
31 July 2004 Industry Week
Industry Week has published an article on the promise of industrial biotechnology.

EU: Austria, Greece May Face Legal Challenges Against GM Bans
30 July 2004 Just-Food.com
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has undermined moves by Austria and Greece to block the sale of GM food products with prior European Union (EU) market approval.

In China, Hope For Modified Seeds
30 July 2004 The Motley Fool
China certified the importation of five GM products in February. All five of these are from Monsanto (NYSE: MON). While this was a major breakthrough for the company, China could hold even more promise in its soil.

New Plum Variety Released
30 July 2004 ARS News Service
Ruby Queen, a high-quality, late-ripening plum well adapted to the humid climate of the southeastern United States, has recently been released by the Agricultural Research Service.

NCGA Endorses New Endangered Species Regulation
30 July 2004 NCGA News
The National Corn Growers Association today applauded a final ruling by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) that enacts a more efficient approach for ensuring pesticides are compliant with the Endangered Species Act.

Ziram RED Available for Comment
30 July 2004 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
On July 21, 2004, EPA published a Federal Register notice announcing the availability of the Ziram RED. Public comment is invited on this decision document until September 20, 2004. A broad spectrum fungicide, Ziram is used on a variety of crops including stone fruits, pome fruits, nut crops, vegetables, and commercially grown ornamentals.

Biotech's Crazed Critics
28 July 2004 Tech Central Station
It's hard to top some of the loony things that have been said about the new biotechnology. Technophobe Jeremy Rifkin claimed, for example, that genetically engineered bacteria might disrupt weather patterns, and that biotechnology threatens "a form of annihilation every bit as deadly as nuclear holocaust."

Green Revolution For Food Security
28 July 2004 CheckBiotech.org
With population growth on the rise around the world, and especially in developing countries, Dr. Gurdev Khush calls for a Green Revolution through improvements to rice.

The Institute of Food Science & Technology Supports Genetic Modification
27 July 2004 The Institute of Food Science & Technology
Genetic modification (GM) has the potential to offer very significant improvements in the quantity, quality and acceptability of the world's food supply.

Composition of Altered Food Products, Not Method Used to Create Them, Should Be Basis for Federal Safety Assessment
27 July 2004 The National Academies
Genetic engineering is more likely to cause unintended changes than some techniques, such as simple selection, but less likely to do so than other currently used methods, such as those that use radiation or chemicals. Because all methods can cause these changes, the committee concluded that attempts to assess food safety based solely on the method of breeding are "scientifically unjustified."

Biotechnology Defended
26 July 2004 DAWN
The Bt cotton, first transgenic non-food crop, is designed to protect crops from pests and cut the spray costs. It contains a strand of genetic material from the naturally occurring soil micro-organism Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) , and is being successfully grown since 1996 in the US, Australia, China, India and elsewhere.

French "Frankenfood" Farce Could Be Ending
26 July 2004 Dow Jones Newswires
Several hundred anti-globalization activists intent on protecting us all from the supposed menace of genetically-modified crops trampled over patch of transgenic corn being grown in a field in southwest France.

GM Foods "Just A Matter Of Time"
25 July 2004 The Grocer
It's just a matter of time. Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth et al would have everyone believe there's not a cat's hope in hell that GMOs will hold a stake on British supermarket shelves, especially now that US GM pioneer Monsanto has pulled out of the European seed cereal business and closed a research centre near Cambridge.

Monsanto Biotech Wheat Safe for Consumers
25 July 2004 Google News
According to several reports, the US FDA has determined that Monsanto's biotech wheat is safe for consumption by humans and livestock.

Delhi International Conference
23 July 2004 Crop Biotech
An international conference on "Agricultural Biotechnology Ushering in the Second Green Revolution" will be held at the Federation House, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Delhi, India on August 10-12, 2004.

Survey On GM Crop Requirements In India
23 July 2004 Crop Biotech
A survey conducted among scientists in India suggested breeding objectives and requirements for producing transgenics for major field crops in the country.

Biotech Outsourcing Favors India
23 July 2004 Crop Biotech
From information technology, India has found a new money maker in biotechnology outsourcing.

Key Biotech Fair Opens In Taipei
22 July 2004 Taiwan News
With the special emphasis on Taiwan's recent successes in genomic medicine and cell cloning, the "Bio Taiwan 2004"trade fair opened at the Taipei World Trade Center yesterday with researchers and vendors from across Asia and other countries exchanging ideas and identifying new business opportunities offered by the lucrative biotechnology market worldwide.

Research And Pharmaceuticals: EU ‘Pharming’ Solutions To Major Diseases
22 July 2004 EUROPA
A team of European researchers plans to perfect techniques for producing antibodies and vaccines, obtained from plants, to prevent and treat major human diseases, such as AIDS, rabies and TB. The idea is to use genetically modified (GM) crops eventually to produce plant-based pharmaceuticals.

10 Life-Changing Technologies
22 July 2004 MSN
Technology writer Paul Boutin ranked Genetic Engineering as #2 in his Top 10 list of revolutionary technological breakthroughs in the past 50 years.

Healthy Fats And Oils Essential To Satisfy Calorie-Conscious Consumers
21 July 2004 Frost & Sullivan
Reacting to the obesity epidemic, food consumers have stirred a global health revolution and are increasingly demanding healthier oils and fats.

Study Discovers Iron-Rich Rice That Can Combat Anaemia
21 July 2004 The Nation
The Department of Agriculture has discovered two strains of rice that can accumulate iron and might be further developed to fight anaemia among the poor.

GM And Biotechnology Essential To Help Double Global Food Production For Rising Population
20 July 2004 BioScience 2004
There are six billion people in the world now and the population is set to rise to nine billion. "The food crisis will be with us in 15 years, maybe ten. We have doubled food production over the past half century, now we have to do it again. But this time we have to do it sustainably," said Professor Mike Gale from the John Innes Centre in Norwich.

The Myth About Organic Food
19 July 2004 The Manila Times
Many ask such questions as: What is organic food? Is it a guarantee that the food has extra health or safety benefits than those which are produced the nonorganic way?

UGA Researchers Receive $5.6 Million Grant From The National Science Foundation For Corn Improvement
19 July 2004 University of Georgia
Corn is by far the most important cereal grain grown in the United States, and a project at the University of Georgia that could one day lead to the development of artificial corn chromosomes has just been awarded a five-year grant by the National Science Foundation for $5.6 million.

EU Fails To Agree GM - Again
19 July 2004 EUpolitix
With no clear 'yes' from governments under a the EU's voting system, the buck has now been passed back to the European Commission – and Europe's executive is expected to give NK603 the go-ahead in September.

Monsanto's Roundup Ready Corn 2 Technology Advances in European Regulatory Process; Decision Is Welcome Progress in Regulatory Path for Product
19 July 2004 Monsanto Co.
The European Commission today approved the import, processing and use in animal feed of Monsanto's NK603 Roundup Ready Corn grain in the European Union (EU), conditional upon its pending approval under the EU Novel Foods Regulation. Monsanto's NK603 corn, which is designed to be tolerant to the active ingredient in Roundup agricultural herbicides, is currently marketed as Roundup Ready Corn 2.

Bid To Ensure Enough Food
19 July 2004 China Daily
Despite the dramatic increase in the grain production that China enjoyed between the 1980s and 1990s, researchers sounded the alarm during the weekend that China may face the food shortage in less than three decades. This worst scenario will happen if the country does not start to tackle the problems hindering the continuous growth in food production.

Bt Cotton Creates Three Times the Earnings for Indian Farmer
19 July 2004 Council for Biotechnology Information
Biotech crop could boost living standards for millions.

Scientists and Scholars Denounce Position of the Catholic Institute for International Relations on GM Crops
18 July 2004 Press Release via Agnet
An international group of scientists and scholars released a statement today countering recent claims by the Catholic Institute for International Relations that "GM crops won’t solve world hunger."

Organic Baby Food 'Worst For Toxins'
18 July 2004 The Scotsman
ORGANIC baby foods carry higher toxin levels than conventional products, according to a damning new report by the Food Standards Agency.

Science Can Help Feed The Hungry
16 July 2004 Rediff.com
Scientists in India are developing new ways to reduce losses from devastating pests and diseases. They are moving rapidly to develop drought resistant, high nutrition crops. New strains of rice, wheat, maize and mustard will offer a means of designing a nutritional safety net for the poor.

India Budgets For Biotech
16 July 2004 Crop Biotech
The Union Minister for Finance in India has, for the first time, given specific thrust to advance biotechnology in the country.

India's New Biotech Policy
16 July 2004 Crop Biotech
In the next six months, India is said to announce its new policy on biotechnology.

ESA Report On Biotech Research Capacity
16 July 2004 Crop Biotech
The Agricultural and Development Economics Division (ESA) of the Economic and Social Department of United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recently published a working paper on National Agricultural Biotechnology Research Capacity in Developing Countries. The report is based on a survey conducted to determine the current levels of biotechnology research capacity in China, Colombia, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, and Zimbabwe.

GM Plants To Be Used To Create Vaccines
16 July 2004 Crop Biotech
According to BBC News, genetically modified (GM) plants will soon be used to grow vaccines against rabies and AIDS.

DEFRA Announces Consultation Plans On The Co-Existence OF GM And Non-GM Crops
16 July 2004 DEFRA
Defra has today written to interested stakeholders setting out the consultation process it will follow to inform its decisions on the co-existence of GM and non-GM crops.

Statement on the African Food Crisis and the Case for GM Food Aid
16 July 2004 African Biotechnology Stakeholders Forum (ABSF)
At the time of issuing this media statement, at least 25 African countries are facing food emergencies. Unfortunately, at this time of need, there are those who have done everything to convince African countries to reject food aid that may contain Genetically Modified (or GM) food.

Open Letter to FAO Director General in Support of SOFA 2003-04 – Biotechnology Report
16 July 2004 International Consortium on Agricultural Biotechnology Research (ICABR)
We are writing this letter to support FAO’s recent report: The State of Food and Agriculture 2003-04; Agricultural Biotechnology: Meeting the Needs of the Poor? In our opinion the publication provides a comprehensive overview of biotechnology’s potentials and constraints, and it reflects current scientific knowledge on this important subject area.

Agricultural Biotechnology: Meeting The Needs of the Poor? FAO Report Summary and Chapter Conclusions
16 July 2004 FAO
Capacity building for agricultural research and regulatory issues related to biotechnology should be a priority for the international community. FAO has proposed a major new programme to ensure that developing countries have the knowledge and skills necessary to make their own decisions regarding the use of biotechnology.

GM Cow Milk 'Could Provide Treatment For Blood Disease'
15 July 2004 SciDev.Net
Researchers in Brazil are attempting to create genetically modified cows whose milk could be used to produce drugs to treat blood disorders such as haemophilia, an inherited disease which results in blood not clotting properly.

Crying Wolf On GM Crops
15 July 2004 open i
Genetically modified(GM) crops has now been available to, and widely used by, farmers in North America for almost ten years. And no serious or unanticipated concerns have arisen as a consequence.

Organic Is A Production Claim, Not A Sign Of Safety
15 July 2004 Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)
For many shoppers the word "organic" is synonymous with "safe." But food safety experts cannot concede that organic is safer than conventional food, as their research shows it is not.

Farming Plants for Pharmaceuticals Still Promising
14 July 2004 Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)
Despite challenging obstacles, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration views plant-made pharmaceuticals as a highly promising means of building and securing the world’s drug supply.

EuropaBio Joins Forces With The World Life Sciences Forum BioVision
14 July 2004 EuropaBio
EuropaBio, representing the European Biotech Industry and The World Life Sciences Forum BioVision have joined forces to provide a special industry track at BioVision 2005.

Many European Farmers Are Eager to Give Biotech Crops a Try
13 July 2004 Council for Biotechnology Information
Some may be surprised to learn that many European farmers are looking to plant biotech crops.

Argentina approves Monsanto's GM corn
13 July 2004 Just-Food.com
According to Just-Food.com, the government of Argentina has approved US biotech giant Monsanto’s genetically modified corn, NK603, for planting in the country.

National Corn Growers Association Announces Valuable Maize Genome Data Now Available to Scientists
13 July 2004 National Corn Growers Association
Valuable maize (corn) research is now available to research scientists working to sequence the maize genome, the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) announced today. Ceres, Inc., Monsanto Company, and DuPont subsidiary Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. have transferred their maize sequencing information to a searchable database on the Internet hosted at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center.

