Archived News

September 2009

Monsanto Company Sets Webcast and Analyst/Media Call for 2009 Fourth-Quarter and Fiscal-Year Financial Results
29 September 2009 Monsanto
Monsanto Company will issue the company's financial results for its 2009 fourth quarter and full fiscal year on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2009, prior to market open.

Vatican, Food Experts Say Biotechnology Will Improve African Farming
29 September 2009 Catholic News Service
African farmers should be able to use new biotechnology, including genetically modified organisms, to help lift their continent out of poverty, Vatican officials and agricultural experts said.

GM Will be Widespread by 2050 – FAO
28 September 2009 Farmers Guardian
The wider adoption of GM crops was seen as one area where farmers may increase production without bring more land into production.

2050 – Africa’s Food Challenge
28 September 2009 FAO
Transfer of know how and technology from rich to poor nations as well as increased investment in agricultural research are also paramount for progress to be made in tackling hunger and rural development.

Researchers Look to Enriched Crops to Solve Childhood Malnutrition
28 September 2009 Student Life
The group aims to identify the most effective ways to create and propagate more nutritious foods. Researchers are currently developing a strain of cassava—a staple source of food for 300 million Africans—that will be genetically engineered to produce more nutrients.

International Research Team Cracks Potato Genome
28 September 2009 The Associated Press
A global team of researchers has mapped the genetic code of the world's most popular vegetable — the potato.

Getting By On Little Water
28 September 2009 Chemical & Engineering News via Truth About Trade & Technology
Monsanto, for example, is in the final stage of commercializing drought-tolerant corn. Earlier this summer, in collaboration with Germany-based BASF, Monsanto issued a statement disclosing the identity of the gene that will lie at the heart of what the companies are calling the world’s first biotechnology-derived (meaning genetically engineered) drought-tolerant crop.

First Jatropha Genome Completed by Synthetic Genomics Inc. and Asiatic Centre for Genome Technology
25 September 2009 Synthetic Genomics Inc. via Checkbiotech
The sequencing of the genome, using both traditional Sanger sequencing and next generation sequencing, has revealed that the jatropha genome is approximately 400 million base pairs in size, similar to the size of the rice genome.

Mexico To Start First Genetically Modified Corn Plantings
25 September 2009 Dow Jones via Truth About Trade & Technology
Mexican agriculture authorities have given the green light to experimental plantings of genetically modified corn on 195 hectares by the end of the month, an Agriculture Ministry official said Friday.

Feeding the Future World
24 September 2009 Consumer Freedom
Producing 70 percent more food will inevitably require more advances in biotechnology, along with wider use of existing GM foods.

Agriculture Co's See Business Opportunity in Food Aid
22 September 2009 Reuters
Deere, along with Archer Daniels Midland Co, DuPont Co and Monsanto Co, competitors in the agricultural industry, have founded The Global Harvest Initiative with the goal of doubling agricultural output by 2050 to meet rising world demand.

Biotech Wheat Gains Supporters
22 September 2009 AgriNews
Biotech wheat development got a boost last week when producers, millers and bakers released an eight-page paper supporting the research.

Pest-Resistant Bt Brinjal Developed
21 September 2009 Times of India
A team of researchers at the University of Agricultural Science (UAS) here has succeed in genetically engineering a widely grown vegetable crop in the country to manage fruit and shoot borer pest with the development of six Bt brinjal varieties popular across three south-western states.

GMO Crops Can Help Climate and Environment, According to a New Report from the Danish Food Ministry
18 September 2009 Danish Food Ministry via Checkbiotech
The Danish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries has released a report on GMO’s showing that the production of genetically modified (GM) crops has the potential to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases such as CO2.

Impact of Volunteer GM Maize on Conventional Crops is Low
18 September 2009 European Commission, Environment DG via Environmental Expert
A recent EU-supported study has analysed the development of volunteer or 'rogue' GM (genetically modified) maize plants in a conventional crop field. It finds that their numbers are low and do not exceed the EU's threshold of 0.9 per cent for incidental GM content.

