Each week news articles are selected from the news that pertain to agriculture, food, biotechnology and related issues.

NOV 13, 2008 - Vietnam to grow genetically modified crops: reports - AFP
Vietnam plans to test genetically modified (GM) agricultural crops from now until 2010 and then grow them on a large scale, media reports in the communist country said on Thursday. MORE

NOV 12, 2008 - UC Davis researchers study the prevention of gene flow in alfalfa - The California Aggie
Consisting of 22 million acres, alfalfa is the fourth largest crop produced in the United States. Like most crops, there is an ongoing battle between genetically engineered producers and organic producers of alfalfa. However, a recent study conducted by UC Davis plant scientists suggests that gene flow between GE alfalfa and organic alfalfa can be minimized. MORE

NOV 12, 2008 - Modified genes spread to local maize - Nature News
Transgenes from genetically modified (GM) maize (corn) crops have been found in traditional 'landrace' maize in the Mexican heartland, a study says. The work largely confirms a similar, controversial result published in Nature in 20011 and may reignite the debate in Mexico over GM crops. MORE

NOV 10, 2008 - IRRI chief volunteers to be human guinea pig for GM rice - Checkbiotech.org
International Rice Research Institute chief Dr. Robert Zeigler has said he will be the first to eat genetically modified (GM) “golden” rice when the IRRI introduces it in the Philippines in 2012 to show Filipinos it is both safe for human consumption and nutritious. MORE

NOV 3, 2008 - 3-in-1 rice helps prevent Vitamin A deficiency - The Manila Times
Here comes Golden Rice, slated for field-testing this year and hopefully on your table soon after. Golden Rice, one of the parents of the 3-in-1 rice, is genetically modified since it has 23 times more carotenoid (pro-Vitamin A). Two genes from other organisms were inserted to provide beta-carotene production, giving the rice grain its yellow color—and name. MORE

NOV 1, 2008 - Budgets Squeezed, Some Families Bypass Organics - New York Times (subscription required)
Once upon a time, sales of organic and natural products were growing in double digits most years. Enthusiastic grocers and venture capitalists prowled the halls of trade shows looking for the next big thing. Grass-fed beef? Organic baby food? Gluten-free energy bars? But now, shaky consumer spending is dampening the mood. It turns out that when times are tough, consumers may be less interested in what type of feed a cow ate before it got chopped up for dinner, or whether carrots were grown without chemical fertilizers — particularly if those products cost twice as much as the conventional stuff. MORE

OCT 23, 2008 - Lake County ban on GMOs gets OK - Capital Press (subscription required)
Lake County is set to join some of its neighbors in banning the cultivation of genetically modified crops. County supervisors preliminarily approved the ban Tuesday, Oct. 21, after more than three hours of debate. Supporters said the ban will protect the county's organic growers from potential contamination from genetically modified crops and it will help create a lucrative niche for naturally grown products. MORE

OCT 23, 2008 - Extension brings research home - Capital Press (subscription required)
The land-grant universities of the West are home to extension programs designed to educate and assist producers and county residents with operational decision making, school nutrition programs and practical, applicable research. MORE

OCT 9, 2008 - Council bans GMO taro, coffee - West Hawaii Today
The genetic modification of taro and coffee on the Big Island is now a banned practice. The Hawaii County Council voted 9-0 Wednesday in favor of a bill from North Kona Councilman Angel Pilago on its second reading to ban genetically modified taro and coffee. MORE

OCT 23, 2008 - Golden rice, red tape - Checkbiotech.org
Biotechnology applied to crafting nutritional improvements in rice is on the verge of offering the kinds of public health benefits to Asia we haven't seen since the 20th-century's green revolution improved the nutrition and longevity of billions of people. MORE

OCT 22, 2008 - New DNA tool probes rice genome - study - Checkbiotech.org
A new tool for investigating the rice genome has been developed by researchers at UC Davis led by Pamela Ronald, professor of plant pathology. MORE

OCT 17, 2008 - Consumers buy GM-labelled foods when offered for sale - study - Checkbiotech.org
There are at least 69 grocery products on sale in Europe labelled as containing genetically modified ingredients. That is one of the conclusions of an EU-funded study(1) across ten European markets published this week. MORE

