Vietnam’s National Assembly reached a consensus on the need to issue a law on biodiversity and voiced their concerns over the safety and control of GM crops. A draft law on the issue was put under scrutiny at an Assembly session for the first time before it would come into effect. The draft law establishes regulations dealing with research, experimentation, production, processing and circulation, all with specific conditions.

GMOs contamination in Belgium --

Fifteen Belgian colza fields, owned by Bayer CropScience, have been contaminated with GMOs banned in Europe. This was announced by Belgium's public health ministry recently. The Bayer subsidiary, informed of the same to the Belgian authorities, which according to it happened last month during the planting of normal colza -- a crop similar to rapeseed and used in cattlefeed, cooking oil etc. A preliminary investigation carried out by the company put the problem down to human error. The ministry said it would inform the European Commission and EU member states of the matter and  remedial measures would be taken.

Governments warned not to push GM crops

The latest edition of Food Ethics magazine has urged governments not to use food concerns as a vehicle to push through other ambitions like promoting GM crops. Contributors to the magazine sounded the alarm on false solutions including free trade free-for-all, WB sponsored ‘green revolution’ for Africa, lowering standards, environmental and animal welfare standards etc. The warning came at a time when world governments met in Rome to discuss the food crisis.

Better solutions needed for global food crisis

Friends of the Earth group has issued a stark warning to world leaders attending the UN food security conference in Rome that biofuels, GM and international trade liberalisation are false solutions to the current global food crisis that will push millions of people into hunger and poverty. The group called on the Government and the EU to address the impact of high levels of livestock consumption and to reduce our dependence on imported animal feed by supporting local sustainable feed production and abolishing subsidies that promote factory farming. The groups also called on the EU to scrap plans for a 10% target for biofuels in transport fuel and focus on doubling vehicle efficiency instead. 

Need ‘urgent’ action: UN

A three-day UN Food and Agriculture Organisation Conference on Food Security in Rome running from June 2-5 concluded with the delegates calling on countries and financial institutions to provide more food for the world’s poor and increase agriculture production to ensure adequate supplies in the future. The final declaration sought “urgent and coordinated action” to address the problems associated with higher food prices, to raise food production, to lower trade barriers and to increase research in agriculture. However the draft declaration largely sidestepped the issue of biofuels, which had emerged as the most contentious matter at the conference. Some developing countries argued that food crops should not be used for fuel, but the declaration simply urged more research on the subject.

Scientists warn against GM foods

Indian scientists have warned that GM foods in India may hit the market without having undergone mandatory safety assessments. BT brinjal for example is expected to hit the market within the next six months without undergoing the necessary trials. Thirty-two crops are currently being researched across 111 government and 50 private institutes with 14 having entered the trial stage. These will increase health risks to the general public.