Wales eyes prohibitive regulations Farmers, landowners and the public are being asked for their views on plans to tighten the rules on the planting of genetically modified crops in Wales. Elin Jones, rural affairs minister, told the BBC that "it is not legally possible to declare Wales GM-free", but that the proposed measures would be more restrictive than those proposed in England and Northern Ireland. More†

Rewarding failure Despite the dismal performance of the "organic" sector of US agriculture, efforts to make it look healthy and productive continue. A new report by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) casts light on this problem. The report, titled "Emerging Issues in the US Organic Industry", chronicles the perennial failure of what is obviously an unsustainable set of food production practices. The US Congress is considering financial incentives to increase this kind of farming. More† 1 opinion posted

EFSA's conflict of interest Dr. Joachim Schiemann has been forced out of his position on the GMO Panel of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), amid allegations of a "conflict of interest". He's been a long-standing target of European Greens and their activist cohorts, due to his broad engagement with those involved in researching and regulating GM crops. The last straw: his appointment as head of  the Institute for Biosafety of Genetically Modified Plants at the Julius Kühn Institute in Quedlinburg -- where activists recently destroyed 270 GM apple trees, and with them, a decade of research. The EFSA obviously has a conflict of interest--seeking scientific credibility, while rejecting  scientific expertise to appease the unappeasable opponents of biotech. More†

Czech scientists demand rational regulation The Czech Republic became a Member State of the European Union in 2004, and as a consequence, must "harmonize" its laws and policies with those of the EU. That means, of course, crushing agricultural biotechnology out of existence and hounding researchers mercilessly. A new publication by the Biology Center of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic proves that Czech scientists aren't feeling very harmonious with the neo-Medieval regime. More†

Marker gene safety rediscovered The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), a scientific body typically ignored by European politicians and regulators, has discovered, once again, that marker genes are safe. Meanwhile, the safety of marker genes has long been common knowledge in the US. We'd all be better off if these scientists worked on inventing things, instead of wasting their efforts on the European Commission. More†

Potato safety rediscovered Once again, European officials have discovered that BASF's Amflora potato is safe. The rediscovery was made by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), a scientific body typically ignored by European politicians and regulators. "Today's assessment gives the entire EU Commission the final scientific clarity to approve Amflora", said Stefan Marcinowski, executive board member in charge of BASF Plant Science. Dr. Marcinowski has been working for BASF since 1979 and has impeccable scientific credentials,  but accusing the EC of having "scientific clarity" suggests he doesn't get out of the lab very often. More†