Ag Groups Endorse Proposed Monsanto Mine
18 September 2009 Idaho Business Review
Scott Brown, vice president of the Idaho Grain Producers Association, said Monsanto’s Blackfoot Bridge Mine is doubly important in that Monsanto not only provides good-paying jobs and a solid tax base, but its glyphosphate-based herbicides also help farmers stay competitive and efficient.

New Clubroot Resistant DEKALB® Canola Hybrid Would Bring Welcome Relief to Alberta Growers
18 September 2009 Monsanto Canada
Farmers in Alberta looking for solutions to combat clubroot could have a new, high yielding clubroot resistant DEKALB hybrid available to them next spring according to Monsanto.

Monsanto Company Announces Approach to Chemistry to Help U.S. Farmers Manage Risk
17 September 2009 Monsanto
Today, Monsanto Company outlined changes to its Roundup brand agricultural herbicide business which are expected to result in more competitive offerings for U.S. farmers.

Brazil Approves New Varieties of GMO Corn
17 September 2009 Reuters
Brazil's biosecurity regulator, CTNBio, approved two new varieties of genetically modified corn on Thursday, both of which have been engineered to resist pests and glyphosate-based herbicide.

New Wheat Industry Paper Says Biotechnology Will Help Ensure Adequate Wheat Supplies
17 September 2009 U.S. Wheat Associates
Biotechnology has the potential to help reverse the loss of wheat acres in the United States and help ensure there will be adequate supplies to feed a hungry world. That is the conclusion of a new wheat industry analysis released Thursday.

Food Standards Agency to Consult Consumers on GM Foods
16 September 2009 Marketing Magazine
The FSA has been asked by the government to lead a dialogue project to explore the subject of GM with consumers. It will provide an opportunity to discuss with consumers their understanding of GM and what they think it might bring in terms of risks and benefits.

UK Government to Press EU on GM Crops
16 September 2009 British Free Range Egg Producers Association
The UK Government is pressing the EU to address the issue of GM crops to avert feed costs spiralling out of control.

The Real 'Green Revolution'
15 September 2009 National Post
Not only could GMOs increase food yield and make more countries self-sufficient, they could cut down on energy, water, fertilizer and pesticide use by producing crops that require little cultivation, little water and few if any fertilizers or chemicals.

Monsanto Shares Unprecedented Value on Farm With Investors and Growers, Recommits to 2012 Objectives
15 September 2009 Monsanto
Monsanto Company is sharing unprecedented value created on farm with both growers and investors as the company recommits to its 2012 objectives, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Hugh Grant will say today in prepared remarks.

Better World: Learn to Love Genetic Engineering
14 September 2009 New Scientist
Yes, there are other ways to improve nutrition and boost yields, but combining these methods with GM could make them far more effective.

Weeding out Marijuana: Researchers Close in on Engineering Recognizable, Drug-Free Cannabis Plant
14 September 2009 University of Minnesota
n a first step toward engineering a drug-free Cannabis plant for hemp fiber and oil, University of Minnesota researchers have identified genes producing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive substance in marijuana. Studying the genes could also lead to new and better drugs for pain, nausea and other conditions.

EU Farm Chief Wants Biotech Proposal by End-2009
14 September 2009 Reuters
Already, Fischer Boel said the Commission has received positive feedback from the EU's scientific advisory body, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), on a variety of GM corn -- MON 88017 -- which she hopes will be quickly approved by member states.

Monsanto Among Top Rated Businesses for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Workers
14 September 2009 Monsanto
The number of businesses with perfect ratings based on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender workplace policies and benefits rose by twenty percent in the past twelve months — despite the serious economic downturn — according to a new report released today by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization.

GM Dandelions for Allergy-Free Latex
14 September 2009 The Chemical Engineer
As a fungal infection threatens large tracts of the world’s rubber trees, researchers in Germany say that genetically-modified dandelions could prevent a global shortage in natural latex.