US Biotech Crop Plantings Fact Sheet - A Precis From The USDA Report
12 July 2004 Monsanto UK Ltd
GM corn - including both Insect resistant and Herbicide tolerant varieties - planted this year in the United States, has increased by 5% to 45% of the total acreage planted.

‘GM Banana Needed To Fend Off Pests’
12 July 2004 ABS-CBN News
Banana is a major staple for more than 400 million people in developing nations, including the Philippines.

Medical Experts Plan GM 'Pharming' Project
12 July 2004 The Scotsman
Scientists across Europe, including Britain, are to explore the possibilities of producing pharmaceuticals grown in genetically modified plants, it was announced today.

Biotech Challenges Ahead For Thailand
11 July 2004 The Nation
Thailand needs to encourage entrepreneurs, involve the public and focus on its strengths if it wants to develop its biotechnology, an expert in the field said recently.

India To Unveil New Biotech Policy
11 July 2004 New Kerala
India will unveil a new national biotechnology policy within six months to boost the sunrise sector.

New EC Regulations Hamper Biotech Companies
09 July 2004 Crop Biotech
The European Commission's (EC) implementation of the Technology Transfer Block Exemption Regulations (TTBER) is a "poor-fit for biotech companies which are dependent on licensing for income and to access technologies."

Cartagena Protocol And Agri-Biotech
09 July 2004 Crop Biotech
In his article entitled "The Cartagena Protocol and the future of agri-biotech," De Greef observed that the regulation of biotechnology, via the Cartagena Protocol, poses a threat to the efforts of public research institutions to create sustainable solutions for food security and health problems in developing countries.

Ontario Farmers Reduce Their Pesticide Use By 52%
09 July 2004 CNW
The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food (OMAF) has released the results of its pesticide use survey, which has been completed every five years since 1983. These surveys have shown a consistent decline in agricultural pesticide use, as measured by total active ingredient (a.i.), due to advancements in education, science, integrated pest management (IPM), and biotechnology.

Monsanto Canada Launches Yield Ready Race To Harvest
09 July 2004 Monsanto Canada
Monsanto Canada today launched the Yield Ready Race To Harvest, a promotion intended to celebrate the high yields growers can expect from Roundup Ready(R) canola.

Green Light For € 1.8 Billion For Food Sector And Rural Development In Poland
08 July 2004 EUROPA
The European Commission has approved today Poland’s Sectoral Operational Programme for Restructuring and Modernisation of the Food Sector and Rural Development for the period 2004-2006. The programme includes a broad range of ambitious rural development measures. The focus is on the modernisation of the farming sector, improvement of the processing sector, and the encouragement of rural development.

Agriculture Department Moves To Dispel GM Food Fear
08 July 2004 Business Report (South Africa)
The agriculture department sought yesterday to dispel fears about genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in South Africa.

abc Welcome EFRA Committee’s Call For Momentum On "GM planting regime"
08 July 2004 Agricultural Biotechnology Council
abc today welcomed the Environmental, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee report on "GM Planting Regime" especially their overriding intention that the government must, in the near future, start the intended consultation and then "establish co-existence and liability regimes".

NCGA, USGC Leaders Assess Biotech Outlook During Mission to EU, Russia
08 July 2004 Yahoo!
Leaders from the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and U.S. Grains Council (USGC) who recently returned from a fact-finding mission to the European Union (EU) and Russia say attitudes about biotechnology remain deeply divided on the Continent and continued outreach is necessary to ensure consumers and those that claim to represent them fully appreciate the potential benefits of biotechnology in agriculture.

Seed Dealership Operator Favors GM Wheat
08 July 2004 The Minot Daily News
Betty Bunck believes it is in the best interest of Kansas wheat producers to accept genetically modified wheat. Bunck, who operates a certified seed dealership and 2,700-acre farm in extreme northeastern Kansas, takes the same stance as the Kansas Wheat Commission and supports ongoing research for the release of GM wheat.

DFG Presents Statement On The German Genetic Engineering Act
07 July 2004 DFG
The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) sees the draft amendment to the Genetic Engineering Act as a restriction on innovation and research in Germany.

Biotech Industry For Specialised Regulator
07 July 2004 The Financial Express
Not satisfied with the model of National Biotechnology Regulatory Authority recommended by Dr MS Swaminathan panel, the industry has proposed its own single window regulatory authority with three specialised wings.

Net Value: Monsanto Side Of GMF Story
07 July 2004 The Edge Daily
At the Monsanto HQ, Dr Harvey Glick, Monsanto's director of scientific affairs, told their side of the story: "The unfortunate thing is that Terje has not released his papers and scientific data backing this claim [that the Bt toxin has harmed humans in the Philippines]. The result is that the scientific community immediately reacted by telling him not to make this kind of statement without supporting data because all you do is create a frenzy in the media.

Experiment Station Researcher Looking For Missing Links In Corn
07 July 2004 Texas A&M University - Agricultural Communications
A scientist with the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station said the development of corn with improved protein quality would reduce the need for soybean additives when feeding corn to swine and poultry.

WTO Panel Delays Proceedings In Biotech Dispute
07 July 2004 ICTSD
The WTO panel examining the US-Argentina-Canada complaint against the EC's de facto moratorium on the approval of new genetically modified organisms has delayed the next step in the proceedings by about a month, pushing the second panel session to the middle of September.

Govt Formulates Policy To Exploit Bio-tech Potentials
06 July 2004 Financial Express
The government has formulated the first ever National Biotechnology Policy of the country with a view to utilising the latest innovations in the field.

Edible Oils and Fats: A Global Overview of Technological Developments
06 July 2004 NPIcenter
With obesity reaching epidemic levels, consumers are becoming increasingly health conscious and demanding healthier oils and fats. Simultaneously, research efforts are underway to develop innovative methods to enhance oil and fat properties.

Annan Calls For African Green Revolution
05 July 2004 Business Report (South Africa)
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan appealed Monday for a green revolution in Africa, telling a conference in Addis Ababa that ending the continent's chronic hunger crisis was possible given the right strategies and political will.

Beware Those Who Would Return Agriculture To Dark Ages
04 July 2004 Fumento.com
Now, just what does organic food provide? More nutrition? No. More attractive food to steer kids from processed junk to fresh produce? "Not likely!" chuckles Mr. Worm from the comfort of your organic apple. Is it safer? No.

Work To Begin On £25m Crop Centre
03 July 2004 The Scotsman
Work is set to start on a £25 million research centre from where future GM crop trials in Scotland will be monitored.

ISAAA Develops Videos On Bt Corn Stories
02 July 2004 Crop Biotech
The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications has developed two videos on the Bt corn experiences in the Philippines.

Biosafety Symposium
02 July 2004 Crop Biotech
The 8th International Symposium on the Biosafety of Genetically Modified Organisms will be held in Montpellier, France from September 26-30, 2004.

Issues Affecting Agri-Biotech Sector In India
02 July 2004 Crop Biotech
India's agricultural biotechnology industry has the necessary policy and regulatory support to promote research and development. However, product development and commercialization needs attention.

Transgenic Tomatoes Fight AIDS
02 July 2004 BetterHumans
Ketchup could soon fight AIDS thanks to tomatoes engineered by Russian scientists to produce a vaccine against the disease.

O'Malley Comments On Genetically Modified Foods
01 July 2004 Limerick Post
Mr Tim O'Malley TD, Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children with responsibility for Food Safety, today (29th June 2004) welcomed the recent discussion held in the Seanad on Genetically Modified Foods at which the Minister spoke on the Government's position on GM Foods and the public concerns and media reports concerning the issue.

Health-Promoting Omega-3s May Be Produced In Biotech Plants
01 July 2004 PUFA
Long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC-PUFAs) have benefits regarding cardiovascular and inflammatory function, certain types of cancer, and maternal and infant health, according to recent peer-reviewed studies. These beneficial fatty acids are found naturally in fatty fish, but breakthrough research shows that bioengineered plants can produce them.

Poor Farmers Need The Benefits Of GM Crops
01 July 2004 AgBioWorld
Channapatna S. Prakash and Gregory Conko, respectively president and vicepresident of AgBioWorld Foundation based in Auburn, Alabama also take issue with Vandana Shiva’s article, "Why I Believe that Sending GMOs to Starving People is inhuman aid", in the last issue of HAR. Prakash and Conko claim that it is irresponsible to deprive developing countries of the benefits of GM technology.

EU Executive Under Fire On GM
29 June 2004 EUpolitix
EU environment ministers have again failed to reach agreement on the release of GM crops.

The lack of a clear decision by national governments ensures that the proposal now falls back on the European Commission, the EU’s executive, which is expected to rubber stamp authorisation within the next few weeks.

NGO Letter To The FAO
29 June 2004 CheckBiotech.org
NGOs in support of FAO report, "Agricultural biotechnology: meeting the needs of the poor?" An open letter to Mr. Jacques Diouf, Director General of UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

India And United States To Cooperate In Agricultural Biotechnology
29 June 2004 The Press Information Bureau - India
India and United States have decided to increase cooperation in agricultural bio-technology research and development. A Letter of Intent to this effect was signed by the Minister for Science and Technology and Ocean Development Shri Kapil Sibal and the Ambassador of the United States to India Mr. David C Mulford here today.

GM Canola Safety Assessments
28 June 2004 Food Standards Australia/New Zealand
Suggestions that Europe has rejected import of the genetically modified herbicide tolerant oilseed rape GT73 (known in Australia as Roundup Ready canola) are wrong.

India Intends To Usher New Green Revolution With GM Crops
27 June 2004 Taja News
India intends to use Genetically Modified (GM) crops to usher in a new Green Revolution in the country, Kapil Sibal, Science and Technology Minister said today.

Africa Urged To Double Support For Agricultural Research
27 June 2004 SciDev.Net
A top-level panel of scientists has urged African countries and international donor agencies to implement a wide range of initiatives to enhance the potential contribution of science and technology to the continent's food needs.

Wake Up And Smell The Genetically Modified Coffee
26 June 2004 The Morning Sun
The United States and European Union must arrive at some sort of mutual understanding on this issue - one with regulatory acceptance for products enhanced through biotechnology.

EU Commission Backs GM Maize Imports
25 June 2004 Business World Ireland
The European Commission said it backed EU imports of foods made from Monsanto's genetically modified strain of maize, known as NK 603, for 10 years.

EU Ponders Biotech 'Vision'
24 June 2004 EUpolitix
Europe’s leading research, food and biotech industries have presented EU leaders with a ‘vision’ for the future of plant biotechnology.

Biotechnology Applications In Food Processing: Can Developing Countries Benefit?
24 June 2004 FAO
Conference 11 begins on 14 June and runs for four weeks, finishing on Sunday 11 July 2004. For the first time, a conference of the Forum will be dedicated to the application of biotechnology to the processing of food (including beverages) produced by the crop, fishery and livestock sectors in developing countries.

Four African Presidents OK Biotech
23 June 2004 Crop Biotech
Four West Africa Presidents, Amadou Toumani Toure of Mali, Mamadou Tandja of Niger, John Kufuor of Ghana, and Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso, have given their approval to the use of biotechnology to improve food security in the continent.

Monsanto Gift To Benefit Agriculture In The Classroom
23 June 2004 Monsanto Co.
Monsanto announced today, at the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference, intentions to donate a gift of $50,000 to the Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) Consortium.

Genetically Modified Foods, The Debate Moves Ahead
22 June 2004 EUFIC
The debate over genetically modified (GM) foods has been going on for some years now, with much of the discussion centered on whether or not these foods are safe to eat. Thanks to scientific research, improved understanding of the technology and new regulations, most parties involved in the GM debate now agree that the food and food ingredients derived from currently available genetically modified crops are not likely to present a risk for human health.

Scientists Call For Crops To Replace Depleted Fossil Fuels
22 June 2004 Cape Times
London: Farmers must shift quickly to growing plants for industrial uses, such as oils and plastics, to replace petrochemicals as the climate warms and crude supplies run out, scientists warn.

EU And Japan Urged To Forge Closer Biotechnology Collaboration
22 June 2004 CORDIS
The EU-Japan business dialogue round table (BDRT), meeting as part of the EU-Japan summit on 21 June, called for a continuous dialogue on life sciences and biotechnology, as well as joint EU-Japanese research projects on sustainable development.

