Tag: Developing country issues
Shades of Green Talk Wrapup
On Sunday, I gave a talk for the Ethical Humanist Society in Skokie, IL, on the outskirts of Chicago. Back in November, the Ethical Humanist Society of Chicago asked me if I would be willing to talk about the benefits and risks of genetically engineered crops. The title of my presentation was Shades of Green,…
Evidence Stacking Up Against Biotechnology Critics
Editors Note: republished with permission from http://www.technologyandpolicy.org. By Calestous Juma Critics of agricultural biotechnology have long maintained that the technology is unsuitable for small-scale farmers and harmful to the environment. But according to newly-released adoption rates, evidence is pointing in the opposite direction. In its latest report, Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: 2011, the…
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The real success story of GM cotton and edible cotton oil in India 2002-2011
A wonderful colorful and readable booklet about the success of Bt cotton in India has been made available from the ISAAA website for India.A sample table from this booklet tells the story of the massive expansion of cotton output over the last 10 years. Indian cotton production statistics this last decade
Deadly Choices — Junk science costs lives
Most of the time scientists can rely on publications that go through the careful critical review by other scientists. But sometimes papers get rushed through to publication, and there can be hasty, even harmful decisions made by journal editors. On the hopefully rare occasions were seriously flawed scientific studies have been got through the critical…
First they banned irradiation of foods, then GMOs, now they are starting on nanotechnology — all life-saving technologies.
Nanotechnology Now – Press Release: “Nanostructured water treatment products to be worth $2.2 billion in 2015” Warnings from nutritional hell, with apologies to El Bosco We live in a world where whole organisations make comfortable incomes by demonising technology. These self-styled “technology critics” early successes included active blocking of the use of irradiation to make…
Bill Gates speaks out about helping small farmers gain access to reliable markets
Chicago Council on Global Affairs Speech May 24, 2011, Prepared Remarks by Bill Gates, Co-chair and Trustee of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Thank you, Representative Granger, for that kind introduction. Everyone here is grateful for your long-standing leadership on global health and development issues, and we look forward to helping you as you…
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Biotech cotton seeds hit problems in India
Farmers sore over low supply of Bt cotton seeds BS Reporter / Chennai/ Mysore May 03, 2011, 0:28 IST Over 10,000 farmers from villages around Mysore had gathered on the busy Jaganmohan Palace Road and the Ramavilasa Road to get their ‘quota’ of the much-vaunted Bt cotton seeds. Packets of the seed was being sold…
Bill and Melinda Gates are giving a boost to BioCassava Plus too
from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation webpage on BioCassava Plus BioCassava Plus The Need Cassava is central to the diets of more than 250 million people in Africa. Though rich in calories, it offers limited nutritional value. As a result, many people who rely on cassava as their main source of calories are deficient in a…
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Golden Rice’s true colours shine through at the Gates Foundation
From the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation webpage: a page with truly hopeful sparkleGolden Rice The NeedRice is the staple food crop for more than half of the world’s population, and is especially important in Asia. While it is ample in calories, it lacks vitamin A, which plays an important role in maintaining good health. Because millions…
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