ZURICH - Swiss authorities have granted permission for three genetically modified (GM) crop trials in Switzerland, despite concerns the field research conflicts with a ban on the use of GM products in agriculture. The crops must be in a fenced-in area and protected from birds. Swiss voters in 2005 approved a referendum imposing a 5-year moratorium on the use of genetically-modified organisms (GMO) in farming. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or...

They hurry away and with extraordinary generosity re-emerge with tins, jars and knotted cloth containing biological treasures the seeds of bygone crops. We are on a hunt for genes; for lost genetic resources that agricultural scientists say will be crucial for the world to keep feeding itself despite climate change and deteriorating agricultural landscapes. They are farmers in the land where farming began. There is a surrealism to these meetings, underscored by the dissonant chatter of...

Sitting calmly on her verandah overlooking the extensive property, Azan is a picture of confidence and joy, as she openly declares her love for farming. Even the smallest farmer has to bear that in mind," said Azan, who gave up her job as credit controller at Carreras in Spanish Town to go into farming with her husband back in the late 1970s. As she takes us on a tour of the property in her pick-up truck, we drive past towering coconut trees, fields of oranges, ackee and pear trees, other...

Acheson said he knew of no evidence that outsourcing production is inherently less safe than traditional arrangements in which companies make what they sell. For some specialty products that require expensive machinery _ like pet food _ a limited number of contract manufacturers, such as Menu Foods, make products that are sold under dozens of brands. But the food industry and regulators chalk up to coincidence the rash of recent major food safety recalls and the consolidation of food...

HANOI (AFP) - A frown crosses the face of Nguyen Thi Huong as she peruses the fresh produce at a Vietnamese market -- a series of food scandals has left her worried about just what is safe for her family to eat. But as Vietnam is turning from a mainly agrarian country, where three quarters of people are farmers, into a more industrialised and market-driven economy, food scares blamed on intense agrochemical use have risen sharply. Early each morning, thousands of farmers travel by truck,...

It sensitises farmers on modern bee farming and sells modern bee hives at subsidised prices to member associations across the country. But Arabs are keen on both honey quality and supplies [quantities] sustainability-a challenge to Rwandan bee farmers. At the just ended expo, the association is promoting its top quality honey, and also selling some at between Frw1,000 for per kilogramme. For demonstration purposes, ADRI does some bee farming but on small scale. To contact the copyright...

He's watched development creep ever closer, with residential subdivisions and shopping centers springing up where cattle once grazed or farmers grew tomatoes, strawberries and other crops. Bill Merrill, a local land-use attorney who frequently represents developers before the board, called it "a paradigm shift, a fundamental shift" that caught him by surprise. Farmers and ranchers east of the line could sell or otherwise transfer residential units allowed on their property to other...

When some of the biggest heartland acts take the stage on Randalls Island today for a benefit concert for America's family farmers, they won't be performing in a town known for its country music fans. But with farmers' markets and organic food in the metro area increasingly popular, Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews - who are all scheduled to perform today - decided to take their 20th Farm Aid concert to the world's media and restaurant capital. But with farmers'...

So the new strategy, unveiled in a July plan issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and re-iterated this week by Chen Deming, a vice chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission in Beijing, is for most of the biofuel to come from non-grain sources, such as sweet sorghum, sugarcane and cassava. So the new strategy, unveiled in a July plan issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and re-iterated this week by Chen Deming, a vice chairman of the National Development and Reform...