Sweet sorghum promoted as "smart" biofuel

Deborah Zabarenko, Reuters 12 May 08;

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A corn-like plant that can grow as high as an elephant's eye on some of Earth's driest farmland shows promise as a "smart" biofuel that won't cut into world food supplies, an agriculture expert said on Monday.

Sweet sorghum, used in the United States mostly as animal feed, offers a 10-foot (3 meter) stalk that can be turned into ethanol without damaging the food grain that grows at its top, Mark Winslow said in an interview.

Unlike corn-based ethanol, which uses one and a half times as much energy in its production as it offers as an end product, sweet sorghum produces eight units of fuel for every unit of fuel used to make it in developing countries, Winslow said.

Even in the United States, where mechanized production uses more fuel, sweet sorghum ethanol should still have four times the energy yield of corn-based ethanol, said Winslow of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics.

Use of corn-based ethanol also pushes up demand for this crop on international markets, cutting the supply of food grain, and that would not happen with sweet sorghum, he said.

"Sorghum isn't traded internationally, it's grown and consumed locally in dry areas," Winslow said. "Since you're producing the grain on this plant, it's not a trade-off as it is with corn."

The institute is a nonprofit, non-political organization that does agricultural research focusing on "smart crops" and production systems aimed at helping poor dry-land farmers without hurting the environment.

TEAMING WITH TATA

The research institute has teamed up with the Tata conglomerate in India for a distillery that produces more than 10,000 gallons (40 kilolitres) of ethanol daily from locally grown sweet sorghum.

The farmers who grow it can still use the grain to feed themselves, turning it into traditional porridge and flatbread, and their livestock, while selling the fuel-producing sugary liquid contained in the stalks to the distillery.

The crop can survive without irrigation, but also tolerate flooding and even some salinity, Winslow said. Because it grows in arid areas, it does not threaten sensitive rainforest as palm oil biofuel does in Southeast Asia and sugarcane biofuel can in Brazil, Winslow said.

Like other biofuels, ethanol made from sweet sorghum does not produce the emissions of climate-warming carbon dioxide that fossil fuels do.

Because it grows in some of the poorest places on Earth in Asia and Africa, it has the potential to keep limited resources from these parts of the world at home, rather than sending them to oil-producing countries, Winslow said.

Sweet sorghum differs from the so-called grain sorghum grown on some 100 million acres of agricultural land worldwide, the institute said in a statement. Sweet sorghum could be grown on about half of this land.

The United States, the world's largest sorghum producer, is organizing a conference this year on using sorghum as biofuel. Other countries exploring this possibility include Mexico, Kenya, Nigeria, Mali, Mozambique, Uganda, China, the Philippines, Indonesia and Brazil.

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Oil powered Norway gradually turns into the wind

Nina Larson, Yahoo News 13 May 08;

As Norway prepares for a future after oil, the gale-force potential of harvesting wind power off its long coastline has become an increasingly attractive proposition.

"Wind-mapping shows that ... Norway is among the (world's) most ideal locations for wind power, both on the coast and offshore," said Norwegian Deputy Petroleum and Energy Minister Liv Monica Stubholdt.

Yet the Scandinavian country, one of the world's leading oil and gas exporters, today lags far behind others in taking advantage of this natural resource.

Norway has 15 wind parks, producing a little less than one percent of its electricity, and environmentalists and industry players complain Oslo has done little to encourage what is considered one of the "greenest" energy sources.

"The government should dare to spend much more to promote wind than they do," Ane Brunvoll, a renewable energy expert with Norwegian environmental group Bellona, told AFP.

There are signs of change, however, as concerns over falling oil reserves and global warming become more prominent, with some 150 new installations either authorised or are awaiting permits.

Companies too are racing to develop new technology making it possible to place monster wind turbines out at sea where winds are stronger and there are few people to complain about noise levels and obstructed views.

"The government's ambition is to become a net exporter of renewables and that cannot happen if we do not develop" strong wind-powered sources, Deputy Minister Stubholdt said, adding the government was exploring whether wind production "blocks" could be licensed off in much the same way as North Sea oil blocs are today.