USDA and African Agricultural Technology Foundation Sign Agreement to Share Technologies
21 June 2004 USDA
Officials of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding to share and disseminate agricultural technologies to improve African production systems, increase food security, reduce poverty, expand agricultural trade and commerce on a sustainable basis, and provide new opportunities for African farmers.

Ministerial Conference on Harnessing Science and Technology to Increase Agricultural Productivity in Africa: West African Perspectives
21 June 2004 USDA
In this growing U.S.-African relationship, we are encouraged by the commitment of many leaders here to regional cooperation on policy reform, economic growth, and increased investment in agriculture and rural development. The United States fully supports the principles and goals of the African-led New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), and the African Union’s Declaration on Agriculture and Food Security – support recently reaffirmed at the G-8 meeting.

South Dakota State University Ph.D. Student Marie-Laure Sauer Wins 'Young Scientist' Award for Plant Biotechnology Research
21 June 2004 PR NewsWire
South Dakota State University Ph.D. candidate Marie-Laure Sauer, a native of Toulouse, France, was recognized today by the council for Biotechnology Information (CBI) for her innovative research in the field of plant biotechnology.

G8 Summit Documents
19 June 2004
Famine, food insecurity, and malnutrition have many complex causes, and defeating them will require a global partnership between the governments of affected countries, donors, international institutions, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

China's Scientists Bat For Commercial Planting Of GM Rice
18 June 2004 Crop Biotech
A group of Chinese biotechnology scientists have released a report urging the central government to allow the commercial planting of genetically modified (GM) rice.

Survey Reveals Low Biotech Knowledge In Western Kenya
18 June 2004 Crop Biotech
Most respondents expressed strong interest in getting more information aimed at demystifying the technology and make it easily understandable to the common people while farmers specifically wanted information about where they could get the improved seeds.

GM Food May Be Acceptable In EU Markets
18 June 2004 Crop Biotech
Our analysis of contingent valuation (CV) data predicts that food products made of genetically modified (GM) ingredients have a place in supermarkets in the United Kingdom.

Egypt Will Help Tanzania With 'Inevitable' GM Crops
18 June 2004 SciDev.Net
Egypt is to provide training and other forms of technical assistance to Tanzania to help it develop the capacity to produce genetically modified (GM) crops. The offer was made during talks between the countries on the sensitive issue of access to water from the River Nile.

Biotech and The Science Of Tapai-Making
17 June 2004 New Straits Times
DATUK Dr Jamaludin Jarjis is trying hard to make Malaysians understand what biotechnology is all about.

Decision On Genetically Modified Oilseed Rape To Be Referred To Council
17 June 2004 EUROPA
Following vote in the Regulatory Committee (16/06) on the release of genetically modified organisms into the environment, the decision to authorise the import and processing of the genetically modified oilseed rape known as GT73 will pass on to the Council of Ministers.

Farming Initiative For Africa Launched
17 June 2004 The East African Standard
"Of particular attention in the range of available technologies is the question of biotechnology, and, specifically, genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Europe Rejects GM Oilseed Rape
16 June 2004 EUpolitix
National governments have blocked calls from Brussels to allow the import of GM oilseed rape into the EU.

GM Imports Under Scrutiny
15 June 2004 EUpolitix
Europe could on Wednesday inch forward towards importing genetically modified oilseed rape marketed by US company Monsanto.

CU To Seek FOIL Waiver From State Appeals Court
15 June 2004 The Ithaca Journal
Cornell University is expected to argue before the state's highest court that the Freedom of Information Law does not compel its state-assisted College of Agriculture and Life Sciences to disclose documents on genetically modified organism research.

DEFRA: Amendments To Two Consents On GM Maize Are No Longer Necessary
15 June 2004 SeedQuest
DEFRA has today written to the Commission explaining why amendments to two consents on GM maize are no longer necessary.

Country May Become Ag-biotech Star
15 June 2004 China Daily
China could become an agriculture biotechnology leader in the next couple of years.

GM Food 'Essential' To Meet Future Needs Biotechnology: FAO Response to Open Letter From NGOs
15 June 2004 FAO
FAO Director-General Dr Jacques Diouf has sent the following letter to NGOs in response to their criticism of FAO's recent State of Food and Agriculture report.

Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services Optimistic Over New Technologies In Developing Countries
15 June 2004 U.S. Department of State
U.S. Under Secretary of Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services says that U.S. officials are seeing "much more acceptance" of new agricultural technologies on the part of developing countries.

The New Green Revolution Offers Hope To Poor Farmers And Poor Consumers
14 June 2004 Wisconsin Technology Network
Outside the convention hall, I stopped last week to chat with a protester whose sign read: "Biotechnology is making poor farmers poorer." He was a young and pleasant enough guy – just caught up in his own rhetoric.

Organic Food NON Safety?
14 June 2004 PR Web
The latest research from the University of Minnesota renews concerns that organic produce has higher bacterial risks than conventional fruits and vegetables. The Minnesota researchers found significantly more E. coli and more Salmonella bacteria on organic produce than conventional.

New Challenges Ahead in Bumper Cotton Season
14 June 2004 The Hindu Business Line
Higher cotton crop size is largely due to increased sowing of Bt cotton seeds and according to trade estimates, this year a large quantity of uncertified Bt cotton seeds from Gujarat and Tamil Nadu origin are reported to have found their way into Punjab and Haryana farms.

Growing India's Promise: Seeds of Change
12 June 2004 St. Louis Post Dispatch
Every 10th person in the world is an Indian farmer. That equates to huge capacity for production and consumption of food, said Vasant Gandhi, chairman of the Centre for Management in Agriculture at the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad.

Growers Need More Time To Develop Biotech Wheat
12 June 2004 News-Star Online
A decision by Monsanto to delay plans to develop a genetically modified variety of wheat allows producers time to develop a marketing plan for the new technology, said the executive director of Nebraska Wheat Growers Association.

Let a Hundred Gene-Spliced Flowers Bloom
11 June 2004 The Chronicle of Higher Education
Over the past two decades, regulators in the United States and many other countries have created a series of rules for the new biotechnology, also known as recombinant-DNA technology, gene splicing, or genetic modification. Regulatory policy has consistently treated the technology as though it were inherently risky and in need of intensive oversight and control, but a broad scientific consensus holds that it is merely an extension, or refinement, of less precise technologies that we have long used for similar purposes.

Philippine DA Awards Outstanding Bt Corn Farmers
11 June 2004 Crop Biotech
Carlos Guevarra, a farmer from Pampanga, Philippines harvested a record yield of 10.25 metric tons per hectare from planting a biotech-enhanced corn variety during the last cropping season.

China All Out On GM Rice
11 June 2004 Crop Biotech
China's fear of being unable to produce enough rice to meet domestic demand may impel the country to become the first in the world to approve genetically modified (GM) rice. In an article in the journal Nature, Hepeng Jia, K.S. Jayaraman and Sabine Louet noted that China has increased its budget for research and field trials of GM rice since 2001. Its biotech budget for 2001-2005 is $1.2 billion, a 400% increase compared with 1996-2000. About $120 million out of the current budget is devoted to GM rice programs.

A Resurvey of Farmers and Growers' Acceptance of GM
11 June 2004 Crop Biotech
A study conducted by Andrew J. Cook and John R. Fairweather, of Lincoln University, New Zealand, entitled "New Zealand Farmer and Grower Intentions to Use Gene Technology: Results from a Resurvey," examined the changes in the intentions, attitudes, and beliefs of farmers and growers in New Zealand regarding their use of biotechnology. Intentions to use gene technology, attitudes towards using gene technology, and beliefs about market acceptance, commercial viability, and environmental risk from using the technology were gathered and compared against similar surveys conducted in previous years.

Rice Technology vs Malnutrition
11 June 2004 Crop Biotech
A large number of people living in predominantly rice-eating countries suffer from various forms of malnutrition. Understanding the causes of malnutrition is the only way to bring about sustained improvements in overall health and well-being. Current advances in rice technology may be able to alleviate the severe malnutrition currently experienced. These advances must also be accompanied by actions which alleviate the core causes of malnutrition, namely, improvements in health care, sanitation and hygiene and education.

Food Fight: The Bogus Protests of Biotechnology
11 June 2004 TechNewsWorld
According to TechNewsWorld, Dr. Henry Miller of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, and former FDA official, has written that hybridization, in which genes are moved from one species or one genus to another, might sound dramatic, but "the results are as mundane as a tomato that is more resistant to disease or has a thicker skin that won't be damaged during mechanical picking."

Young Scientist Award Winner Hopes to Boost Iron Levels in Rice, Other Crops
June 2004 Council for Biotechnology Information
Young Scientist award winner Aaron Atkinson knows a thing or two about coming of age. Atkinson, 30, spends his days (and many of his nights) in a lab at Dartmouth College working on cutting-edge research designed to enrich crops, improve global health and bring the promise of biotechnology one step closer to reality.

ANU and CSIRO Establish Gateway to France
09 June 2004 CSIRO
More than ten thousand French researchers will be linked to Australia's leading research organisations, CSIRO and The Australian National University as a result of an agreement signed today.

Test-Bed Biotech Ideas in Malaysia
08 June 2004 New Straits Times
THE Malaysian Government has extended an invitation to world-class biotechnology (biotech) companies to "test-bed" their ideas and innovations here.

Revolutionising Biotechnology Through Agriculture
08 June 2004 Press Information Bureau - Government of India
Biotechnology holds the promise to double food production, ensure adequate nutrition and rid small farmers from poverty. Biotech applications are already yielding health benefits by releasing what are considered life saving and life enhancing drugs. India is slowly emerging as one of the world leaders in this area.

Monsanto Sees Joint Effort Producing The Super Pig
08 June 2004 St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Monsanto Co. and MetaMorphix Inc. said that they are teaming up to bring consumers a new brand of well-bred pork.

Focusing GM on Feeding the World’s Poor
07 June 2004 EUROPA
Biotechnology’s role in agriculture has sparked a global debate between advocates and detractors in the worlds of science, policy, industry and the general public. A recent FAO report considers these contrasting views on biotech farming and offers insight on how to feed the billions who suffer each day from deficient diets, while breaking the cycle of poverty driven by subsistence agricultural practices.

An Indian Farmer Bats for New Technology
07 June 2004 The Hindu Business Line
The Hindu Business Line reports: MR M.S. Shankarikoppa, a 74-year old from Adur village in Haveri district of Karnataka, is a farmer of modest means but with progressive ideas. He is one of the growing number of farmers starting to benefit from planting genetically-modified cottonseed.

Co-existence in North American Agriculture: Can GM Crops Be Grown With Conventional and Organic Crops?
07 June 2004 PG Economics
The evidence to date shows that GM crops, which now account for the majority (60%) of total soybean, corn and canola grown in North America (because of the farm level benefits obtained such as yield gains, cost savings and greater convenience/flexibility), have co-existed with conventional and organic crops without significant economic or commercial problems.

The Sacramento Bee Feature
06 June 2004 The Sacramento Bee
The first of a five-part series highlighting the problems and potential of GM crops. The initial installment focuses on an attempt to feed Mali with cloned wild-rice.

Engineered Genes Rescue Papaya Crop
06 June 2004 The Sacramento Bee
The Sacramento Bee reports that a deadly virus threatened Hawaii's papaya industry, so biotech scientists came to the rescue of a key state exports.

Biotech Industry Developing Foods To Combat Obesity
06 June 2004 North County Times
One of mankind's most elemental needs -- food -- set the agenda at the world's largest biotechnology meeting.

Akalis Demand Bt Cotton in Punjab
05 June 2004 Newindpress.com
The Shiromani Akali Dal sounded out the Centre on Friday on stopping farmers of Punjab from cultivating Bt Cotton while the farmers in south India are already reaping its benefits.

Romanians Say GM Soya Beats Smelly Salami
04 June 2004 Reuters
Reuters reports that the smelly, soya-based salami that replaced meat on Romanian dinner tables during the rule of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu long symbolised the misery of communism.

USDA Calls for Regulatory Responsibility for GM Crops
04 June 2004 CropBiotech Net
Incidents like the StarLink corn highlights the fact that "we needed to really understand, better define the appropriate role of government regulatory systems to make sure that we didn't undermine the consumer confidence in our food supply." This was stressed by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Ann M. Veneman to The Advisory Committee on Biotechnology in Washington, DC.

