BRAZIL: Contraband Transgenic Maize Causes Alarm

Reports of illegal imports of genetically modified maize in southern Brazil, crossing the Argentine border, have caused alarm among officials and experts, who warn that the crop's environmental effects could be worse than those of smuggled soybeans nine years ago.

DEVELOPMENT: ‘Get GE Rice Off Asian Paddies’

A coalition of environmentalists and grassroots activists from Asia intensified their drive against genetically engineered (GE) rice by calling on the U.N. food agency to ban such tampered grain from the paddy fields of the continent.

/CORRECTION**/AGRICULTURE-U.S.: The Organic Crops of Farmer John

The eccentric life of farmer John Peterson, from the central U.S. state of Illinois, is the centrepiece of an award-winning documentary film that tracks the decline of family farms in the United States, and - in a surprise twist - a new resurrection.

G8 SUMMIT: Africa Needs Food Security, Not Experimental Crops

As world leaders prepare for the Group of 8 (G8) summit next week, a leading global consumer body is warning that genetically modified food is not the ''miracle solution'' to world hunger and malnutrition.

ENVIRONMENT: GM Sceptics Smell a Rat

Genetically engineered maize planted in Canada and the United States, and sold in both markets, had an adverse affect on rats, according to secret Monsanto research released by a German court this week.

ENVIRONMENT-INDIA: Calls to Ban GM Crops Intensify After Rats Suffer

Environmentalists and food security activists in India have renewed calls for a moratorium on genetically modified (GM) foods and crops after rats reportedly secretly tested with GM corn diets by the U.S. agribusiness and biotech giant Monsanto developed blood and organ abnormalities.

ENVIRONMENT DAY-CHILE: ‘No Protection’ from Transgenic Foods

Chile is ''totally legally unprotected'' when it comes to genetically modified organisms, and they are found in 50 to 60 percent of the processed food consumed in this country, Juan Carlos Cuchacovich, an activist with environmental watchdog Greenpeace, told IPS.

ENVIRONMENT: Canada Rapped for ‘Censoring’ Biotech Critics

A top African scientist and advocate of strong regulation of genetically engineered seeds and crops is demanding punitive action against Canada if authorities continue to try to block delegates like him from taking part in U.N.-sponsored talks.

ENVIRONMENT: Indian Farmers Win Battle Against GM Cotton

Indian farmers have won a small battle against GM crops by establishing simply that they can be less productive than normal crops.

ENVIRONMENT: China’s Second ‘Great Leap Forward’ With GM Crops?

China is under mounting pressure to approve the commercial release of genetically modified rice but Beijing's leaders fear the social cost and potential international backlash might cancel out economic benefits of the move.

ENVIRONMENT: Africa’s Top Biosafety Envoy Shut Out of Canada Talks

Africa's chief negotiator for the Cartegena Protocol on Biosafety has been denied entry into Canada to attend meetings to finalise key provisions regarding the international movement of genetically engineered organisms.

U.S.-EUROPE: Free Zone for Genetically Modified Maize?

The case of a genetically engineered variety of maize that escaped detection by U.S. and European Union authorities for four years illustrates weaknesses in the safety and regulatory systems on both sides of the Atlantic, say critics.

ENVIRONMENT-EUROPE: ‘Amaizing’ Setback for GM Imports

Environmental groups scored a resounding victory when European governments agreed to consider a ban on maize-based animal feeds from the United States.

BRAZIL: Drought Takes Toll on Transgenic Soy

Drought in southern Brazil has reduced this year's soybean harvest dramatically in Rio Grande do Sul state - and added fuel to the heated national debate about transgenic crops.

ENVIRONMENT: British Study Deals Blow to GM Crops

After completing the world's biggest study on the potential ecological impacts of genetically engineered crops, British scientists have concluded that the technology harms wildlife.

CHILE: Defending Consumers’ Rights to Information and Choice on GM Products

Lilia Lizama, a 60-year-old homemaker in the capital of Chile, only learned about the existence of transgenic foods a few months ago. "I was at my sister's house and the subject just happened to come up. They told me that there are foods that have been modified and could cause cancer," she told IPS.

DEVELOPMENT: Anti-GM Campaign Launched on Consumers Day

A renewed campaign was launched against GM foods to mark Consumers Day Tuesday.

BRAZIL: War Over Transgenics Returns to the Courts

The battle over transgenics will continue, because the biosafety bill recently passed by Brazil's lower house is unconstitutional, say organisations opposed to the introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) without prior studies into their environmental and human health impact.

MEXICO: Law on the Side of Transgenics?

If anyone manipulates or trades in genetically modified organisms (GMOs) without authorisation, or uses them to make biological weapons, they will be hit with a fine of up to 127,600 dollars, according to a new Mexican law on biosecurity, one that could set the standard for all Latin America - much to the chagrin of environmentalists.

CENTRAL AMERICA: UN Agency Accused of Distributing GM Foods

Environmentalists in Central America have accused the World Food Programme (WFP) of distributing genetically modified food in this region, including one kind of corn that has never been approved for human consumption.

CENTRAL AMERICA: UN Agency Accused of Distributing GM Foods

Environmentalists in Central America have accused the World Food Programme (WFP) of distributing genetically modified food in this region, including one kind of corn that has never been approved for human consumption.