On the tiny, gusty island of Utsira, off Norway's southwestern coast, Mayor Jarle Nilsen says he is well aware of the powerful potential for wind power.

The island, measuring just six square kilometres and counting only 210 inhabitants, has become a virtual laboratory for innovative wind power technologies.

"We have wonderful wind conditions here, with a constant and very even breeze that allows for very high wind power output," he explained on an ironically calm day.

The island's two wind turbines, towering 40 metres (130 feet) in the air on a small hill overlooking several red-painted wooden houses, produce more energy than the small community can use.

The windmills, which are less than half the size of the largest models, are also part of the world's first full-scale system for converting wind power into hydrogen.

The hydrogen, created when the oxygen and hydrogen atoms that make up water are separated through electrolysis, is stored in a fuel cell that starts sending energy to 10 Utsira households participating in the trial as soon as the windmill's blades come to a standstill.

"This system allows us to deliver power with expected quality and reliability (and) the only emission is oxygen," said Halgeir Oeya, who heads up the hydrogen technology unit at Norwegian energy giant StatoilHydro, which is running the test project.

But the energy produced here remains very costly and it will take "a number of years" before the technology can be scaled up enough to actually make money, Oeya acknowledged.

Holding more financial promise are perhaps two deepwater floating wind turbine demonstration projects to be built near Utsira over the next two years using technology similar to that of floating oil and gas platforms.

"Offshore makes sense in a way. It is our area of competence," said Jan Fredrik Stadaas, the head of project development at StatoilHydro's New Energy Wind division, which is behind one of the demo projects.

The same sized wind turbine can produce double the amount of power out at sea as on land, he said, adding that the need for more robust technology to withstand maritime weather conditions however drove up costs.

StatoilHydro, which one day hopes to build a park of giant turbines capable of floating in depths of up to 170 metres and each capable of providing power for 1,000 homes, says such deepwater wind farms are still years off.

Both the industry and environmentalists say Norway's government should do more to help get the new projects up and running.

"This is a very capital intensive industry ... You need price and incentive schemes to make it profitable," Stadaas said.

Bellona's Brunvoll meanwhile described the government's investments so far as "farcical," pointing out that Norway, with its 2,500 kilometre-long coastline, held the theoretical potential to generate 14,000 terawatt hours (TWH) of wind energy a year.

"Of course, we don't want to fill our entire coast with wind turbines but even a fraction of that would be good," she said.

In comparison, Norway, the world's fifth largest oil and third largest gas exporter, only produces some 2,300 TWH annually from its petroleum industry, she said.

A major reason for the slow uptake is Norway's virtually unlimited access to renewable hydro power, which today covers about 99 percent of its domestic energy consumption, Deputy Minister Stubholdt explained.

"That may have served to inadvertently slow us down on other renewables," she said, but added: "We are working to improve incentives ... We want wind to be a much larger part of the energy supply."

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Use of wind energy expected to grow dramatically

H. Josef Hebert, Associated Press Yahoo News 13 May 08;

Two decades from now Americans could get as much electricity from windmills as from nuclear power plants, according to a government report that lays out a possible plan for wind energy growth.

The report, a collaboration between the Energy Department research labs and industry, concludes wind energy could generate 20 percent of the nation's electricity by 2030, about the same share now produced by nuclear reactors.

Such growth would pose a number of major challenges, but is achievable without the need of major new technological breakthroughs, said the report released Monday.

"The report indicates that we can do this nationally for less than half a cent per kilowatt hour if we have the vision," said Andrew Karsner, the Energy Department's assistant secretary for efficiency and renewable energy.

If achieved, it would be an astounding leap.

Wind energy today accounts for only about 1 percent of the nation's electricity, although the industry has been on a growth binge with a 45 percent jump in production last year.

