Archived News

October 2006

Monsanto's Soybeans Will Help Cut KFC's Trans Fats
31 October 2006 St. Louis Post-Dispatch
KFC restaurants said Monday that it will cut artery-clogging trans fats out of 80 percent of its products with the help of Monsanto Co.'s Vistive soybeans.

Monsanto Strives to Breed Better Pumpkin
31 October 2006 AP via The Washington Post
Johnson said customers want deep orange colors and dark green stems that don't snap off when you use them to carry the pumpkin. His job is to breed varieties with those qualities with other strains that are resistant to certain viruses or the dreaded powdery mildew.

Monsanto Donates Soybean Seed to University of Arkansas
31 October 2006 Monsanto
Monsanto Company is donating a major collection of soybean plant seed to the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture for use in the university's breeding program to develop improved varieties.

Plant Biotechnology in Argentina Increases Production Efficiency and Lowers Costs for Farmer
30 October 2006 Monsanto
Madero describes benefits of genetically modified organisms in online video and podcast.

Plant-Derived Mini-Antibodies Fight Cancer
30 October 2006 Checkbiotech.org
A novel class of engineered protein, called, single-chain antibodies, can be produced in plants for therapeutic purposes.

Monsanto Sets Webcast For November European Investor Briefing
30 October 2006 Monsanto
The investor briefing, which will be held in London, will include an update on the company's strategic initiatives, financial targets, product performance, research-and-development pipeline and other business matters.

Growers Sweet on Bio-tech Beets
29 October 2006 Capital Press
Roundup Ready crop looks good, say south-central Idaho growers.

Thousands Expected at Green Energy Fair
28 October 2006 Irish Examiner
Guest speakers will hold workshops on biofuel, biomass, forestry and solar and geo-thermal heating.

Biotechnology Plans Could Boost Czech Food Industry
27 October 2006 CEE Food Industry News
Plans to transform the Czech Republic’s second biggest city into an international centre for the development of Biotechnology, could help to revolutionise food production in the country, says an industry expert.

Brighter Deal for Biodiesel Beckons
27 October 2006 Farmers Weekly
The future for biodiesel as a fuel for farm machinery may become a little brighter, delegates at last week's Biodiesel Expo were told.

Biotechnology Can Help Canada, Says BSDE Report
27 October 2006 Crop Biotech Net
Biotechnology could help Canada and the world attain sustainable development goals while enhancing Canada’s overall economy.

GM Cotton Gets Green Light in Northern Australia
27 October 2006 ABC (AU)
The Office of the Gene Technology Regulator has approved the commercial release of genetically modified (GM) cotton for northern Australia.

Common Challenges – Shared Vision
27 October 2006 Truth About Trade & Technology
So we aren’t exactly peas in a pod. But we both have observed the amazing benefits of GM crops and wish we could take advantage of them in our daily work. The hurdles we face aren’t scientific--biotech cotton is widely available right now and biotech wheat could be commercialized in a short amount of time--but rather political.

Iowa State Researchers Improving Plastics Made from Corn and Soy Proteins
27 October 2006 Iowa State University
Grewell said the potential applications for plastics from crop proteins include disposable wraps for hay bales, pots for plants and packaging for the food industry.

China and NZ to Collaborate on Plant Biotechnologies
27 October 2006 Crop & Food Research
Scientific collaborations between China and New Zealand have strengthened with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between NZ Crown Research Institute Crop & Food Research (C&FR) and Huazhong Agricultural University (HAU), based in Wuhan in central China.

University of Georgia Receives $4.1 Million National Science Foundation Grant to Study So-Called 'Jumping Genes' in Maize
26 October 2006 National Science Foundation
Transposable elements, popularly called "jumping genes" when they were discovered more than half a century ago, are sequences of DNA that can move around chromosomes in a cell. At first thought to be molecular "junk," they are now recognized as important, even crucial parts of the blueprints of plants and animals.

Holy Smokes, a Good Use for Tobacco
25 October 2006 London Free Press
Genetically modified tobacco plants helped slash the cost of vital inflammation research.

Commentary: Delaying Technology Is Deadly
25 October 2006 The Washington Times via Checkbiotech.org
The world needs these miraculous technologies -- today. And those who support radical anti-biotech organizations need to understand that, by blocking health-care innovations, they are perpetuating misery, disease and premature death in countries the world over.

In Search of a Better Banana
24 October 2006 AFP via The Australian
Scientists at the Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI), which opened at the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane today, are investigating ways of improving the nutrient content of one of Africa's staple foods - the banana.

