• India: Farm outlook brightens, food prices to dip - Prime Minister
• US Jury: Bayer must pay $1.5 million to Arkansas, Mississippi rice farmers
• 'Frankenstein'-food fears keep GMOs out of Europe

• Importance of food purity for healthy families, financial sustainability of countries, and living higher states of consciousness
• Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture course to be held in Turkey
• Turkey: Students, farmers support organic, non-GMO agriculture

• BASF gets Brazilian nod for soy, first GMO product
• EU wants to break deadlock on GMOs
• Bangladesh: Pesticide poisoning takes its toll

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Positive Trends
10 Short Summaries of Top Stories

India: Farm outlook brightens, food prices to dip - Prime Minister
7 February 2010 - India's farm output in 2009/10 will be higher than initial estimates, raising prospects that food inflation, which has soared in recent months, will soon be controlled, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Saturday. The Prime Minister said India had adequate stocks of rice and wheat to maintain food security. Singh also said India was likely to grow at 7.5 per cent for the fiscal year ending March, at a faster clip than the 6.7 per cent economic expansion recorded for the previous year. (more)

US Jury: Bayer must pay $1.5 million to Arkansas, Mississippi rice farmers
7 February 2010 - A federal court jury has ordered the German conglomerate Bayer CropScience to pay $1.5 million to farmers in Arkansas and Mississippi whose rice seed was contaminated with a genetically altered strain. Though the USDA said at the time of the crop contamination that the rice variety posed no health or environmental risk, Japan and the European Union moved to ban US rice, leading to a plunge in rice prices and a drop in US rice exports. Don Downing, lead attorney for the plaintiffs, said Bayer's negligence was directly responsible for the loss of the European market. (more)

'Frankenstein'-food fears keep GMOs out of Europe
6 February 2010 - On Friday Bulgaria's ruling GERB party proposed a five-year moratorium on the production of genetically modified (GM) crops for scientific and commercial reasons following public outcry over a new legislation. Bulgaria follows in the footsteps of Austria, Germany, Hungary, and France, all of whom have banned the commercial cultivation of the only GM crop (Monsanto's MON 810 maize type) allowed to be grown in the European Union. (more)

Survey: Honeybee colony collapse losses declining
27 January 2010 - Fewer beekeepers are reporting evidence of a mysterious ailment that had been decimating the US honeybee population. A survey of beekeepers for the January issue of the Journal of Apicultural Research found that the percentage of operations reporting having lost colonies but without dead bees in the hives -- a symptom of colony collapse disorder, or CCD --- decreased to 26 per cent last winter, compared to 38 per cent the previous season and 36 per cent the season before that. (more)

Philippines: Green power to help save famed terraces
23 January 2010 - Revenue from a small hydropower plant will help preserve 2,000-year-old Philippine rice terraces dubbed the 'Eighth Wonder of the World', conservationists say. The hydropower plant was donated by e8, a non-profit organization consisting of 10 leading electricity firms from the G-8 countries that was also behind the first solar panels in the country of Tuvalu. (more)

US sees agriculture key to stabilizing Afghanistan
10 January 2010 - Rebuilding agriculture can boost confidence in Afghanistan's fragile government and pull farmers away from the drug money that fuels the Taliban insurgency, the US agriculture chief said on Sunday. The Obama administration sees agriculture as the biggest non-security priority in Afghanistan, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who arrived in Kabul on Sunday for a three-day trip aimed at showing US commitment to the sector. The hope is that opium farmers who get cash from the Taliban for their crops will be enticed by high-value products such as growing table grapes, nuts, and pomegranates, which could then be exported. (more)

The Organic Trade Association opens its first Washington, DC office
5 January 2010 - The Organic Trade Association (OTA), headquartered in Greenfield, Massachusetts, has opened its first Washington, DC, office. Christine Bushway, OTA's Executive Director and CEO, made the announcement, saying, 'OTA is very excited about achieving this milestone at the beginning of its 25th anniversary year. The office is located three blocks from Capitol Hill. (more)

Cuban citrus turns corner after decade of decline
4 January 2010 - Cuban citrus production increased 9.1 per cent in 2009, the government reported over the weekend. Citrus output was 427,500 tonnes, compared with 391,800 tonnes in 2008, the National Statistics office reported on its Web page. In the 1980s, Cuba was the world's biggest citrus fruit exporter, producing more than a million tonnes of mainly oranges and grapefruit on 120,000 hectares, most destined for the former Soviet Union. (more)

Kenya stocks seen rebounding in 2010
4 January 2010 - Kenya's stock market is seen rebounding this year after falling in 2009, due to improved rainfall and macroeconomic conditions. Activity in the Nairobi Stock Exchange's main share-index is seen improving this year, helped by favourable weather which is expected to boost food production and in turn lead to lower inflation, as well as improved hydro-electricity supply. (more)

Gambia economic growth seen 5 per cent in 2009: central bank
30 December 2009 - Gambia's economy will grow by 5.0 per cent in 2009, thanks in part to stronger second-quarter growth in the agricultural sector, Central Bank Governor Bamba Saho said on Tuesday. Gambia is a tiny slither of land within Senegal on the coast of West Africa. (more)

