Monsanto expects more Biotech acreage this year
Monsanto Co. expects farmers to plant more of its genetically modified crops this year than last year, a company official said Tuesday. "I feel confident that in every core crop, a core crop being corn, soybeans and cotton, that we will plant more Monsanto biotech acres than we did in …
Fears of a nightmare scenario as Britain begins to close down
The spread of foot-and-mouth disease on British farms is rapidly taking on the proportions of a national nightmare. As confirmed outbreaks rose to 24, Britons were increasingly feeling beleaguered, barred from access to farmland and open spaces, haunted by the macabre spectacle of sacrificed animals being burnt on funeral pyres.
Fears rise that foot-and-mouth disease has spread beyond UK
Fears rose that the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease had for the first time spread beyond British shores, as sheep at a northern Irish farm close to the border with the Irish Republic were suspected of suffering the disease.
France sets out 'mad cow' compensation
Jean Glavany, the French agriculture minister, announced a package of $194m direct financial aid to help French farmers cope with lost income from the slump in demand caused by the heightened scare over BSE.
Schroder accuses Bavaria over 'farm mess'
Gerhard Schroder, Germany's Social Democratic Chancellor, accused conservative-ruled Bavaria of massive negligence in the biggest escalation in political differences over farm policy since the outbreak of BSE, or mad cow disease last year.
Canberra shuts door to Californian grapes
Australia has put on hold a decision to open its market to Californian table grapes because of an increase in the incidence of Pierce's disease, a bacterial disease that kills vines, in the US state.
60 million people in 33 countries suffer from food shortages, says FAO report
Some 60 million people in 33 countries are facing food emergencies of varying intensity, according to a report released by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.
Gene's variations help explain drug's success
In a step towards developing customized medical care, researchers have found that normal variations in a single gene can help explain why a commonly prescribed blood pressure medicine works well in some patients but not others. Dr. Eric Boerwinkle, a geneticist at the University of Texas-Houston Health Sciences Center is …
S Africa losing battle to stem shellfish poaching
Large criminal gangs are cashing in on the illegal trade in abalone, a shellfish prized as a delicacy by the Chinese. Abalone has become the object of a vicious coastal war between the South African authorities and gangs of increasingly bold poachers and smugglers.
A blustering giant turns oddly coy
Once an environmental bully, China is quietly moving to clean its coal-tarnished image. Some of its motives may be dubious but the results are compelling. So why does China play down its environmental achievements? Politics.