GM Crops, DDT and Frankenstein Foods: Exaggerating the Risks
24 October 2006 The Daily Reckoning
...Campaigners against GM crops and foods appear to be making the same mistake exaggerating the risks and ignoring the considerable advantages. Opponents of GM crops and foods are almost completely silent on their advantages and the food industry has been remarkably unsuccessful in explaining that GM crops will lead to many advantages...

Communications Key to Coexistence Among Biotech, Organic Farmers
24 October 2006 Ag Professional
National Corn Growers Association members Martin Barbre and Jimmy Wedel promoted communication as the best method to ensure coexistence among farmers at a conference in Albuquerque, N.M., last week.

Kenya Approves a National Policy on Biotechnology
24 October 2006 SciDev.Net
According to the Kenyan minister for Science and Technology, Noah Wekesa, the document recognises the role that biotechnology can play in poverty reduction, enhancing food security and conservation of the environment and biodiversity.

Monsanto and NAFB Support Future Agriculture Professionals by Offering Agriculture Scholarship Program
24 October 2006 Monsanto
Monsanto and the National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) have teamed up for the third year in a row to offer the Commitment to Agriculture Scholarship Program to high school seniors nationwide.

Transgenics on a Firm Ground
23 October 2006 Financial Express
Scientists feel that there is a need to develop computational tools and advanced bioinformatics infrastructure for reliable data access of all genetic level information on rice.

Europe's Farmers Have A Right to Cultivate GM Crops
23 October 2006 European Voice via AgBioWorld
Europe should take effective action to ensure that the existing regulatory system works as intended: to allow European farmers, industry and consumers access to safe and beneficial biotech products. At a minimum, this would include ensuring that farmers are not subject to unpunished destruction of their crops by lawless vandals, that regional and national authorities respect European farmers' rights to cultivate approved GM products and that timely approvals of new products proceed on the basis of the best scientific assessment.

GM Peanut is Enriched with Vitamins
23 October 2006 Manila Bulletin via Checkbiotech.org
A genetically-modified (GM) peanut will no longer merely be protein-rich but also pro-Vitamin A-rich with betacarotene genes from corn now being embedded into it by a Filipino-headed international research agency.

Monsanto Unit's Breeders Work Year-Round to Develop Better Pumpkins for Halloween
23 October 2006 Monsanto
The pumpkin breeders at Seminis Vegetable Seeds, a subsidiary of Monsanto Company and one of the largest producers of pumpkin seeds, work all year to make better pumpkins for Halloween.

Why We Need Genetically Modified Crops
22 October 2006 Hegemony
People that are proponents of raw foods and the like seem to forget that most people don’t have the luxury of deciding what to eat. It’s selfish to oppose GM crops and everyone that does should think about the 20,000 lives lost every day.

Elitism About Biotech Keeps Food From Hungry
20 October 2006 Des Moines Register
While activists uproot biotech test plots in Europe, small farmers in Africa cannot feed their families because their cassava and cowpeas succumb to viral diseases and insects devour their grains.

Biotech Coffee Reviewed
20 October 2006 Crop Biotech Net
The Indian scientists noted that due to the international coffee genomics initiatives, there will be more research on transgenic coffee speeding up the production of varieties with better pest and disease resistance with improved processing characteristics.

Transgenic Tomatoes Could Cut Allergic Reactions
19 October 2006 Food Navigator
Tomatoes, genetically modified to produce 90 per cent less of the allergen, profilin, represents "a future trend in allergen avoidance," said the German researchers behind a new study.

Local Demand for Genetically Modified Crops Rises
19 October 2006 Business Report
Local demand for genetically modified (GM) crops is increasing fast, with American seed producer Monsanto reporting that its GM maize seed for the next season is already sold out.

Transcript of remarks by Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns World Food Prize Symposium, Des Moines, Iowa
19 October 2006 US Department of Agriculture
Now putting that into perspective over the span of about 50 years, we've tripled the amount of milk produced by an average cow and quadrupled the amount of corn harvested in a single acre.

CHS Offers Expanded Low Linolenic Soybean Contracting for 2007
18 October 2006 CHS Inc.
CHS Inc., a Fortune 500 energy, grains and foods company, is again offering its special contract program to producers and elevators for low linolenic trait soybeans. This year, however, the company has expanded its participation to include seed varieties from both Monsanto and Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.

