• Organic Lebanon
• UK: Digging deep for commemorative woods
• Monsanto says won't sell GMO maize in France in 2012

• Conference on Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture held in Madhya Pradesh, India
• Farmers in India excited to begin using Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture
• Trial run of Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture produces first harvest

• Glyphosate-resistant weed spreads to Canada crop belt
• Farm anger adds to India's economic worries
• Bugs may be resistant to genetically modified corn

---

Positive Trends
10 Short Summaries of Top Stories

Organic Lebanon
28 January 2012 - What started out in 2007 with the Massoud family growing pesticide and chemical-free produce for its own consumption on small plots of land in north Lebanon has grown into an Italian certified organic farming enterprise that works closely with some 40 farmers across the country. There's a 'big increase in demand', says Mario Massoud, commercial director of Biomass, a Lebanese, family-owned company selling organic produce. 'People want to eat better, healthier, and fresher. (more)

UK: Digging deep for commemorative woods
26 January 2012 - Organizers of a project to create a series of new woods to commemorate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee hope to plant one million trees during February. The Woodland Trust said next month marked the 60th anniversary of the Queen's accession to the throne. Free tree-planting packs would be available for groups wanting to take part in the project, it added. (more)

Monsanto says won't sell GMO maize in France in 2012
24 January 2012 - US biotech firm Monsanto said on Tuesday it does not plan to sell its genetically modified maize MON810 in France this year, nor after, even though the country's highest court overturned a three-year ban in November. Genetically modified organism (GMO) crops are widely used in countries such as the United States and Brazil but consumers in France, the EU's largest grain producer, are among the staunchest biotech sceptics. Monsanto, which stressed that it had not sold nor tested MON810 in France since 2008, said that as long as the political climate remained unfavourable it would limit its offer to non-GMO seeds. (more)

UK: St Germain to create wildlife habitat
19 January 2012 - More wildlife will be able to find a home in a Guernsey nature reserve with the planting of 500 trees, according to the Men of the Trees. The environmental group has planted a variety of species at the St Germain Nature Reserve, a former landfill site. Group secretary Andy McCutcheon said the trees offered a number of benefits. (more)

India allows rice exports beyond two million tonnes on a bumper harvest
17 January 2012 - India has allowed overseas sale of common rice beyond two million tonnes, officials said on Tuesday, removing a previous cap announced by Food Minister K V Thomas in September 2011. 'Our stocks are comfortable on a bumper harvest. So, we can continue with exports of rice and wheat,' Thomas said on Tuesday. Ministry officials confirmed this removed the limit of two million tonnes. (more)

France upholds ban on Monsanto GM maize
13 January 2012 - The French government said on Friday it would uphold its ban on a strain of genetically modified maize developed by US biotech firm Monsanto in 2012, even though France's highest court overturned the moratorium last year. The ecology and agriculture ministers said in a statement they would maintain the ban on MON810, an insect-resistant strain of maize, which is sold in several European countries, after meeting with farming groups. (more)

India: An exhibition to retrieve the agrarian tradition
31 December 2011 - In an initiative to give a boost to organic agriculture, the Agricultural Technology Management Agency together with Thalassery Social Service Society, and Jeevassu Kasrgod is organizing Polika, an exhibition of farm products at the Town Square of Kannur district in the Indian state of Kerala, from 2 to 8 January. There would be around 180 stalls exhibiting agricultural products cultivated using organic farming methods. (more)

Philippines: Clarin farmers go into organic farming
28 December 2011 - Farmers from Clarin, a municipality in the province of Misamis Occidental, Philippines, have switched to organic farming. 'The farmers here are now using organic materials as fertilizers for their different plants, such as, rice and vegetable gardens,' Agnes Butalid, Municipal Agriculture Officer of Clarin, said. (more)

The number of Romania's organic farmers tripled in 2011
28 December 2011 - The number of active operators in Romania's organic farming sector has tripled this year reaching 10,000 and the rise in relevant subsidies might prompt the doubling, by end-2012, of the number of farmers who join the eco-certification system. The Bio-Romania' head underscored that the shift from subsistence to organic farming has also contributed to the 10 per cent increase this year in the arable surface farmed in the organic system. (more)