Greater Biotech Opportunities for New EU Members
04 June 2004 CropBiotech Net
Industry observers believe that the addition of 10 countries from central and eastern Europe into the European Union will create a wider market for biotechnology companies. In an article in the journal Nature, Sabine Louet noted that the EU enlargement will bring more opportunities and greater visibility to partner with a wider network.

Biotech for the Common Good
04 June 2004 The Truth About Trade & Technology
Will the last person to agree that biotech food is safe to eat please turn out the lights? That was my first response when I read a summary of the new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Issued recently, its strong endorsement of genetically enhanced crops provides further proof that biotech food is here to stay--and that its permanence is something to welcome rather than fear.

U.S., Canada Ask WTO to Open EU's Biotech Seed Market
04 June 2004 Bloomberg.com
Bloomberg reports that the U.S., Canada and Argentina, the world's biggest growers of gene-engineered crops, called on trade arbitrators in the first hearings of a dispute to strike down a European Union ban on new modified seed varieties.

D&PL Responds To Monsanto’s Arbitration Filing
04 June 2004 Delta Farm Press
Delta Farm Press reports that Delta and Pine Land Co. said it has fully complied with all the provisions of its licensing agreements for Bollgard and Roundup Ready cotton and believes an arbitration panel requested by Monsanto Co. will confirm its position.

Biotech In Farm: The New Matrix
03 June 2004 The Financial Express
The final report of the MS Swaminathan Committee on applications of biotechnology in agriculture has proposed setting up of an autonomous National Biotechnology Regulatory Authority (NBRA) with two wings, one for food and agriculture sector and the other for pharmaceutical and industrial applications.

Law Now Protects SA's Biodiversity
03 June 2004 Cape Argus
President Thabo Mbeki has signed into law South Africa's new Biodiversity Act, which is hailed by some as the most significant environmental legislation adopted in 10 years of democratic government.

Structured Non-Bt Cotton Refuges May Still Be Necessary
03 June 2004 Delta Farm Press
For the past two years, the multi-state research project examined the influence of alternate crops on bollworm population dynamics. EPA requested the study to determine whether non-cotton host plants such as corn, soybeans, grain sorghum and certain weeds can harbor corn earworm (cotton bollworm) in sufficient numbers to supplement the 5 percent Bollgard refuge option.

Solid Performance and Products That Matter: Biotechnology on a Roll Heading into BIO 2004
03 June 2004 BIO
Heading into the BIO 2004 Annual International Convention June 6–9 in San Francisco, the biotechnology industry is performing well across a variety of financial and product development measures.

EU Set To Debate On GM Food Approvals
02 June 2004 Reuters
Reuters reports that EU ministers and experts will this month consider two approvals for gene-spliced foods, just a few weeks after the bloc lifted a five-year biotech ban that had angered its top trading partners, officials said on Wednesday.

Towards Switchable Crops: Beyond the Green Revolution
01 June 2004 Information Systems for Biotechnology News Report
The green revolution of the 1960s introduced the production of short-stemmed wheat and rice varieties that were higher yielding compared to their taller counterparts. This development transformed agriculture, and perhaps signaled the realization of genetic crop improvement.

Dozens of Countries Will Promote Biotech Opportunities at BIO 2004
01 June 2004 The Biotechnology Industry Organization
The world is coming to San Francisco June 6-9 for perhaps the largest biotechnology gathering ever, the BIO 2004 Annual International Convention. At least 59 countries will be represented among the 17,000+ attendees expected.

Scientists Zero In On Drought-Resistant Crops
01 June 2004 St. Louis Post-Dispatch
In a hot, dry growth chamber at Monsanto Co., a few green soybean plants with small flowers and a handful of pods show scientist Stan Dotson that he has made a breakthrough.

Living Modified Organisms: New Guidelines For Risk Assessment
01 June 2004 FAO
New guidelines for determining if a living modified organism (LMO) poses a hazard to plants have been published by FAO. Some 130 countries adopted this unique international standard on how to assess the risks of LMOs to plants.

France Gives Green Light to New GMO Field Trials
01 June 2004 Reuters
Reuters reports that France gave the green light to new field trials of genetically modified crops (GMOs) on Tuesday, detailing eight test sites that in the past have been the target for opponents to the new technology.

EU Lifts Ban on GM Maize
01 June 2004 The East African Standard
The European Union this week lifted a six-year moratorium on Genetically Modified maize, surprising protagonists in the "food wars".

$273,000 Grant to Back U of S–Swedish Research into Cereal Crop Quality
31 May 2004 U of S Research
A joint U of S–Swedish team has been awarded $273,000 from a Swedish foundation to study development of the endosperm in wheat and barley. This structure contains much of the starch, protein and fat in the seed and is the most important component when determining crop quality.

Kenya prepares to grow genetically modified maize
30 May 2004 The Sunday Standard
Every year, Kenya loses Sh7.2 billion ($90 million) to a pesky insect that attacks maize stalks...Now, a new project to develop insect resistant maize on the continent is likely to put farmers at rest.

South Africans Still In Favor Of GM Food
28 May 2004 Crop Biotech Net
Majority (58%) of South Africans are still in favor of genetically modified (GM) food. This was the highlight of a public phone-in poll that was conducted two weeks ago to assess the South African public's acceptance of the safety of foods derived from GM crops. This opinion polling was done following a TV debate on GM food.

Impact of GM Crops In Argentinean Agriculture
28 May 2004 Crop Biotech Net
Eduardo J. Trigo, and Eugenio J. Cap, of the Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria (INTA), Buenos Aires, Argentina, started that “since the early 1990s, Argentinean grain production underwent a dramatic increase in grains production (from 26 million tons in 1988/89 to over 75 million tons in 2002/2003).

Farmers Organization In Support of GM Wheat
28 May 2004 Crop Biotech Net
Grain farmers from North Dakota and Montana, in the United States, have organized a new farmers group called “Growers for Wheat Biotechnology Inc” (GWB) to advocate the research, development and acceptance of biotechnology in wheat. GWB's aim is to provide factual, credible information on biotechnology in wheat to enable wheat farmers to make informed decisions about the future of the wheat industry.

British Farmers Polled Over GM Technology
28 May 2004 Monsanto UK Ltd
Farmers in Great Britain are still well aware of the benefits of agricultural biotechnology, Monsanto in the UK confirmed today (Friday 28th May 2004).

More Time Needed To Develop Biotech Wheat, Says NWGA
28 May 2004 Nebraska Wheat Growers Association
Following the announcement by Monsanto to shelve the commercialization of biotech traits in wheat, producers and wheat organizations breathed a sigh of relief. It provided an opportunity to step back from the situation and begin to develop a marketplace for this new technology. National wheat organizations will now have the opportunity to become proactive members of a marketing plan that includes the promotion of genetically modified wheat to international and domestic purchasers of U. S. wheat.

France Risks EU Biotech Spat
24 May 2004 EUpolitix.com
Paris could be on a collision course with Brussels over its attitude to genetically modified food, according to comments from the French government.

Use of Plant Genetics In Conventional Agriculture ‘Held Back’
24 May 2004 EASAC
The successful application of new tools and methods in plant genetics to conventional farming is being held back in the European Union by the lack of a coherent research strategy and the impact of legislation, according to a report published today (24 May 2004) by the European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC).

Fighting Biotech Foods Carries a Big Risk
23 May 2004 Grand Forks Herald
Biotechnology actually is on the cusp of incredible progress, such as producing a strain of wheat that withstands drought better than current varieties. Another kind will be safe for people with wheat allergies to eat. (This, by the way, is an obvious and compelling "consumer benefit.") None of these welcome developments become a reality, however, if the most basic forms of biotech wheat are kept from the marketplace.

Barriers In Marketing GM Horticultural Crops
21 May 2004 Crop Biotech Net
“High costs for research, development and regulatory approval combined with the small acreages planted and the diversity of varieties, will limit the potential for profitable applications of biotechnology to many fruits and vegetables, tree fruits and nuts, and nursery crops,” says Julian M. Alston, Professor, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of California (UC) Davis, and Associate Director, Science and Technology Policy, UC Agricultural Issues Center.

For Biotech Foods, a Dwindling Appetite
21 May 2004 International Herald Tribune
The International Herald Tribune focuses on the increasing cost of regulation of GM crops and how this is causing small companies to cancel research projects for products that farmers need and conventional breeding can't deliver, especially in the vegetable market. The combined threat of a very slow and costly regulatory process followed by uncertain markets, are killing these projects. In 1990, 120 biotech trials involving fruit and vegetables occurred. In 2003 that had dwindled to just 20.

Supreme Court Of Canada Finds In Favour Of Monsanto In Schmeiser vs. Monsanto Patent Infringement Case
21 May 2004 Monsanto Co
Monsanto Canada today welcomed the decision of the Supreme Court of Canada in ruling that the subject matter claimed within its patent for Roundup Ready canola falls within the Patent Act and that Mr. Percy Schmeiser and Schmeiser Enterprises Ltd. of Bruno, Saskatchewan infringed that patent.

Monsanto Wins Gene Patent Case
21 May 2004 The Sacramento Bee
The Sacramento Bee reports that Monsanto Co. won a landmark dispute over gene patents on Friday when the Supreme Court of Canada ruled 5-4 that Saskatchewan farmer Percy Schmeiser illegally planted the company's biotech seeds.

Supreme Court Validates the Benefits of Biotechnology
21 May 2004 BIOTECanada
BIOTECanada is reassured by the Supreme Court decision in the Monsanto vs. Percy Schmeiser case supporting Intellectual Property protection in Canada. “We have a strong, vibrant biotech industry in Canada that is growing every day. We congratulate the Court for confirming the vital role scientific discovery and innovation play in Canada,” said BIOTECanada president, Janet Lambert.

Modified Papayas Protected From Virus
20 May 2004 The Straits Times
The Straits Times reports that the papaya ring spot virus decimated harvests of the fruit in Hawaii in the 1990s, shrinking yields to less than half of the normal 50,000 tonnes a year.

Borlaug Urges More Agricultural Research to Help Poor Countries Africa especially needs increased food output, Nobel winner says
20 May 2004 United States Department of State
With new plant diseases emerging and the amount of the world's farmable land holding steady, the international research and aid communities must increase efforts to develop and share with developing countries information about new agricultural technologies and methods, says Norman Borlaug, 1970 Nobel Peace Prize winner.

EU Lifts Five-Year GMO Ban
19 May 2004 Reuters
Reuters reports that the European Union has ended its controversial ban on new genetically modified foods, allowing imports of a tinned maize but not yet touching the more contentious issue of new GMO crops.

Genetically Engineered Wheat: Luddites Triumph
19 May 2004 St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Monsanto's decision to not market genetically modified wheat represents another triumph of baseless fear over science. It's one more reason for Monsanto to hurry the day when genetically modified crops improve consumer health as well as crop yields.

EU Commission Approves Biotech Sweet Corn For Food Use
19 May 2004 EuropaBio
Today, the EU Commission approved a genetically modified sweet corn (Bt-11) for food use in the European Union, which is the first GM food product to be approved in Europe since 1998. This sweet corn is genetically modified to protect itself from corn borer insect damage (1).

Why the Shredded Wheat?
17 May 2004 Tech Central Station
There's dancing and singing in the streets of the Land of Biotech Bashers. Monsanto, the world's largest seed company, has announced it will delay commercialization of gene-spliced wheat.

GM Contamination Claims 'Exaggerated', Claims Study
17 May 2004 Food Navigator.com
Claims by anti-GM groups that genetically modified crops cannot co-exist with ‘normal’ ones without causing contamination have been exaggerated, and increasing the regulatory burden on GM crops in Europe would be inequitable and disproportionate, according to a new study released in the UK last week.

The Gene Revolution: Great Potential for the Poor, But No Panacea
17 May 2004 FAO
Biotechnology holds great promise for agriculture in developing countries, but so far only farmers in a few developing countries are reaping these benefits, FAO said in its annual report 'The State of Food and Agriculture 2003-04'.

Biotechnology: Meeting the Needs of the Poor?
17 May 2004 FAO
By introducing high-yielding plant varieties, agro-chemicals and new irrigation techniques into agriculture systems around the world, the Green Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s boosted crop yields and helped lift millions of people out of hunger and poverty.