To reach the 20 percent production level, wind turbines would have to produce 300,000 megawatts of power, compared to about 16,000 megawatts generated today. Such growth would envision more than 75,000 new wind turbines, many of them larger than those operating today. About 54,000 megawatts would be produced by turbines in offshore waters.

And it would require a major expansion of the electricity grid system to move power from high-wind areas to other parts of the country, the report said.

"The United States possesses abundant wind resources," said the report spearheaded by DOE's National Renewable Technology Laboratory in Golden, Colo., and a 20 percent share of electricity production "while ambitious, could be feasible."

But the report cautioned that its findings were not meant to predict that such growth would, in fact, be achieved, but only that it is technically possible. And it acknowledged "there are significant costs, challenges and impacts" associated with such rapid growth.

It would require improved turbine technology, "significant changes" and expansion of power line systems and a major expansion of markets for wind energy to accommodate an annual growth rate of 16,000 megawatts of electricity a year beginning in 2018, more than five times today's annual growth.

Randall Swisher, executive director of the American Wind Energy Association, said the report confirms that wind energy "is no longer a niche" in the power industry.

Dan Arvizu, director of the department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, said that the 18-month study provides a "vision" of the kind of wind energy growth technically possible.

"First of all, it's doable, second of all it's desirable," said Arvizu at a news conference.

"It's time for America to change the way we think about wind power," said Bob Lukefahr of BP Alternative Energy North America. The oil company is a leading wind developer, said Lukefahr.

If wind energy's share of power production grows to 20 percent, natural gas consumption is expected to decline by 11 percent and coal consumption by 18 percent in 2030, said the report. As a result carbon dioxide emissions linked to global warming would be reduced by 825 million metric tons a year.

"This is the equivalent of taking 140 million cars off the road," said Swisher.

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Two New Turtle Nests Identified In Port Dickson, Malaysia

Bernama 12 May 08;

SEREMBAN, May 12 (Bernama) -- The Negeri Sembilan Fisheries Department has identified Tanjung Gemok and Batu Empat beaches in Port Dickson, as new destinations for marine turtles, especially the Green and the Hawksbill, to lay their eggs.

Thus, its Director Mohd Sufian Sulaiman said, the two beaches should be protected and preserved to accommodate the sensitive reptile.

"Usually the turtles would lay their eggs between February and June, so we are still considering whether to gazette the area as turtle sanctuary. We will discuss the matter with the state government," he told Bernama, here Monday.

He was commenting on a news report on the discovery of Green Turtle eggs at the Tanjung Gemok beach recently.

He said the turtles' presence would definitely boost tourist attractions in the state's famous beach.

Mohd Sufian also reiterated that the department had asked the Kuala Terengganu Turtle and Marine Ecosystem Centre (Tumec) to study the species and groups of the turtles found in Port Dickson.

-- BERNAMA

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Best of our wild blogs: 12 May 08

Alicia at Cyrene Reef
another stunning find on this amazing reef on the nature scouter blog

The perils of morphology and taxonomy
on the wildfilms blog

Coral bleaching on Sentosa
on the wildfilms blog

Biophilia programme
on the lekowala blog

Life History of the White Spot Palmer
on the butterflies of singapore blog

Changi explorations
with question on helmet shell on the manta blog and all about echinoderms on the discovery blog

Peacock anemone
videoclip of this graceful animal on the sgbeachbum blog

Sea Teak of Sentosa
a special tree on the wildfilms blog

Gold-whiskered Barbet eating a flowerpecker
on the bird ecology blog

Read more!

Make Changi 4th runway float on the sea

Letter from Syu Ying Kwok, Straits Times Forum 12 May 08;

THREE years ago, many Singaporeans doubted a floating platform the size of a football field could ever be built and be safe to use. Three years later and thanks to Ministry of Defence approval, we have shown the world with the spectacular 2007 National Day Parade on the Marina Bay floating stadium, anything can be done when we put our hearts and minds to it.

It is time for us to take our industrial shipbuilding expertise on floating platforms and take it to a higher level. We should build the world's first 5km by 0.2km floating platform as the fourth runway at Changi Airport. The floating platform can be attached to the mainland and extend it out to sea.

