ARGENCERT NEWS

* OFFICIAL FINANCING FOR ORGANIC AGRICULTURE Funds for Non Returnable Contributions to be assigned to financing purposes in organic agriculture in Argentina. Read more

NATIONAL NEWS

* ENVIRONMENTALISTS, RELIEVED , BUT WITH QUALMS ABOUT THE FOREST LAW Law reglamented in a hurry after 14 months due to the Tartagal disaster. But not the one that was agreed by the stakeholders and sent to the Executive last July. Read more

* ARGENTINA WILL BE THE SITE OF O.I.E. INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ANIMAL IDENTIFICATION AND TRACEABILITY. March 23-25, 2009 in Buenos Aires, organized by the World Organization of Animal Health (OIE). Read more

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

* MORE WORK NEEDED ON ORGANIC LEGISLATION SAYS EU AGRICULTURE HEAD Mariann Fischer Boel, member of the European Commission responsible for Agriculture and Rural Development, said the organic food sector needs the support of good legislation. Read more

* GLOBAL ORGANIC SUPPLY GROWS TO MATCH DEMAND The amount of land dedicated to organic produce is growing due to government backing and market forces. Read more

* ORGANIC GROWTH FREEZES BUT WILL THAW, SAYS MINTEL Organic food is set to experience “slowing but steady growth”. Read more

* CANADA: NEW REGULATIONS TO OPEN UP ORGANIC TRADE, SAYS OTA They will ease trade in organic food between Canada and major trading partners. Read more

* THE WORLD BANK LAUNCHES THE FIRST GREEN BONDS FOR LOW EMISSION PROJECTS AND PROGRAMES. The green bonds will back the Bank’s projects of climatic measures Mostly in clean energy and avoiding deforestation. Read more

* H&M INCREASES USE OF ORGANIC COTTON From 5 tons in 2004 to 4,500 tons in 2009 in men, women and children apparel. Read more

* QAI + [STAR -K] = Organic Kosher A new joint kosher and organic auditing programme, effective 1 January 2009. Read more

* ORWINE PROJECT REACHES CONCLUSIONS Will constitute the scientific basis for the legislative framework of organic wine making in the EU. Read more

GMOs, HORMONES, CLONATION. NANOTECHNOLOGY AND UNACCEPTABLE TECHNIQUES, TECHNICAL NEWS

* MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AUTHORIZED MONSANTO TO PRODUCE GM COTTON. The Secretary of Agriculture (Argentina) authorized MONSANTO to produce and sell seeds of GM cotton. Read more

* UE CANNOT AGREE ON GMOs. UE’s biotech experts meeting ended in a dead end on whether to permit more GM crops. Read more

* FOOD COMPANIES PLEDGE TO AVOID GM BEET SUGAR Over 70 companies have vowed not to use genetically modified beet sugar. Read more

* JAPAN: CLONED MEAT IS GOOD, THEY ASSURE A draft from the Food Commission concludes that to eat beef and pork meat from cloned animals is as safe as eating meat from conventionally born animals, reports the newspaper The Daily Yomiuri. Read more

* TURNING THE KEY ON NEW FOOD TECHNOLOGIES Concerns about new technologies that strike particularly sensitive chords in consumers will now send the warning lights; hormones, transgenics, irradiation and cloning under the searchlight. Read more

* CLIMATE CHANGE 'MORE SERIOUS' AS EMISSIONS SOAR Carbon emissions have soared above expectations from past models; secondary deforestation effects, ocean cycles, Arctic thawing releasing trapped carbon gas, mentioned as not having been considered before. Read more

* ‘POOL-FILLING' COULD CONTROL MALARIA, SAY RESEARCHERS Filling in puddles and spreading neem tree seeds mentioned among low cost and effective for combating malaria in developing countries. Read more

CONGRESSES, SEMINARS, MEETINGS, COURSES FAIRS AND EXHIBITIONS

* BASIC COURSE ON ORGANIC LIVESTOCK STANDARDS (ECO-LOGICA / HIVOS) Date: April 16, 17, 18, 2009. Read more