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LAND OF THE GM-FREE? HOW THE AMERICAN PUBLIC ARE STARTING TO TURN AGAINST GM FOOD. Soil Association, 2008. This report claims that the biotechnology industry has managed to keep U.S. consumers in the dark about the food they have been eating for more than a decade, by lobbying the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and state governments to ensure that foods do not legally have to be labelled as genetically modified (GM). But a new labelling initiative called the “Non-GMO Project” will be launched next year and, according to the report, will provide consumers with the option of choosing a wide range of non-GM foods. The report says the initiative has been developed by companies in the natural and organic industry. About 400 companies with annual sales of ‘at least’ US$ 12 billion are expected to participate. The report says that given a choice, over 50 percent of Americans would not eat GM. http://www.soilassociation.org/gm
FISHERIES ASPECTS OF ACP-EU INTERIM ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS: TRADE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IMPLICATIONS. By Liam Campling. ICTSD, October 2008. This study reviews fishery provisions contained in the EPAs, as they relate to rules of origin, SPS measures and preference erosion, and analyses their implications for trade and sustainable development for the ACP countries. It is intended to contribute to a better understanding of the substance of the fishery-related provisions in IEPA/EPA and to enhancing preparedness as negotiations proceed towards full EPAs. http://ictsd.net/i/publications/33418/
TECHNOLOGY OBSCURING EQUITY: HISTORICAL RESPONSIBILITY IN UNFCCC NEGOTIATIONS. By Mathias Friman and Bjorn-ola Linner. The Swedish Institute for Climate Science and Policy Research, 2008. According to the concept of historical responsibility, the commitments of individual countries to take action on climate change are distributed based on the relative effects of their past emissions as manifested in present climate change. Brazil presented a comprehensive version of the concept to pre-Kyoto negotiations in 1997. The ‘Brazilian proposal’ originally combined several justice principles; however, following referral to the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice, discussion soon became confined to technical calculations. This case illustrates how disparities in knowledge production and framing can influence the inclusiveness of negotiations. Southern participation in the policy process was restrained due to lack of scientific expertise on the part of Southern countries and due to the non-inclusive biophysical discourse traditionally preferred by Northern policy-makers. http://earthscanjournals.com/cp/008/cp0080339.htm
RESPONDING TO THE GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS: THREE PERSPECTIVES. By Joachim von Braun, Josette Sheeran, and Namanga Ngongi. International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), September 2008. IFPRI has published three essays on the dramatic rise and volatility of food prices over the last year, how policymakers can respond, and what the future holds. According to the authors, the world may be entering the third phase of this crisis-a nutritional crisis, which requires critical action for groups such as children under two years old, who will suffer deprivation for life. However, with good agronomic practices and wise use of fertilizers and irrigation, the large-scale adoption of improved varieties should double or triple current yields in Africa. http://www.ifpri.org/pubs/books/ar2007/ar2007_essay.asp
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