A normal airport occupies a huge amount of land resource, but as one can see most of Changi Airport comprises grass fields. The terminal buildings, taxiways and runway occupy less than 40 per cent of the total land area. In land-scarce Singapore, we must find ingenious ways to use all our land resource to the fullest.

For Singapore to become the major aviation hub in Asia and South-east Asia, we need a massive amount of land to cater to the industry's growing needs. The Changi cargo and aircraft maintenance area is bursting at the seams. A limited land resource will seriously hinder our growth and potential. If we can push the fourth runway out to sea, we can also convert the first and second runways to sea-based form and free up land for other uses.

Many would have deemed this idea impossible. But the old Kai Tak Airport in Hong Kong used a single 3km runway that stretched out to sea. The United States has operated one of the largest aircraft carriers in the world for decades now, and the landing strip is less than 200m long and 60m wide. The largest super tanker in the world is more than 400m by 70m and these floating giants are made safer and stronger than is generally known. Figures will show that floating runways will be cheaper than using reclaimed land.

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NTU students film conservation efforts in China

Sharing environmental concerns
Business Times 12 May 08;

A group of NTU film students braved weather and terrain to shoot conservation efforts, writes IAN POH

FOR many Singapore-born male undergraduates, encounters with the jungle wild are largely centred around basic military training experiences during national service. But for Kenny Heng, 25, this was not a singular experience - he witnessed first-hand how activities in rural China grinds to a screeching halt once sunset comes. Such is the lifestyle there, where the typical resident is a regular farmer living an ascetic life.

'The simplicity of life and the lack of regular commodities like electricity and water made us realise how lucky we were, and never to take what we have for granted,' said the second year student at Nanyang Technological University's School of Art, Design and Media (ADM).

'Solar energy was limited and generators had to be switched off at night to conserve power, but that is also the time where temperatures drop to -10 to -20 degrees Celsius. We found ourselves battling the cold and all of us eventually fell victim to flu, fever and diarrhoea at one point or another. Bathing and flushing were also very much a challenge as the water in the pipes kept freezing up.'

He and five faculty mates aged between 21 and 27 were on a filmmaking expedition to China last year from Dec 11-20 to create two documentaries for the China Exploration and Research Society (CERS). Organised by NTU's research hub Digital Creative Centre together with Canon, Wildlife Asia, and CERS, the expedition aimed to raise public support and create awareness of conservation efforts in China.

Saving two rare species

The group was led by Singapore-based cinematographer Chris Dickinson - who had been a cameraman on the Amazing Race Asia series - to interview CERS president, well-known Chinese conservationist and photojournalist Wong How Man on location and document his efforts to save two rare species: Tibetan mastiffs and black necked cranes. The students' travel expenses, equipment and technical assistance needs were provided for by Canon Singapore, NTU and Mr Dickinson respectively.

It was a case study worth pursuing. Mr Wong, honoured by Time magazine in 2002 as China's 'most accomplished living explorer', has long been on a mission to record and preserve endangered species and minority cultures in the more remote regions of China. He counts discovering a new source of the Yangtze River among his achievements.

Mr Wong hosted the students by providing his research lodges as accommodation for their stay. During the nine-day expedition, they visited and filmed the Zhongdian bird sanctuary and travelled four hours up into the Himalayas to film the mastiffs breeding.

The students found the trip a good learning experience relevant to their degree course. Kenny, in particular, felt that the live case study was an edifying process to go through. It has further entrenched his love for filmmaking and was good exposure to the world of conservation filmmaking.

'It was an enticing and interesting experience. As makers of these films, we see ourselves as being vested with the responsibility of producing a film that can make a difference to the survival of these beautiful animals,' he said.

He related a host of challenges faced and overcame. For one, they had to start production almost immediately upon arrival at CERS's headquarters in Shangri-la. It became a struggle through the first few shots as they had still not acclimatised themselves completely to the high altitudes. They also had to trek long distances over the vast Tibetan plateau while lugging their gear around.

