Today's News 26 September 2012 - 26 September 2012

‘The results are significant. The experiments are, more or less, the best of their kind to date.’
Mustafa Djamgoz, Professor of Cancer Biology at Imperial College, London, discussing the University of Caen research into GM maize –
The Daily Mail – 25 September 2012

Russia suspends import and use of American GM corn after study revealed cancer risk.
Russia has suspended the import and use of an American GM corn following a study suggesting a link to breast cancer and organ damage. The decision by Russia could be followed by other nations in what would be a severe blow to the take-up of the controversial technology.
The Daily Mail (25 Sept)
Read the Soil Association comment on the Roundup/GM Maize research.

Supermarkets face protests over support for badger cull
British supermarkets clarify their position on the controversial plans as animal rights activists warn of boycotts.
The Guardian (25 Sept)
Read the Soil Association’s position on the badger cull.

Price of pork products under threat as UK pig farmers exit the market
British pig farmers are being forced out of the market or to cull livestock as the price of producing pork continues to rise. Following a number of media reports into the rise of cost in petrol, feed for the pigs and the decreased profits for farmers thanks to pressure from the supermarkets, the Huffington Post UK has found the decreasing number of farmers could also impact on the price of bacon, sausages and ham from next year.
HuffPost Business (25 Sept)

Record organic cotton crop in Tanzania
African organic cotton project bioRe Tanzania says it forecasts a bumper harvest for the 2012/2013 cropping season with an estimated 10,000 tonnes of cottonseed expected to be produced.
EcoTextile News (25 Sept)

After graduating from college, it’s time to plow, plant and harvest
For decades, the number of farmers in the US has been shrinking as a share of the population, and agriculture has often been seen as a backbreaking profession with little prestige. But the last Agricultural Census in 2007 showed a 4 percent increase in the number of farms, the first increase since 1920, and some college graduates are joining in the return to the land.
New York Times (24 Sept)

Farming Today
The RSPCA calls for 'Badger Friendly' labels on dairy products.
BBC Radio4, Listen Again (26 Sept)

And finally… Clever jays switch food-finding tactics
Jays demonstrate "flexible tactics" by switching between storing food and stealing from others' stashes, scientists have found.
BBC Online (25 Sept)