Today's News - 08 January 2013

 “In the Year of Natural Scotland, the Scottish Government’s clear policy against the cultivation of GM crops stands us in good stead to protect our rich natural environment and reputation as a land of high quality food and drink. This forward-thinking policy chimes well with our European neighbours, as well as public opinion.”
Laura Stewart, Soil Association Scotland, The Scotsman (8 Jan)

Comment: Scotland is out of step with the world view on GM food
Andrew Arbuckle reflects on Scotland’s position on GM, following the recent Oxford Farming Conference.
The Scotsman (7 Jan)
Laura Stewart, director, Soil Association Scotland, responds
The Scotsman (8 Jan) 

Is biofuel really green? Trees grown as fuel worsen air pollution and will kill 1,400 people a year by 2020, report finds
Wood used as a biofuel could make air pollution worse and cause almost 1,400 deaths a year in Europe, scientists have warned. Trees grown as a biofuel have been seen as a greener, cleaner alternative to fossil fuels but could be having a detrimental effect on air quality.
Daily Mail (7 Jan) 

Punjabi farmers find pastures new (and cheap) in Georgia
The conversation – about crops, prices, weather and mendacious middlemen – is like a million or so similar early-evening calls placed by farmers across south Asia. Except that the land that Singh is now tilling is in Georgia, the small mountain nation in the Caucasus.
The Guardian (7 Jan) 

Hate mail sent to pro-GM speaker Mark Lynas
Abusive messages were sent to environmental activist Mark Lynas, who once spent several years ripping up GM crops, after he told Oxford Farming Conference delegates he was now in favour of the technology.
Farmers Weekly (7 Jan)
Read the Soil Association response to Mark Lynas’ talk at the Oxford Farming Conference 

Mark Lynas and the GMO Debate
Mark Tercek discusses Mark Lynas’ new position on GM, following the Oxford Farming Conference.
Huffington Post (7 Jan)

GM technology is an incalculable gamble
Jenny Jones and Margaret Bone write letters to the Guardian expressing their concerns about the safety of GM food.
The Guardian (7 Jan)
Read the Soil Association’s position on GM here 

Family Farmers head to Washington to battle Monsanto in court
Dozens of farmers are traveling across the country to Washington, DC to battle Monsanto in a U.S. Court of Appeals. The journey is to fight for the right for farmers to grow crops without interference from the corporate giant.
Digital Journal (7 Jan)

Rooftop farms budding in Beijing, Hong Kong
As millions of Hong Kong consumers grow increasingly worried about the purity and safety of the fruits, vegetables, meats and processed foods coming in from mainland China, more of them are striking out on their own by tending tiny plots on rooftops, on balconies and in far-flung, untouched corners of highly urbanized Hong Kong.
Smartplanet (7 Jan)

Animal Health in Scotland given £10m boost
Animal science research has been given a £10m boost from the Scottish Government. The Roslin Institute will use the funding to help develop an international livestock improvement centre.
Farmers Guardian (7 Jan)
Also discussed in Farmers Weekly ‘Roslin Institute granted £10m for animal research’
Farmers Weekly (7 Jan)

TB cattle vaccine takes 'small step forward'
Scientists have announced a small but important step in the development of an effective cattle vaccine to prevent bovine tuberculosis. They have identified a "biomarker" using sophisticated molecular technology that allows them to predict vaccine efficacy.
Farmers Weekly (7 Jan)

Britain’s animal disease response to be tested
A major exercise to test Britain’s animal disease readiness and operational response is being planned for the summer. Involving the Welsh Government, Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA), Defra, the Scottish Government, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Northern Ireland (DARDNI) and other key partners, it will test the ability of all four UK governments to deal with a significant outbreak of Classical Swine Fever.
Farmers Guardian (7 Jan)

Growers offered help with 2013 contracts
UK horticulture and potato growers are being urged to brush up on their negotiating skills after many were ‘caught out’ by contracts last year. The union’s horticulture and potatoes adviser Lee Abbey, said growers would be given guidance on developing clear and transparent pricing formulas at the Grower Representative Summit next month.
Farmers Guardian (7 Jan)

Farming Today
Scottish fishermen warn their livelihood is under threat from Icelandic trawlers. Milk prices are likely to go up this year because of global factors according to a leading dairy analyst. As the Food Standards Agency review the safety of selling unpasteurized milk, Farming Today visits a Devon cheesemaker who argues the case for using raw milk in her cheddar.
BBC Radio 4 (8 Jan), listen again 

And finally…animal pictures of the week
The Telegraph (4 Jan)