Africa Behind in Food Output
15 May 2004 The Nation
Adoption of biotechnology to create genetically modified crops could be the ultimate answer to Africa's falling food yields.

GM and Non GM Arable Crops Can Co-Exist in the EU Without Problems: Says New Research Paper
14 May 2004 PG Economics Limited
PG Economics Ltd today announced the release of its latest research paper on GM and non GM crop co-existence – Co-existence of GM and non GM crops: the non GM and organic context in the EU

Environmental Effects Of GM Crops
14 May 2004 Crop Biotech Net
The cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops with their benefits and potential hazards to the environment should be considered within broader ecosystems and their effects on the environment should be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

GM Crops and Biodiversity
14 May 2004 Crop Biotech Net
“The spread of transgenic crops will influence crop genetic diversity, but their implications for the availability of plant genetic resources and the resilience of agricultural ecosystems are not entirely clear. Transgenic crops may increase or decrease crop genetic diversity, depending on how they are regulated and deployed,” says Terri Raney and Prabhu Pingali, of the Agricultural and Development Economics Division, Economic and Social Department, of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Italy.

GM Maize Can Be Solution To Zambia's Hunger: UNICEF Official
13 May 2004 Xinhua News
Xinhua News reports that genetically modified (GM) maize can be a solution to Zambia's hunger situation if farmers pledge not to plant it, said the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) goodwill ambassador in Lusaka.

GM Sugar Beet Shown To Be Less Harmful To Environment
13 May 2004 Plant Biotechnology Journal
A new peer-reviewed study in Plant Biotechnology Journal reports that herbicide tolerant sugar beets would be less harmful to the environment and human health than growing conventional sugar beets. This was largely a result of reduced overall pesticide use in herbicide tolerant sugar beets, which resulted in lower emissions related to herbicide manufacture, transport and application in the field.

Nigeria: Issues in Biotechnology
11 May 2004 Daily Champion
The Daily Champion reports that ordinarily, the recent launch of the Nigeria Agricultural Biotechnology Project (NABP) would seem a milestone in the country's rather slow march towards embracing and utilising the highly controversial but seemingly inevitable science of bioengineering in increasing food production.

ABIC2004 – AgBiotech Goes Europe
11 May 2004 Agriculture Biotechnology International Conference
ABIC2004 in Cologne is one of the most important conferences on agricultural biotechnology. Scientists, industrial managers, investors and policy makers will come together for an intensive exchange of experience in order to give new momentum to further the development of agricultural biotechnology and to enable co-operations between academic research institutes and partners from industry.

Monsanto to Realign Research Portfolio, Development of Roundup Ready Wheat Deferred
10 May 2004 Monsanto Co
Monsanto announced it is realigning research and development investments to accelerate the development of new and improved traits in corn, cotton, and oilseeds. As part of this realignment, the company is deferring all further efforts to introduce Roundup Ready wheat, until such time that other wheat biotechnology traits are introduced.

Botswana Drafts GMO Regulation Framework
07 May 2004 Crop Biotech Net
The first stakeholders' workshop on the drafting of a framework for the regulation of genetically modified organisms (GMO) was recently held in Bostwana. Organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, this is the country's first attempt on setting guidelines on how the importation and restriction of GMO technology in the country should be handled.

First European Study On GMO Co-Existence
07 May 2004 Crop Biotech Net
The Institute for Research on Agronomic Techniques (IRTA) at Lleida, Catalonia, Spain presented the first European study on genetic modification (GM) co-existence last March. These findings were based on practical results obtained in field trials with maize, which were carried out in 2003 near Invars d'Urgell. In these field tests, the researchers observed the interaction between the Bt-maize variety “Compa CB” (Bt-176) and the isogenic conventional maize variety “Brasco”.

Crop Improvement Meeting In Kenya
07 May 2004 Crop Biotech Net
Gene transformation experts from the Consultative Group in International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) centers met in Nairobi, Kenya recently to discuss Gene Transfer and Crop Improvement, a sub-program of the World Bank's Generation Challenge Program that focuses on improving crop varieties in developing countries.

USAID Invests on Biotech in Nigeria
07 May 2004 Crop Biotech Net
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was reported to invest over N400 million for the development of biotechnology in Nigeria.

Making GM Foods Publicly Acceptable
07 May 2004 Crop Biotech Net
Making agricultural biotechnology publicly acceptable is complex and involves more than just communicating their benefits. So says Gene Rowe of the Institute of Food Research in Norwich, United Kingdom.

Genetic Enrichment Of Nutritional Quality
07 May 2004 Crop Biotech Net
An integrated approach to genetics and molecular breeding is likely to make a food-based approach to nutrition even more effective in the future. This was one of the strategies discussed by M.S. Swaminathan in his article “Nutrition security and natural resources scarcity in Asia” published in the 42nd issue of Quarterly Journal of International Agriculture.

Public Concern About Biotech
07 May 2004 Crop Biotech Net
While there are no adequate controls over the processes, motivations, and outcomes of the development and applications of biotechnology and gene technology, there are possible concerns that can be addressed to achieve public confidence.

Tanzania Looks Abroad for GM Advice
06 May 2004 SciDev.Net
The government of Tanzania has asked 29 of its ambassadors based in foreign countries to seek scientific advice from such countries to help it pave the way for adopting genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Biotech's Antagonists
05 May 2004 Tech Central Station
Controversies continue to engulf the "new biotechnology" -- also known as gene-splicing or genetic modification (GM) -- applied to agriculture and food production. Perhaps pseudo-controversies would be a more apt term, given that every new supposed problem has turned out to be nonexistent or inconsequential, and biotech's benefits are proven: They include less use of chemical pesticides, higher crop yields and more environment-friendly farming practices.

Why China Gives Green Light to US GMOs?
03 May 2004 Xinhuanet
China has issued final safety certificates for the importation of five varieties of American genetically modified (GM) products last February, which has aroused some organizations' concern over why China gives a green light to the US GM organisms (GMOs).

Progressive Genetics: Genetic Engineering Not Significantly More Dangerous Than Conventional Breeding
03 May 2004 The Daily Cougar Online
Transgenic (aka genetically modified) foodstuffs have become the latest villain of choice for those who believe that modern science and technology are killing us. If science and technology are killing us, why are we living longer, healthier lives?

Simple Majority Insufficient For EU To Approve New Maize
30 April 2004 Monsanto Co
Monsanto is disappointed that the EU Member States did not reach a decision today on a proposal to approve the use of the company's NK603 Roundup Ready maize in food, despite a favourable opinion from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) last December.

Science News Coverage In South Africa
30 April 2004 Crop Biotech Net
“The coverage of science and technology in the South African press is insufficient. Less than 2% of editorial space in some of the country's top publications is awarded to these topics,” says Carine van Rooyen from the Department of Journalism, University of Stellenbosch (US), in South Africa.

Online Resource On GM
30 April 2004 Crop Biotech Net
Cornell University Cooperative Extension's Genetically Engineered Organisms Public Issues Education Project (GEO-PIE) aims to develop materials for effective public issues education (PIE) capacity related to genetically engineered organisms among agricultural and nutrition educators.

Country Biotech Profiles Available Online
30 April 2004 Crop Biotech Net
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) launched "Developing Country Biotechnology Profiles", a searchable database on biotechnology-related policies, regulations and activities of individual developing countries.

New Biotech Alfalfa To Be Featured At Husker Harvest Days
28 April 2004 Associated Press
A field of alfalfa genetically altered to resist the herbicide Roundup will be a featured crop at this year's Husker Harvest Days.

Science Helping To Create Functional Foods
28 April 2004 Alameda Times-Star (Calif.)
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are not just frowned upon. They're not a little bit controversial. In many circles, they're denounced, considered unnatural, unknown and unwelcome.

EU Agriculture Ministers Fail To Break GM Moratorium, But UK, Ireland, The Netherlands, Italy, Sweden and Finland Vote In Favour of New Product
26 April 2004 EuropaBio
Today, the Agriculture Council of Ministers failed to reach a qualified majority vote to approve a genetically modified sweet corn (Bt-11) for food use in the European Union; it is already approved in other parts of the world. This sweet corn is genetically modified to protect itself from corn borer insect damage (1).

Q & A on GMO Regulations in EU
23 April 2004 Crop Biotech Net
The European Union legislation on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) set in place since the early 1990s has the following regulations.

More GM Crops Approved in the EU, India & Philippines
23 April 2004 Crop Biotech Net
Genetically modified (GM) crops, specifically GM rapeseed, Bt cotton, and Bt corn have received separate field trials and health approvals in the European Union (EU), India, and the Philippines. In the EU, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) gave a positive assessment to Monsanto's GT73 rapeseed, declaring it safe for consumption by humans and animals, and to the environment.

Kenya's Agric Minister Supports GM Products
23 April 2004 Crop Biotech Net
The Kenya Government may soon allow genetically modified products to enter into the country once the biosafety and biotechnology bill becomes law by the end of this year.

GM Fungus Has Health Benefits
21 April 2004 Crop Biotech Net
Scientists from the United States Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have added genes for making lycopene and other carotenoids to the fungus Fusarium sporotrichioides which grows on corn. Lycopene, a pigment that makes tomatoes red, is believed to have health benefits, particularly in preventing certain cancers.

Angry Argentinian Farmers Refute Allegations Over Their GM Soy and Superweeds
18 April 2004
Newspaper headlines in Great Britain claimed that GM crops were proving disastrous in Argentina, but local farmers say they have been saved economically by them - and their lives transformed in the process.

SCRI Chief Says It Is Wrong To Write Off Benefits of GM
14 April 2004 The Scotsman
The Scotsman reports that Professor John Hillman, the director of the Scottish Crop Research Institute, believes that conventional agriculture has done a good job of feeding most of the world's population. Given the chance, he says, it will continue to do so, a contribution that cannot be replaced by organic farming, while rejecting the potential benefits of genetically modified crops is a mistake.

China Approves Safety Certificates for Imports of Genetically Modified Canola
13 April 2004 The Canadian Press (CP)
The Canadian Press reports that the Chinese government approved required safety certificates for imports of genetically modified canola.

Farmers, Scientists Urge Government to Resist Anti-GMO Lobby
12 April 2004 Philippine Star
The Philippine Star reports that leading Filipino scientists and farmer organizations recently called on the government "to resist a new wave of pressure from anti-GMO lobbyists who are on an apparent campaign to derail the country’s bid for food sufficiency".

GM Risk Assessment in EU Under the Spotlight
08 April 2004 FoodProduction Daily.com
Biotech firms, consumer groups and environmental campaigners have the opportunity to voice their concerns about the framework for the risk assessment of GM food in the EU with the European food watchdog inviting comments on a new draft guidance.

Fear Behind GMO Debate
06 April 2004 The Maui News
Opponents of growing genetically modified plants in Maui County test fields say the companies involved won't say exactly what they are doing or where, and that government oversight is hampered by a lack of personnel.

EuropaBio Welcomes Declaration for Biotech
05 April 2004 Crop Biotech Net
EuropaBio welcomes the recent declaration made by the Heads of State in Europe to ensure that public sector investment in research and development (R&D) would attract private funding and improve the general conditions for R&D investment to further encourage greater investment by the business sector.

Survey Reports GM Cotton Benefits Indian Farmers
05 April 2004 Crop Biotech Net
ACNielsen ORG-MARG Pvt Limited, an international marketing and information group commissioned to survey Bt cotton, particularly Bollgard cotton, in India, confirms the benefits of the crop for Indian farmers. These benefits include increased yields, reduced pesticide sprays against bollworms, and higher profits.

Unlearned Lessons In Biotechnology
05 April 2004 Crop Biotech Net
Herbicide tolerant and insect resistant crops are now common in several countries. However, when agricultural biotechnology is compared with pharmaceutical biotechnology, in terms of public perception and reception to the technologies, the differences are apparent. Pharmaceutical products are accepted globally, while resistance to agricultural biotechnology is still an issue.

GM Crops: Dar Working on Policy Options
05 April 2004 The EastAfrican
The Tanzania government is drafting a policy on genetically modified (GM) crops in readiness for adopting the controversial technology, which some advocates consider a necessity for the future of food production.

