News items related to ag biotech, ንáŒá‹µ ? እና áˆáŠ“áˆá‰£á‰µáˆ ከáŒá‰¥áˆáŠ“ ጋሠየተዛመዱ ሌሎች አስደሳች áŠáŒˆáˆ®á‰½ ? will be posted on this page throughout the week (newly added items will be in green at bottom of sections). ?Be sure to check in regularly!
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On Tuesday, áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 17 The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released an exhaustive report, Genetically Engineered Crops: Experiences and Prospects. ?Below are several articles based on the report:
- Distinction Between Genetic Engineering and Conventional Plant Breeding Becoming Less Clear, Says New Report on GE Crops, The National Academies of Sciences
- Genetically Engineered Crops Are Safe, Analysis Finds, ኒዠዮáˆáŠ ታá‹áˆáˆµ
- Are GMO crops safe? Focus on the plant, not the process, scientists say, Washington Post
- ሪá–áˆá‰µ: GMO crops not harmful to humans, but weed resistance is a problem, Chicago Tribune
- Study finds no adverse heath effects from genetically engineered crops, ኮረብታá‹
- Modified Crops Not Seen Adding to Human Health Risks, Study Says, ብሉáˆá‰ áˆáŒ
- አሜሪካ. panel releases consensus on genetically engineered crops, ሳá‹áŠ•áˆµ
- National Academy of Sciences Report Finds no Food Safety or Human Health Impacts from GE Crops, CSPI
- NAS GM crops report will ‘provide fodder for friends and foes of GE,’ says plant scientist, Food Navigator USA
TRADE:
Greece to block TTIP unless geographical indications are protected – EurActiv – By?Sarantis Michalopoulos (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 13)
“The Greek government is ready to veto the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (ቲá’አá‹á’) between the US and the EU unless it ensures increased protection for key agricultural?geographical indicators.”
TTIP trade deal under threat over the Feta factor – euronews (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 16)
Link:?http://www.euronews.com/2016/05/16/ttip-trade-deal-under-threat-over-the-feta-factor/
Farmers need support to adapt to the TPP, say experts – Viet Nam News (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 14)
Experts said the most important thing at present was raising awareness of farmers about the opportunities and challenges of the TPP, so that they will aim to increase productivity and product quality.
Link:?http://vietnamnews.vn/society/296757/farmers-need-support-to-adapt-to-the-tpp-say-experts.html
Africa urged to dismantle trade, movement barriers to spur growth – Daily Mail (ዩኬ) / ሮይተርስ -?By Duncan Miriri and Clement Uwiringiyimana (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 13)
EU defends US free trade deal amid growing opposition – Livemint (ሕንድ) / AFP (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 13)
A historic free trade deal between Europe and the US could be reached if members states endorse it, says EU trade chief Cecilia Malmstroem”
Obama?s Pivot to Asia Staggers as Trade Deal Stalls in Congress – ብሉáˆá‰ áˆáŒ – By Angela Greiling Keane (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 15)
“Defense Secretary Ash Carter has said he would prefer the trade agreement over another carrier battle group in the Pacific.”
Trade policy issues are blurring old lines, turning politics in 2016 inside out – Kansas City Star – By Dave Helling (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 14)
“Candidates and voters in both major parties appear to be switching long-held positions on trade policy: Free-trade Republicans are becoming protectionist, while some Democrats are moving the opposite direction on exports and imports.”
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article77675362.html#storylink=cpy
Millennials Get Free Trade, Why Doesn?t Anyone Else? – Investor’s Business Daily, Editorial (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 13)
“A new survey shows that the so-called millennial generation is the only one that thinks free trade is a good thing. So why is it that both political parties are shunning this huge voting block?”
