Thu Oct 6, 2011
EMBARGO lifted 8am AEDT Thursday October 6, 2011 US scientists have questioned GM monitoring protocols in the US after investigating escapee canola plants living outside of cultivated fields. These populations were found to persist from year to year and reach thousands of individuals. The authors also found that the escaped plants could hybridise with each [...]
Wed Jun 1, 2011
ONLINE BACKGROUND BRIEFING – Thursday June 2 at 10.30am AEST online Animals and humans are exposed to a cocktail of chemicals daily, some of which come from agriculture. What are the effects of these chemicals? This briefing looked at scientific research on agricultural chemicals in waterways and the wider environment. It also gave an overview [...]
Tue Feb 15, 2011
ONLINE BACKGROUND BRIEFING – Wednesday February 16 at 10.30am AEDT Change is hard. There’s no question that cutting greenhouse gas emissions will be challenging for all sectors, particularly the agricultural industry. But change can also present opportunities.
Mon Feb 14, 2011
ONLINE BACKGROUND BRIEFING – Tuesday 15 February at 1pm AEDT online Professor Monkombu S Swaminathan is often been hailed as India’s “father of the green revolution” for his extensive work in agricultural science. Along with Mahatma Gandhi, he was named by TIME magazine as one of the top 20 most influential Asian people of the [...]
Tue Feb 1, 2011
On January 22 2011, a highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak was confirmed from a bird farm in Miyazaki prefecture, southern Japan. Currently, outbreaks have been reported in neighbouring Kagoshima prefecture as well. The outbreak has led to the culling of thousands of chickens in southern Japan. These comments on the bird flu epidemic in Japan [...]
Mon Oct 25, 2010
The Federal Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research has today released a nationwide study of community attitudes toward biotechnologies. The biannual report looks at peoples’ acceptance of a variety of technologies including stem cells, GM foods and cloned meat.
Thu Oct 14, 2010
ONLINE BACKGROUND BRIEFING – Friday October 15 at 1pm AEDT online As reaction amongst the community reaches fever pitch, water allocation experts from around Australia met in Canberra to discuss the Murray Darling Basin Authority’s ‘Guide to the Proposed Basin Plan’. The conference is the first expert and independent assessment of the Guide. The Guide [...]
Fri Oct 8, 2010
The Murray-Darling Basin Authority released its ‘Guide to the Proposed Basin Plan’ on October 8 at 4pm AEDT. The Guide is the first part of a three-stage process to develop a new strategy for revitalising the Murray Darling Basin, consisting of the Guide, the Proposed Basin Plan and the Basin Plan.