http://www.genecampaign.org Gene Campaign, a grassroots level organisation with a presence in 17 states of India, was started in 1993 by Dr. Suman Sahai and a group of people concerned about food and livelihood security. Gene Campaign is recognized as a leading research and advocacy organisation working in the field of bioresources, farmers\\' and community rights, intellectual property rights and indigenous knowledge, biopiracy, issues related with GE food and crops. en-us Gene Campaign Sat, 22 Nov 2008 01:45:40 -0800 http://www.rssfeedssubmit.com/rss-generator/ http://www.genecampaign.org/Images/logo.gif http://www.genecampaign.org 88 31 http://www.genecampaign.org/ Ensuring Food Security in a Changing Climate, comment on the conference by : Sanjeev Chopra http://www.genecampaign.org/ Report of a three year multi agency research study led by Dr Suman Sahai , Gene Campaign and Prof E Haribabu, University of Hyderabad. http://www.genecampaign.org/Sub%20pages/india-today-conclave.html MICHAEL SPECTER, AUTHOR ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND SUMAN SAHAI, CONVENOR, GENE CAMPAIGN DEBATED WHETHER SCIENCE WORKS AGAINST NATURE. http://www.genecampaign.org/Publication/Article/IK/ik-alive.html Fighting to keep Indigenous Varieties of Crops Alive http://www.genecampaign.org/ The Minister for Environment and Forests, Sri Jairam Ramesh deserves congratulations for the effort he is making to hear the publics views on Bt brinjal. The range of public concerns that are being expressed by diverse stakeholders in different parts of the country will help form the Ministers opinion about GM crops and the regulatory system in general. http://www.genecampaign.org/ At a time when the proposed open field trials of Bt brinjal are drawing loud protests, the Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre to detail the steps it has put in place to protect India's traditional crops from possible contamination by field trials of genetically modified seeds. http://www.genecampaign.org/Publication/Article/GMtech/eggplant-on-his-face-feb10=ID4.htm TINDIAS ENVIRONMENT Minister Jairam Ramesh crisscrossed the country to hear the publics views on the contentious Bt Brinjal issue. I am glad that the concerns expressed by the diverse stakeholders informed the ministers decision on GM crops. Let us hope it influences his view on the regulatory system too. http://www.genecampaign.org/Publication/Article/GMtech/Bt_brinjal-can-awaken-a-sleeping-poison=ID2.htm What, you may ask, is common between potatoes, tomatoes, brinjal, chilli, datura, tobacco and the deadly nightshade (belladonna)? They all belong to a plant family called Solanaceae. The Solanaceae family contains a number of important agricultural plants as well as many psychoactive and toxic plants. Solanaceae species are rich in complex chemicals called alkaloids and contain some of the most poisonous plants known to mankind. They produce alkaloids in their roots, leaves and flowers. http://www.genecampaign.org/Publication/Article/nanotech/nanotechnology-in-food-is-it-safe=ID1.htm Nanoparticles used in a variety of sectors are also being used in the processing and packaging of foods. According to a study done by Friends of the Earth, foods which contain nanoscale ingredients and additives are already found on supermarket shelves in Europe and the US. Given the increasing scientific evidence demonstrating the toxicity risks of nanomaterials, this is cause for serious concern. http://www.genecampaign.org The list of food scares in China just over the past one year includes drug-tainted fish, industrial dye in egg yolks to colour them red, pork tainted with a banned feed additive and melamine laced milk powder. The melamine scandal which is the most recent, involved the adulterating of infant formula with the industrial chemical melamine, which can cause kidney stones and kidney failure. http://www.genecampaign.org/Publication/Article/One-Failed-Monsoon-Spectre-of-Hunger.htm The failed monsoon this year has shown us again, how fragile our food security is. If it does not rain the way it should, we have no systems in place to cope and ensure that food is cultivated nevertheless. This year in regions like Jharkhand, the fields are largely empty, covered by a light green fuzz of grass, instead of lush green paddy. http://www.genecampaign.org/Publication/Article/GMtech/crops-india's-grand-mistake=ID1.htm China is always held up as an example by people in government in the matter of genetically modified (GM) crop adoption. Those who question the implementation of genetically engineered crops in India are told to look at how China is racing ahead in transgenic technology, how it is rapidly bringing GM crops into the field and putting millions of acres under Bt cotton, GM paprika and GM tomatoes. http://www.genecampaign.org/Publication/Article/BT%20Cotton/Bt-cotton-or-organic-cotton.html A multi-agency group involving government departments and trading bodies as well as the industry has been set up under the aegis of the Textiles Ministry to promote organic cotton in the country. If the Textiles Ministry promoting organic cotton and the Department of Biotechnology promoting genetically engineered Bt cotton are at odds with each other and working at cross purposes, it should not surprise anyone, since it is the norm rather than the exception for government departments to work in isolation, without any coordination and in ways that contradict each other. This is not the first case in which the proverbial left hand does not know what the right hand is doing, nor will