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

Importance of food purity for healthy families, financial sustainability of countries, and living higher states of consciousness
5 February 2010 - In the past year, agricultural projects of the Global Country of World Peace have begun in several countries. Dr John Fagan described three levels of importance of food purity, which is a focus of these projects: for the health and enlightenment of families; for financial sustainability of countries; and for effectively bringing to people around the world Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's programmes for all areas of life. Dr Fagan is a Raja (Administrator) of the Global Country, with Global Responsibility for Food Purity and Safety for Healthy Invincibility. (more)

Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture course to be held in Turkey
4 February 2010 - A 16-hour course on Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture will be held in Turkey in April. This course is not only for agricultural professionals, said Dr Albert Baruh, National Director of Turkey for the Global Country of World Peace, recently. 'This information is very useful for all of us,' he commented: the course informs every one of the many benefits of Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture--agriculture that is fully in harmony with Natural Law. (more)

Turkey: Students, farmers support organic, non-GMO agriculture
12 January 2010 - Students, faculty, and farmers in Turkey were enthusiastic to hear about food purity and safety, including organic, non-GMO agriculture from expert Dr John Fagan during a recent tour. Dr Fagan's visit also inspired Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture initiatives. (more)

Belgium: New concepts of consciousness, sustainability, and GMOs inspire agriculture leaders - Dr John Fagan
21 December 2009 - An eye-opening presentation on 'Consciousness, Sustainability, and GMOs' -- given recently by Dr John Fagan -- inspired an audience of agribusiness and supermarket leaders in Belgium. Dr Fagan is an eminent scientist and researcher, an expert on GMOs (genetically modified organisms), and Raja (Administrator) of the Global Country of World Peace with Global Responsibility for Food Purity and Safety, and Healthy Invincibility. (more)

Spain: Demand growing for Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture
16 December 2009 - Demand for products grown according to Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture is increasing in Spain and has already led to an increase in production. A new Spanish-language website on the topic has drawn over 1,000 visitors and many requests for information and products. (more)

Macedonia: Creating invincibility and cultivating Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture
6 December 2009 - Potential plans for Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture projects--particularly organic apples and rare herbs--are unfolding in Macedonia. (more)

Switzerland: Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture course offered
4 December 2009 - Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture and gardening can help solve current pressing environmental problems such as pollution and climate change. A preview of the course, very rich with knowledge of the topic, was recently offered at the Capital of Heaven on Earth in Seelisberg, Switzerland--and in the next few months, 16-hour courses will begin to be offered around the world. (more)

Uniquely nourishing qualities of Maharishi Honey
20 November 2009 - Maharishi Honey is a rare Vedic Organic Honey because it is produced with special care and attention to direction, planetary influences of the Sun, Moon, and stars, and purity of the environment through each phase of production. In addition, the use of Maharishi Vedic Sounds and the special procedures for organic certification assure its purity. (more)

Spain: Website aids in expansion of Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture
29 September 2009 - The Maharishi Vedic Organic Agriculture project in southern Spain is expanding rapidly, with greater demand for products within the nation than ever before, due in part to increased availability of products over the Internet. (more)

Sustainable Living Agricultural College proposed for St Kitts and Nevis
12 September 2009 - New opportunities for students and local workers in the Caribbean nation of St Kitts and Nevis are arising in the form of a proposed new Sustainable Living Agricultural College and related organic food production. The college would be associated with Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, USA. (more)

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Flops
10 Short Summaries of Top Stories

BASF gets Brazilian nod for soy, first GMO product
5 February 2010 - BASF, the world's largest chemicals group, won approval for the cultivation of a genetically modified (GM) soy variety in Brazil, its debut in the GM-seed market. A top executive said on Friday that the German company aims to win 10 to 20 per cent of the soy acreage in Brazil, the second-largest soy producer after the United States. Brazil gets about 60 per cent of its soy from genetically modified seeds sold mainly by Monsanto and DuPont's Pioneer. BASF also stands to benefit from increased demand for weed killers based on the compound imidazolinone, which the new soy breed is tolerant to. Embrapa and BASF are now seeking the approval for the GM-soy in key export markets such as China and the US. The next step to grow BASF's fledgling plant biotech business will be the introduction of drought-tolerant corn in the US in 2012, where it collaborates with Monsanto. (more)

EU wants to break deadlock on GMOs
4 February 2010 - Plans to give national governments the right to decide whether to grow new genetically modified crops could unblock a paralysis in EU approvals, but risk igniting internal-market disputes within the bloc. Proposals from the Dutch and Austrian governments, under consideration by the European Union's executive arm, have won the backing of several countries and interested parties, and will be at the top of the new European Commission's agenda. Following are some facts on the approaches of key EU member states towards genetically modified organisms (GMOs): (more)

