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Biotechnology, Breeding and Seed Systems for African Crops

Archived News and Features

News about African Agriculture

29 September 2003

o Zambia Launches Its First Biotech Outreach Society (Biosafety News)

 

26 September 2003

o Museveni Finally Gives in to GM Food Production (The East African)

o Judge Allows Antitrust Case Against Seed Producers (New York Times)

o Uganda to publish a biotechnology/biosafety policy (BBC)

o Brazil Sequences Sugarcane Genome (Revista da Fapesp)

 

14 September 2003

o Southern African Nations Adopt GM Guidelines (SciDev.Net)

 

12 September 2003

o Ghanaian government endorses use of biotechnology (The Ghanaian-Chronicle) 

o Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety Takes Effect (CBD Website)

o Africans Head for WTO With Low Expectations (allAfrica.com)

o East African MPs Fight GM Crops (The Monitor, Uganda)

o Carter: Africa Needs GM Crops (Reuters)

o Third World Debunks Myths on GM Crops (Food First Website)

 

29 August 2003

o South Africa Signs Safe-Gene Foods Protocol (Business Day)

o The Status of Biosafety in Africa (Tawanda Zidenga, ISB News Report)

o Tunisia Accedes to the UPOV Convention (GRAIN Bio-IPR)

o President Museveni Okays Genetically-Modified Organisms (GMO) Foods (New Vision, Gerald Tenywa) 

o Banana Lab Opens in Uganda (Nature News Service)

o South Africa; Economists Seek Ideas to Fight African Food Shortage (Jonathan Katzenellenbogen, Business Day)

o IFPRI and NEPAD Partner to Improve Food Security in Africa (IFPRI website)

o Newly Found Gene Resistant to Economically Crippling Wheat Disease (Purdue News)

o African Innovators Need Strong IP Protection (John Kilama, Columbia Missouri Tribune)

o Africa Has Its Own GMO Testing Facility (SABC News)

18 August 2003

o Kenyan MPs Chat the Way Forward for Biosafety (www.isaaa.org)

o African Innovators Need Strong IP Protection (John Kilama, Columbia Missouri Tribune)

o Africa Has Its Own GMO Testing Facility (SABC News)

o Deal Reached on Subsidies for Farmers (New York Times)

 

9 August 2003

o "Genetically Modified Crops" (A new book by Imperial College Press

o Burkina Faso to Lead Region in GMO Cotton Production (Accra Mail)

o Kenya: Farmers Want Continental Body (Daily Nation)

o South Africa could be a biosafety Guinea pig (Business Day)

o COMESA Urges Member Countries to Be Wary of GMOs

o Crop Research Centre 'Should Move HQ to Africa' (www.checkbiotech.org)

o NEPAD to Set Up Advisory Council on Biosafety (Tamar Kahn, BDFM Publishers)

 

03 August 2003

o International meeting of the Cassava Biotechnology Network, March 8-14, 2004, CIAT, Cali

o New Maize Breeders for Africa Network. Contact Jane Ininda

o IITA Challenges Cassava Mosaic Disease in Nigeria (Future Harvest Website)

o Ethiopia: New Task Force to Slash Food Dependency (IRIN News)

 

19 July 2003

o Uganda; Agriculture sets up Bio-Technology Lab at Kawanda (New Vision, Uganda)

o Breaking the Food Chains (The Globe and Mail, on Florence Wambugu Lecture in University of Toronto)

o FAO Director-General Urges African Leaders to Put More Effort and Funds into Agriculture (FAO website)

o IITA Challenges Cassava Mosaic Disease in Nigeria (Future Harvest Website)

o U.N. Food Standards Body Approves Regulations for GMOs (Associated Press)

o A Report by the Food Standards Agency: Consumer Views of GM Food (FSA Website)

o Muslim Council Gives Green Light to GM Food (SciDev.Net)

o Ethiopia: New Task Force to Slash Food Dependency (IRIN News)

o Commission takes Court action against eleven Member States (BNA Daily Environment Report)

 