India OKs Genetically Modified Cotton
02 April 2004 Associated Press
Associated Press reports that India has approved a fourth strain of genetically modified cotton seed using technology licensed from U.S.-based Monsanto Co. for cultivation and sale in parts of India, despite opposition from environmentalists.

African Scientists Making Great Strides in Food Production
02 April 2004 Voice of America
The president of the Rockefeller Foundation says African scientists have made great strides in research to increase the continent's food quality and quantity. But he and others say these gains won't mean much if other technologies and land policies do not keep pace.

ANGOLA: Drastic Cuts In Rations As WFP Faces Pipeline Breaks
02 April 2004 IRIN
The twin setbacks of insufficient funding and a government ban on genetically modified (GM) foods have put the World Food Programme's (WFP) live-saving operations in Angola at risk, forcing the agency to halve rations to beneficiaries in April and May.

Pew Initiative Report Examines Regulatory Review Process for Future Ag Biotech Products
01 April 2004 The PEW Initiative on Food and Biotechnology
A range of options exists to enhance the regulatory review process to address new challenges future products of agricultural biotechnology are likely to present, although opinions vary about the need for change, according to Issues in the Regulation of Genetically Engineered Plants and Animals, a new report released today by the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology.

GMO Maize Crops Set to Grow
01 April 2004 South African Broadcasting Corporation
The proportion of South Africa's maize crop that is genetically modified will double this year and next and is likely to make up more than 50% of the total in five years' time, an industry expert said.

Monsanto Maize Takes Root In SA
01 April 2004 Business Day (South Africa)
CAPE TOWN US-based seed giant Monsanto has launched a new variety of genetically engineered maize on to the South African market, making it the first company to provide farmers with maize seeds that have a built-in resistance to herbicide.

Treaty On Biodiversity To Become Law
01 April 2004 FAO
Eleven European countries, Egypt and the European Community - as Member Organization - have have ratified the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, triggering the 90-day countdown to the Treaty's entry into force, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced today.

Prospective Plantings
31 March 2004 USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in their annual report of anticipated acreage of all crops grown in the U.S. includes a section on the anticipated planting of biotechnology varieties for the 2004 growing season by American farmers. The USDA survey for 2004 reports that overall biotech acreage is expected to increase for eighth consecutive year.

EU GM Labyrinth
31 March 2004 Reuters
Reuters reports that European Union rules on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are a legal labyrinth. Several different procedures apply for authorising a biotech product, depending on the uses that the manufacturer specifies in its request for EU approval. The most common requests are for cultivation, use in animal feed or industrial processing.

To Reach The Poor -- Results From The ISNAR-IFPRI Next Harvest Study On Genetically Modified Crops, Public Research, And Policy Implications
March 2004 International Food Policy Research Institute
Local farming communities throughout the world face productivity constraints, environmental concerns, and diverse nutritional needs. Developing countries address these challenges in a number of ways. One way is public research that produces genetically modified (GM) crops and recognize biotechnology as a part of the solution. To reach these communities, GM crops, after receiving biosafety agreement, must be approved for evaluation under local conditions.

ICC Memo On EU GMO 'Moratorium' To EU Commission
29 March 2004 International Chamber of Commerce
The International Chamber of Commerce is the largest, most representative business organisation in the world, with thousands of member companies in over 130 countries, spanning every sector of private enterprise, including those particularly interested in the successful integration of modern biotechnology and the life sciences for the benefit of society and the environment.

Monsanto Vice-President Explains How "GM Crops Are Good For Us" In London Debate
22 March 2004 Intelligence^² Limited
With three speakers in favour of the motion, and three against, Monsanto U.S. vice-president Kerry Preete explained from both a personal and corporate perspective why GM crops are now grown commercially in 18 countries by 7 million farmers on 187 million acres. For the full text of his speech, click here.

Plant Biotechnology - Did You Know?
22 March 2004 Monsanto Co
Many of the facts and figures used by Kerry - and much more besides - is also available on this new backgrounder called "Plant Biotechnology - did you know?" covering the economic impact of GM crops now growing in 18 countries by 7 million farmers globally, as well as the environmental impact of pesticide reduction and on biodiversity.

Growers Show Continued Satisfaction With Monsanto's Roundup Ready And Yieldgard Technologies
19 March 2004 SeedQuest
SeedQuest reports that U.S. corn growers were overwhelmingly pleased with Monsanto's corn trait technologies last year and intend to use the traits again, recent research highlighted.

Outdoor GMO Trial
18 March 2004 swissinfo SRI
Swissinfo SRI reports that scientists have begun an outdoor trial of genetically modified (GM)wheat in Switzerland.

EU's Lamy Says Europe May Ease Access For GM Foods
17 March 2004 Reuters
Reuters reports that the European Union may grant access to more genetically modified foods from countries like Canada and the United States, a top EU official said on Wednesday.

UK's BMA says "there is very little potential for GM foods to cause harmful health effects" and "many of the concerns expressed apply with equal vigour to conventionally derived foods"
March 2004 British Medical Association Board of Science and Education
In introducing the BMA's latest position statement, which updates their first interim one from 1999, Head of Science, Dr Vivienne Nathanson said "While the take home message from our position statement is that research and surveillance is still needed, we do not doubt that genetically modified foods have enormous potential to benefit both the developing and the developed world in the long term". The BMA also said there was a need to move away from the hysteria that has surrounded the GM debate in the UK. Click here for full second interim statement; click here for the press release relating to this new position statement.

UK's Thumbs-Up To GM Maize
10 March 2004 The Daily Telegraph
Defying widespread public concern, the British government said today it would for the first time allow a genetically modified (GM) crop to be grown commercially, but under strict conditions, The Daily Telegraph reports.

Scientists Welcome Government Announcement On GM Crops
09 March 2004 The Royal Institution
"GM technology has great potential benefits for both the public and producers. It is right that we assess each application of this technology case-by-case based on the scientific evidence while taking into consideration the understandable concerns regarding the use of this relatively new technology. "

Britain OKs Genetically Modified Corn
09 March 2004 Associated Press
The British government on Tuesday approved the commercial cultivation of a type of genetically modified corn, but said the planting would be under strict rules and the first crop would be at least a year away, Associated Press reports.

Kenyan Genetic Scientist Defends GM Sweet Potato
08 March 2004 Africa Harvest Biotech Foundation International
Chief Executive Officer of Africa Harvest Biotech Foundation International, Dr. Florence Wambugu, says recent allegations that trials to develop GM virus-resistant sweet potato had failed were not based in sound science.

Monsanto Demonstrates Significant Support of Efforts to Fuel Ethanol Demand
04 March 2004 Monsanto Co
Monsanto Company and the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition (NEVC) announced today the first ethanol plant to qualify for a free, installed E85 fuel pump under Monsanto's Fuel Your Profits^SM initiative. This announcement was made at the Commodity Classic, the annual meeting of the National Corn Growers Association and American Soybean Association.

Battle for Biotech Progress
March 2004 The American Enterprise Online
A Green activist warns that the anti-science, anti-human obstructions of environmentalists must be resisted.

Technology That Will Save Billions From Starvation
March 2004 The American Enterprise via AgBioWorld.org
Today, most people around the world have access to a greater variety of nutritious and affordable foods than ever before, thanks mainly to developments in agricultural science and technology. The average human life span--arguably the most important indicator of quality of life--has increased steadily in the past century in almost every country.

European Food Safety Agency Issues Positive Opinion For Monsanto's GM Oilseed Rape
01 March 2004 European Food Safety Authority
On Monday 1 March 2004, the European Food Safety Authority issued a positive opinion on the safety for import and use of Monsanto's GT73 Roundup Ready ® oilseed rape. Although EFSA says GT73 oilseed rape is as safe as conventional oilseed rape, the final decision on its authorisation in the EU now rests with the Competent Authorities of the EU's Member States. In the case of the UK, this is DEFRA - the Department for the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. An authorisation for the import and use of GT73 oilseed rape would include grain from North American varieties, which have been grown there since 1996. Click here for the full EFSA press release.

Media Coverage Of Biotech Issues In Kenya Increases
27 February 2004 Crop Biotech Net
Coverage of biotechnology by Kenyan newspapers has increased significantly over the last two years. This was stated in a recent research conducted by the African Biotechnology Stakeholders Forum (ABSF), and the Kenya Biotechnology Information Center (KBIC).

Biodiversity For Development
27 February 2004 Crop Biotech Net
In a paper entitled ”Conserving biodiversity for development,” Mark Malloch Brown, administrator of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), underscored the importance of conserving diversity in achieving development.

Global Deal Struck On Stricter GM Trade Rules
27 February 2004 Reuters
Reuters reports that countries across Asia, Africa, Europe and most of Latin America agreed tighter rules governing trade in gene-modified seeds on Friday, prompting dismay among major producers such as the United States.

Gene-Altered Crops Are Safe: Officials
26 February 2004 People's Daily Online
People's Daily Online reports that China will make sure the controversial genetically modified (GMO) crops don't cause negative impacts on the country's bio-environment, the Ministry of Agriculture said Wednesday.

EU Prepares For Verdict On Safety Of Gene Rapeseed
26 February 2004 Reuters
Reuters reports that Europe's top food agency should deliver a verdict next week on the safety of a genetically modified type of rapeseed, its second such assessment of biotech food, agency officials said on Thursday.

GM Crops Delayed By At Least A Year After Cabinet Leak
26 February 2004 The Guardian
The Guardian reports that genetically-modified crops cannot be planted in the UK for at least another year, and maybe not even then, the environment minister, Elliot Morley, said yesterday.

Why It's Time For GM Britain
26 February 2004 The Guardian
Leaked papers show the cabinet has given the go-ahead to genetically modified maize. Top government science adviser Chris Pollock puts the economic and ecological case to Ian Sample

Enhanced Animal Feed Will Be a Boon for the Environment
February 2004 Council for Biotechnology Information
Plant biotechnology is already making animal feed safer for a wide variety of livestock and holds even more promise for creating feed that is more nutritious and better for the environment.

Brussels Backs Berlin Crop Plan
25 February 2004 EUpolitix.com
The European Commission on Tuesday came out in favour of Germany’s plans for the co-existence of GM and non-GM crops.

US Defends GM Foods
25 February 2004 AFP
Agence France Presse reports that the United States on Wednesday vigorously pressed its case for genetically-modified food at an international conference debating the potential risks of biotech products and trade guidelines.

Monsanto Bid to Ease GM Import Rules
25 February 2004 The Sydney Morning Herald
The chemicals company Monsanto has applied to Australia's food safety agency to change regulations to allow the import of food products containing genetically modified wheat, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

UK 'Not Yet Set For GM Go-Ahead'
24 February 2004 BBC News Online
The UK environment minister, Elliot Morley, has sought to calm fears the government will shortly give the go-ahead to genetically modified crops.

Monsanto’s Chief Executive Expects Expanding Seeds And Traits Business To Fuel Company’s Mid-Term Growth
24 February 2004 Monsanto Co.
Significant growth in Monsanto’s seeds and traits business is expected to drive the company’s mid-term growth, according to Hugh Grant, chairman, president and chief executive officer. Speaking today at the Eighth Annual Agricultural Forum sponsored by Goldman Sachs, Grant underscored the company’s expectation of compounded annual earnings-per-share (EPS) growth of 10 percent in 2005 and 2006. He said he believed the growth will be driven by the company’s corn business and its next generation of biotechnology traits.

Minister Denies Pressure On GM
24 February 2004 BBC Online
BBC Online reports that Welsh Rural Affairs Minister Carwyn Jones has denied coming under pressure from the UK Government to approve the sale of a genetically modified maize seed in Wales.

20 Questions for Foodphobes
24 February 2004 HealthFactsAnd Fears.com
Those critics who complain about the dangers of modern food production (such as "carcinogenic chemicals") are often the first to thwart efforts to make our food even better, safer, and more abundant through such new technologies as rBST, rDNA, or irradiation.

EU Presidency Has Yet To Rule On GMO Maize Request
24 February 2004 Reuters
Reuters reports that EU president Ireland has not yet decided whether to ask the bloc's farm ministers to consider authorising a genetically modified (GMO) type of canned maize, a move that might see the EU lift its five-year ban on new biotech products.

