El gobierno argumenta de manera persuasiva en el documento de 264 páginas que tiene derecho a tomar tales medidas de precaución bajo el acuerdo comercial, que las medidas han tenido impactos mínimos en los exportadores de maíz de EE. UU.

Y que sus restricciones de hecho se basan en ciencia revisada por pares que documenta los riesgos de consumir maíz transgénico con residuos de glifosato.

Estos riesgos son particularmente elevados para los mexicanos, que consumen más de diez veces el maíz que se consume en Estados Unidos y lo hacen en preparaciones mínimamente procesadas como las tortillas.

México rechaza la refutación de Estados Unidos, que no reconoció ni refutó esa evidencia, basándose en cambio en estudios obsoletos que no toman en cuenta los patrones de consumo mexicanos y que a menudo están corrompidos por conflictos de intereses con empresas de biotecnología.

SEGUIR LEYENDO EN THE FOOD TECH

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Con el desistimiento de la demanda que la empresa trasnacional Monsanto Company mantuvo hasta el pasado martes 25 de abril en contra del decreto presidencial de 2020 —que busca prescindir del glifosato y el maíz transgénico para consumo humano—, México obtuvo un triunfo en una batalla jurídica en la que prevaleció la razón a favor de la vida, la salud, la naturaleza, la riqueza biocultural y la soberanía alimentaria.

En este contexto, el Consejo Nacional de Humanidades, Ciencias y Tecnologías (Conahcyt) del gobierno que encabeza el presidente Andrés Manuel López Obrador reitera su compromiso de seguir avanzando con firmeza en el cumplimiento del decreto y en cabal coordinación con el resto de las instancias de la Administración Pública Federal (APF), hasta conseguir que los maíces transgénicos y el glifosato queden fuera de los alimentos de las familias mexicanas.

Cabe recordar que la publicación del decreto presidencial para la restricción del glifosato y el maíz transgénico, devino en una avalancha de demandas de amparo promovidas por diversas empresas dedicadas a la comercialización de agrotóxicos u otros insumos agropecuarios, como granos y semillas, y organizaciones (como Proccyt, A. C. y el Consejo Nacional Agropecuario, A. C.) que representan a esas mismas empresas o a productores convencionales, en favor de los intereses de compañías trasnacionales y gigantes del oligopolio de la agricultura industrial.

Se trata de más de 30 juicios de amparo, a través de los cuales buscaban que el decreto fuera declarado inconstitucional y quedara sin efectos. Sin embargo, la gran mayoría de esos juicios están ya concluidos con resoluciones que no favorecieron a las empresas y asociaciones civiles.

SEGUIR LEYENDO EN CONAHCYT

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However, funding – or more, the lack of it- is still a very big issue. According to a recent report by the Global Alliance for the Future of Food (GAFF), the transition to agroecology and regenerative food systems will require U$D 430 billion annually, but right now only U$D 44 billion goes towards this in contrast with the U$D 630 billion which goes annually towards harmful agriculture subsidies. [1]

From June 4 to 7, I was invited by the Agroecology Coalition to attend the Cultivating Change Gathering in Arusha, Tanzania. The meeting was convened by the Global Alliance for the Future of Food, Biovision Foundation, Agroecology Coalition and Climate Works Foundation.

Over 100 people including funders, governments officials and civil society representatives gathered for two very important events on agroecology, fertilizers, and transitions in food systems, including discussing and rallying support to scale and accelerate agroecological good systems transformation.

The main objectives of the June 2024 Cultivating Change Convening were:

• Accelerate Implementation: Reflect on opportunities to align and coordinate strategies, policies, resources, funding and finance to support initiatives to take root and/or scale, with a focus on Tanzania and East Africa.
• Facilitate Knowledge Sharing:Exchange insights from ongoing transition processes and regional discussions.
• Catalyze Coordination: Build relationships and connections within and between countries and regions involved in agroecological transitions.

