“U.S. farmers are heading for a crisis,” says Stephen Powles of the University of Western Australia, Crawley. Powles is an expert on herbicide resistance, a worsening problem in U.S. fields. Weeds resistant to glyphosate—the world’s most popular herbicide—are now present in the vast majority of soybean, cotton, and corn farms in some U.S. states.
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“In the unlikely event that I had forgotten just how controversial and polarizing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are, the past few days would have provided a very sharp reminder. Last week, our organisation, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (Agra), released a 204-page report (pdf) into the state of Africa’s agriculture. It covered, in detail, the wide range of obstacles and challenges facing African countries as they seek to transform their agricultural productivity, as well as considering what opportunities there are to deliver this ambition.”
EMAC Director, Dr. Nicholas Kalaitzandonakes, gave the keynote address at the International Biotechnology Symposium on Aug. 26, 2013 in Champaign, Ill. The Symposium brought together farmers, regulators, technology providers, agribusiness leaders and other stakeholders from 16 countries who discussed the current biotechnology regulatory environment. (more…)