Does '15 x 15 x 15' Equal Adequate Corn/Ethanol Mix?
18 October 2006 FarmWeek
NCGA’s new “15 X 15 X 15” strategy aims to boost annual corn production to 15 billion bushels by 2015, to fuel 15 billion gallons of ethanol production while meeting food, feed, and export needs.

Mexico to Set Up GMO Rules Within Two Weeks
18 October 2006 Reuters
Mexico will establish rules within two weeks allowing biotech companies to plant test crops of genetically modified, or GMO, corn seeds, the government said on Wednesday.

Organic Lobby Concedes GM-Coexistence Is Inevitable
18 October 2006 Farmers Weekly
Organic farming and genetically modified cropping will co-exist, two of organic farming’s staunchest defenders admitted at a public debate in London as DEFRA’s consultation on co-existence draws to a close this week.

U.S., Brazil Both Fit in Ag Market
18 October 2006 Des Moines Register
The United States does not need to worry about Brazil’s emergence as a major agricultural and ethanol producer, because global population growth will drive demand for food and biofuels from both countries, a 2006 World Food Prize laureate said Tuesday.

GM Bugs May Boost Biofuel Production
18 October 2006 ABC (AU)
Genetically modified microorganisms could one day make it easier and cheaper to produce biofuels, experts say.

GM Crops Seen as Way Farmers Can Beat Drought
18 October 2006 The West Australian
The impact of drought on WA farmers would be reduced if commercial genetically modified crops were allowed, a major farming group claims.

Drought Shuts Down Missouri River Barges Early
18 October 2006 St. Louis Post Dispatch
But the drought has not hurt crop yields, thanks in part to high-yielding hybrid and genetically modified seeds developed by Creve Coeur-based Monsanto Co. and its competitors that allow corn and soybeans to survive dry conditions.

Using DNA to Build a Better Chardonnay
17 October 2006 The Globe and Mail
Veteran wine connoisseur John Schreiner said the industry could benefit if grape vines can be genetically modified in such a way that they become more resistant to common diseases, such as powdery mildew.

Let's Force-Feed Activists Some Social Responsibility
17 October 2006 Townhall via Truth About Trade
Food crops that scientists developed to enhance nutrition and yields, and to reduce the need for pest control, have been denied to millions of people who face malnutrition and starvation as part of their daily lives.

Biofuel Potential 'Needs Exploration'
16 October 2006 In The News.co.uk
A new study launched today aims to explore the potential of biofuels to help the UK meet its energy needs. The Royal Society (RS), an independent academy promoting the natural and applied sciences, will focus their analysis on how scientific developments could address problems with biofuels currently on the market.

Organic Farming Has Little, If Any, Effect On Nutritional Content Of Wheat, Study Concludes
16 October 2006 American Chemical Society via Science Daily
Organically grown wheat may have different labeling and a higher price in stores, but it contains essentially the same profile of amino acids, sugars and other metabolic substances as wheat grown with conventional farming.

Corn Rootworm Problems Driving Switch to Transgenic Corn
16 October 2006 Ohio State University
The use of transgenic corn hybrids could increase significantly in Ohio next year, due to rising corn rootworm problems and lower product costs compared to traditional hybrid packages.

Japan Brewer Pursues 'Monster Cane' Ethanol Dream
16 October 2006 Reuters UK
Formally known as "high-biomass sugarcane," Monster Cane is Japan's first variety designed to produce ethanol without sacrificing sugar output.

World’s Most Important Gene Banks Now Under International Plant Genetic Resources Treaty
16 October 2006 FAO
The most important gene bank collections of the world’s key food and forage crops today came under the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, ensuring that plant breeders, farmers and researchers will be able to access these plant genetic resources under standard conditions and share in the benefits arising from their use.

Easing the Burden of Vitamin A Deficiency
16 October 2006 Nutra Ingredients
Progress in biofortification of staple crops in the world's developing countries offers more than just a glimmer of hope in finding a solution to vitamin A deficiency, but funding must continue to come from the developed world to help with the science.

Danforth Pushes for Agricultural Institute
15 October 2006 St. Louis Post Dispatch
With research funding for agriculture at a standstill, Missouri officials are trying to generate momentum for a new $1 billion national institute that would fund agricultural science that could lead to drought-resistant plants, new sources for biofuels and healthier foods.

Organics Fail to Yield Cash Crop for Food Giants
15 October 2006 Advertising Age
It's been enthusiastically embraced by marketers, blessed by Wal-Mart and touted as the holy grail of growth for an industry desperately in need of it. But after a stupendous start, organic foods are looking suspiciously like a sensation sizzling out.