Charles Tumuhe, AFSA (Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa)

The experience was overall very enriching as we had the opportunity to learn about the transition programs in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. In the case of Tanzania, the National Ecological Organic Agriculture Strategy (NEOAS) has become the gold standard for the transition towards agroecology in the region which has in part been achieved by an increase in its agriculture budget of five times since 2021.

The NEOAS process includes six priority action areas and has been developed by a multistakeholder participatory process in which the TOAM (Tanzanian Organic Agriculture Movement), one of the founding members of Regeneration International has been involved since the beginning, in particular through the work of  its wonderful chair, Mwatima Juma.

Other Eastern African countries are also on the way to develop or have developed the own agroecology strategies and it was really important to also hear from them and draw parallelisms about the common struggles and challenges and farmers all over the world.

Some of the key take aways of the meeting were:

1. The fundamental recognition of indigenous, farmer and local and traditional knowledge and practices is of superb importance.
2. One of the priorities to bridge the funding gap is to coordinate efforts within the donor community and bring a united front of support that goes directly to farmers and civil society organizations.
3. The regenerative agroecology agenda must be in direct dialogue with the climate, biodiversity and health agenda.
4. It is important to work educating consumers, create demand and develop market pathways for agroecology products.
5. Extensionist should be trained in agroecology, since they play a very important role in dissemination and education.
6. Promote peer to peer programs and support PSG and more accessible certification systems.
7. Coordinate global efforts and regional efforts and learn about the beacons of hope, local and regional governments who have embraced regeneration and agroecology.

Mwatima Juma, founding member of Regeneration International, Chair of the Organic Agriculture Movement in Tanzania (TOAM)

The feeling after attending a meeting like this so far away from home is that agroecology has become a galvanizing force for the different movements and has gone from being marginalized, considered far too radical or minimized as an alternative to actually becoming the only and most viable alternative we have to change our food systems. An inclusive agroecology that tackles the issues and goals of food sovereignty, the strengthening of short supply chains and local food systems and healthy diets for a healthy planet.

[1] https://futureoffood.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/GA_CultivatingChange_Report_052124.pdf

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The National Council of Humanities, Sciences and Technologies (Conahcyt) heralded the decision as “a triumph for life, health and food sovereignty.”

Monsanto’s subsidiaries, Semillas y Agroproductos Monsanto and Monsanto Comercial, ratified their withdrawal on June 25.

Monsanto produces the herbicide Roundup, one of several glyphosate-based products that are used in the cultivation of genetically modified organisms (GMO) such as Roundup Ready corn, cotton and soybeans. A common genetic modification makes crops resistant to glyphosate, allowing farmers to apply large amounts of the weed-killer to GMO crops.

The legal battle was initiated in response to President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s 2020 decree to ban the widely used but controversial herbicide, which the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified as a “probable carcinogen,” though its safety remains a subject of debate.

The battle included over 30 amparo (judicial protective order) suits aiming to declare the decree unconstitutional. In July 2022, for example, Bayer, which acquired Monsanto six years ago, obtained a court order against the application of the decree.

CONTINUE READING ON MEXICO NEWS DAILY

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The controversy is overstuffed and a sloppy mess. So far, American and Mexican legal filings contain 586 pages, 758 exhibits, and nearly 2,000 footnotes. Arguments span over 20 separate USMCA provisions and multiple annexes. Extra submissions come from Canada and non-governmental organizations. It’s hard to follow, whether you’re a trade expert, scientist, or just care about food safety.

The U.S. position has two weaknesses: economic errors and misrepresentations about the Decree. These are basic mistakes, from a Trade 101 class, regarding injuries and policy. The fumbles stand out from the legalese and scientific jargon in the filings. And let’s be clear: he U.S. should drop the case.

A good place to start making sense of the fight is the actual Decree. Article 6 outlaws GMO corn for human consumption, precisely defined as corn for tortillas or masa (dough). It stops approvals for GMO corn for these two items. That is it. The Decree is explicit in not touching GMOs in animal feed or industrial use—the kind U.S. corn farmers mostly export.

CONTINUE READING ON COMMON DREAMS

The post Early US Fumbles in Tortilla War With Mexico Over GMO Corn appeared first on Regeneration International.

