Today's News

09 November 2012

 "This tangible technology approaches a serious environmental problem and we should celebrate it. SafetyNet shows how young graduates like Dan can tackle global issues ignored by established industries in new and inventive ways."
Sir James Dyson, James Dyson Foundation, The Guardian 08 November 2012

'Humane' fishing net wins Dyson award
A young British designer has won a prestigious international award for creating a "humane" net to make fishing more sustainable by preventing small fish from being trapped.
The Guardian (08 Nov)
The Guardian's great fish hypocrisy
Guardian Blog (08 Nov) 

Could millions of GM insects be released into British crop fields without safety checks?
Millions of GM insects developed by British scientists could be released into food crop fields without proper safety checks, it is claimed.
The Daily Mail (08 Nov)

Guide to stop feathers being ruffled
Hen keepers have a new guide. The booklet was produced jointly by the Asurewel project; a collaboration between the University of Bristol, the RSPCA and the Soil Association. The partnership offers a new practical scheme for the welfare of hens and will be part of a new assurance system.
Poultry World p.9 (01 Nov)
Find out more about the AssureWel project

Greenpeace activists stage anti-GM protest
Activists from the environmental group Greenpeace donned masks and yellow protective clothing for a protest in Brussels against GM crops.
Farmers Weekly (07 Nov)

Farming fast-track scheme enters second year
The McDonald's Progressive Young Farmer Training programme is to run for another year and students who are over 18 and studying towards an agricultural course are invited to apply for the 2013 intake.
Farmers Weekly (08 Nov)

Prop 37 GMO Labeling Law Defeated By Corporate Dollars And Deception, Proponents Say
Proponents of Proposition 37, the California ballot measure that would have required labeling of genetically engineered foods, are attributing Tuesday's narrow defeat to corporate dollars and deception, but are also pledging to persist in a battle that they see as key to the health of Americans.
Huffington Post (07 Nov)
California voters rebuff labels on GMO foods
NBC News (07 Nov)
Monsanto Throws GMO Victory Party in California
The Cornucopia Institute (07 Nov)

Waitrose director scoops pig industry's David Black award
Waitrose buying director Heather Jenkins has scooped the prestigious pig industry accolade, the David Black Award.
Farmers Weekly (08 Nov)

Schmallenberg vaccine 'ready within weeks'
A vaccine to protect livestock against the Schmallenberg virus could be available within weeks, Farmers Weekly has learned.
Farmers Weekly (08 Nov)

Forging a winning career in farm management
AFTER 20 months as farm manager at Rougham Estate Farms, 25-year-old Simon Eddell has been awarded the Velcourt Chairman’s Cup for the advances he has made.
Farmers Guardian (08 Nov)

Palestinian farmers turn to organic farming in growing back-to-land movement
The Palestinian olive harvest, an ancient autumn ritual in the West Bank, is going upscale. In an emerging back-to-the-land movement, Palestinian farmers are turning the rocky hills of the West Bank into organic olive groves, selling their oil to high-end grocers in the U.S. and Europe.
Fox News (09 Nov)

NSA expresses concern over database tender
THE National Sheep Association (NSA) has expressed concern at Defra’s handling of the tender process to deliver an electronic movement reporting system and database for sheep, goats, and deer in England.
Farmers Guardian (08 Nov)

Farming Today
How the genetic history of Britain's ash trees may help save them. A new report from Scottish Natural Heritage indicates a dramatic decline in the number of seabirds in Scotland. And as the wild mushroom foraging season gets underway, Farming Today travels to the damp undergrowth of Epping Forest and the New Forest where there are concerns about the effect of foraging on the habitat.
BBC Radio 4, listen again (8 Nov)

And finally… Satellite eye on Earth: October 2012 – in pictures
Cloud vortices, salt flat, super storms desert wetlands and were among the images captured by European Space Agency and Nasa satellites last month
The Guardian (09 Nov)