Bt Cotton Usage to Add Rs 7K cr to Rural Economy
13 October 2006 Financial Express
Adoption of Bt cotton is expected to add Rs 7,000 crore to the rural economy of the country. About 2.2 million farmers will gain by harvesting higher cotton crop by an average 400 kg per acre. Besides, usage to cover wider area of cultivation is set to increase drastically.

Bush Says Lower Oil Prices Won’t Blunt New-Fuel Push
13 October 2006 The New York Times
With a tailwind of strong political support behind them, advocates for renewable fuels declared Thursday that ethanol is here to stay and issued a call for greater research and investment to solve the challenges still preventing broader use.

Australia Approves 24 GM Cotton Lines
13 October 2006 Crop Biotech Net
Australias Office of the Gene Technology Regulator approved Monsanto Australia Ltd.s application for the limited and controlled release of about 24 genetically modified (GM) cotton lines with different genes that are expected to enhance water use efficiency.

Why Green Biotech Scientists Need to 'Come Out of the Lab'
12 October 2006 CORDIS
Biotechnology still has a great deal to offer the agricultural sector, but more needs to be done to help the public understand the benefits of 'green biotechnologies'.

Monsanto Chief Technology Officer Addresses National Renewable Energy Conference
12 October 2006 Monsanto
Dr. Robert Fraley, Monsanto's Chief Technology Officer, spoke yesterday at the Advancing Renewable Energy: An American Rural Renaissance conference in St. Louis, Missouri. Fraley spoke about the ability of corn to help make the future of biofuels possible and how biotechnology innovations are a critical enabler to biofuel production.

Acceptance of Biotechnology Growing, U.S. Official Says
12 October 2006 US Department of State
Agricultural biotechnology has become more accepted by farm producers and government officials in developing countries in recent years, a promising step toward meeting the challenges of reducing world hunger and opening nations to trade, says a top official of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

USDA-DOE Make Available $4 Million for Biomass Genomics Research
12 October 2006 U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA
The U.S. Departments of Energy and Agriculture (DOE and USDA) today announced $4 million for bio-based fuels research that will accelerate the development of alternative fuels.

Field Trials of Indigenously Developed GM Gold Rice Soon
12 October 2006 Financial Express
India is not lagging behind in developing its versions of the genetically modified (GM) Golden Rice. Director-general of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Mangla Rai said, “We would possibly go for largescale field trials of our Golden Rice within a year.” Golden Rice, as per claims, ensures nutritional security.

Woolsey: Ethanol Production Less Vulnerable to Terrorists
12 October 2006 AP via The Kansas City Star
Former CIA Director James Woolsey said Thursday that fuel made from wood chips, corn stalks, switch grass or poplar trees has "extraordinary potential" as a renewable energy source and its production would be less vulnerable to terrorists.

Uganda 'Needs Biotech Law' to Save Banana Sector
11 October 2006 SciDev.Net
An official in Uganda's agriculture ministry has expressed concern that policymakers are not keeping pace with scientific efforts to control a disease threatening the country's main cash crop.

Doubling of Biotech Crops in Next Decade, Says ISAAA
11 October 2006 ISAAA
International Service for the Acquisition of Agri biotech Applications (ISAAA) reports that the next decade is set to see a global doubling in biotech crop availability, as countries become increasingly less sceptical and begin to see the benefits.

Ag Productivity Business Contributes To Strong Fourth Quarter
11 October 2006 Monsanto
The 2006 fiscal year was an outstanding year for Monsanto. We realized record sales, expanded growth in our corn seed business and saw continued adoption of our trait technologies. Our results have created a strong foundation for continued earnings growth for the company leading into the next decade.

Monsanto’s World Headquarters Recognized for Wildlife Conservation
11 October 2006 Monsanto
Monsanto’s World Headquarters in Creve Coeur has recently received its Corporate Wildlife Habitat Certification. This two-year recertification presented by the Wildlife Habitat Council recognizes Monsanto and its employees for its demonstrated commitment toward long-term wildlife habitat enhancement efforts.

Clean, Clever and Competitive
10 October 2006 Norden
Renewable energy is more popular than ever. Climate change caused by CO-2 emissions and the greenhouse effect means the world has to think innovatively, especially about energy supplies.

Washington Farmers Raise Modified Safflower for Drug Firm
10 October 2006 AP via Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Baum said the company can cut traditional production costs by up to 90 percent and meet the global demand for insulin on 10,000 to 20,000 acres of GMO safflower.