Norman Borlaug
13 September 2009 The Telegraph
But he saw genetic modification as only a refinement of old plant breeding methods and became a strong advocate of its possibilities, both to enable more mouths to be fed and to help the environment.

Husker Harvest Days Food Drive to Benefit Needy in Grand Island
13 September 2009 The Grand Island Independent
Heartland United Way is teaming up with Monsanto and the Farm Progress Companies in conducting a food drive during Husker Harvest Days. All food items will benefit the Grand Island area.

Monsanto Shares 2010 Guidance, Outlook For Roundup®
10 September 2009 Monsanto
Monsanto Company's Chief Financial Officer Carl Casale today will share guidance for 2010 that underscores the strength of the company's seeds and traits business as well as resets expectations for Roundup® and all other glyphosate-based herbicides.

College of Agric Challenged to Explore Genetically Modified Crops
10 September 2009 Ghana News
The Government has challenged the College of Agricultural and Consumer Sciences of the University of Ghana to explore the potential of genetically modified crops to help raise the level of food crop production in the country.

Potato Famine Blight DNA Decoded
10 September 2009 BBC News
Scientists have decoded the DNA secrets of the notorious pathogen that caused the Irish potato famine, which led to the deaths of a million people.

European Union Must get GMOs Moving, says Danish Food Minister
10 September 2009 Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fishers via Checkbiotech
Danish food Minister Eva Kjer Hansen believes that the Commission and the Council of Ministers should work together to speed up the approval of new, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and that the Commission should solve the food industry's problems arising from the EU's policy of absolutely zero tolerance with regard to GMOs that are not approved by the EU.

GM Pea Seeds Protect Against Parasites
10 September 2009 UPI
German scientists say they've created a breed of pea seeds that contain antibodies against coccidiosis, a disease caused by a parasite that attacks chickens.

Ancient Art, New Science: B.C. Researchers Explore the Genetics of Wine
10 September 2009 The Canadian Press
So with his colleagues at the university's wine research centre, van Vuuren developed a genetically modified yeast that can produce a bioamine-free - and headache-free - wine.

Monsanto Testing GM Corn as Animal Feed for India
08 September 2009 The Hindu Business Line
After introduction of the tech seed in 2002, Indian output has expanded by nearly 75 per cent to about 300 lakh bales, pushing the country ahead of the US to be ranked as the world’s second largest producer.

Crop Experimentation has Benefits
08 September 2009 Vanderhoof Omineca Express
Other GM crops such as soybeans, corn and canola are already well established and the potential benefits of extending the technology to wheat are potentially quite beneficial for both producers and consumers.

Monsanto Responds to “Fred Pearce’s Greenwash” From The Guardian Online
07 September 2009 Monsanto UK
In his article Mr Pearce made seriously inaccurate and misleading allegations about Monsanto’s crop research and production activity on the Hawaiian island of Molokai, including selectively quoting from a local news article from the island.

Soybean Makers Rush to Produce Low-Fat Oils
06 September 2009 Des Moines Register
Monsanto plans to introduce a soybean line within two years that will be low linolenic, mid-oleic and low-fat.

How to Breed Food Plants
05 September 2009 The Daily Star
Emphasizing introduction and diffusion of GM crops, the author has rightly defined their importance in the context of Bangladesh being an agro-based country where more than 70 per cent people depend on agriculture and agro-based industries for earning their livelihood.

Safe Seed: Researchers Yielding Good Results on Food Cotton in Field
04 September 2009 Texas A&M
As reported in his original paper, the cottonseed from these plants meet World Health Organization and U.S. Food and Drug Administration standards for food consumption, potentially making a new, high-protein food available to 500 million people a year.

Hunan Launched “Molecular Breeding for Super Hybrid Rice” Research
04 September 2009 RedNet
As a major project for Hunan's science and technology development, this research project endeavors to bring Hunan's technology of molecular breeding for super hybrid rice more in line with international standards and to firmly support the sustainable development of Hunan hybrid rice.

