The IMF’s April 2025 Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa presents a clear warning: regional growth is slowing, debt pressures are mounting, and donor assistance is declining. Yet the report outlines critical opportunities particularly in domestic revenue mobilization, structural reform, and private sector activation that can shape a more resilient …
K P Prabhakaran Nair The framing of GM crops as a technology for the poor proved an alluring one, once it became clear that European markets were largely closed to GM crops, to target developing-country markets Monsanto scientists noticed that certain bacteria inhabiting waste outflows from the glyphosate manufacturing plants …
THERE is a need for a large-scale publicly funded biotechnology programme in agriculture to end the monopoly of the private sector, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has said in view of widespread opposition to genetically-modified Bt brinjal.
Sections of Indian government establishment are violating different laws regarding genetically modified food to illegally favour bio-technology multi-national corporations against the interest of citizens,
The Bt brinjal debate has featured technological worries relating to genetically modified crops, which appear relatively minor in comparison to the critical issue of who controls Indian agriculture and therefore who controls food security in India. While there cannot be a mere technological fix to the problems of Indian agriculture, …
Ian Sample Farmland struck by infestations of bugs following widespread adoption of Bt cotton made by biotech giant Monsanto. Scientists are calling for the long-term risks of GM crops to be reassessed after field studies revealed an explosion in pest numbers around farms growing modified strains of cotton. The unexpected …
The approval of a genetically modified potato for cultivation in EU territories has sparked strong reactions from all sides of the debate. Many member states and environmental groups are outraged, while the biotech industry sees promising signs of progress.
THE seed giant Monsanto has admitted pests have developed resistance to Bt crops introduced in India. A news story published in Science on March 20, wrote Monsanto “detected unusual survival” of pink bollworms that fed on Bt cotton. Pushpa M Bhargava stated “this should be an eye opener”. Bhargava is …
Two of India's foremost agricultural scientists, whose names invariably come up whenever the phrase "green revolution" is uttered or written about - Dr. MS Swaminathan and Dr MV Rao-have not endorsed the application of Bt technology in brinjal so far Why? Dr. Swaminathan is well known as the "father of …
February 9, 2010 was indeed a sad day for Indian biotechnology. The Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests took a far reaching decision to clamp the moratorium on the commercialization of the first genetically engineered vegetable crop Bt brinjal. It was not based on any compelling scientific evidence …
Research projects on at least 36 genetically modified crops including rice, okra, brinjal, potato, groundnut and tomato are under process, the government told the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
RASHME SEHGA NEW DELHI During the bt brinjal debate, chief ministers of TN and Orissa had written to the PM expressing reservations on the introduction of GM foods With Tamil Nadu and Orissa state governments having expressed their opposition to the introduction of GM foods, the present Biotechnology Regulatory Authority …
Washington: Genetically engineered crops are profitable for farmers and may help protect people and the environment from an overload of pesticides, a panel of experts has reported. But there is a risk that weeds are developing resistance to Roundup, a weedkiller that is used to treat fields planted with certain …
BHUBANESWAR: Fearing that the proposed Seeds Bill, 2004, if enacted, would harm millions of small and medium farmers across the country and only benefit the multi-national companies, city-based United Coalition Against Genetic Engineering (Uncage) today said that all stakeholders in agriculture and environment sectors must come forward to oppose the …
ANDREW POLLACK Critics of biotechnology, who say the crops may be risky to health and the environment, have issued studies say- ing the use of the crops has resulted in increased reliance on pesticides and has had only a minimal effect on crop yields. The report is described as the …