Link:?http://www.investors.com/politics/editorials/millennials-get-free-trade-why-doesnt-anyone-else/
Imports work for America – ኮረብታዠ(blog) – By Steve Lamar, contributor (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 13)
“የሚያሳá‹áŠá‹, the American public knows little about U.S. imports ? often overlooked in U.S. trade policy ? and the important role they play in our lives. Rather, lots of attention is devoted to U.S. exports and the jobs and opportunities they create”
Link:?http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/finance/279788-imports-work-for-america
Why grain farmers support the TPP trade?deal – National Post (ካናዳ) – By Levi Wood and Jim Wickett (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 16)
“There might be protectionist rhetoric coming from both political parties in the U.S. today, but that?s no reason for Canada to not move forward and lead on this critical issue.”
Link:?http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/why-grain-farmers-support-the-tpp-trade-deal
**ማስታወሻ: Levi Wood is a member of the áŒáˆŽá‰£áˆ ገበሬ አá‹á‰³áˆ¨ መረብ
Cloak of Secrecy Fuels Anxiety Over Trans-Atlantic Trade Talks – New York Times – By Celestine Bohlen (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 16)
Link:?http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/17/world/europe/ttip-eu-us-trade-deal.html
US beef arrives in South Africa?- GlobalMeatNews -?By Oscar Rousseau (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 17)
“The first shipment of US beef has arrived in South Africa, after an ?intense? and long-running trade dispute between both nations was resolved in January.”
Link:?http://www.globalmeatnews.com/Livestock/US-beef-arrives-in-South-Africa
Govt says domestic agriculture to ?go on offensive? under TPP – The Japan News / Jiji Press (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 17)
“Japan will go on the offensive in the fields of agriculture, forestry and fisheries by taking advantage of the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact, a government white paper on agriculture said Tuesday.”
Link:?http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002952327
Trade Is a National Security Imperative – Wall Street Journal – By Robert B. Zoellick (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 16)
“Abandoning the Pacific pact will tell America?s Asian allies that the U.S. is yielding to China. They will accommodate accordingly.”
Link:?http://www.wsj.com/articles/trade-is-a-national-security-imperative-1463440063
Anti-trade rhetoric not denting U.S. trade chief’s hopes for TPP vote – ሮይተርስ – By Mitra Taj (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 17)
Link:?http://www.reuters.com/article/us-trade-tpp-froman-idUSKCN0Y82PC
OTHER:
Marketing Ploy May Mean Moving Ag Backwards?– AgInfo.net – By KayDee Gilkey (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 12)
“We make all of these amazing innovations and then we preclude them from being used. This is not helping with overall food productions? footprint ? it is going the wrong way.?
Link:?http://www.aginfo.net/index.cfm/event/report/id/Open-Range-34051
The Meaninglessness of ‘Healthy’ áˆáŒá‰¥: Six Ways Labels Need to Change – ብሉáˆá‰ áˆáŒ – በዲና ሻንከሠ(áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 12)
The Harm in Blindly ?Going Gluten Free? – The Atlantic – By James Hamblin (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 16)
Link:?http://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/05/celiac-vs-gluten/482676/
Zimbabwe Drought – Five Million Face Food Shortage – allAfrica / Al Jazeera (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 16)
Link:?http://allafrica.com/stories/201605170129.html
Lessons from fighting a drought – Livemint (ሕንድ) – By NS Ramnath (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 17)
“Seven learnings on how droughts can be managed to take the sting out of the phenomena”
Link:?http://www.livemint.com/Politics/HrOM4GiBI0vQJpCDfejhkN/Lessons-from-fighting-a-drought.html
**ማስታወሻ: V. Ravichandran in the article is a member of the Global Farmer Network?and recipient of the 2013 Kleckner ሽáˆáˆ›á‰µ.
REGULATORY, GOV’T:
EPA faces second U.S. lawmakers investigation into glyphosate review – ሮይተርስ – By P.J. Huffstutter (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 13)
“A second group of lawmakers is investigating the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (ኢ.á“.) over its review of glyphosate, questioning why it withdrew a report that said the chemical in the world’s most widely used weed killer was likely not carcinogenic.”
