Monsanto's GM seeds fail in Africa

The latest evidence that Green Revolution technologies will not address the global food crisis - Monsanto's genetically engineered corn seeds fail in South Africa. At least 82,000 hectares of genetically engineered corn seeds planted in South Africa have failed to produce hardly any seeds.

This failure has led to renewed calls for a complete ban on GM crops and food in South Africa. The African Centre for Biodiversity in Johannesburg is demanding an urgent government investigation and a complete ban on GM foods. Meanwhile, Monsanto is offering to pay compensation to those farmers who bought the seeds. Such compensation, however, will not assist the many smallscale farmers who were freely given the Monsano owned seeds. These smallholder farmers will be left to deal with the ecological and economic fall out of Monsanto's actions on their own.

While the Alliance for a Green Revolution is driving a high-tech future for food production in Africa, stories like this point to the absolute limits of relying on magic bullets like genetic engineering.

Organic Food - Public Forum Thurs 13 August

Where: Eco-Centre, Griffith University, Nathan
When: Thursday 13 August, 6pm (with free locally grown organic refreshments starting at 5.30pm).

This forum will provide information about Organic food. What it is and how it's grown. How is it different from food grown with synthetic chemicals? Is it really better for us and it is better for the environment? What issues is the worldwide organic industry facing? There will be organic produce to examine and food to taste with locally grown organic food provided.

Speakers

• Dr Kristen Lyons is a Senior Lecturer with the Griffith University School of Biomolecular and Physical Sciences.
  

• Marg Will the General Manager of the organic certification body Organic Food Chain will provide an insiders look at the organic industry in Australia and worldwide, as well as international legislative requirements.
  

• Les Nichols, an organic farmer from Sandy Creek Organic Farm will share his wealth of experience and knowledge about organic farming.
  

Seats are limited so please RSVP to avoid disappointment.
Email: L.Malcolm@griffith.edu.au
Phone: (07) 373 57992
Reply before: 11 August 2009

Greenpeace Activists Shut Down Coal Export Terminal

Climate change is already having profound impacts on the ability of our Pacific neighbours to ensure food security.

Read more or show your support by visiting

http://www.greenpeace.org.au/

Response to the Courier Mail's 'Organics No Better For You' (30 July)

It is alarming to read the extent to which Australian journalists have bitten of, swallowed and regurgitated recent findings from the UK Food Standards Agency that report organic food ‘no better for you’ (see Courier Mail, 31/7/2009 p. 20).

In some respects it is not surprising the UK Food Standards Agency have reached this conclusion: they are hardly an advocate for sustainable agriculture; and their analysis is incomplete, excluding as it does the largest comparative study of organic and conventional foods, funded by the European Union. The results of this EU funded research over a 4 year period (that is notably absent from the UK FSA study) reported that organic food had significantly higher nutrient levels, including 20 – 40 % higher levels of anti-oxidants, higher levels of Vitamin C, higher levels of beneficial minerals such as iron and zinc, as well as substantially higher levels of compounds that boost health and combat disease. The conclusiveness of these results led research coordinator Carlo Leifert to state that the health benefits are so striking that moving to organic food was the equivalent of eating an extra portion of fruit and vegetables every day!

While the UK Food Standards Agency – and supported by a flurry of journalists – have made some negative statements regarding the nutrient content of organic food, we are sadly often left hungry when it comes to coverage of the broader environmental and health benefits associated with organic food and agriculture. Organic farming systems are environmentally beneficial in a number of ways, for example by increasing biodiversity, avoiding the use of harmful agricultural chemicals, re-building soil health as well as carbon sequestration. Organic farming also provides a range of social benefits, including for farmers in the developing world, where organics provides new marketing options and financial security. By focusing on a narrow debate around the nutritional content of organic food, we miss consideration of these broader issues. It is this broad range of social and environmental issues – not simply nutrient content – that shapes Australian’s decisions about what they eat. It would be useful if public debates were expanded to reflect on these.

Dr Kristen Lyons
Senior Lecturer, School of Biomolecular and Physical Sciences
Griffith University

World Vision uncovers Global Food Crisis - Wednesday night at UQ

World Vision is hosting nation wide events on 'The Global Food Crisis Uncovered'.
visit http://gallery.worldvision.com.au/wva/youth/20090727/stir.BrisInvitation.asp for details of this Wednesday's event.

Amanda Lang.