Scott Hessels, the lecturer-in-charge who accompanied the group, was impressed by the team's energy.

'Suddenly, a 22-year-old who is interested in environmental concerns has the expertise in filmmaking to capture that story beautifully and share it with the world,' he said. 'That's a lot of power.

'With that power comes the responsibility to tell the story accurately and fairly, and this trip was an ideal learning experience for this.'

The two documentaries were shown at the ADM from April 25-29. After that, they went on permanent showcase at CERS research centres and will hopefully educate locals and visitors alike about the need for conservation in regard to the two rare species.

Prof Hessels revealed that there are further plans to work together with Mr Wong. Such outlandish projects as reintroducing the Burmese cat back into Myanmar; locating lost World War II airplanes in the Himalayas; marketing yak cheese to rich Westerners; and uncovering lost cities on the Silk Road are in the pipeline for implementation.

Kenny said that he sees paths unfolding as a result of the expedition. 'Hopefully, this inaugural expedition will open the doors to more opportunities, and we can be involved in more such projects. Personally, the trip has also opened my eyes and mind to the bigger picture,' he said.

'We've definitely benefited as film students. It's been exciting and we got a great chance to hone our skills as filmmakers. The idea of travelling up to remote parts of China and being up close and personal to nature was definitely an appealing one and has become an experience that we will never forget.'

Read more!

South West CDC launches eco-friendly reality contest in June

Channel NewsAsia 11 May 08;

SINGAPORE: Getting Singaporeans to adopt an eco-friendly lifestyle - that's what the South West CDC and National Environment Agency are doing.

They are starting a campaign which will feature a three month-long reality contest and $3,000 cash prize - in line with the nationwide 10% Energy Challenge.

Residents can participate in the 3M ECO Home Makeover @South West contest from June to September.

The contest will see the certain homes retrofitted with $3,000 worth of eco-friendly gadgets.

And the family which uses the least energy will be the winner.

Registration is open till the end of this month and residents can log on to their website to fill up the ECO Lifestyle Survey-cum-contest entry form.

Dr Amy Khor, Mayor of South West CDC, said: "In such a high fuel-price environment, this message about being able to reap tangible savings would have to be emphasised more and highlighted more, in order to create more awareness of our energy-saving drive." - CNA/de

Mayor shares green tips on blog
Tania Tan, Straits Times 12 May 08;

WANT to know what Mayor of South West District Amy Khor is doing in the fight against climate change? Just log on to her blog to find out.

Dr Khor is contributing her thoughts and tips on how to save the earth - while saving money - to www.3mecohome.sg, a community blog launched by the South West Community Development Council and the National Environment Agency to rally fellow netizens to go green.

'As a working professional and a mother, I too am trying to do my part to reduce energy consumption - by making simple changes in my family's lifestyle and habits,' she said.

For example, the Khor family's air-conditioner is set at 25degC and they use a pail of water to wash the car instead of a hose, she writes.

Launched at VivoCity yesterday, the site will also feature an online survey aimed at identifying the top 10 challenges Singaporeans face in adopting a more eco-friendly lifestyle, explained Dr Khor, who is the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment and Water Resources.

Results of the month-long survey will help grassroots leaders develop 'more targeted and effective' programmes.

Feedback from some residents showed that some are simply not getting the green message. A different approach is therefore needed to show people how they can personally benefit, said DrKhor.

'We need to emphasise the tangible benefits of going green - like saving money,' she said.

For a start, five survey participants who live in the South West District will win a free 'green' home makeover.

Sponsored by technology company 3M, they will get $3,000 worth of energy-saving products and features, including light-filtering window film which blocks out heat-emitting ultraviolet rays and energy-saving light bulbs.

The five families' three-month 'green transformation' will be documented online. The five will also join Dr Khor in blogging about their energy-saving experiences.

This will, hopefully, make others realise how easy going green can be, said Dr Khor.