Link:?http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-glyphosate-epa-idUSKCN0Y42GV
Congress Questions EPA on Glyphosate, Atrazine – AgWeb – By Alison Rice (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 13)
“Members are also frustrated by the pace of EPA?s process. ?We are concerned that EPA has continually delayed its review of glyphosate,? the letter said.”
Link:?http://www.agweb.com/article/congress-questions-epa-on-glyphosate-atrazine-naa-alison-rice/
Senate strengthens flood control, waterways infrastructure -?Delta Farm Press – By?áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 13)
Link:?http://deltafarmpress.com/government/senate-strengthens-flood-control-waterways-infrastsructure
Judge strikes down GMO ban in Oregon?s Josephine County – Capital Press – By Mateusz Perkowski (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 16)
Link:?http://www.capitalpress.com/Oregon/20160516/judge-strikes-down-gmo-ban-in-oregons-josephine-county
Glyphosate is unlikely to cause cancer: WHO/FAO committee?- Food Navigator -?By Niamh Michail?(áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 17)
Link:?http://www.foodnavigator.com/Policy/Glyphosate-is-unlikely-to-cause-cancer-WHO-FAO-committee
Monsanto Cancels Plan to Sell GMO Seed in Argentina – Wall Street Journal – By Jacob Bunge and Taos Turner (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 17)
“[ቲ]he government?s actions were ?not consistent? with its past promises to support intellectual property rights and private agreements.”
Link:?http://www.wsj.com/articles/monsanto-cancels-plan-to-sell-gmo-seed-in-argentina-1463523453
Argentine farmers urge gov’t to clinch GMO deal with Monsanto – St. Louis Post-Dispatch – By Hugh Bronstein, ሮይተርስ (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 18)
Link:?http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/article_04cdc8e2-ac23-550a-9315-6c6703106555.html
Errors, Bias And Conflicts Of Interest Make UN Agency Contender For Worst Regulator Ever – Forbes.com – By Henry I. Miller (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 18)
“Because of its [glyphosate] association with genetic engineering, activists hate it and have long tried to raise safety concerns about the chemical.”
Stalemate at EU glyphosate talks, no vote taken?- Feed Navigator -?By Jane Byrne (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 19)
“The glyphosate dossier is to be handed over to the Commission, following on from the PAFF committee’s failure today to generate a vote on the controversial herbicide.”
Link:?http://www.feednavigator.com/Regulation/Stalemate-at-EU-glyphosate-talks-no-vote-taken
Health Canada and Canadian Food Inspection Agency approve AquAdvantage Salmon?– Government of Canada (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 19)
AquAdvantage Genetically Modified Salmon Found to be Safe as a Food and a Livestock Feed
Link:?http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?mthd=index&crtr.page=2&nid=1068309
BIOTECH:
Mysuru institute tests GM, disease-resistant silkworms – The Times of India (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 15)
“According to a textile ministry document, the genetically modified worms “can prevent the losses caused by the Grasserie disease, which is responsible for up to 20% crop loss in silkworm”.”
Smart Farming report urges axing of biotech prohibitions – The Land (አá‹áˆµá‰µáˆ«áˆŠá‹«) – By Colin Bettles (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 15)
“The House of Representatives Agriculture and Industry Committee?s ?Smart Farming? report has recommended cutting duplicative State laws that frighten potential agricultural biotechnology investments and hinder farm productivity, by undermining federal food safety regulators.”
Link:?http://www.theland.com.au/story/3908272/smart-farming-report-urges-axing-of-biotech-prohibitions/
Failed Greenpeace anti-GM campaign exposed – The Land (አá‹áˆµá‰µáˆ«áˆŠá‹«) – By Colin Bettles (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 15)
“The activist incident was outlined in detail in a report handed down by the House of Representatives Environment Committee last week which recommended sanctions against groups listed for tax deductions that break the law repeatedly.”
