BIODIVERSITY: Putting the Gene Back in the Bottle

When 150 of the world's leaders gathered in Rio de Janeiro for the historic Earth Summit 14 years ago, they agreed to embrace the principle of fair and equitable sharing of the benefits of genetic resources as part of global efforts to protect biodiversity.

BIODIVERSITY: Activists Disagree on Economic Aspects of Benefit-Sharing

Access to genetic resources and the equitable distribution of the benefits derived from their use are the most controversial issues being discussed in Brazil by the 3,600 delegates from 173 countries attending the largest conference ever on biological diversity.

WORLD SOCIAL FORUM: NGOs Learning a Great Deal, Fast

This year's meetings of the Sixth World Social Forum in Karachi (Pakistan), Bamako (Mali) and the Venezuelan capital have provided examples of both strengths and weaknesses in dealing with global and regional agendas.

BIODIVERSITY: Creating a Network Against Biopiracy

Two patents granted in the United States between 2000 and 2002 and another for which an application has been filed have put "maca", a high altitude Andean plant that is used by indigenous people in Peru, at the centre of a new battle against biopiracy, which involves the construction of an international network against the misappropriation of traditional knowledge.

BIODIVERSITY: Brazil’s Lula Lashes Out At Rich Nations

Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva Monday castigated the wealthy and technologically advanced countries of the world for failing to live up to their responsibility in tackling poverty and environmental degradation on the planet.

BIODIVERSITY: Terminator Seeds Suffer Defeat at Global Conference

Small farmers and activists celebrated a triumph against Terminator seeds in Brazil Friday, but said they would not let down their guard, and would continue to fight the seeds.

ENVIRONMENT: NGOs Warn About Genetic Contamination

The European Commission's (EC) most recent decisions on genetically modified crops have condemned the continent's farms to transgenic contamination, say environmental groups consulted by Tierramérica.

BIODIVERSITY: A New Ethics Needed to Save Life on Earth

Affect, care, cooperation and responsibility are the four central principles of a new ethics that humanity urgently needs to adopt, in order to avoid becoming extinct as "a victim of itself," Leonardo Boff, one of the founders of liberation theology, said Thursday.

DEVELOPMENT: Trouble Cooking Over Potatoes

Trouble is cooking over the move by Syngenta International to introduce a genetically modified form of potato.

BIODIVERSITY: Peasants Say No to ‘Selling’ Traditional Knowledge

The international small farmers' and peasant movement Via Campesina is opposed to any payment for traditional knowledge, one of the formats proposed for sharing the benefits derived from biodiversity.

BIODIVERSITY: Don’t Sell “Suicide Seeds”, Activists Warn

As officials from around the world gather here to discuss an international agreement to protect biodiversity, battle lines are being drawn on the question of whether governments should allow the use and sale of genetically modified "Terminator seeds".

BIODIVERSITY: Curitiba, an Indigenous Conference

Indigenous people from around the world "baptised" the eighth Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP8), which opened Monday in this southern Brazilian city, to help inspire the participants to reach good decisions.

ENVIRONMENT: Biosafety Protocol Alive, but Restricted

The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety "is alive," celebrated the delegates to the Third Meeting of the Parties to the Protocol (MOP3), although there were complaints about and criticism of modifications to the final agreement reached Friday night.

ENVIRONMENT: Mexico and Paraguay Block Agreement on Biosafety

Mexico and Paraguay waited until Friday, the last day of the Third Meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (MOP3), to present new proposals to modify the text that has been under negotiation since Monday, thus prolonging the five-day gathering.

AGRICULTURE-LATIN AMERICA: Transgenic Crops Make Their Mark

Genetically modified organisms are leaving an indelible mark on several Latin American countries, regardless of the standards for their use and the attempts to adopt an international regime governing their production and transportation.

BOOKS-US: Is Organic Boom Healthy for Small Farmers?

Shopping at the Whole Foods supermarket chain in the United States has been called, among other things, inspirational.

HEALTH: New Studies Back Benefits of Organic Diet

Organic foods protect children from the toxins in pesticides, while foods grown using modern, intensive agricultural techniques contain fewer nutrients and minerals than they did 60 years ago, according to two new scientific studies.

SCIENCE: Bioterror Fears Dim Biotech Potential

Terrorists using biotechnology could create virulent new diseases that threaten millions of people and imperil future development of the technology, ethical experts warn.

LATIN AMERICA: Wanted – Labels for Genetically Engineered Products

Labels on foods sold in Latin American countries don't indicate whether they contain genetically engineered ingredients. There is legislation on the books in Brazil, but companies aren't complying with the requirement. In Mexico the laws on the matter are imprecise, and in Chile a new law is expected soon.

TRADE: WTO Biotech Ruling Reveals Special Interests, Say Critics

A World Trade Organisation decision that called European safety bans on genetically modified food illegal under its global trade rules could usher in a new phase of potentially hazardous "Frankenfoods" worldwide and further erosion of local protections, say environmental and advocacy groups.

ENVIRONMENT: Biotech “Revolution” May Be Losing Steam

Just four countries plant 99 percent of the world's genetically engineered (GE) crops, despite more than a decade of hype about the benefits of agricultural biotechnology.