La agricultura regenerativa es un enfoque innovador que se basa en el mejoramiento de la fertilidad de los terrenos de cultivo mediante prácticas sostenibles como la rotación de cultivos, la cobertura del suelo y el uso de abonos orgánicos entre otros.

Estas prácticas buscan restaurar la salud de la tierra y promover una mayor biodiversidad en los campos.

La regeneración permite mejorar la fertilidad, lo que se traduce en un mayor rendimiento de los cultivos.

También, al recuperar la calidad de la tierra, se pueden cultivar más variedades de plantas, lo que diversifica la producción agrícola y contribuye a la seguridad alimentaria.

Por si fuera poco, estas técnicas de cultivo tienen también impacto sobre la calidad de los suelos haciéndolos resistentes en condiciones climáticas extremas, todo un reto de cara a desafíos futuros en un planeta en franco proceso de cambio climático.

SEGUIR LEYENDO EN UDG NOTICIAS

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The event will be moderated by Thin Lei Win, Climate and Food correspondent.

Programme:

16:30 – 16:40 Opening Session  

• Welcome Remarks – IFAD President Alvaro Lario  
  

• Message from Agroecology Coalition Co-chair  
  

16:40 – 16:50 The Agroecology Coalition and 2024-2030 Strategy  

• Short video   

• Presentation of the Agroecology Coalition Strategy
  Oliver Oliveros, Coordinator, Agroecology Coalition  

16:50 – 17:15 Roundtable Discussion 1: Agroecology in Rome-based Agencies   

• FAO – Corinna Hawkes, Director, Agrifood Systems Division  
  

• IFAD – Jo Puri, Associate Vice-President 
  

• WFP – Carmen Burbano, Director, School Meals Coalition
  
• CGIAR – Juan-Lucas Restrepo, Director-General, Alliance Bioversity-CIAT   

 17:15 – 17:40 Roundtable Discussion 2: Agroecology in countries   

• H.E. Amb. Ngor Ndiaye, Senegal; Chair, Group of Friends of Agroecology

• H. E. Amb. Duong Hai Hung, Vietnam

• Ms. Annette Schneegans, UN Section Head, EU Delegation in Rome

• H. E. Amb. Carla Carneiro, Brazil

 17:40 – 17:45 Closing Session   

• Closing Remarks – Agroecology Coalition co-chair  

KEEP READING ON AGROECOLOGY COALITION

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En razón que tal criterio de resguardo, a la luz de la información científica disponible, resulta absolutamente ineficaz, Naturaleza de Derechos, en el ejercicio del patrocinio jurídico de Cintia – como querellante -, interpuso recurso de apelación ante la Cámara Federal de La Plata, que ya tiene el expediente para su estudio.

En el interín, todo el arco político de Pehuajó – Unión por la Patria, Pro, Radicalismo y la Libertad Avanza (sic) – se complotó para derribar la ya insuficiente distancia de protección ordenada por la justicia federal, aprobando una ordenanza que permite fumigar via terrestres con venenos a 150 metros de las viviendas de los vecinos y vecinas y escuelas rurales en todo el territorio pehuajense.

SEGUIR LEYENDO EN NATURALEZA.AR

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This semester, we are expanding the course to include agroecology and organic agriculture with the title of AROA (Agroecology, Regenerative, and Organic Agriculture). Bringing these three major global movements together as complementary systems is essential. Very importantly, this is a certificate course from an accredited degree-granting university. We plan to have the organic regenerative agriculture faculty offer a range of courses by recognized experts in regenerative, organic, and agroecological practices and systems in the following semesters.

Most people know me as a long-term organic farmer and the international director of Regeneration International. I have decades of teaching experience, communication and adult education degrees, and a Doctorate in Environmental and Agricultural Systems. I have taught and lectured in tertiary institutions on most continents and developed and run many types of courses. These include training courses for farmers, some delivered in institutions and others on farms at farmers’ shed meetings.