Link:?http://www.theland.com.au/story/3907598/failed-greenpeace-anti-gm-campaign-exposed/
Are there GMOs in our moon dust? Gwyneth Paltrow demands to know! – Grist – By Eve Andrews (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 13)
Link:?http://grist.org/living/are-there-gmos-in-our-moon-dust-gwyneth-paltrow-demands-to-know/
GM potato field trials get the go-ahead – Farmers Weekly (ዩኬ) – By Johann Tasker (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 12)
Link: http://www.fwi.co.uk/arable/gm-potato-field-trials-get-the-go-ahead.htm
National Academy of Sciences finds no evidence of GMO health effects?- St. Louis Post-Dispatch – By Jacob Barker (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 17)
“One of the nation?s premier scientific bodies says it has found no evidence of adverse human health effects after 20 years of genetically-modified crop adoption.”
Keeping My Farm Sustainable With GMO Crops – Forbes.com – By Gene Stoel (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 17)
“GMOs allow farmers to fight insects and weeds more effectively and enhance soil health.”
Bt cotton adoption creates more employment opportunities in female laborers in Pakistan – Crop Biotech Update, ISAAA (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 18)
Link: ?http://www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/article/default.asp?ID=14416
Taller, stronger rice plant – The Daily Star (Bangladesh) – By Reaz Ahmed (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 15)
“Bangladeshi scientists develop 2 modern, high-yielding varieties that can withstand tidal surge”
Link:?http://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/taller-stronger-rice-plant-1224073
Mitch Daniels Takes on ‘Callous, Heartless and Cruel’ Anti-GMO Activists – National Review – By Julie Kelly (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 18)
?When you hold so many moral high cards on something that?s best for the environment and for humanity, you have to be willing to mix it up,? he told me. ?People with a direct self-interest are actively misinforming the public. We need to counter that in a more forceful way.?
Link:?http://www.nationalreview.com/article/435523/mitch-daniels-gmos-good
We must end our superstitious objections to genetically modified food – The Telegraph (ዩኬ) – By Juliet Samuel (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 18)
“Where does modern corn on the cob come from? Well-informed diners will know the answer: Latin America. But what they probably don?t know is that it never grew there naturally. Humans created it.”
?GM crops ideal for drought-hit TS? – The Hindu (ሕንድ) (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 19)
Link:?http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/gm-crops-ideal-for-droughthit-ts/article8618594.ece
Scientists refute the scaremongering about GMOs – Washington Post, Editorial (áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 19)
“[ቲ]he National Academies…?authoritative report?refutes the counterproductive scaremongering from the anti-genetically-engineered side.”
Subject: On Tuesday, áŒáŠ•á‰¦á‰µ 17 The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released an exhaustive report, Genetically Engineered Crops: Experiences and Prospects.
Questions:
1. Is this another short-term 2 year study. What was the duration of the study. When was the design of experment (study) ተጀመረ, Where/who collected the data and over what period of time was it collected, Did the collected data meet the test protocol of the launched sudy.
2. Where can one find the research test protocol in the referenced study; that is, the design of experiment. If you find it, let me know what page or chapter it is in.
3. Where can I find the test(s) results for consistency of findings.
4. Regarding “One of the nation’s premier scientific bodies says it has found no evidence of adverse human health effects after 20 years of genetically-modified crop adoption.” ————— does that mean there is/are no other evidence that would show/suggest that mechanically manipulated/engineered seeds that require the use of glyphosate are not safe or may may cause future collateral health/enviornmental impacts, i.e., tobacco, Agent Orange for examples.
5. Would one want to bet his entire farm in assuring the public that the GMOs are safe based on this study?
There happen to be a number of hyperlinks provided, which you are free to examine. The links direct to the source and coverage of the report, which was conducted by over fifty scientists for two years during which time that “committee examined almost 900 research and other publications…” [See here: http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=23395%5D