The herbicide glyphosate and its major breakdown product has been found in 60–100% of air and rain sampled in the US, according to a new study. Glyphosate is the chemical on which the world’s best selling herbicide, Roundup, is based. […]
Executive Director John Fagan was an early voice in the scientific debate on genetically modified (GM) crops. His current work focuses on sustainability, security, and safety in the global food system. He has pioneered the development of tools to verify these parameters, including methods to detect GM organisms in food, the first certification programme for [...]
Daily Yonder, 7 July 2011 The Obama administration’s top antitrust officer, Christine Varney, is stepping down after two and a half years. She will join a large Washington, D.C., law firm, Cravath, Swaine & Moore. What does that have to do with rural America? Plenty. […]
A GM soy and maize farming project in South Africa has ended in disaster for poor farmers. A report on the project says the GM maize and soya failed to address food security needs of the local population. The production methods undermined traditional agricultural production, making the farmers depend on expensive agrochemical inputs. […]
Louise Gray, Environmental Corespondent, The Telegraph, 28 Jul 2011 Consumers would buy more organic produce if they better understood the environmental and health risks of conventional farming, the Prince of Wales has said. During a visit to Britain’s largest organic pig farm, the Prince learned about the benefits of cutting down on chemicals, as well [...]
Deccan Herald, 20 July 2011 Agriculture Minister Umesh Katti has declared that the Government will not allow trials of genetically modified (GM) crops in the State of of Karnataka, India. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday in Bangalore, the Minister said Karnataka had opposed Bt brinjal, and if media reports on Bt maize and Bt paddy [...]
Jayne Rickard, The West Australian, 29 July 2011 The State Opposition and anti-GM activists say the landmark legal battle brewing between two neighbours and former friends over the alleged contamination of an organic property is the “tip of the iceberg”. Kojonup farmer Steve Marsh’s decision to pursue genetically modified canola grower Michael Baxter has divided [...]
Brandon Keim, Wired Science, 11 July 2011 A genetically engineered grass expected to hit U.S. markets without government review could speed the evolution of hard-to-control weeds, and perhaps require a return to toxic herbicides scrapped decades ago. On July 1 – a Friday afternoon, a time usually reserved for potentially controversial news – the U.S. [...]
Board Member Paul Skinner is a chartered marketer with extensive corporate experience in international business development and marketing. Paul speaks fluent English, Spanish, and French and currently lives in the UK. He holds an MA from Oxford University.
Board Member Aliye Aliye founded and organized a humanitarian organization called DHDE that benefited more than 300 young people in Ethiopia. He has worked as a management consultant for non-profit business and government organizations in Ethiopia and has managed sustainable building projects in the USA. He holds a BA in Economics, an MA in IT/Telecommunications [...]
