Reading Time: 2 minutes DuPont is expanding its pipeline of new products under development to include the potential for a biotech wheat, a company official said on Tuesday. DuPont and its Pioneer Hi-Bred agricultural seed unit said a hybrid wheat technology project has been added to its roster of crop research programs that are advancing into deeper development. DuPont […] Read more
DuPont Pioneer now eyeing biotech wheat
Record area of biotech crops used in 2012, report says
Reading Time: 4 minutes Updated, Feb. 22 — Developing countries accounted for the first time last year for more than half the global biotech crop area, though the United States remains the primary nation making use of genetically altered crops, according to an industry report. "The developments we will see over the next five years will be in favor […] Read more
Dow delays Enlist corn release amid protests
Reading Time: 3 minutes A controversial new biotech corn developed by Dow AgroSciences will be delayed at least another year as the company awaits regulatory approval amid opposition from farmers, consumers and public health officials. Officials of Dow Chemical’s agricultural arm said Friday they now expect the first sales of Enlist for planting in 2014. Previously officials had set […] Read more
U.S. food, animal groups seek lower ractopamine limits
Reading Time: 2 minutes Food safety and animal welfare groups petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday seeking limits on an animal feed additive now being blocked from meat exports to Russia. Russia said earlier this month it was requiring meat it imports to be tested and certified free of the feed additive ractopamine, a move jeopardizing […] Read more
GMO labeling efforts change course after California defeat
Reading Time: 3 minutes The failure on Tuesday of a California ballot initiative that would have mandated labeling of genetically modified foods is not a death knell for those seeking nationwide labeling, U.S. labeling proponents said. U.S. President Barack Obama’s re-election could be a boost, as he is seen, in general terms, as being supportive of labeling. Still, efforts […] Read more
U.S. drought shrinking, but not fast enough
Reading Time: 2 minutes Snow and rain and cooler temperatures helped ease suffering in drought-stricken areas of the United States over the last week, though some areas saw conditions grow worse, according to a climatology report issued Thursday. Monster storm Sandy, which devastated the eastern United States with heavy rains and high winds, had little to no impact on […] Read more
CME to buy rival Kansas City exchange, head off ICE
Reading Time: 4 minutes CME Group Inc. on Wednesday agreed to buy the Kansas City Board of Trade for US$126 million in cash, cementing CME’s dominance in world grain futures markets and keeping rival IntercontinentalExchange (ICE) from gaining an important foothold. It is CME’s first exchange purchase in five years since it wrapped up a buying spree that put […] Read more
Dow agrees to safeguards on 2,4-D-tolerant crop system
Reading Time: 3 minutes A U.S. farmer group on Tuesday dropped its opposition to efforts by Dow AgroSciences to roll out a new biotech crop system in exchange for some concessions by Dow, including help investigating any accidental crop damage. The deal calls for "several new safeguards" from Dow AgroSciences related to use of a reformulated herbicide and biotech […] Read more
‘Big Food’ girds for California GMO fight
Reading Time: 4 minutes After two decades fighting to force U.S. food companies to tell consumers when their products are made with genetically modified organisms, activists in California have mounted what is potentially their most promising offensive to date. In November, voters in the nation’s most populous state will decide whether to require labels on food and drinks containing […] Read more
Weed resistance found growing to 2,4-D
Reading Time: 2 minutes As U.S. farmers struggle to control the rise of "superweeds" choking key cropland, a leading herbicide that’s shown good weed control for decades appears to be losing its effectiveness, a report from a science journal said Wednesday. Chemical makers have been racing to find an answer to resistance that has built up against the broadly-used […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