OCT 17, 2008 - Over 40 NGO’s stage protests against GMOs in Nairobi - Checkbiotech.org
Over 40 Non Governmental Organizations, community groups and consumer associations under the auspices of the Kenya Biodiversity Coalition, on Thursday staged peaceful protests in Nairobi condemning the government move to introduce Genetically Modified Organism (GMO’s) in the country. MORE

OCT 9, 2008 - UC-Davis researcher discovers rice gene that fights leaf blight - Capital Press (subscription required)
A researcher at the University of California-Davis, has identified a protein in rice that could help control the spread of leaf blight across Asia. MORE

OCT 3, 2008 - Viral bacteria engineered to spot E. coli - Checkbiotech.org
Intelliphage, West Lafayette, Ind., has developed what could be a breakthrough in the ongoing food safety campaign. MORE

OCT 2, 2008 - Vietnam: Certain crops require genetic modification - Checkbiotech.org
Maize, soybean, cassava, and potato are crops that Vietnam needs to genetically modify to improve productivity as soon as possible, said Dr. Nguyen Quoc Binh, Deputy Director of the HCM City Biotechnology Centre on Sept. 29. MORE

SEP 25, 2008 - Draft law aimed at mandatory GM food labels hailed - Checkbiotech.org
A new draft law stipulating mandatory labelling of genetically modified (GM) foods has been welcomed by a government watchdog body as an important contribution towards improving quality of life. MORE

SEP 25, 2008 - Secret ingredients behind germinated rice - Checkbiotech.org
A team of researchers has identified the active compounds that contribute to the health benefits of pre-germinated brown rice; the healthy components are a related set of sterol-like molecules known as acylated steryl-beta-glucosides (ASGs). MORE

SEP 12, 2008 - Slow Food must shed elitist label - Capital Press (subscription required)
Here's a message that might make the nation's foodies splurt their biodynamic cabernet sauvignon all over their microgreen salads with goat cheese croutons. If Slow Food is to accomplish its ambitious goal - to persuade Americans to foresake the drive-thru in favor of local, organic food - it needs to focus less on people who nosh fine prosciutto and more on folks for whom a trip to McDonald's is a splurge. MORE

SEP 12, 2008 - South Africa okays sorghum trials to improve nutrition in Africa: official - Checkbiotech.org
The South African government Thursday approved trials on genetically-modified sorghum in a bid to improve nutrition in Africa, an official statement said. MORE

SEP 8, 2008 - Field of participants narrowed in GMO suit - Capital Press (subscription required)
A federal judge has partially barred the Monsanto Co. from participating in a lawsuit over glyphosate-resistant "Roundup Ready" sugar beet seeds. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White ruled Aug. 15 that Monsanto, several sugar beet companies and other interested parties could not intervene in the initial "merits" phase of the lawsuit, which will examine whether the USDA breached federal law by deregulating Monsanto's Roundup Ready sugar beets. MORE

AUG 26, 2008 - A new weapon to fight cancer - tobacco plants - Checkbiotech.org
But scientists in Arizona and elsewhere believe tobacco plants may hold the key to developing a personalized cancer vaccine as well as treatments for other diseases. MORE

AUG 21, 2008 - Promising results from field studies with drought resistant wheat in Australia - Checkbiotech.org
Professor Dr. German Spangenberg was raised in Uruguay. He studied in Germany and performed research in Switzerland. Today he is Research Director of Primary Industries Research of the state of Victoria, in Australia. MORE

AUG 17, 2008 - Prince Charles wrong on GM, says minister - Telegraph
A senior minister has accused Prince Charles of "ignoring" the needs of starving people in the developing world by attacking genetically modified crops. MORE

AUG 13, 2008 - UK: Missing the signs of genetic irrelevance - BBC News
Prince Charles usually speaks from the heart; and his latest outpouring on genetically modified crops is expressed in terms that are forthright even for him. MORE