Philippines: Mayor creates La Trinidad organic committee
26 December 2011 - Mayor Greg Abalos of La Trinidad -- a municipality in the province of Benguet, Philippines -- has created a local committee to oversee organic agriculture. The newly formed committee will aid the National Organic Agriculture Board to devise and implement ways and means of producing organic fertilizers and other farm inputs and devices. Organic agriculture is offered as a major course in Benguet State University (BSU) and is soon batting for it to become a degree. (more)

---

Success of Maharishi's Programmes
10 Short Summaries of Top Stories

Conference on Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture held in Madhya Pradesh, India
24 December 2011 - Farmers in Madhya Pradesh, India are excited by the prospect of returning to their Vedic roots and farming according to Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture standards. Dr John Konhaus, Director of the Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture Institute, recently reported on a unique agricultural conference that was held in Madhya Pradesh state to discuss the possibility of converting thousands of acres of farmland to Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture standards. (more)

Farmers in India excited to begin using Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture
24 December 2011 - 'There are literally thousands of farmers in this area that are excited about beginning this process,' said Dr John Konhaus, Director of the Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture Institute. He was referring to a new project involving hundreds of farmers and thousands of acres of farmland in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India, making the switch to using Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture methods. (more)

Trial run of Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture produces first harvest
24 December 2011 - Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture is 'the fulfilment of the science of agriculture, because it takes the purity of organic agriculture and brings it to a supreme level of Vedic food . . . by enlivening the totality of natural law,' said Dr John Konhaus, Director of the Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture Institute. Special Vedic agricultural procedures are being implemented and tested for the first time in greenhouses in Maharishi Vedic City, USA. (more)

Maharishi University of Management Distinguished Lecture Series features Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture
14 October 2011 - The 2011 Distinguished Lecture Series at Maharishi University of Management in the USA continues Sunday 16 October with a presentation on 'Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture: Vedic food for Vedic consciousness - Supporting the growth of higher states of consciousness through Vedic food'. (more)

Serbia: Offering organic agriculture, natural health care, Consciousness-Based Education
12 October 2011 - Programmes in organic agriculture, natural health care, and ideal education are being offered in Serbia, as well as those to create peace, harmony, and good fortune for the nation as a whole. Initiatives include a Biobalkan Organic Expo, an upcoming course in Maharishi Ayur-Veda health care for medical doctors, and opportunities for students to enjoy Consciousness-Based Education. (more)

Nourishing qualities of Sun bring unique benefits to Maharishi Honey
24 September 2011 - Maharishi Honey--renowned as 'rare Vedic organic honey'--is produced on Maharishi Vedic Farms in the pure, unpolluted atmosphere of virgin forests and lands, enhanced by Vedic (natural law-based) farming technologies. The specific nourishing qualities of the Sun in the different months of the year naturally influence the mechanics of the bees' honey production, giving a uniquely beneficial quality to the honey. (more)

Bulgaria: High quality organic rose oil being produced in beautiful Valley of the Roses
18 July 2011 - Bulgaria is renowned as the producer of a large percentage of the rose oil used in the world, distilled from roses grown in the unique climatic and soil conditions of the beautiful Valley of the Roses. Over the past several years a new project has been established to grow organic roses in the region, including the distillation of a very special and refined quality of rose oil. (more)

Saint Kitts and Nevis: Programmes developing for ideal education and agriculture
12 July 2011 - On the island of Saint Kitts, in the country Saint Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean, Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture initiatives are under development, and schools are beginning to implement the Transcendental Meditation Programme. (more)

Organic agriculture flourishing in Serbia
11 July 2011 - Through the Serbian Organic Foundation--an organization founded to promote the spread of organic agriculture in the country--outlets for selling organic products in Belgrade have expanded from only 2 one year ago, to more than 40 currently. The Foundation, established by Serbian teachers of programmes designed by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi to promote health, well-being, and economic self-sufficiency, has been continually featured as one of the key leaders in organic farming in Serbia. (more)