14 July 2003

o South Africa: Battle Over Modified Crops Data Takes Root

o Developing Countries Exchange Views on Agriculture Issues in WTO Negotiations (India Ministry of Commerce and Industry website)

o WFP Appeals for US$308 Million for Southern Africa as HIV/AIDS Undermines Recovery and Food Needs Remain Substantial (WFP website)

o EU Parliament Approves Traceability and Labeling Rules (EU Press Room)

 

30 June 2003

Special Feature: KARI launches biotech project (Biosafety Newsletter website)

 

28 June 2003

o Ministerial Conference and Expo on Agricultural Science and Technology

o Scientists Create Many Biotech Crops (Yahoo news)

o Zimbabwe; Government Destroys Genetically Modified Maize (Financial Gazette, Zimbabwe/IRIN)

o President Bush Outlines his Agenda for U.S.-African Relations (White House Office website)

 

26 June 2003

o EU Agriculture Ministers Agree on CAP Reform Plan (BBC)

o Water--More than Biotechnology--Was on the Minds of Many Delegates (Edie Lau and Mike Lee, Sacramento Bee)

 

24 June 2003

o Activists Fill Sacramento for Agricultural Summit (San Jose Mercury News/Associated Press, Dion Nissenbaum)

o Bush Speaks at BIO Conference (HOLD)

o Activists plead for biotech investment in Africa (Grant Gross, IDG News Service, Washington Bureau, 24 June)

18 August 2003

o African Innovators Need Strong IP Protection (John Kilama, Columbia Missouri Tribune)

o Africa Has Its Own GMO Testing Facility (SABC News)

o Deal Reached on Subsidies for Farmers (New York Times)

 

9 August 2003

o "Genetically Modified Crops" (A new book by Imperial College Press

o Burkina Faso to Lead Region in GMO Cotton Production (Accra Mail)

o Kenya: Farmers Want Continental Body (Daily Nation)

o South Africa could be a biosafety Guinea pig (Business Day)

o COMESA Urges Member Countries to Be Wary of GMOs

o Crop Research Centre 'Should Move HQ to Africa' (www.checkbiotech.org)

o NEPAD to Set Up Advisory Council on Biosafety (Tamar Kahn, BDFM Publishers)

 

03 August 2003

o International meeting of the Cassava Biotechnology Network, March 8-14, 2004, CIAT, Cali

o New Maize Breeders for Africa Network. Contact Jane Ininda

o IITA Challenges Cassava Mosaic Disease in Nigeria (Future Harvest Website)

o Ethiopia: New Task Force to Slash Food Dependency (IRIN News)

 

19 July 2003

o Uganda; Agriculture sets up Bio-Technology Lab at Kawanda (New Vision, Uganda)

o Breaking the Food Chains (The Globe and Mail, on Florence Wambugu Lecture in University of Toronto)

o FAO Director-General Urges African Leaders to Put More Effort and Funds into Agriculture (FAO website)

o IITA Challenges Cassava Mosaic Disease in Nigeria (Future Harvest Website)

o U.N. Food Standards Body Approves Regulations for GMOs (Associated Press)

o A Report by the Food Standards Agency: Consumer Views of GM Food (FSA Website)

o Muslim Council Gives Green Light to GM Food (SciDev.Net)

o Ethiopia: New Task Force to Slash Food Dependency (IRIN News)

o Commission takes Court action against eleven Member States (BNA Daily Environment Report)

 

14 July 2003

o South Africa: Battle Over Modified Crops Data Takes Root

o Developing Countries Exchange Views on Agriculture Issues in WTO Negotiations (India Ministry of Commerce and Industry website)

o WFP Appeals for US$308 Million for Southern Africa as HIV/AIDS Undermines Recovery and Food Needs Remain Substantial (WFP website)

o EU Parliament Approves Traceability and Labeling Rules (EU Press Room)

 

30 June 2003

Special Feature: KARI launches biotech project (Biosafety Newsletter website)

 

28 June 2003

o Ministerial Conference and Expo on Agricultural Science and Technology

o Scientists Create Many Biotech Crops (Yahoo news)

o Zimbabwe; Government Destroys Genetically Modified Maize (Financial Gazette, Zimbabwe/IRIN)

o President Bush Outlines his Agenda for U.S.-African Relations (White House Office website)