I have had the opportunity to use the title of adjunct (part-time) professor for decades; however, I have only chosen to use it now. The current course I have developed in partnership with South Seas University is the most important of all the courses I have developed and taught.

From experience, I have learned that developing innovative courses in most long-established tertiary institutions is very hard. They like conformity to traditional norms and do not like taking risks. The academic mainstream largely ignores and denigrates our agricultural systems. As an organic farmer, teaching in standard agronomy courses offered by most institutions meant being ostracized and marginalized by the academic staff and management for criticizing the mainstream paradigms of toxic pesticides and synthetic fertilizers.

South Seas University (SSU) has a history of innovation, so when I was offered the opportunity to form a department of organic and regenerative agriculture, I jumped at it.

SSU was founded with a vision to provide quality education at an affordable cost, leveraging innovative technology and cooperation with the world’s leading academic institutions. It came about after political upheaval in the Dominican Republic in 1997-1998 caused numerous universities and medical schools to close. Aspiring medical professionals found themselves at the mercy of unscrupulous individuals exploiting their desperation.

Under the leadership of Sir Tom Davis, Dr. Reza Chowdhury, and Lady Carla Davis, the Board worked tirelessly to raise the necessary funds to fill the gap for these students left by the loss of their medical schools and to provide affordable degrees.  By 1999, SSU gained registration with the Government of the Cook Islands as a degree-granting university. The James Cook School of Medicine (JCSM) was registered as the SSU Faculty of Medicine. It was listed in the WHO World Directory of Medical Schools and other licensing authorities. The first cohort of displaced students from the Dominican Republic formed the inaugural class at JCSM. This accomplishment provided SSU’s JCSM graduates with U.S. board exam registration eligibility. It also affirmed the quality and credibility of their education.

SSU’s management brought in distinguished faculty from the Dominican Republic, Mexico, India, Australia, and the United States. SSU forged partnerships with clinical sites across the US, UK, Dominican Republic, India, and Mexico. SSU also introduced IT programs to meet local demand and collaborated with a School in India to produce a nursing program. In the region, SSU was seen as an innovative role model in assisting students in obtaining Medicine, Nursing, and IT degrees. This international collaboration fostered a diverse student body, enriching the educational experience and broadening perspectives.

Running and financing a small university in a developing country brought numerous challenges, especially the costs of securing the necessary registrations and recognitions from relevant authorities before students enrolled. The expensive and limited housing in the Cook Islands, the high cost of communications, and political changes meant numerous adjustments and reorganizations of teaching methods had to be implemented as SSU built its foundation.

The advances in online technology saw SSU increase its reach and affordability for students, reducing the need for travel and accommodation costs.

However, the passing of SSU’s Chancellor, Sir Tom Davis, brought new challenges.  Then, almost two years of border closures and lockdowns due to COVID-19 presented additional challenges that SSU and its Board had to navigate.

With the borders opening and life returning to pre-COVID normal, the Chief Operating Officer and board chair, Dr. Reza Chowdhury, encouraged Lady Carla Davis to take on her late husband’s role as Chief Executive Officer and Dr. Johannes Schonborn, Dean of the James Cook School of Medicine, as acting Chancellor. Lady Carla Davis had the vision to expand the agriculture and health/nutrition programs and provide/pioneer other unique online courses to revolutionize education and help young people create a better world.

SSU has started to grow again and has restarted offering online certificate courses.  Lady Carla Davis (a nutrition educator), plans to offer OL programs in Nutrition and medical degree courses again.

Dr. Bernell Christensen, PhD, from Utah, will set up the School of Psychology program for Bangladesh (to start) through the James Cook School of Medicine. He has cooperation agreements with leading medical schools to stream their lectures online to SSU students. These students will access clinical clerkships at accredited teaching hospitals in the US and UK.