Statement by Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman and U.S. Trade Representative Robert B. Zoellick Regarding China’s Approval of Final Safety Certificates for Key U.S. Agricultural Products
23 February 2004 US Department of Agriculture
“The United States welcomes the announcement today that China’s Ministry of Agriculture has completed its biotechnology regulatory review of Roundup Ready soybeans and two corn and two cotton products. These biotech crop approvals are a significant development that should assure continued U.S. access to this important market.

Monsanto Receives Final Safety Certificates from Chinese Government for Biotech Imports
23 February 2004 Monsanto Co.
The Chinese government's approval today of the final safety certificates for the importation of grain from biotech crops is good news for growers who plant crops improved through biotechnology. China is a very important market for soybeans where imports have continued under an interim process for the past two years. Issuance of these final safety certificates will allow for a more predictable process for traders and continued trade of Roundup Ready® soybeans.

Conserving Biodiversity For Development
23 February 2004 Science and Development Network
Mark Malloch Brown argues that for rural people living in poverty, development can’t happen without the conservation of biodiversity.

A Call For Grants From USAID
20 February 2004 Crop Biotech Net
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has issued a call for grant applications for research projects on the effects of agricultural biotechnology on biodiversity in developing countries. The projects will be funded through USAID's Biotechnology Biodiversity Interface (BBI) program.

South Korean Newspapers Take A Neutral Stance On Biotech
20 February 2004 Crop Biotech Net
A survey of national newspapers in South Korea in 2002 and 2003 reveal that journalists are abreast with the latest developments in biotechnology, and are writing about issues and concerns pertaining to the science. With the South Korean government’s move to improve its capability in biotechnology, more journalists have taken a neutral stance towards the technology - reporting on new technologies developed, and their potential risks and benefits.

China OKs Monsanto GMO Food Imports
20 February 2004 Wisconsin Ag Connection
According to Wisconsin Ag Connection, China's Ministry of Agriculture has approved permanent import safety certificates for genetically modified, or GMO, varieties of soybeans, corn and cotton produced by U.S. agribusiness giant Monsanto Co.

McConnell Urged To Use Power Of Veto To Block GM Crops
20 February 2004 The Herald
The Herald reports that Jack McConnell was yesterday urged to defy Westminster by using his veto to block the commercial growing of genetically-modified crops in the UK.

What The Growing Row Is All About
20 February 2004 The Herald
What are GM crops?
They are plants that have been modified at a genetic level – by adding specific genes to their make-up to give them particular properties.

No End In Sight For 'Heated' GM Debate
19 February 2004 EUpolitix.com
The US and EU will continue to disagree on genetically modified crops for years and the debate will even intensify, the EU's environment commissioner has said.

Monsanto Cultivates Biotech Bonanza Despite Critics
19 February 2004 Reuters
Reuters reports that when shareholders at Monsanto Co.'s annual meeting earlier this month requested evidence that the company's growing stable of genetically modified crops is safe, Chairman Hugh Grant was quick to reject their plea.

UK Government In New Storm Over GM Crops
19 February 2004 Reuters
Reuters reports that Britain's Labour government was in the middle of a new storm over genetically modified (GM) crops on Thursday after leaked documents suggested it was poised to approve commercial plantings in spite of public opposition.

Why GM-Free UK Is Popular But Unfeasible
19 February 2004 The Guardian
The waiting, it seems, is over, The Guardian reports. Having waded through reams of advice from scientists, economists and the public, the government has evidently decided to approve the growing of genetically modified crops in Britain.

Potential Benefits: Don't Kill GMO Tech
19 February 2004 The Ithaca Journal
Debates over genetically modified crops are reminiscent of the controversy surrounding the introduction of Pasteurization in the early 20th century. Pasteurization was seen as an unnatural process, which it is. Yet its routine use probably has spared millions of people from serious illness or death.

GM Nation? The Public Debate: Learning the Lessons
19 February 2004 Programme on Understanding Risk / UEA
The Programme on Understanding Risk organised a one day workshop on 19th February 2004, at the British Academy in London.

Key Facts Backgrounder on ROUNDUP READY® GM Maize
February 2004 Monsanto Co.
After wheat and rice, maize is the third most frequently cultivated crop worldwide. Following European discovery of the Americas where this crop is indigenous, maize was rapidly adopted in Europe, Africa and Asia. Today, it is one of the few intensively cultivated crops in European agriculture. Significant areas of production include the Danube basin from southwest Germany to the Black Sea and southern France through to the Po Valley of northern Italy.

No European Union Decision On Maize Event NK603
18 February 2004 Monsanto Co.
Monsanto Company is disappointed that the European Union (EU) member states did not reach a decision today on a proposal to approve the importation of the company’s NK603 Roundup Ready maize into the EU.

New Site Sheds Light on Biotechnology
18 February 2004 Government Computer News
A new State Department-funded Web site brings together agricultural biotechnology regulations from three federal agencies.

Britain Fires Early Salvo In GM Foods Row
17 February 2004 Agence France Presse
Agence France Presse reports that Britain fired a shot across the bows of the United States over genetically-modified food as environment ministers from around 70 countries prepared to meet on preserving the diversity of life on earth.

For the Birds: How Biotechnology and Conservation Tillage Improve Bird Habitat
17 February 2004 Council for Biotechnology Information
Biotechnology is helping to create better habitat for bird species that live in and around cropland, say experts who've studied the connection between crop production and its effect on the environment.

POLAND: Poles Will Lift Ban On GM After EU Accession
16 February 2004 just-food.com
Poland has confirmed that it will overturn its ban on the sale of genetically modified food and the cultivation of GM crops once it accedes to the European Union.

Biotech Showdown Divides Growers
15 February 2004 The Press Democrat
The organic grape grower who vows to protect his vines from man-made alterations and the university scientist who manipulates DNA in the lab to strengthen a grapevine strain represent the opposing forces in a Mendocino County election with national implications, The Press Democrat reports.

Annan Urges Science For All Nations To Promote Development Goals
14 February 2004 United Nations
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has called for all countries to put greater emphasis on developing their capacities in science and technology, saying that building a reservoir of knowledge in these areas could help the world tackle ills ranging from extreme poverty to illiteracy.

Australian Perception Of Risk Is Changing
13 February 2004 Crop Biotech Net
Australians are more likely to be concerned about pollution, the greenhouse effect and nuclear waste than the use of gene technology. This is the finding of a four-year study by Biotechnology Australia to track changes in public attitudes towards biotechnology.

Biotech For Wheat Improvement
13 February 2004 Crop Biotech Net
The development of wheat, in terms of using new technologies, has been rather slow as compared to other crops such as corn, rice or tomato. This is due to certain characteristics of the crop such as its ploidy level, size and complexity of its genome, its very high percentage of repetitive sequences, and its low level of polymorphism.

GMOs Back on Table
13 February 2004 EUpolitix.com
Europe could on Wednesday come one step closer to selling a new genetically modified maize marketed by US company Monsanto.

Brazil Farmers Fight for GMOs
13 February 2004 Truth About Trade and Technology
Reuters reports that Brazil's powerful farmers are fighting to reduce what they see as red tape and too much influence by environmentalists in a draft bill to regulate genetically modified foods.

Green Myth vs. the Green Revolution
February 2004 Butterflies and Wheels
Gail Omvedt speaks of a "a distorted image of farmers held by a section of the urban elite" in India as well as in developed countries. This mythic image: depicts them romantically but demeaningly as backward, tradition-loving, innocent and helpless creatures carrying on their occupation for love of the land and the soil, and as practitioners of a "way of life" rather than a toilsome income-earning occupation. These imagined farmers have to be protected from market forces and the attacks of multinationals, from the seductions of commercialization and the enslavement of technologies (Omvedt 1998).

Farmers May Be Allowed To Sell GM Crops
12 February 2004 The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that genetically modified canola grown in NSW for research could end up being sold despite a state moratorium on the commercial growth of GM food crops.

Africa: Time to Focus on Invisible Wealth
11 February 2004 Inter Region Economic Network
Albert Einstein once stated: "Imagination is more important than knowledge." Intellectual Property Rights are often considered as serious obstacles to trade and the transfer of technologies related to the conservation of biological diversity.

Meacher Tours Australia
10 February 2004 Bioscience News & Advocate
Greenpeace is hosting a visit by the former UK Environment Minister Michael Meacher to Australia this week.

Wales Blocks Go-Ahead For Britain's First GM Crop
09 February 2004 The Guardian
The Guardian reports that the government has been forced to postpone plans to announce today the go-ahead for GM crops in Britain after Wales and Scotland refused to cooperate.

US-European Row On Genetically Modified Crops Set To Trouble United Nations Biodiversity Talks
08 February 2004 AFP
AFP reports that a three-week gathering on the United Nations’ biodiversity accord gets underway on Monday to likely friction between the United States and Europe over genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Kelemu: Africans Must Take A Risk Towards Agri-Biotech
06 February 2004 Crop Biotech Net
“Africans must be willing to take some potential risks to gain substantial immediate and future benefits…they themselves must decide on the future of their agriculture, using the best available scientific data and, hopefully, taking politics out of the equation.

Need To Alter Patent Policy For African States
06 February 2004 Crop Biotech Net
The current patent policy in the United States is impeding the use of biotech advances in developing countries.

Study Reveals Widespread Presence Of GM Ingredients In Organic And Health Foods Containing Soya
04 February 2004 University of Glamorgan
University of Glamorgen is about to publish a study revealing the presence of GM in organic food (below 0.9% but present). This will be published in the British Food Journal 106(3) on April 02 2004.

Environmental Impact Of GM Herbicide-Tolerant Crops: The UK Farm Scale Evaluations And Proposal For Mitigation
February 2004 Information Systems for Biotechnology
In October this year, the long-awaited results of the UK Farmscale Evaluations (FSE) of the environmental impact of GM herbicide-tolerant (GMHT) crops were published in the prestigious journal, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society.

EC Challenges Biotech-Free Zones
03 February 2004 FoodNavigator
FoodNavigator.com reports that the European Commission has warned that it might challenge member-state bans on biotech crops in the European Court of Justice. Bans have been imposed by Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg and the UK.

GM Cotton Farming in South Africa a Success: Report
02 February 2004 Business Day
According to Business Day, the findings of one of the first academic studies to map the growth of genetically modified (GM) farming in South Africa has pronounced GM cotton a success, a report by the United Nations' Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN) says.

Submit Research to Expert Scrutiny, Public Tells Scientists
02 February 2004 Science Media Centre
75% of the British public have no idea what ‘peer review in scientific publications’ means, or can’t define it correctly according to a new MORI poll commissioned by the Science Media Centre and Nature.

Genetically Engineered Food Debated By Panel
02 February 2004 Ka Leo O Hawaii
Many consumers aren't aware that the everyday foods they eat contain GMOs, or even what GMO stands for, Ka Leo O Hawaii reports.

Grain of Hope
February 2004 Council for Biotechnology Information
Biotech researchers in the Philippines and elsewhere are working to make “golden rice,” one of plant biotechnology’s most heralded laboratory advances, a reality.

Public Sector In India Takes Lead In GM Research
30 January 2004 Crop Biotech Net
Over 20 public academic and research institutions in India are doing transgenic research and application on 16 crops. In contrast, seven private companies are doing research on 10 crops.

Biotechnology In The Soybean Market Place
30 January 2004 Crop Biotech Net
The paper of Steven Sonka entitled “The Dynamics of Biotechnology in the Soybean Marketplace,” explored the market system dynamics connected with the recent and potential future adoption of biotechnology in the soybean marketplace. It was observed that the “rapid” and “dramatic” adoption of herbicide-tolerant varieties has had a focal production impact in the United States, Argentina, and Brazil.

Biotech Giant Pulls Out of Zimbabwe
30 January 2004 The Daily News (Harare)
Biotech giant Monsanto - the world's leading producer of agricultural inputs - has pulled out of Zimbabwe by selling its business to a local consortium, citing the country's unstable economic environment, according to company officials in South Africa.

Première For GM Foods In Sweden
30 January 2004 Øresund Food Excellence
In April, new EU-legislation requires labelling of all genetically modified foods. But already today, a new GM beer is launched on the Swedish market. Moreover, the benefits from the genetic modification are being emphasized in the consumer marketing, Øresund Food Excellence reports.

USDA-ARS: Prospects And Challenges For Soybean Oil
30 January 2004 Crop Biotech Net
The USDA-ARS Plant Genetics Research Unit, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, has released a report on the significant progress made in the genetic improvement of soybean oil for industrial uses and the considerable prospects for continued research progress.