'Environmental sustainability is not just...a passing fad to pander to the conscience of greenies among us. It's something that affects us all,' she said.

Read more!

Probe into giant iguana slaughter

Georgina Kenyon, BBC News 7 May 08;

Police on Grand Cayman are hunting criminals who slaughtered six of the island's iconic and critically endangered giant blue iguanas.

The attacks, which also left three other animals injured, occurred on Saturday night in a captive breeding facility on the Caribbean island.

The police are confident the crime was perpetrated by humans.

The dead and injured iguanas seem to have been gouged by knives and show evidence of being kicked and jumped on.

Volunteers who look after the iguanas discovered the bodies on the Sunday morning.

There have not been any arrests yet but local people and businesses have donated reward money for information of KYD$11,000 (£6,700).

"This incomprehensible carnage has brought people to tears," said Frederic Burton, director of the Blue Iguana Recovery Programme (BIRP) which is responsible for breeding the iguanas in pens before they are freed into the wild.

To the people on the island of Grand Cayman, it was not unlike the slaughter of the gorillas last year in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with the body of one dead iguana still missing but its entrails left strewn outside the pen in which it lived.

Some of the pens have blood on the walls.

The iguanas are turquoise blue in colour, weigh up to 10kg, live for about 20 years.

They are listed by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) as critically endangered.


However, because of a successful captive breeding programme on the island, supported by local and international NGOs and community groups, the species seemed to have been saved from extinction and their numbers were growing.

While in 2005 there were only 25 of these iguanas left in the world, now there are 140 iguanas in the captive breeding facility on Grand Cayman, and another 230 iguanas living freely in a nature reserve on the island.

"This has shocked people far beyond just the conservation community and brought out stronger than ever the way this uniquely Caymanian creature has become an icon of the Cayman Islands' national culture," explained Burton.

"Each of the blue iguanas killed had rich life stories and distinct personalities. Many people feel they have lost close personal friends," he said.

There has not been an attack on the iguanas like this before from people, although iguanas have been killed by wild dogs.

One of the dead adult iguanas was "Digger", a symbol of the BIRP and the iguana that appears on one of the postage stamps of the Cayman Islands.

"They were also the ones that people knew and loved. It is a setback and a horrible tragedy," said Burton.

The attack comes at a time when naturalists on the island are hoping for government legislation to protect significant tracts of shrubland for the iguanas and other animals.

These deaths were of mature adults, capable of producing large egg clutches and could have kick-started the restoration of a wild population. It is estimated that there needs to be at least 1,000 iguanas for the population to become stable and have a real chance of surviving.

"We are hoping for between 400-500 hectares of land to be protected - this is the area we need to support 1,000 iguanas, " said Dr Matt Cottam, senior research officer for the Cayman Islands Department of the Environment.

"We are all so shocked at this slaughter. But we are also overwhelmed by the support from the local and international community since this news broke," he said.

The BIRP and National Trust staff and volunteers are guarding the facility while additional security systems are put in place.

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Poachers kill 249 animals in South Africa's Kruger park

Yahoo News 11 May 08;

Poachers have killed 249 animals in South Africa's largest game park, Kruger, in the last four years, including at least 44 white rhinos, an opposition parliamentarian said on Sunday, quoting official figures.

"A reply to a DA (Democratic Alliance) parliamentary question to the minister of environmental affairs and tourism has revealed that over the last four years at least 44 white rhinos and 31 buffaloes were killed by poachers," Gareth Morgan said in a statement.

"The jewel in the crown of South African conservation, the Kruger National Park, is the hotspot for poaching of mammals among the various parks managed by the South African National Parks. In total 249 mammals were killed by poachers in Kruger during this (2004 and 2007) period," he said.

Morgan, DA's spokesperson on environmental affairs, later told AFP that the figures "were provided to me by the minister on Friday in a written reply to my query on the issue".

He said that the Kruger figures might be much higher as "many of the animals killed by poachers disappear without a trace".

Kruger National Park has the ability to monitor poaching, unlike a majority of the other 21 parks in the country, he said.

