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Three graduate students to receive 2010 AIBS Emerging Public Policy Leadership Award

The American Institute of Biological Sciences has selected Meredith Niles, a graduate student at the University of California, Davis, Ryan Richards, a graduate student at the University of Maryland, College Park, and Leslie Smith, a graduate student at the University of Rhode Island, to receive the 2010 AIBS Emerging Public Policy Leadership Award.

9 Mar 2010

Recent releases in Global Health

The Infectious Diseases Center for Global Health Policy's "Science Speaks" blog examines U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Eric Goosby's recent address to the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) where he reemphasized the Obama administration's commitment to "'maintaining, extending and increasing' the U.S. response to global AIDS." Goosby reflected on the lessons drawn from PEPFAR to date and presented components of the 5-year PEPFAR strategy, the blog notes.

20 Feb 2010

New guidance document to prevent food allergies

For the first time, national authorities carrying out official food allergen controls have a common basis for accepting validated testing methods. Consumers allergic to certain food ingredients will benefit from an increased level of protection by the availability of harmonised and reliable testing methods, and international trade will be facilitated by applying mutually-agreed testing protocols.

19 Feb 2010

International discussion held to find solutions for agricultural challenges of all time

An eminent panel of science and policy experts braved a historic blizzard today to identify solutions for the greatest agricultural challenges of all time. The global dialogue comes in response to a final call for action from the late Nobel Laureate, Dr. Norman Borlaug, to feed the world and improve the lives of farmers, all while preserving natural resources.

15 Feb 2010

GM crops can help bolster global food security, scientists say in special journal issue

Acceptance of genetically modified (GM) crops in agriculture will help bolster global food security as the world faces population growth and the potential effects of climate change, Nina Fedoroff, science and technology advisor to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, and colleagues write in an article published in a special issue of the journal Science, the Times of London reports.

15 Feb 2010

World leaders need to alter their notions on sustainable agriculture to prevent starvation catastrophe

Yields from some of the most important crops begin to decline sharply when average temperatures exceed about 30 degrees Celsius, or 86 Fahrenheit. Projections are that by the end of this century much of the tropics and subtropics will regularly see growing season temperatures above that level, hotter than the hottest summers now on record.

12 Feb 2010

U.S. government resumes medical evacuations from Haiti; new food voucher distribution targeting women begins

"The U.S. government said on Sunday it would resume military evacuation flights" within 12 hours for critically ill and injured Haitians who were harmed in the Jan. 12 earthquake, Reuters reports (Rosenberg/Brown, 1/31). Medical evacuations had been suspended for a few days, but the reason for the suspension "is unclear as various government authorities have provided different explanations," the Wall Street Journal reports.

2 Feb 2010

West Africa's Sahel belt could face famine in 2010

The European Commission's humanitarian aid department warned Thursday that West Africa's Sahel belt could face famine this year, with millions potentially affected, Reuters reports (John, 1/29).

30 Jan 2010

Study highlights benefits of reducing dietary salt

"This study provides excellent ammunition both to convince patients about the benefits of reducing their individual salt intakes and also to persuade the EU of the urgent need to introduce legislation to restrict the salt content of processed foods," said ESC spokesman Professor Frank Ruschitzka, a cardiologist and hypertension specialist from the University of Zurich, Switzerland.

28 Jan 2010

Monsanto and Stokes Bio announce licensing agreement and R&D collaboration

Monsanto Company and Limerick-based biotechnology firm, Stokes Bio Limited, announced today that they have entered into a licensing agreement and R&D collaboration, which is expected to help accelerate the pace of new advancements in plant breeding.

13 Jan 2010

Second part of the 2009 Food Safety Naughty and Nice list released

Food Safety News, the web-based newspaper that covers all things food safety, today released the second part of its 2009 Food Safety Naughty and Nice list. The web-based newspaper’s “Naughty” list was published yesterday and included food safety missteps, missed opportunities, and downright dirty deeds.

28 Dec 2009

VTT Innovation Program on food, nutrition and eating pattern

The objective of this roadmap was to feature the drivers, needs and future potential for various actors involved in the food production and distribution chain, but also for actors developing services offering communication and motivation tools for consumers who wish to improve their nutrition.

23 Dec 2009

EquityNet Research begins independent coverage on Huifeng Bio-Pharmaceutical Technology

Huifeng Bio-Pharmaceutical Technology, Inc., a leading developer and producer of plant extracts and pharmaceutical raw materials for use in pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and food production, today reported that after preliminary due diligence, including review of the company's market potential and development opportunities, EquityNet Research is initiating coverage of the company as an independent analyst.

22 Dec 2009

USDA joins global alliance to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase food security

The U.S. Agriculture Department (USDA) said on Wednesday it has joined the Global Research Alliance, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase access to food worldwide, Reuters reports.

17 Dec 2009

OPDQ adopts global vision on food and nutrition

The Ordre professionnel des diététistes du Québec (OPDQ) believes it is time to reflect on the future of the profession. The OPDQ has therefore initiated a wide-scale consultation process, first with its own members and later with partners and stakeholders in various food-related and nutrition-related sectors. The results of this process will ultimately be the topic of discussions during an interdisciplinary summit to be held next March.

9 Dec 2009

EPA declares greenhouse gases a threat to public health; other health issues addressed at climate conference

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Monday "said greenhouse gases are a danger to public health and welfare in a decision that could eventually lead to new emissions regulations," the Wall Street Journal reports (Ball/Forelle/Talley, 12/7). According to the Associated Press/ABC News, the declaration on the opening day of the U.N. Climate Change Conference "signaled the [Obama] administration was prepared to push ahead for significant controls in the U.S. if Congress doesn't act first on its own" (Herbert/Cappiello, 12/7).

8 Dec 2009

FDA and APHIS create online risk assessment tool for food industry at the farm level

The FDA of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have created an online tool to help farmers and producers assess and mitigate vulnerabilities in their production processes.

5 Dec 2009

Strategies to reduce greenhouse gases benefit human health, show new studies

Today, new studies published in the Lancet show that strategies to reduce greenhouse gases also benefit human health. The Lancet series highlights case studies on four climate change topics - household energy, transportation, electricity generation, and agricultural food production.

26 Nov 2009

Medical report showing the devastating impacts of coal on human body released

Physicians for Social Responsibility today released a groundbreaking medical report, "Coal's Assault on Human Health," which takes a new look at the devastating impacts of coal on the human body.

23 Nov 2009

World Summit on Food Security wraps up

The U.N. World Summit on Food Security ended Wednesday in Rome with Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) head Jacques Diouf calling for the global community to shift the fight against global hunger from "words to action," Agence France-Press reports. Diouf said, "We must do this to have a more prosperous world, fairer, more equitable and more peaceful. But above all we must do this fast: the poor and starving can not wait" (11/18).

19 Nov 2009