JULY 29, 2008 - Security becomes main cost in UK GM crop trials - Environmental News Network
Security has become by far the largest cost for field trials of genetically modified crops in Britain as researchers seek to protect sites against vandalism, a British scientist said on Monday.first locally developed genetically modified crop has finished its field trials and is now before an interdepartmental committee that will decide whether it can go on South African markets. MORE

JULY 25, 2008 - SA's GM spud awaits commercial approval - Cape Times
Africa's first locally developed genetically modified crop has finished its field trials and is now before an interdepartmental committee that will decide whether it can go on South African markets. MORE

JULY 25, 2008 - Europe fails to endorse milk and meat from clones - New York Times
The European Food Safety Authority pulled back on Thursday from giving milk and meat from cloned animals a clean bill of health, making it less likely that such products could reach store shelves in Europe anytime soon. MORE

JULY 21, 2008 - "Pharmed" vaccine passes early test - The Scientist
A team of researchers has completed human tests of the first plant-produced vaccine for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The successful results of a phase I clinical trial suggest that plants could provide a safe, inexpensive reservoir to "grow" vaccines for the common human cancer, according to a study published tomorrow (July 22) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. frica's first locally developed genetically modified crop has finished its field trials and is now before an interdepartmental committee that will decide whether it can go on South African markets. MORE

JULY 18, 2008 - Ventria gets $4 million grant - The Wichita Eagle
Ventria Bioscience has received nearly $4 million from the Kansas Bioscience Authority to help advance the human health and biomaterials sectors in Kansas. Ventria grows and processes a bioengineered rice that yields a protein that can be refined and used as an additive to oral rehydration solutions to decrease the severity and duration of infant and childhood diarrhea. MORE

JULY 16, 2008 - USDA announces $28.4 million in funding for specialty crop research - Western Farm Press
Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer announced today that USDA is making available $28.4 million for research and extension projects in fiscal year 2008 to address the critical needs of the specialty crop industry by developing and disseminating science-based tools to address needs of specific crops. MORE

JULY 10, 2008 - China to urgently boost GM crop development - AFP
China has said it must urgently step up the development of genetically modified crops as it faces mounting challenges to feed its 1.3 billion people due to shrinking arable land and climate change. MORE

JULY 5, 2008 - Breakthrough: Artificial DNA Could Power Future Computers - Live Science
Chemists claim to have created the world's first DNA molecule made almost entirely of artificial parts. The finding could lead to improvements in gene therapy, futuristic nano-sized computers, and other high-tech advances, the Japanese researchers say. MORE

JULY 4, 2008 - U.S. adoption for GE corn, cotton, soybeans - BIO
American farmers have adopted genetically engineered (GE) crops widely since their introduction in 1996, especially corn, cotton and soybean varieties, according to a new USDA report. MORE

JULY 4, 2008 - Authors: Organic GM crops can feed the world - Capital Press
Pamela Ronald and Raoul Adamchak say they're not proposing a seismic change in mainstream farming practices - just the next step in a long evolution. Ronald and Adamchak are the husband-and-wife authors of the book "Tomorrow's Table: Organic Farming, Genetics and the Future of Food," published in April. Ronald is a professor of plant pathology and chair of the Plant Genomics Program at the University of California-Davis; Adamchak manages UC-Davis' organic farm. MORE

JUNE 19, 2008 -Genetically modified mosquitoes may combat malaria - Associated Press
In a cramped, humid laboratory in London, mosquitoes swarming in stacked, net-covered cages are being scrutinized for keys to controlling malaria. Scientists have genetically modified hundreds of them, hoping to stop them from spreading the killer disease. MORE

JUNE 9, 2008 - Forbidden Fruit: Transgenic Papaya in Thailand - Plant Physiology (subscription required)
Dressed in white, hooded "personal protection suits," Greenpeace activists donned goggles, gloves, and respiratory masks—the kind of dress you expect to see in the clean zone of a nanotechnology laboratory, not in a field in bucolic northeast Thailand. Easily bridging a barbed wire fence with a stepladder, they began pulling transgenic papaya (Carica papaya) from the trees, throwing the fruit into biohazard waste bins. The protestors stood for photographs—the press had been alerted—before a large yellow banner printed both in Thai and English that read: "Stop GMO Field Trials." MORE

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