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US Pressures WTO Members on GMOs
US Pressures WTO Members on GMOs During a visit to the WTO in Geneva on 19 January, US Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Zoellick met with a number of country delegates from Africa, Asia and the Cairns group of agriculture- exporting countries on biotechnology products, including genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food exports. Meanwhile, a dispute between…
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Croatia Likely to Ban GMO Food Despite US Opposition
Croatia Likely to Ban GMO Food Despite US Opposition The drafting of legislation banning production and limiting imports of genetically modified food by Croatia’s environment ministry has prompted staunch opposition from the US. In a letter published in Croatian newspapers earlier this month, the US threatened to take action at the WTO if Croatia proceeded to…
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Canadian Organic Farmers to Sue Monsanto and Aventis
Canadian Organic Farmers to Sue Monsanto and Aventis Two Canadian organic farmers have a filed a lawsuit against Monsanto and Aventis in a court in Canada’s prairie province of Saskatchewan. They are seeking damages from the two life science corporations, both of which sell genetically-modified canola seeds. Canada is the world’s largest exporter of this crop,…
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Brazil Wins Premium by Producing GM-Free Corn
Brazil Wins Premium by Producing GM-Free Corn This past season the corn harvest in Brazil reached a record with a harvest of 42 million tonnes. Although the major part of the production is consumed by the domestic livestock industry, exports could also face a record estimated to 6.2 million tonnes. This is an improvement compared…
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EU Considers New Fisheries Policy
EU Considers New Fisheries Policy On 17 January, the European Parliament (EP) adopted a report from its Fisheries Committee on the European Commission’s Green Paper on a new Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). Under the terms of the current CFP, the EU Council decided in a meeting last December on the total allowable catches (TACs) for…
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EU, S. Africa Complete Geographical Indications Agreements
On 21 January, the EU Agriculture Council adopted a set of agreements between the EU and South Africa on trade in wine and spirits. Once the agreements have been signed (expected this month), they will then provisionally enter into force, becoming definitive once they have been ratified by South Africa’s parliament. The parties had on…
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WIPO Convenes High-Level Forum on Traditional Knowledge
On 21-22 January, the Sultanate of Oman hosted a World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) ministerial forum on “Intellectual Property and Traditional Knowledge: Our Identity, Our Future”. The forum brought together ministers and senior policy makers from around the world to discuss and exchange experiences on the various cultural, social and economic issues surrounding protection…
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Spain Ratifies Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
On 16 January 2002, Spain ratified the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. The protocol has been open for signature since May 2000 and was signed by 107 countries. Spain is the 11th country to ratify the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, which must be ratified by 50 countries in order to enter into force.…
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In Brief
In Brief EU, S. Africa Complete Geographical Indications Agreements On 21 January, the EU Agriculture Council adopted a set of agreements between the EU and South Africa on trade in wine and spirits. Once the agreements have been signed (expected this month), they will then provisionally enter into force, becoming definitive once they have been…
- Events
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Events
Coming Up In The Next Two Weeks 28 January - 8 February, New York, United States: CSD-10 ACTING AS 2ND PREPCOM FOR THE WORLD SUMMIT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. Organised by the UN. For further information contact JoAnne DiSano, Director, UN Division for Sustainable Development (DESA); tel: (1 212) 963 3401 /3160; fax: 963 3463;…
- Resources
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Resources
HANDBOOK OF THE CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY. Published by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, December 2001. The handbook contains the full texts of the Convention, the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the decisions of the Conference of the Parties from 1994 to 2000. It presents all the most important information about the…