The QE2 Conference Centre in Westminster (November 12th 2008) saw over 130 delegates and speakers in hot debate about the failure of GM crop technology to deliver anything on the promises of twenty years ago. In stark contrast speaker after speaker pointed to agro-ecological approaches (including organic agriculture) as extremely attractive sustainable farming and food options, especially in a world fast running out of oil.
The introduction of biofuels into the UK transport and industry sectors should be slowed down, says a new report from the Government’s Renewable Fuels Agency (RFA).
ORC Organic Animal Health Colloquium
Brazilian farmers and traders launch non-GM crop body
Fears of serious, long distance contamination of organic farms by GM crops appear top be borne out by an incident in central France
A big, new push is under way from bioscience companies to promote their GM crops on the back of global worries about food shortage and high prices. To arms, to arms, a new approach is needed from the organic sector to fight this move.
While farmland bird populations in South East England are generally tumbling (Defra reports a 21 per cent fall from 1994 to 2006) a real bird conservation success has been logged at one leading organic farm.
Vaccination against the spread of the Bluetongue virus (BTV-8) appears to be working in England