A total of 8,665 marine species were poached last year at the Table Mountain National Park, compared with 4,578 in 2006 and 3,378 in 2005.

Read more!

GM crops a viable option for food crisis?

Tania Tan, Straits Times 12 May 08;

RICE crops are failing in many parts of the world, but at a small emerald patch in Java, farmers are celebrating a windfall.

A group of Indonesian farmers testing genetically modified (GM) crops this year harvested 50 per cent more grain - about 3 tonnes of rice per hectare. Super rice strains - with genes inserted to make them hardy, drought-resistant or more nutritious - are being tested in countries such as China, the Philippines, India and the United States.

There is no GM rice being grown commercially, but experts say that any success will come none too soon to feed an increasingly hungry world.

Rice, whose price has risen by more than 70 per cent in the past year, is not the only crop in crisis.

Soya beans now cost 87 per cent more, while wheat prices have soared a staggering 130 per cent.

The United Nations estimates that more than 100 million of the world's poorest cannot afford to buy food.

That means for every Singaporean who tucks into a hearty dinner, 25 others in the world go to sleep hungry.

The widespread use of GM crops, say proponents, will herald the coming of a second green revolution, and help to fill empty stomachs.

According to the World Health Organisation, GM foods have the 'potential to benefit the public health sector' by providing more nutritious food, decreasing its allergenic potential and also improving the efficiency of food production systems.

Since the first rot-resistant GM tomato made its way to dinner tables in the early 1990s, commercially grown GM crops have expanded to include maize, soya beans and rapeseed.

But plagued by bad publicity, dubbed 'Frankenfoods' and rejected by consumers, such crops are still in the minority, making up only 114.3 million ha, or 8 per cent of total crops worldwide last year.

The topic has been a hot potato for the past two decades.

But in the face of escalating food prices, the world can no longer afford to shun the potential of these crops, said Dr Clive James, chairman of the pro-GM body, the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (Isaaa).

'People misunderstand GM foods, but sometimes it is simply because they do not have all the facts,' he said. 'People tend to fear what they do not understand.'

The figures - published in a 160-page report by the independent, non-profit Isaaa, speak for themselves, he said.

The pro-GM body has projected that by 2015, the number of farmers using biotech crops could surpass 100 million worldwide.

This, is turn, could contribute to achieving the UN's Millennium Development Goal of helping to reduce poverty

and hunger by 50 per cent by then.

Based on peer-reviewed scientific articles, the annual report is a noted analysis of biotech crops.

It found that disease- and pest-resistant wheat has helped cut down the amount of chemicals used in farming, for example.

In 2006, studies estimated that farmers growing pest-resistant crops used less fossil fuel-based chemical sprays - reducing 1.2 billion kg in carbon dioxide, equivalent to taking 500,000 cars off the road.

At last count, there were 23 countries planting biotech crops, with the United States leading the pack, ahead of Argentina and Brazil.

But some detractors are still crying foul.

Environmental activist group Greenpeace has called biotech crops a 'disaster', citing threats to health safety and natural biodiversity if such plants enter ecosystems.

It has said: 'The simple truth is, we do not need GM technology.'

The group believes that by using sustainable and organic farming methods, farmers can reap the same results.

Modified crops are sometimes made sterile to prevent accidental cross-breeding with natural plants so that mutant varieties would not be created.

However, there has been no documented health hazard related to GM foods since the first modified tomato was consumed in 1994 - though many argue that not enough time has passed for any problems to show up.

While such crops could help alleviate the food crisis, they are also costly.

GM seeds cost up to twice as much as normal ones. Using sterile seeds also means farmers must buy new seeds after every harvest.

But the tide of negative opinion seems to be turning.

In the Philippines, farmers have been using GM maize seeds for the past two seasons - a clear sign that they like the returns, said Dr James.

'Farmers are an extremely practical bunch. If the crop is not working for them, then they will not use it,' he said. 'It is their livelihood - they cannot afford to mess up.'

