India is witnessing a drastic decline of farmer income in relation to its GDP. While over 60% in India is employed in agriculture, the contribution of Agriculture to GDP is merely 15%. The gradual declining share of Agriculture to GDP points to the upcoming situation. The declining income, farmer indebtedness and farmer suicides point to this emerging crisis. It is[Read More...]
The UK’s fertility regulator has given approval for the “cautious use” of techniques to create a baby using the DNA of 3 people. [1]
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) announced its “historic” decision December 15 and said that it would begin accepting applications from fertility clinics that wish to become licensed to perform the procedure. The HFEA said 3-parent baby technique, as it is commonly called, will help prevent a small number of children from inheriting potentially fatal diseases from their mothers. [2]
President-elect Donald Trump has named Dow Chemical CEO Andrew Liveris to head the American Manufacturing Council. [1]
The council is the principal prime sector advisory committee to the Secretary of Commerce on the manufacturing of the United States.
The largest peach grower in Missouri has filed a lawsuit against Monsanto alleging that the biotech giant is responsible for illegal herbicide use that is believed to have caused widespread crop damage in southeast Missouri and neighboring states. [1]
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Donald Trump’s pick of Senator Jeff Sessions for attorney General could help solidify Bayer AG’s $66 billion purchase of Monsanto, which is currently undergoing state and federal antitrust investigations.
Source: EcoWatch
Several U.S. state attorneys general will join the pending federal antitrust investigations into the multi-billion dollar mergers between Bayer and Monsanto, and Dow and DuPont. [1]
The attorneys general will be able to provide data on how the prospective mergers – which are expected to be approved – would affect their jurisdictions and jointly conduct calls to gather information from the companies, their opponents, and supporters of the deals.
It appears that voters in Sonoma County, California, have banned genetically modified organisms (GMOs) by a margin of 56-44%, unofficial results show. In 2005, Sonoma County voters shot down a similar measure by 5%. The ban reflects changing attitudes about the biotech industry, and its impact on the environment and human health. [1]
Source: SocialMediaFeed.me
Sonoma joins five other California counties that have already passed GMO bans: Mendocino, Marin, Trinity, Humboldt, and Santa Cruz.
You probably haven't heard about this story, but you should have.
Rather than turning to toxic chemicals to rid farm fields of destructive insects and noxious weeds, some farmers in Missouri are recruiting chickens and bugs to do the job for them.
The 40 acres of land purchased by Gary Wenig and his wife to grow organic crops were initially overrun by weeds and insects. In order to grow truly organic plants, the couple had to eschew products like Roundup and atrazine. Synthetic pesticides are permitted for organic growing, but they’re expensive and can still be toxic.
Monsanto announced last week that it licensed the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool from the Broad Institute in Boston for use in seed development. The technology will allow the agritech giant to edit crops’ DNA by “snipping” away undesirable traits – or adding in more desirable ones – of the plants’ genetic codes. Frankenfood? [1]
Source: Business Insider
