From http://www.independent.co.uk
By Geoffrey Lean, Environment Editor
Sunday, 20 April 2008
Genetic modification actually cuts the productivity of crops, an authoritative new study shows, undermining repeated claims that a switch to the controversial technology is needed to solve the growing world food crisis.
The study – carried out over the past three years at the University of Kansas in the US grain belt – has found that GM soya produces about 10 per cent less food than its conventional equivalent, contradicting assertions by advocates of the technology that it increases yields.
Professor Barney Gordon, of the university's department of agronomy, said he started the research – reported in the journal Better Crops – because many farmers who had changed over to the GM crop had "noticed that yields are not as high as expected even under optimal conditions". He added: "People were asking the question 'how come I don't get as high a yield as I used to?'"
He grew a Monsanto GM soybean and an almost identical conventional variety in the same field. The modified crop produced only 70 bushels of grain per acre, compared with 77 bushels from the non-GM one.
The GM crop – engineered to resist Monsanto's own weedkiller, Roundup – recovered only when he added extra manganese, leading to suggestions that the modification hindered the crop's take-up of the essential element from the soil. Even with the addition it brought the GM soya's yield to equal that of the conventional one, rather than surpassing it.
The new study confirms earlier research at the University of Nebraska, which found that another Monsanto GM soya produced 6 per cent less than its closest conventional relative, and 11 per cent less than the best non-GM soya available.
The Nebraska study suggested that two factors are at work. First, it takes time to modify a plant and, while this is being done, better conventional ones are being developed. This is acknowledged even by the fervently pro-GM US Department of Agriculture, which has admitted that the time lag could lead to a "decrease" in yields.
But the fact that GM crops did worse than their near-identical non-GM counterparts suggest that a second factor is also at work, and that the very process of modification depresses productivity. The new Kansas study both confirms this and suggests how it is happening.
A similar situation seems to have happened with GM cotton in the US, where the total US crop declined even as GM technology took over. (See graphic above.)
Monsanto said yesterday that it was surprised by the extent of the decline found by the Kansas study, but not by the fact that the yields had dropped. It said that the soya had not been engineered to increase yields, and that it was now developing one that would.
Critics doubt whether the company will achieve this, saying that it requires more complex modification. And Lester Brown, president of the Earth Policy Institute in Washington – and who was one of the first to predict the current food crisis – said that the physiology of plants was now reaching the limits of the productivity that could be achieved.
A former champion crop grower himself, he drew the comparison with human runners. Since Roger Bannister ran the first four-minute mile more than 50 years ago, the best time has improved only modestly . "Despite all the advances in training, no one contemplates a three-minute mile."
Last week the biggest study of its kind ever conducted – the International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development – concluded that GM was not the answer to world hunger.
Professor Bob Watson, the director of the study and chief scientist at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when asked if GM could solve world hunger, said: "The simple answer is no."
Monday, April 21, 2008
kibera article
the following piece was written by my dear friends anne and peris chege, who live in kibera, in kenya. i post this piece to remind everyone of the ongoing strife of many innocent kenyan citizens.
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In the wake of the disputed December 27th General elections, Kenyans experienced what nobody ever had dreamt of. Our beloved country was in shambles, murderous gangs grouped according to tribe orientations. One tribe in particular was victimized; this could be traced back to pre-election period. The campaigns which were ongoing tried to group other tribes against one tribe, the particular tribe was branded as the imperialists; wealth accumulation in one region as was claimed.
The election results announcement was delayed; soon the opposition realized that it was going to lose their leaders walked out of the conference room. This led to mayhem by their supporters; burning of houses and homes countrywide, eviction from their residential places of those who supported the government side.
This was more serious in Nyanza and Rift valley provinces, considering the fact that these areas are the stronghold of the opposition. In Coast province there was also skirmishes which eventually died out. The situation in Rift valley was so grave, what happened there left people debating whether it was genocide or ethnic cleansing.
Of more than 1000 people who died, most of the deaths were recorded in Rift valley; almost 70% approximately.
In Nairobi province, the capital city, things were abit contained. Nairobi is a cosmopolitan city, with about 3 million residents. However there were cases of mishap in areas like mathare, Kibera, Kariobangi and Dandora.These areas are populated mostly by people loyal to the opposition. In these areas residents involved anti riot police in running battles for days.
Days after the election results, the opposition called for mass protests. The rallies were banned by the newly inaugurated Government; the rallies were viewed by the Government as promoting civilian coup. The rallies were to be convened at Uhuru Park, a public park; it was guarded by police for about a week to deter the opposition supporters from reaching there. The sympathizers when dispersed turned to looting, traffic obstruction, stoning of vehicles, burning of business enterprises, burning of houses in residential places aforementioned. This led to displacement of more people in their own country. Places like Kibera, Huruma and Mathare were more affected, the displaced from these places camped in Jamhuri Park.