Researchers Raise Corn's Freeze Tolerance With Genetic Tweaking
27 January 2004 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that although "knee-high by July" is the rule of thumb for Wisconsin corn growers, most would prefer it to be "thigh-high by June."

Yieldgard May Dominate Rootworm Battle
27 January 2004 Agri News
Agri News reports that Iowa State University Extension entomologist Marlin Rice sees YieldGard Rootworm corn taking over and changing everything in rootworm management in the next few years.

Information Gap Influences Consumer Attitudes About Genetically Modified Foods
27 January 2004 University of Arkansas
If people see the words "genetically modified" on a food label, they’re more likely to buy it if they feel informed about such products. Yet consumers often feel ill-informed about such foods, according to a survey by a University of Arkansas researcher and her colleague, and producers currently provide little information to educate their customers.

UK GM Science Review Final Report
23 January 2004 Crop Biotech Net
The GM Science Review Panel's second report into GM crops and food which was recently published now completes the independent review by the United Kingdom of current scientific knowledge on GM crops and foods. The GM Science Review was requested by the Secretary of State for Environment Food and Rural Affairs with the agreement of Ministers in the devolved administrations.

Top 10 Biotechnologies To Improve Global Health
23 January 2004 Crop Biotech Net
Researchers at the University of Toronto's Joint Centre for Bioethics (JCB) conducted a study to identify 10 genomic and other biotechnologies that have the potential to improve global health within five to ten years.

Monsanto Pulls Out GM Soybean In Argentina
23 January 2004 Crop Biotech Net
Agricultural seed company Monsanto announced that it will end soybean seed sales in Argentina due to piracy concerns, and the increased use of illegal biotech soy seeds.

German Risk Assessment Body Stands By GM Food Bill
23 January 2004 Bioscience News & Advocate
Germanys' Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) says it has received a dramatic increase in inquiries about the safety of genetically modified food, after the adoption of a Bill last week enforcing regulations on GM food and feed.

GM Free Food Is A Garden Of Eden Fantasy, Says Fischler
23 January 2004 Cordis News
Cordis news reports that Agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischler has warned delegates at a conference on organic farming that food which is completely free of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is a thing of the past.

New Report Finds Genetically Modified Insects May Offer Public Health and Agricultural Benefits, But Clear Regulatory Oversight Is Lacking
22 January 2004 The Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology
Researchers are using biotechnology to develop genetically modified (GM) insects for a wide variety of purposes, including fighting insect-borne diseases like malaria and controlling destructive insect agricultural pests, but the federal government lacks a clear regulatory framework for reviewing environmental safety and other issues associated with GM insects, according to Bugs in the System? Issues in the Science and Regulation of Genetically Modified Insects, a new report released today by the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology.

How Did We Get Here From There: Biotechnology Is Threatened In Canada
22 January 2004 Checkbiotech
The story begins in a canola field in Bruno, Saskatchewan and winds its way to the Supreme Court of Canada.

USDA Announces First Steps To Update Biotech Rules
22 January 2004 U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Information Programs
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) intends to update and strengthen its biotechnology regulations regarding the importation, interstate movement, and environmental release of certain genetically engineered organisms, Agriculture Secretary Anne Veneman announced January 22.

Genetically Modified Food: The Americas' New "Green Revolution"?
21 January 2004 PAHO
A PAHO publication notes that genetically modified foods could herald a new era of food security in the Americas and other developing regions. But lingering public doubts about their safety must first be addressed.

Researchers Urge Science-Based Approach for British Policy on GM Crops
20 January 2004 AgBioWorld.org
More than 150 scientists across the world, including Nobel laureate of DNA structure fame James Watson, signed a letter delivered to British Prime Minister Tony Blair drawing attention to "the positive impact that biotechnology is contributing to conventional agricultural practices in many parts of the world."

Africa: You Can't Eat Potential
20 January 2004 Inter Region Economic Network
"You can't eat potential," observed Norman E. Borlaug winner of the 1970 Nobel Peace Prize while referring to Africa's economic predicament. "I am very angry. Very angry at Africa's present condition," Prof. George Ayittey lamented recently.

Integrated, Redundant Approach Best Way to Biologically Confine Genetically Engineered Organisms
20 January 2004 National Academy of Sciences
Developers of genetically engineered organisms need to consider how biological techniques such as induced sterility can prevent transgenic animals and plants from escaping into natural ecosystems and breeding or competing with their wild relatives, or passing engineered traits to other species, says a new report from the National Academies' National Research Council.

BIO Statement on NAS Report on Biotech Organisms
20 January 2004 Biotechnology Industry Organization
"Today's recommendation from the National Academies of Science that regulators "decide whether and how to confine a 'genetically engineered organism'..." has formed the heart and soul of federal regulation since the technology's earliest days.

A New Centre for Advanced Bioinformatics Research Created at the Université de Montréal
19 January 2004 Université de Montréal
A new specialized centre in bioinformatics and genomics at the Université de Montreal was inaugurated today by Michel Audet, Quebec’s Minister of Economic and Regional Development, and Robert Lacroix, Rector of the Université de Montréal.

Europe "Suffers Economic Consequences" From GM Moratorium
16 January 2004 Crop Biotech Net
A study of the Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) in Belgium argues that Europe has missed out economically through the ban on genetically modified (GM) crops. Matty Demont and Eric Tollens, researchers at the Catholic University of Leuven, base their findings on two case studies on GM sugar beets and corn.

Brussels Moots GM codes
16 January 2004 EUpolitix.com
Every genetically modified organism in the EU will soon have its own code, according to the European Commission.

Controversy In Colombia As GM Crops Get Green Light
16 January 2004 SciDev.Net
Controversy is growing in Colombia over the government's decision to go ahead with the commercial cultivation of genetically modified (GM) cotton.

Malaysian Prime Minister Supports Agbiotech
16 January 2004 Crop Biotech Net
The Malaysian Prime Minister, Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, believes the Malaysian government needs to catalyze agriculture, agro-based industries, and biotechnology - "industries that appear to have good potential given our distinct advantages."

Ministers To Approve Commercial Growth Of GM Crops Next Month
16 January 2004 The Independent
The Government will next month approve the commercial growing of genetically modified (GM) crops in Britain for the first time, The Independent reports.

Biotech Promise for Bulgarian Farmers
16 January 2004 Crop Biotech Net
Taking into account the possibility of adopting biotechnology in Bulgaria, Atanas Atanassov and K. Georgieva of the AgroBioInstitute in Bulgaria stated that "plant biotechnology is the most suitable alternative (to conventional farming), complementing the drawbacks of traditional plant breeding programs which are rather labor intensive and time consuming."

Global Status of Commercialized Transgenic Crops: 2003
14 January 2004 CropBiotech Update Special Edition
In 2003, the global area of transgenic crops continued to grow for the seventh consecutive year at a sustained double-digit growth rate of 15% compared with 12% in 2002. The estimated global area of GM crops for 2003 was 67.7 million hectares; this includes a provisional conservative estimate of 3 million hectares of GM soybean in Brazil (the final hectarage could be significantly higher), officially approved for planting for the first time in 2003.

GM Maize Trials Show No Adverse Impact
14 January 2004 Reuters
A team of government advisers charged with recommending whether Britain grows genetically modified (GMO) crops says tests on GM rapeseed and sugar beet show the environment is at risk, while studies of GM maize do not demonstrate evidence of any negative effects.

European Commission JRC Announces GM Maize Released in Spain
14 January 2004 EC Directorate General Joint Research Commission
The European Commission's JRC has issued notification of the release of genetically modified maize for import, use and cultivation in the EU member state Spain.

Double-Digit Growth Continues for Biotech Crops Worldwide
14 January 2004 ISAAA
For the seventh consecutive year, farmers around the world continued to plant biotech crops at a double-digit pace, with the 2003 total up 15 percent to 167.2 million acres or 67.7 million hectares, according to a report released today by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA).

Ontario Farmers Continue To Increase Their Use Of Biotechnology
13 January 2004 AGCare
Farmers in Ontario continue to plant crops created through biotechnology at increasing rates. This trend appears to be global according to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), as announced.

Monsanto Canada, Agriculture And Agri-Food Canada Continue Work On Biotech Wheat
13 January 2004 Monsanto Canada
Monsanto Canada is offering the following corrective statement in response to incorrect reports by some media outlets that Monsanto Canada s continuing work on the development of Roundup Ready wheat and its ongoing collaborative working relationship with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) was being abandoned.

Germany To Permit Cultivation Of GM Maize - Report
12 January 2004 Reuters
Reuters reports that the German government will permit commercial cultivation of genetically-modified (GM) maize this year, Agriculture and Consumer Protection Minister Renate Kuenast said in a newspaper interview.

Bt Corn Produces Healthier Crops for Humans and Animals
12 January 2004 Council for Biotechnology Information
Biotech corn may actually be safer to eat than conventional varieties — particularly in some developing countries — because it has built-in protection against insect pests that burrow into corn kernels, creating conditions for a mold to develop that can be harmful to both humans and animals.

GM Foods? Yes, If The Price Is Right
11 January 2004 The Observer
It was thought that the vast majority of people saw them as 'Frankenstein foods', The Observer reports. And, despite numerous PR offensives, poll after poll suggested the public will not knowingly eat products with genetically modified ingredients.

Bt Cotton Promising In Argentina
09 January 2004 Crop Biotech Net
“Transgenic Bt cotton can halve pesticide application rates in Argentina while significantly increasing yields. Although smallholder farmers are not currently using the technology, gross benefits are predicted to be highest for them,” says Matin Qaim of the Center for Development Research (ZEF) at the University of Bonn, and colleagues Eugenio J. Cap of the Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria (INTA); and Alain de Janvry of the University of Californina, Berkeley.

Biotech Consumer Perceptions From Eastern Europe
09 January 2004 Crop Biotech Net
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service’s Global Agriculture Information Network (GAIN) recently published separate reports on how consumers from four countries in Eastern Europe (Bosnia-Hercegovina, Czech Republic, Croatia and Hungary) perceive biotechnology.

No Letup For US Farmers Using Cotton GMO Seeds - Report
07 January 2004 Reuters
A majority of U.S. farmers will use genetically modified cotton seed to control pests and help manage their cotton crops, according to a report released Wednesday.

India Unveils Six-Year GM Plan
05 January 2004 BBC News
BBC News reports that the Indian Government has announced details of a six-year plan to develop new genetically engineered crops which will provide better nutrition.

Bioethical Council In Favour Of GM Crops
05 January 2004 FoodProduction Daily.com
Raising a hand for the pro-GM camp, UK scientists assert that there is an ethical obligation to explore the benefits that genetically modified crops could offer people in developing countries, FoodProductionDaily.com reports.

Public Opinion vs. Public Policy
05 January 2004 Tech Central Station
"How can you tell whether a whale is a mammal or a fish?" a teacher asks her third-grade class. "Take a vote?" pipes up one of the pupils. This idea might be amusing coming from a child, but it's a lot less funny when applied by governments to the formulation of complex policies that involve science and technology. And it's an approach that is becoming increasingly common around the world.

Grain Genes
05 January 2004 The Knoxville News Sentinel
Mike Lee from the Sacramento Bee reports that at a hip bakery here, customers choose from baskets of preservative-free, freshly baked bread -- rustic French, multigrain and honey wheat, to name a few.

Monsanto Canada Inc.: New Formulation to Replace Roundup Transorb(R) Herbicide
02 January 2004 Monsanto Canada Inc.
Roundup WeatherMAX(TM) with Transorb(R) 2 Technology - a new Roundup(R) formulation from Monsanto Canada - will be available to western Canadian growers prior to the 2004 growing season.

Looking for Answers
01 January 2004 Deccan Herald (India)
It is really an endless debate. Is biotechnology a blessing or a curse? Has agricultural biotechnology really worked the kind of wonders that it promised towards providing ‘food for all’? Are the so-called GM foods really the answer to combat hunger in a country like ours where agriculture is still the main occupation of the vast majority of the population?

Farmers Embrace African 'Miracle' Rice
January 2004 UN Africa Recovery
When drought came two years ago to Zaguiguia, in western Côte d'Ivoire, only one variety of rice grew well, the New Rice for Africa (Nerica).