On-Farm Benefits of Plant Biotechnology Also Benefit Society
10 October 2006 Monsanto
Online Video and Podcast Captures Farmer's Experience with Plant Biotechnology in Canada.

ICRISAT to Come Out with 'BT' Chickpea, Pigeonpea
10 October 2006 The Hindu
The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-arid Tropics (ICRISAT) will soon come out with transgenic Chickpea and Pigeonpea varieties resistant to pod-borers, its Director General William D Dar said on Monday.

Only Hype Makes Organic Food Healthier
10 October 2006 Canada Free Press
Thanks to multi-million dollar advertising campaigns, the consumer believes that organic food is healthier for you. The organic and natural food craze teaches John Q. Public that organic foods are somehow safer and more nutritious.

Heavy Hitters Headline Renewable Energy Conference
09 October 2006 Brownfield
The high-ranking government and industry officials reflect the growing importance of biofuels to the economy of rural America.

Renewable Energy Summit Targets Latin America
09 October 2006 American Public Media
Finland is holding the latest in its series of renewable energy conferences aimed at developing partnerships to develop large-scale renewable energy plans. This time it's Latin America.

A New Vision for International Rice Research Attacks the Roots of Poverty
09 October 2006 International Rice Research Institute - IRRI
More income for the world's millions of poor rice farmers and consumers is the first goal of a major new revamp to the agenda of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) – the largest and most successful international agricultural research institute in Asia.

GM Crops Blossom in SA
09 October 2006 Business Report
The area of land under genetically modified crops in South Africa rose about 92 percent in the past season with maize at 29 percent and soyabeans at 59 percent, a report released at the weekend by the United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service has shown.

Use Biotech to Boost Rice Output: PM
09 October 2006 Business Standard
Worried over stagnation in production of India's major staple food crop, rice, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today asked scientists to explore cautious use of bio-technology for enhancing productivity through development of low water intake paddy crops.

1,000 Uses for Corn
09 October 2006 Omaha World Herald via Truth About Trade
Monsanto is in the fourth year of testing a new drought-tolerant corn variety. Over the last three seasons, the new variety has produced 9 percent to 14 percent better yields than previous varieties, according to John Headrick, development leader.

Canada Approves GM yeast That Combats Cancer Compound
06 October 2006 Food Navigator
Environment Canada has approved the import and manufacture of a genetically modified yeast variety that is designed to reduce the levels of the carcinogen ethyl carbamate, a compound that can naturally occur in fermented foods and beverages, such as wine, beer and bread.

South Africa: Scientists Plan to Create Genetically Modified Grape
06 October 2006 Business Day via allAfrica
Scientists from the University of Stellenbosch have applied to the regulatory authorities for permission to start field trials for genetically modified grapevines in Western Cape.

NSF Awards $72.5 M for Plant Genome Research
06 October 2006 Crop Biotech Net
The United States' National Science Foundation (NSF) has given 24 new awards totaling US $72.5 million to support research about the genomes of economically important crop plants such as potato, poplar and corn.

USDA Awards $1.1 Million for Researching the Economic Effects of Strategies to Combat Invasive Pests
06 October 2006 United States Department of Agriculture USDA
Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns today announced that universities in seven states will receive $1.1 million to study the economic implications of preventing, controlling, or eradicating invasive pests and diseases.

Monsanto Company Sets Webcast and Analyst/Media Call for 2006 Fourth-Quarter and Fiscal-Year Financial Results
06 October 2006 Monsanto
Monsanto Company today announced it will issue the company's financial results for its fourth quarter and full fiscal year 2006 on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2006, prior to market open.

Biotech Tomatoes for Edible Malaria Vaccines?
06 October 2006 Crop Biotech Net
By using edible vaccines, the authors hope that the logistical difficulties in immunizing over a million children living in malaria prone areas can be overcome, at a fraction of a cost of a regular vaccination.

French President Pleads for Non-Food Agriculture of Future
05 October 2006 International Herald Tribune Europe
Meeting with farmers in this town in the center of France, Chirac set out what he said were the "new frontiers" of agriculture — based on bio-technologies and non-food-based farming — and a continued central role in farming for France.

Biofuels Key to the Future, Expert Says
05 October 2006 Enid News
During the next 10 years, if the United States can replace imported petroleum with one billion barrels of biofuels, the value would exceed current American farm income.

The Age of Ethanol?
05 October 2006 Latin Business Chronicle
Brazil has shown the world that biofuels can be used to reduce dependence on petroleum. But will other Latin American nations follow its lead?