While current GM crops are mainly pest- and herbicide-resistant, the real stars like drought-tolerant maize could be approved by 2011, and the rice version some years later.

The hardy rice grains, already undergoing trials in Iran, require less water - a boon in countries hit by prolonged drought.

Locally, at least half of the corn, canola oil and soya bean products sold are GM-based, said Singapore's Genetic Modification Advisory Committee (GMAC).

Labelling of such foods is not mandatory, but Singapore's reliance on imports means that GM foods could be anywhere on the market now, said Singapore's food watchdog, the Agri-food and Veterinary Authority.

GMAC chairman Ngian Tong Tau said such crops could provide a much needed reprieve to the world's food problems.

'If we reach a point where it is GM food or no food, I think we have no choice but to consider it,' he said.

Read more!

Genetically modified crops get mixed response in Asia

Karl Wilson, Yahoo News 11 May 08;

With food prices hitting record highs the jury is still out in Asia as to whether genetically modified crops hold the key to future food security.

The Philippine government has openly embraced the commercial growing of genetically modified (GM) corn, but neighbouring countries appear less than enthusiastic.

"There has been a lot of talk about developing high-yielding crops and crops that can cope with climate change using GM seeds," said Daniel Ocampo, a genetic engineering campaigner with the environmental group Greenpeace.

But, he said, the technology was still a long way from "addressing these needs."

Even so this has not stopped the Philippines from subsidising the production of GM corn.

"This is despite the fact that GM corn and some conventional varieties have the same yield potentials," Ocampo said.

While Japan does not grow GM crops due to safety concerns among consumers it does import GM grains for use in making products such as cooking oil, animal feed and manufactured goods.

Japanese companies have been reluctant to test the market for consumer-ready GM food because of labelling requirements and public safety worries.

While Japan does not ban GM farming, strict regulation has discouraged corporate investment in the area.

But with rising food prices causing increasing concern in a country that imports more than half of what it eats, the government has said that GM crops may be a way to ease food security and environmental problems.

"Because of strong public concern about consuming genetically modified food, it does not make business sense for Japanese firms to farm genetically modified plants commercially," a Japanese farm ministry official said.

"However, given the expansion in the cultivation of GM products abroad and rising demand for food, we are reviewing ways to have the option of commercial farming in the future," he said.

In South Korea a law which came into effect on January 1 this year imposed strict rules on the import of GM seeds.

While there are domestic GM seed programmes for experimental purposes none are for commercial use, an agriculture ministry official said on condition of anonymity.

"So far all imported GM seeds have been processed immediately after being cleared through customs," the official said.

"There have been no cases of imported or home-grown GM seeds being used for commercial cultivation here and we are not considering easing our rules despite price hikes," he added.

In Bangkok the regional headquarters for the United Nation's Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) said it had not seen any signs that governments in Asia were pushing for genetically-modified seeds.

"With modern agricultural technology countries should be able to produce enough food without genetically-modified seeds," said He Changchui, the FAO's regional representative for Asia.

"You don't need them. Just try to supply good fertiliser and good water," he said.

In China the State Council, or cabinet, issued detailed rules in 2001 covering safety, labelling, licensing for production and sales, and import safety policies of all GM products.

Xie Yang of the Development Research Centre, a major think tank under the State Council, said: "No genetically modified grain, including seeds, is allowed for edible consumption in China.

"Genetically modified products are allowed for indirect uses, such as making edible oil, but it must be labelled clearly."

There is successful research in China, but no commercial application yet, he said, adding: "It is said that there are breakthroughs in the research of (genetically modified) rice and corn. But none is allowed on to the market."

According to Greenpeace's Ocampo the Philippines is the first country in Southeast Asia, and possibly all Asia, to have a commercial GM food crop.

"The government would say it is because the Philippines should not be late in embracing a technology that promises to help increase the income of farmers and provide higher yields.

"But the fact is the Philippines is so close to the US that whatever policies the US have regarding GM crops we (Philippines) usually follow suit."

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