As part of the holistic approach, a certificate course in Regenerative Health taught by educator, physician, and pediatrician Dr. Michelle Perro, MD, is being offered this semester. Dr Perro is the co-author of the highly acclaimed book What’s Making our Children Sick? This course is open to all and complements the innovative medical degree program. It features:

• The state of our health and how we got here.
• An algorithm on how to move from dependency on pharmaceuticals towards food-based solutions to address health concerns and challenges
• Making our children well: A look at the microbiome
• Nutrition for Health Basics with practical solutions
• Homeopathy as a safe, effective, and affordable tool for managing acute and chronic health situations

Consistent with Lady Carla Davis’s vision to provide unique online courses to revolutionize education and help young people create a better world, SSU is offering a certificate course in Education for Total Consciousness (ETC). Taught by His Holiness Jagadguru Swami Isa, the course gives practicing or aspiring teachers and parents the fundamentals of teaching ‘total knowledge’ in the classroom or at home.

Negotiations and plans are underway for more certificate courses, as these are the most accessible. Later, as funding increases, more degree and postgraduate degree courses will be added.

From my perspective as a long-term organic farmer and educator, providing high-quality, accessible, and affordable education is the key to scaling up our nature-based regenerative systems. This is essential to break degenerative industrial agriculture’s near monopoly control on education. SSU gives us a critically important opportunity to do this.

The post Regeneration International’s Partnership With the South Seas University appeared first on Regeneration International.

On May 8th, a collaboration agreement was signed in the city of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, between the Center for Research and Assistance in Technology and Design of the State of Jalisco (CIATEJ) and Regeneration International (RI), in order to strengthen and promote the Billion Agave Project (BAP) in the following areas: research and scientific and technological transfer, project development and implementation, human resources, dissemination, training and institutional services. The agreement was signed by Dr. Eugenia del Carmen Lugo Cervantes, Director General of CIATEJ and Luis Arturo Carrillo Sánchez, Coordinator of the BAP.

The establishment of this agreement is part of one of BAP’s strategic axes of development, which is to formalize and consolidate an active network of collaboration with various entities from the social, community, academic, public and private sectors, to enable the implementation of the project on a national scale.

This alliance with CIATEJ, one of the most prestigious research centers in Mexico and a leader in agave research, is of paramount importance for the BAP, since some of the productive projects that are being promoted through this initiative require the knowledge already developed by this research center. Such is the case of the extraction and characterization of agave inulin, which is a family of complex sugars with multiple beneficial properties for health and highly demanded in the food and pharmaceutical sector, and whose market is growing.

Adding value to agave cultivation through the implementation of sustainable productive projects that diversify its use, such as the extraction and commercialization of inulin, is one of the BAP’s strategies to encourage producers to establish agroecological agave-based plantations that strengthen bioculturality and contribute to carbon sequestration, as well as to the ecological, social and economic regeneration of the territory.

Photo credit: Joel Caldwell

Agave can be harvested from the root to the stalks. However, in some regions, the industry has focused on taking advantage of only some of its products, as is the case of tequila derived from blue agave in the state of Jalisco or the fiber obtained from henequen in Yucatan. This is why the BAP seeks to rescue the millenary vision of holistic use, generating projects that add social, economic and environmental value.

During the event, the scientific and technological capabilities of CIATEJ were highlighted through its five lines of research: Plant Biotechnology, Industrial Biotechnology, Food Technology, Environmental Technology and Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology. These capabilities were presented with the objective of actively participating in the project, taking advantage of the vast experience accumulated in topics related to agave, from its cultivation to the management and reuse of residues.

Several organizations, institutions and companies attended to this event, including the Agaveros en Alianza, agave and raicilla producers, the Centro de Biotecnología Genómica del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, the Centro Universitario de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias de la Universidad de Guadalajara, the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias sede Jalisco, the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara, the National Forestry Commission, the Subdirectory of Technological Innovation and Science Linkage of the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Rancho El Mexicano, the Subsecretaría de Fomento e Innovación Económica de Nuevo León, the company Sarape Social, and the Agricultural and Agroindustrial Council of the State of Jalisco.

At the end of the event, a tour of the CIATEJ facilities was conducted so that they could learn first-hand about its capabilities and resources, thus facilitating future collaborations.

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