 

26 June 2003

o EU Agriculture Ministers Agree on CAP Reform Plan (BBC)

o Water--More than Biotechnology--Was on the Minds of Many Delegates (Edie Lau and Mike Lee, Sacramento Bee)

 

24 June 2003

o Activists Fill Sacramento for Agricultural Summit (San Jose Mercury News/Associated Press, Dion Nissenbaum)

o Bush Speaks at BIO Conference (HOLD)

o Activists plead for biotech investment in Africa (Grant Gross, IDG News Service, Washington Bureau, 24 June)

 

21 June 2003

o Talks collapse on U.S. efforts to open Europe to biotech food (David Leonhardt, New York Times)

o Co-existence of GM and Non-GM crops: Economic and Market Perspectives (Graham Brookes, Agric. Biotechnology Council, UK)

o Globalization and the International Governance of Modern Biotechnology: The Implications for Food Security in Kenya (Odame et al., IELRC)

o GM seeds could beet isolation zones - but they need our help (Arnaud et al., Royal Society Proceedings)

o Calling for food sovereignty for Africa: Planting 'lost crops' would reduce hunger, violence (E.G. Vallianatos, Chicago Tribune)

o Farmers Over planting GE Corn (Center for Science in the Public Interest, Greg Jaffe) - 19 June 2003

o Japanese Parliament Approves Legislation To Regulate GMOs, Ratify Cartagena Protocol (BNA Daily Environment Report  - 17 June 2003

o Sudan Government Reviewing Policy on GM Food Imports (Integrated Regional Information Network)  - 17 June 2003

o Biotechnology Information Center in Egypt Website (ISAAA Crop Biotech Update) - 16 June 2003

o France's Chirac Says Not Yet Ready to Accept GMOs (Reuters News Service) - 16 June 2003

o Treaty on International Trade in GMOs to Become Law (UNEP/CBD Secretariat) - 16 June 2003

o EU Requests WTO Dispute Settlement over US Anti-dumping Practices (EC press release) - 14 June 2003

o India To Approve GM Potato (BBC News)  - 13 June 2003

o FAO: Food Aid Needs in Southern Africa Remain Substantial (FAO) - 13 June 2003

o New potato breed turns Kenyan pastoralists into farmers (John Kamau, Daily Nation, 12 June 2003

o U.S. House Subcommittee Hearing on Plant Biotechnology R&D in Africa (U.S. House Committee on Science) - 12 June 2003

o Biosafety in Developing Countries: Group Awarded $15 Million for Work on Strategies and Policies (Futureharvest website) - 11 June 2003

o Altered-Food Fight Coming to Capital (The Sacramento Bee - Mike Lee) - 9 June 2003

o The Cassava Biotechnology Network, Sixth International Scientific Meeting, March 8-14, 2004 - 9 June 2003

o Peru Ratifies International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources (FAO website) - 6 June 2003

o G8 Action Plan: Action Against Famine Especially in Africa (Source: G8 Sommet Evian Summit 2003 website) - 5 June 2003

o EU Ratifies U.N. Biosafety Protocol (Associated Press via Washington Post) - 5 June 2003

o France Approves Crop Trials for Firms Developing Genetically Modified Maize (BNA Environment Report) - 4 June 2003

o US Congressional Hearing, Plant Biotech R&D in Africa (FS-AgBiotech News) - 4 June 2003

o Public 'Needs Voice' on GM Issue (BBC News) - 3 June 2003

o Canada Backs African Center on 'Agricultural Biosciences (SciDev.net) - 03 June

o Hugh Grant is Elected President and Chief Executive Officer of Monsanto Company (Monsanto) - 31 May

o Egypt withdraws support for US GMO ban by EU (Forbes.com) - 29 May

o China to extend interim rule on GMO imports 28 May

o Canada raps EU's 'phony science' over GMO food ban - 28 May

o Monsanto asked to withdraw GMO wheat application -27 May

o Vacancies: African Agricultural Technology Foundation -20 May

o Bush: Europeans have unscientific fear of Bio-crops

o Malaysia's ambitious bio-tech hub kicks off

o New technique may halt flow from GM crops

o America challenges GM crops ban

o FAO warns of unfavorable crops prospects in Africa

o Individual/group study residencies in Bellagio, Italy, on relevant topics in improvement of African crops

Network News

New Network: African Marker Assisted Selection Scientists Network (AMASSNET). For more information contact Dr. Jedidah W. Danson. You can also view list of members.

