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Agriculture & Environment

Letters to the Editor

We welcome responses to opinions and views expressed on our site. Please email these to: editor@scidev.net

Here is a list of the latest articles

In defence of biofortification

The value of developing new crop varieties with increased nutritional value should not be underestimated, argues Sherry Tanumihardjo.

6 December 2010 | EN

We must protect medicinal plants

India has great potential to integrate traditional and modern medicines but its biodiversity must be protected, writes Ummer Rashid Zargar.

5 August 2010 | EN

A long history but slow uptake of drought-tolerant crops

Drought-tolerant crops have been developed for many years, but progress has been slow because breeders have focused too intently on yield.

5 August 2010 | EN

GM technology is delivering its promise

GM crops have large benefits and pose no unique safety concerns, writes head of the Brazilian Biosafety Association, Leila Oda.

14 June 2010 | EN

Defending biofortified crops

Biofortified crops are carefully selected to work for, not against, poor farmers, says Bonnie McClafferty from HarvestPlus.

7 May 2010 | EN

Don't medicalise micronutrient deficiency

Tackling micronutrient deficiencies isn't as simple as popping a few pills, says Michiel Korthals.

20 April 2010 | EN

Indigenous cassava key to tackling malnutrition

Indigenous and wild cassava species offer a cheap source of key nutrients, says Brazilian agriculturalist Nagib Nassar.

9 February 2010 | EN

GM reporting should rely on real expertise

Journalists must corroborate anti-GM stories with scientists and regulators to avoid scaremongering, says Robert Wager.

16 October 2008 | EN | 中文

Tilapia fish can pose danger to ecosystems

Warea Orapa says that tilapia fish — hailed as a method of controlling mosquitoes — can cause damage when introduced into new ecosysems.

5 September 2007 | EN

Africa must ignore GM 'bullying' from both sides

Africa must decide itself about genetically modified foods, no matter what pro- and anti-groups think, says John Daly.

26 July 2007 | EN

Drawn out law-making gave Kenya room to breathe

The lengthy process of creating Kenyan biosafety laws has allowed time for education and preparation, says Rachel Shibalira.

26 June 2007 | EN

The success of Bt cotton in India

Camille Gonsalves argues that far from proving problematic, Bt cotton has been a financial and environmental boon for Indian farmers.

26 January 2007 | EN

GM bananas can wait

Anna Vézina and Richard Markham argue that GM bananas are still inadequate to fight bacterial wilt disease, and should not override other solution

24 October 2006 | EN

Boosting cassava roots the non-GM way

Nagib Nassar says the size of cassava roots can be easily increased without resorting to genetic modification.

31 May 2006 | EN

GM crops cannot be part of sustainable farming

Nagib Nassar argues that the potential risks of genetically modified crops mean they are incompatible with sustainable farming.

24 February 2006 | EN

Testing the safety of Indian GM crops is not 'cursory'

Ranjana Smetacek says that safety tests carried out on GM cotton before its approval in India were more rigorous than a recent study implied.

1 July 2005 | EN

Developing a context of trust in biodiversity data sharing

Paul Geerders suggests that North-South partnerships could help encourage developing countries to share their biodiversity information.

11 May 2004 | EN

GM uptake figures are not accurate

Teresa Anderson argues that recent figures suggesting that genetically modified crops are being taken up twice as fast in developing as in developed countries are not accurate.

23 January 2004 | EN