More attention on organic agriculture and products: News reports show rising coherence in world consciousness
30 June 2011 - World news in May reported organic and sustainable agriculture receiving more attention. The United Kingdom, Russia, United Arab Emirates, India, Egypt, Ireland, and the United States are all focusing on organic in small and large ways. Global Good News documents the trends of rising world consciousness resulting from the success of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's programmes in every area to create coherence and positivity in individual life and for the whole society. (more)

---

Flops
10 Short Summaries of Top Stories

Glyphosate-resistant weed spreads to Canada crop belt
11 January 2012 - A weed resistant to a widely used chemical to protect crops has spread for the first time to Western Canada, the country's grain and canola belt. So-called 'super weeds' have defied dosages of the world's top-selling herbicide, Monsanto's Roundup, and spread through key crop-growing areas of the United States in recent years, boosting costs and cutting crop yields for farmers. Roundup's active ingredient is glyphosate. 'That is one of the chemicals that has been so broadly used that this will be a growing issue that we have to face,' said Ron Frost, a Calgary, Alberta-based agriculture analyst. 'We recognize this particular finding could present new challenges if it spreads because of the prevalence of Roundup Ready canola and Roundup Ready sugarbeets in this region,' said Sean Dilk, Monsanto Canada's technology development manager. (more)

Farm anger adds to India's economic worries
29 December 2011 - In recent weeks, thousands of Indian farmers in farm belts from the state of Maharashtra in the west to Andhra Pradesh in the south have been been blocking roads with burning tyres and refusing to sell their produce in a bid to force the government to prop up crop prices which they say barely cover costs. With about half of India's 1.2 billion people making a living from farming-related activities, the farmers' protests are piling pressure on the economy which is already struggling with high inflation and slowing growth. With farmers clamping down on deliveries, prices of commodities such as sugarcane, cotton, and onions have jumped and traders are feeling the squeeze. (more)

Bugs may be resistant to genetically modified corn
28 December 2011 - One of the nation's most widely planted crops -- a genetically engineered corn plant that makes its own insecticide -- may be losing its effectiveness because a major pest appears to be developing resistance more quickly than scientists expected. Over the last few summers, rootworms have feasted on the roots of Bt corn in parts of four Midwestern states, suggesting that some of the insects are becoming resistant to the crop's pest-fighting powers. Iowa State University entomologist Aaron Gassmann published research in July concluding that resistance had arisen among rootworms he collected in four Iowa fields. Those fields had been planted for three to six straight years with Bt corn -- a practice that ensured any resistant rootworms could lay their eggs in an area that would offer plenty of food for the next generation. (more)

US approves Monsanto drought-tolerant GM corn
22 December 2011 - Monsanto's genetically engineered, drought resistant corn is deregulated, the US Agriculture Department said Thursday, clearing the variety for sale. USDA approved the variety after reviewing environmental and risk assessments, public comments and research data from Monsanto. Corn is the most widely grown US crop and farmers grew 91.9 million acres of the feed grain this year, the second-largest area since World War Two. The USDA said the variety, known as MON 87460, 'is no longer considered a regulated article under our regulations governing the introduction of certain genetically engineered organisms'. Pending regulatory approvals, Monsanto anticipates launching the product as early as 2013-2014. The company said approvals for imports into 'key corn import markets with functioning regulatory systems' were in progress. (more)

Genetically modified crops blowing pesticides into homes, Kauai residents say
14 December 2011 - A group of Kauai residents are suing a major seed company over farming of genetically modified crops they claim has been blowing pesticide-laden dust into homes for more than a decade. Attorneys for 150 Waimea residents filed the lawsuit Tuesday against Iowa-based Pioneer Hi-Bred. In 2000, residents petitioned Pioneer to address the impact of the dust and chemicals, saying they were concerned about dust on 'our homes, our cars, our streets and buildings, and most alarmingly, our children, who are forced to breathe dust-laden air as a part of living.' According to the lawsuit, 'the influx of dust and chemicals from Pioneer's fields has continued while Waimea residents fight a daily battle to keep their homes and property free of dust and chemicals and continue to suffer on a daily basis.' (more)