Biofuels 'Will Not Lead to Hunger'
05 October 2006 BBC
British farmers can meet the nation's demand for both food and fuel crops, argues Peter Kendall, president of the National Farmers' Union. In this week's Green Room, he says UK agriculture already has enough capacity to fill fuel tanks and dining tables.

Monsanto Says New Corn Could Produce Bumper Crops
04 October 2006 Bloomberg via St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Monsanto Co., the world's largest developer of genetically modified crops, said an experimental corn seed that produces drought-tolerant plants may boost yields in dry parts of the U.S. by 40 percent in the next decade.

Clothed in Genetic Success
04 October 2006 Financial Express
Plant biotechnology or genetically modified (GM) crops play a role in making agriculture more sustainable and productive and though it is not a panacea for all food production problems; it is the single most powerful tool available at present to address its food and fibre requirements.

Africa: R1.5m for Research to Improve Africa's Nutritional Value
04 October 2006 BuaNews via allAfrica
For rural farmers, the project may mean new varieties that are high in yield and nutrition. The crops will be sustainable and will be grown in rural communities that generally do not benefit from fortification programmes, the CSIR said.

Sweden Grabs 'Clean Car' Steering Wheel
03 October 2006 Wall Street Journal
The Swedish government is promoting the use of vehicles that run on renewable fuels, sending sales of "clean" cars soaring.

Biofuels Bring Green Air to Teesside
03 October 2006 BBC
Renewable transport fuel is an important part of the UK's overall climate change strategy, and biodiesel has the advantage of reducing carbon emissions.

Genome Archaeology Illuminates the Genetic Engineering Debate
03 October 2006 Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
Our findings elucidate an active evolutionary process in which nature inserts genes much like modern biotechnologists do.

Brazil's 2006-07 Soy Crop to be 50% GMO, Researcher Says
03 October 2006 MarketWatch
Brazil's 2006-07 soy crop will be at least 50% transgenic, said Amelio Dall Agnol, a researcher at Brazil's top crop science institute, Embrapa.

NSF Supports 24 New Projects to Get at the Root of How Genes Control Plant Growth
02 October 2006 National Science Foundation
Genome-enabled plant biology extends knowledge from model systems to economically important crops and development of novel genomic research tools.

MU Opens Soybean Genetics Lab
02 October 2006 Columbia Daily Tribune
A Soybean Genome Mapping Facility laboratory opened today on the University of Missouri-Columbia campus during a ceremony that assembled university officials, scientists and some members of Congress who helped to land federal funds to equip the facility.

Jakarta to Finance Biofuels
02 October 2006 International Herald Tribune
Indonesia plans to seek as much as 23 trillion rupiah, or $2.5 billion, to kick-start its nationwide program to produce, distribute and export fuels made from crops like oil palms and sugarcane.

Genetically Modified Agriculture Promoted
02 October 2006 Tri City Herald
Supporters of genetically engineered plants claim they can produce insulin for diabetics, keep South American farmed shrimp healthy and clean up weed-ridden fields.

Norman Borlaug: A Lifelong Quest to End Hunger
02 October 2006 Star Tribune
Thirty years past the age many people retire, Nobel winner Norman Borlaug -- still fighting hunger in Africa -- has a new biography and is in line for a congressional medal.

Two U.S. Scientists Win Nobel for 'Gene Silencing'
02 October 2006 Reuters
Americans Andrew Fire and Craig Mello won the 2006 Nobel Prize for medicine on Monday for their discovery of how to switch off genes, a potential road to new treatments for diseases from AIDS to blindness and cancer.

Farmers Urged to Grow Biofuels
01 October 2006 The Sunday Times
Stuart Burgess, who formally takes up his position as Blair’s rural advocate this week, believes the countryside should be used to grow “biofuels”. He is urging the government to hand some of the funds earmarked for tackling climate change to the country’s farmers, whom he believes may hold the key to reducing carbon emissions.

Demand for Soybeans is Diverse and Growing Fast
01 October 2006 Des Moines Register
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, oil from 8 percent of this year's U.S. soybean crop will be used to make the biorenewable fuel, and that percentage is expected to rise rapidly as more plants open and expand.

DNA Screening Reveals Pink Bollworm Resistance to Bt Cotton Remains Rare after a Decade of Exposure
01 October 2006 Journal of Economic Entomology via USDA
In conjunction with data from bioassays and field efficacy tests, the results reported here contradict predictions of rapid pest resistance to Bt crops.