Overcoming the Toughest Stress in Rice: Drought
04 September 2009 International Rice Research Institute via Checkbiotech
Drought tolerant varieties are developed and enhanced by the integration of GM approaches into breeding programs, as well as the by the use of this new facility that enhances precision and effectiveness in delivering new and improved genetic lines.

Innovation and the Competitive Seed Market
03 September 2009 Monsanto
There is no question Monsanto is the recognized industry leader in biotech traits.

Fungus-free Chardonnay
03 September 2009 Business Spectator
The development of grapevines with the ability to adapt to adverse environmental conditions, including drought, salt and high light intensity stress is also receiving attention in Argentina and South Africa.

Monsanto Executives to Address Investor Conferences in September
03 September 2009 Monsanto
Monsanto Company's Hugh Grant, chairman, president and chief executive officer, and Carl Casale, chief financial officer and executive vice president, will address investors in separate investor conferences in September.

Herbicide-tolerant Soybean Seen to Boost Food Security
02 September 2009 Business Mirror
The Philippine Maize Federation Inc. (Philmaize) is asking Monsanto Philippines to introduce herbicide-tolerant soybean in the Philippines to further contribute to measures to attain food security in the country.

FSANZ Sees Reasons to Approve New GM Soy
02 September 2009 Food Navigator
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has published a second assessment report on the potential use of a herbicide-tolerant soybean line in food products, giving its preferred option of approval.

Where's the Super Food?
02 September 2009 The Scientist
The BioCassava Plus program has also recently seen significant progress in its goal to introduce biofortified foods into the developing world.

Food Talks Focus on Crop Genetics
02 September 2009 BBC News
Among the issues raised will be the use of genetic modification to guard against potato crop diseases.

Soybean Growers Count on Asgrow® with Genuity™ Roundup Ready 2 Yield® Technology for Higher Yield Potential
01 September 2009 Monsanto
Farmers planting Asgrow® brand Genuity™ Roundup Ready 2 Yield® soybeans in 2010 can choose from an expanded product lineup of this next-generation technology.

FFA, Monsanto Partner to Tell Story of Agriculture on YouTube
01 September 2009 Monsanto
FFA student-leaders filmed a variety of 3-minute videos to educate the public about agriculture in the hopes of winning Monsanto-sponsored Flip video cameras.

Big Stores Counting the Cost of Ban on GM Food
01 September 2009 The Independent
Asked whether GM was the answer to his call last month for a new green revolution, Hilary Benn, the Environment Secretary, whose new food security strategy this autumn is expected to move closer to backing GM, praised "science".

Monsanto Licenses Use of Cellectis' Innovative Genome Modification Technology
01 September 2009 Monsanto
Monsanto Company today announced a non-exclusive research and commercial license agreement with France-based Cellectis S.A., a biotechnology company specialized in genome engineering, for broad use of its meganuclease technology in plants.

Agribusiness: EPA Spells Out Final Bollgard Rules
01 September 2009 Southwest Farm Press
EPA has approved an amendment to the registration of Bollgard cotton that will allow producers in the eastern Cotton Belt to plant Deltapine 555 and other varieties containing the original Bollgard gene in 2010.

Bangladesh Finalizes GM Food Safety Guidelines
01 September 2009 Kansas State University
While chairing the inaugural session, Dr Wais Kabir, Executive Chairman of BARC expressed his optimism on the rapid progress and outcome of Bt Brinjal, late blight resistant potato and Golden Rice in Bangladesh for food and nutrition, that conform to the GM Food Safety Guidelines.

10 (More!) Eccentric Genetically Modified Fruits & Veggies
01 September 2009 WebEcoist
It’s estimated that widespread consumption of Golden Rice, which will become available to farmers in 2011, will prevent blindness in as many as 500,000 children.