 

Upcoming: 6th African Crop Science Conference, 12-17 October 2003, Nairobi, Kenya. Read more about conference. Submit abstracts to Organizing Committee Chairperson Prof. Agnes Mwang'ombe

 

News Forum and Features

12 September 2003

o Drought Research Uses Gene Splicing (Las Vegas Review-Journal)

o Defend Against One, but Vulnerable Against Another (Wright State University News Release)

o Will Nations Obey or Seek to Undermine GMO Pact? (Bradnee Chambers, The Yomiuri Shimbun)

o GM Crops and the Limits of Consensus Politics (David Dickson, SciDev.Net)

o Hightech Biotech to Play Role in Revolution (Barack Gogo, Biosafety News)

o Developing Infrastructure for Biotechnology (Brad Mitchell, Harvard STI website)

o Field Work: Weighing up the Costs and Benefits of GM Crops (Prime Minister's Strategy Unit, UK)

o Genetic Manipulation of Gibberellin Metabolism in Transgenic Rice (Tomoaki Sakamoto et al., July 2003 Nature Biotechnology)

o The UK nationwide public debate on GM food http://www.gmnation.co.uk

o Genetically Modified Crops and Sustainable Poverty Alleviation in Sub-Saharan Africa: An Assessment of Current Evidence (Aaron deGrassi, Third World Network-Africa)

o Biodiversity and Agricultural Biotechnology: A Review of the Impact of Agricultural Biotechnology on Biodiversity (Klaus Ammann, www.bio-scope.org)

o Maps and Minds: A Different Approach to Rural Poverty Alleviation (Stein Bie, ISNAR Annual Report 2002)

o Plant Biotechnology: Potential Impact for Improving Pest Management in European Agriculture (L. Gianessi, S. Sankula, and N. Reigner, NCFAP)

o The UNEP-GEF Global Project on Development/Implementation of National Biosafety Frameworks (Biosafety Newsletter No. 4, June 2003)

o Moving Forward on GM Crops (SciDev.net - David Dickson) - 17 June 2003

o New Genetics, Food and Agriculture: Scientific Discoveries--Societal Dilemmas (ICSU- Gabrielle Persley) - 12 June 2003

o Report: Africa Regional Consultative Meeting on Biotechnology (UNIDO /FAO-BiotechNews) - 11 June 2003

o Food Safety: Contaminants and Toxins (CABI Publishing) - 11 June 2003

o Report: Africa Regional Consultative Meeting on Biotechnology (UNIDO /FAO-BiotechNews - 11 June 2003 

o Farmers' Privilege Under Attack [Genetic Resources Action International (GRAIN)] - 10 June 2003

o The Use of GM Crops in Developing Countries (Nuffield Council on Bioethics, UK) - 10 June 2003

o ABSF Response to Draft European Legislation on GM Material (ABSF website) - 9 June 2003

o The Promises and Perils of the Biotech Harvest (Simon and Schuster, Inc. - ATH: Peter Pringle) - 9 June 2003

o Event Notification:  Intellectual Asset Strategies in Agricultural Biotechnology - 6 June 2003

o Biotech Revolution Costing Organic Farmers (Source: Organic Farming Research Foundation website/AP) - 6 June 2003

o Structure, Activity, and Evolution of Rice Chromosome 10 (Source: Science) 6 June 2003

o Eat Your Genes: How Genetically Modified Food is Entering Our Diet (Zed Books (UK) - 5 June 2003

o Agrobiotechnology Application in West and Central Africa (IITA) - 4 June 2003

o Agbiotech Climbs Africa's Agenda (Nature Biotechnology) - 3 June 2003

o Making 'Safety First' a Reality for Biotechnology Products (Nature Biotechnology) - 3 June 2003

o Monsanto Struggles Even as It Dominates (New York Times)