French farmer sues Monsanto over toxic weedkiller poisoning
12 December 2011 - A French farmer started court proceedings in December against US agricultural group Monsanto, which he is suing for damages after inhaling a weedkiller manufactured by the firm which was later prohibited in France. Grain grower Paul Francois, 47, says that inhaling Monsanto's weedkiller Lasso in 2004, while he was cleaning the tank of his sprayer, caused him to suffer faintness and meant he had to go several times to hospital for neurological problems. The farmer says the US firm did not correctly detail Lasso's ingredients on its label. He also blames it for continuing to sell a product that had already been prohibited in Belgium, Britain. and Canada at the time. Lasso weedkiller was banned in France in 2007. The farmer says traces of chemicals used in Lasso were found in his urine and hair a year after he cleaned the tank. Global Good News regards the toxic weedkiller Lasso made by Monsanto as a flop, not the farmer suing. (more)

More than 9 million in Sahel face food crisis: Oxfam
12 December 2011 - More than nine million people in five countries in Africa's Sahel region face food crisis next year, following low rainfall, poor harvests, high food prices, and a drop in remittances from migrants, aid agency Oxfam said on Monday. People in Mauritania, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Chad, are at particularly high risk, with national food reserves dangerously low and prices of some key cereals as much as 40 per cent higher than the five-year average. 'The food situation in the region is once again alarming,' Eric Hazard, Oxfam regional economic justice manager, told a news conference in Dakar. 'We are in a region today where we have a cereal deficit of about 2.5 million tonnes.' In some countries such as Chad and Mauritania, estimates show a fall in cereal production of about 50 per cent. The most alarming situation is in Niger where six million -- almost a half of the population -- were at risk. (more)

North Mexico wilts under worst drought on record
2 December 2011 - The sun-baked northern states of Mexico are suffering under the worst drought since the government began recording rainfall 70 years ago. Crops of corn, beans, and oats are withering in the fields. About 1.7 million cattle have died of starvation and thirst. Life isn't likely to get better soon. The next rainy season isn't due until June, and there's no guarantee normal rains will come then. The hardest blow has been to seasonal farmers and ranchers with non-irrigated pastures in Durango, Zacatecas, Chihuahua, Coahuila, and San Luis Potosi.'The situation for the people of Zacatecas is truly dramatic because farmers were not even able to produce the food they need for their own consumption,' said Zacatecas Gov. Miguel Alonso. The scarcity of rainfall also has dried up drinking water supplies for an estimated 2.5 million people in more than 1,500 small communities in northern Mexico. (more)

French annul ruling against planting modified corn
29 November 2011 - France's highest administrative body has annulled rules suspending the planting of genetically modified corn, but two key ministries quickly said the government is still looking for ways to block such crops. The Council of State, acting on a complaint from US-based agricultural company Monsanto and other interested parties, on Monday annulled two Agriculture Ministry rulings from 2007 and 2008 that suspended the planting of Monsanto MON 810 modified corn. France is the European Union's agricultural powerhouse and opposition to GMOs is traditionally strong here. Others also criticized Monday's ruling. EU lawmaker Corinne Lepage, said she 'deplores' the decision. She wants European laws to be adapted to give countries a 'solid juridical basis to ban GMO cultivation.' For Greenpeace 'judicial procedures must not mask the true fundamental problem.' (more)

French court annuls ban on growing Monsanto GMO maize
28 November 2011 - France's highest court on Monday overturned the country's ban on growing a strain of genetically modified maize (corn) developed by US biotech firm Monsanto, saying it was not sufficiently justified. Agriculture Minister Bruno Le Maire told reporters in Parliament that Paris would seek to maintain the ban. 'France will examine all ways to keep the ban on GMO maize despite the State Council's decision,' Le Maire said without giving details of the government's next steps. Genetically modified organism (GMO) crops are widely used in countries such as the United States and Brazil. (more)