it be the last. http://www.genecampaign.org/Publication/Article/gene-N-articles/What%20is%20Causing%20the%20Global%20Food%20Crisis.pdf Just because news of the food crisis has gone off the front pages and prime time television, does not mean the crisis has gone away. The crisis of food availability (not necessarily that of food production) remains and inexcusably large numbers of the poor across the world remain hungry. http://www.genecampaign.org/Publication/Article/gene-N-articles/Article-Involve%20Public%20in%20Examining-sept-oct08.pdf A remarkably simple and innovative exercise has been launched in the US in order to cope with the overload of patent applications. Given the growing emphasis on knowledge creation and knowledge ownership as key underpinnings of the global economy, the world is moving towards sequestering knowledge rather than sharing it. The expected outcome of this trend is a spurt in patent applications in all the major patent offices of the world. India too registers a sharp increase over an admittedly small base. An overload of patent applications leads to delays and inadequate scrutiny of the application, leading to incorrect patent grants and subsequent litigation. http://www.genecampaign.org/Publication/Article/gmo-reg-india-weakness-p1=ID1.htm In India, the Genetically Modified Organisms are regulated under the Environment Protection Act 1986 (EPA). In addition the Indian biosafety regulatory framework comprises 1989 "Rules for the Manufacture, Use, Import, Export and Storage of Hazardous Microorganisms, genetically Modified Organisms and Cells" (1989 Rules), and Department of Biotechnology guidelines, the 1990 "Recombinant DNA Safety Guidelines" (1990 DBT Guidelines) and 1994 "Revised Guidelines for Safety in Biotechnology" (1994 DBT Guidelines) and 1998 "Revised Guidelines for Research in Transgenic Plants and Guidelines for Toxicity and Allergenicity Evaluation of Transgenic Seeds, Plants and Plant Parts" (1998 DBT Guidelines). http://www.genecampaign.org/genenews/gnews_index.htm Gene News is a bi-monthly news magazine that gives you up-to-the-minute information about the latest national and international developments in the world of new biologies. It tells you about development in genetic engineering, nanotechnology, genetic resources, stem cell and genome research. AND keeps you posted on related policy and implementation issues. http://www.genecampaign.org/Sub%20pages/GM-Zone-News-2010=main.htm Latvia's Supervisory Council for genetically modified organism (GMOs) has recommended that while the sale of GMOs in the country should be allowed, its production should be banned. http://www.genecampaign.org/Sub%20pages/GM-Zone-News-2010=main.htm DuPont-Monsanto in a lawsuit over GM trait : DuPont, an agri-biotech major has accused Monsanto, another international giant, of preserving its monopoly by trying to deny farmers access to alternative technologies. The allegation came after Monsanto filed a lawsuit against DuPont and its subsidiary, Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc, for unauthorized use of its proprietary Roundup Ready (RR) herbicide tolerant technologies in soybean and corn. http://www.genecampaign.org/Sub%20pages/biofuel-zone/Biofuel-Zone-News-2010=main.htm Mexico sees Jatropha as its next Cash Crop : Locally known as pinon the shrub Jatropha grows in Mexico without much special care, as it is a weed. Mexican farmers want to grow these commercially, after the increasing demand of biofuel. http://www.genecampaign.org/Sub%20pages/biofuel-zone/Biofuel-Zone-News-2010=main.htm A desert shrub, may be future biofuel : Natural latex from a desert shrub called guayule makes high-quality gloves, medical devices, and other in-demand natural rubber products. It also is an economical, environmentally friendly source of energy. http://www.genecampaign.org/Sub%20pages/climate-change-agri/Climate-change-News=2010-main.htm Global warming hits small growers of rubber: As the monsoon continues to be uncertain and erratic over the foothills of Kothamangalam in Kerala, rubber growers are worried. The reason is lack of soil humidity. http://www.genecampaign.org/Sub%20pages/climate-change-agri/Climate-change-News=2010-main.htm Govt studying effects of climate change on crops : The government has announced that it has initiated several projects to develop high-temperature tolerant superior food grain varieties and also to study the impact of climate change on agriculture. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) had initiated a project on impact, adaption and vulnerability of Indian agriculture to climate change at different ICAR institutes and universities during 10th plan period (2002-2007). http://www.genecampaign.org/Sub%20pages/Food-watch/food-watch-News-id4=10.htm An avocado grower in the US has been named 2009 Farmer of the Year by the San Diego County Farm Bureau in California as per the announcement made in the first week of December 2009. http://www.genecampaign.org/Sub%20pages/Food-watch/food-watch-News-id2=09.htm ANTIOXIDANTS : Although recent research on antioxidants has yielded conflicting results, there is no doubt that eating a diet high in antioxidant-rich foods is healthy. http://www.genecampaign.org/Sub%20pages/Food-watch/food-watch-News-id1=09.htm Common Food Allergies : Allergies do not develop all at once but in stages. When the bodys immune system first encounters an allergen - a substance that it mistakenly sees as a harmful foreign invader it alerts its specialized cells to make antibodies, or immunoglobulins, for protection against it.