Kibera the second largest slum in Africa, particularly was the place where most of the drama was captured. The police had to keep a 24-hour watch to keep the feuding gangs from regrouping and possibly massacre of innocent people. In Laini Saba, the residents pulled out the railway line, burned the train cargo which was the relief food being ferried to regions with inflow of internally displaced people (IDP), leaving in camps.
There was seizing of houses, mostly for rental by the opposing groups. These houses were then occupied by the captors. The landlords and government supporters were left with nowhere to stay, the only place for them was the camps; specifically Jamhuri park in Kibera.Considering the fact that these places are mostly slum areas; the youth are the most affected because they’re targeted by the politicians. With a very bureaucratic system, these youths are left with little or no option; they have to toe these rich men ways; thus participating in these crimes including killings and destruction of rivals’ businesses premises and firms. For instance the economic strike that was called by opposition leaders targeting corporations owned by individuals loyal to the Government.
During these dark moments, the whole nation was in sorrow, divided along tribal lines .People that were displaced from other regions were taken to their home regions, this was to avert more atrocities. The economy was most affected, people were losing jobs, there was inflation contributing to general rise in prices of commodities. Teenage girls living in camps were sexually abused by men pretending to be good Samaritans. They took such girls and hoaxed them to offer them jobs. The situation here in Kenya was that grave, with time however things settled.Wars, murders, civil strife, ethnicity and other evils hold true nowhere in Kenya. What happened was of great regret and our beloved country will not succumb to that again.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the wake of the disputed December 27th General elections, Kenyans experienced what nobody ever had dreamt of. Our beloved country was in shambles, murderous gangs grouped according to tribe orientations. One tribe in particular was victimized; this could be traced back to pre-election period. The campaigns which were ongoing tried to group other tribes against one tribe, the particular tribe was branded as the imperialists; wealth accumulation in one region as was claimed.
The election results announcement was delayed; soon the opposition realized that it was going to lose their leaders walked out of the conference room. This led to mayhem by their supporters; burning of houses and homes countrywide, eviction from their residential places of those who supported the government side.
This was more serious in Nyanza and Rift valley provinces, considering the fact that these areas are the stronghold of the opposition. In Coast province there was also skirmishes which eventually died out. The situation in Rift valley was so grave, what happened there left people debating whether it was genocide or ethnic cleansing.
Of more than 1000 people who died, most of the deaths were recorded in Rift valley; almost 70% approximately.
In Nairobi province, the capital city, things were abit contained. Nairobi is a cosmopolitan city, with about 3 million residents. However there were cases of mishap in areas like mathare, Kibera, Kariobangi and Dandora.These areas are populated mostly by people loyal to the opposition. In these areas residents involved anti riot police in running battles for days.
Days after the election results, the opposition called for mass protests. The rallies were banned by the newly inaugurated Government; the rallies were viewed by the Government as promoting civilian coup. The rallies were to be convened at Uhuru Park, a public park; it was guarded by police for about a week to deter the opposition supporters from reaching there. The sympathizers when dispersed turned to looting, traffic obstruction, stoning of vehicles, burning of business enterprises, burning of houses in residential places aforementioned. This led to displacement of more people in their own country. Places like Kibera, Huruma and Mathare were more affected, the displaced from these places camped in Jamhuri Park.
Kibera the second largest slum in Africa, particularly was the place where most of the drama was captured. The police had to keep a 24-hour watch to keep the feuding gangs from regrouping and possibly massacre of innocent people. In Laini Saba, the residents pulled out the railway line, burned the train cargo which was the relief food being ferried to regions with inflow of internally displaced people (IDP), leaving in camps.
There was seizing of houses, mostly for rental by the opposing groups. These houses were then occupied by the captors. The landlords and government supporters were left with nowhere to stay, the only place for them was the camps; specifically Jamhuri park in Kibera.Considering the fact that these places are mostly slum areas; the youth are the most affected because they’re targeted by the politicians. With a very bureaucratic system, these youths are left with little or no option; they have to toe these rich men ways; thus participating in these crimes including killings and destruction of rivals’ businesses premises and firms. For instance the economic strike that was called by opposition leaders targeting corporations owned by individuals loyal to the Government.
During these dark moments, the whole nation was in sorrow, divided along tribal lines .People that were displaced from other regions were taken to their home regions, this was to avert more atrocities. The economy was most affected, people were losing jobs, there was inflation contributing to general rise in prices of commodities. Teenage girls living in camps were sexually abused by men pretending to be good Samaritans. They took such girls and hoaxed them to offer them jobs. The situation here in Kenya was that grave, with time however things settled.Wars, murders, civil strife, ethnicity and other evils hold true nowhere in Kenya. What happened was of great regret and our beloved country will not succumb to that again.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
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