Bangladesh: Pesticide poisoning takes its toll
19 January 2010 - An annual government survey of Bangladesh's health situation has found that pesticide-related poisoning is a leading cause of death, underscoring a major health concern. The 2009 Health Bulletin, which compiles health statistics from 2008, recorded 7,438 pesticide-related poisoning deaths at more than 400 hospitals nationwide amongst men and women aged 15-49. Of the deaths, direct pesticide poisoning accounted for 8 per cent of the fatalities, preceded only by respiratory failure at 11 per cent, said the bulletin. The use of chemicals for growing vegetables was a major factor in the pesticide-related deaths. That is bad news in a country where 75 per cent of the civilian labour force -- estimated at 56 million -- is directly or indirectly engaged in the agriculture sector. (more)

Argentina approves new Syngenta GMO corn strain
22 December 2009 - Argentina has approved a new variety of genetically modified corn developed by Switzerland's Syngenta to be resistant to insects and herbicides, the Agriculture Ministry said on Tuesday. The government said approval of the Bt11xGA21 strain would help boost competition in the seed market in Argentina, which was the world's third-biggest corn exporter this year, behind Brazil and the United States. Corn production is seen at 14 million tonnes this year, according to the US Department of Agriculture. Syngenta accounts for about a fifth of Argentine corn seed sales, a company executive said. (more)

Chinese farmers struggle with climate change
15 December 2009 - Across the brown hills of Zhongzhuang Village in northwest China, farmers count the costs of a changing climate in lost crops, dry wells, and lives weighed down by poverty. Villagers here plough their narrow, terraced fields dug into the brittle slopes much as they have for generations, with wooden ploughs and donkeys. But the seemingly timeless rhythms of this village in Yongjing County, Gansu province, have been changing. The changing climate has been making it harder for farmers to climb out of poverty, despite government programmes to raise incomes and improve water availability. Without potentially expensive adaptation through improved irrigation and improved crops strains, average productivity of major grains per every acre of land planted could fall between 13 and 24 per cent in coming decades. (more)

Monsanto seed business role revealed - AP Impact
13 December 2009 - Confidential contracts detailing Monsanto Co.'s business practices reveal how the world's biggest seed developer is squeezing competitors, controlling smaller seed companies, and protecting its dominance over the multibillion-dollar market for genetically altered crops. Access to Monsanto's genes comes at a cost, and with plenty of strings attached. Their business strategies and licensing agreements are being investigated by the US Department of Justice and at least two state attorneys general, who are trying to determine if the practices violate US antitrust laws. Monsanto is also raising its prices: 'They can charge because they can do it, and get away with it. And us farmers just complain, and shake our heads and go along with it,' a farmer said. Monsanto's patented genes being inserted into roughly 95 per cent of all soybeans and 80 percent of all corn grown in the US. (more)

Brazil approves its second gene-modified soy
11 December 2009 - Brazilian authorities have approved the use of a new genetically-modified soy seed which was developed jointly by BASF and state agricultural researchers in the world's No. 2 soy exporter. The soy is tolerant of imidazoline-based herbicides and it is the first genetically-modified seed ever to be approved by Brazil's CTNBio biosecurity commission that was developed with the participation of a government entity. BASF said it plans to launch the seed in the 2011/12 soy season meaning it would be sown for the first time around October 2011. The firm supplied the modified gene and researchers Embrapa inserted it into the soy's genetic material. (more)

EU clears Syngenta GMO maize for feed, food imports
30 November 2009 - The European Commission on Monday approved Swiss company Syngenta's genetically modified maize type MIR604, a move that could enable the resumption of imports of soymeal and soybeans for animal feed. The Commission, executive arm of the 27-nation European Union, said in a statement that it had authorized the maize type for food and feed uses and imports and processing. 'MIR604 maize received a positive safety assessment from the European Food Safety Authority and underwent the full authorization procedure set up in the EU legislation,' the Commission said. (more)

China gives safety approval to GMO rice
27 November 2009 - China, the world's largest rice producer and consumer, has approved a locally-developed strain of genetically-modified rice, paving the way for large-scale production in 2 to 3 years, Chinese scientists said on Friday. The Ministry of Agriculture's Biosafety Committee has issued biosafety certificates to Bt rice, a pest-resistant genetically modified strain. Along with GM phytase corn approval announced last week, this is China's first two approvals for grains, although it already permits GM papaya, cotton, and tomatoes. China is the world's top producer of rice, growing 59.5 million tonnes in the 12 months to October. (more)

Biotech crops cause big jump in pesticide use: report
17 November 2009 - The rapid adoption by US farmers of genetically engineered corn, soybeans, and cotton has promoted increased use of pesticides, an epidemic of herbicide-resistant weeds and more chemical residues in foods, according to a report issued Tuesday by health and environmental protection groups. The groups said research showed that herbicide use grew by 383 million pounds from 1996 to 2008, with 46 per cent of the total increase occurring in 2007 and 2008. 'This report confirms what we've been saying for years,' said Bill Freese, science policy analyst for the Center for Food Safety. 'The most common type of genetically engineered crops promotes increased use of pesticides, an epidemic of resistant weeds, and more chemical residues in our foods. This may be profitable for the biotech/pesticide companies, but it's bad news for farmers, human health, and the environment.' (more)