USDA Announces Decision to Fully Deregulate Roundup Ready Alfalfa

USDA Announces Decision to Fully Deregulate Roundup Ready Alfalfa

WASHINGTON, Jan. 27, 2010 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today announced its decision to grant non-regulated status for alfalfa that has been genetically engineered to be resistant to the herbicide commercially known as Roundup.
"After conducting a thorough and transparent examination of alfalfa through a multi-alternative environmental impact statement (EIS) and several public comment opportunities, APHIS has determined that Roundup Ready alfalfa is as safe as traditionally bred alfalfa," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said. "All of the alfalfa production stakeholders involved in this issue have stressed their willingness to work together to find solutions. We greatly appreciate and value the work they've done so far and will continue to provide support to the wide variety of sectors that make American agriculture successful."
After releasing a final EIS in December 2010, USDA took another step to ensure that this issue received the broadest examination before making its final decision. USDA brought together a diverse group of stakeholders to discuss feasible strategies for coexistence between genetically engineered (GE), organic, and other non-GE stakeholders. The stakeholders helped to identify areas of consensus; issues where the group disagreed and opportunities for further dialogue exist; and areas where USDA could – or should – play an important and helpful role.
In response to the request for support from its stakeholders, USDA is taking a number of steps, including:
• Reestablishing two important USDA advisory committees - Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture, and the National Genetic Resources Advisory Committee. These two committees will tackle a broad range of issues, from ensuring the availability of high quality seed, to helping ensure that growers have access to the best tools available to support their production choices, to whether risk management and indemnification options can play a role;
• Conducting research into areas such as ensuring the genetic integrity, production and preservation of alfalfa seeds entrusted to the germplasm system;
• Refining and extending current models of gene flow in alfalfa;
• Requesting proposals through the Small Business Innovation Research program to improve handling of forage seeds and detection of transgenes in alfalfa seeds and hay; and,
• Providing voluntary, third-party audits and verification of industry-led stewardship initiatives.
More information on these areas of support USDA will provide outside of the regulatory arena is available online .
APHIS' deregulation of Roundup ready alfalfa will become effective upon publication of the Agency's determination of nonregulated status in the Federal Register. USDA's Record of Decision on RR alfalfa is available to the public at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/

Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow Welcomes Colleagues to Senate Agriculture Committee

Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow Welcomes Colleagues to Senate Agriculture Committee

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., Chairwoman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, today issued the following statement as her appointment, and all committee assignments, were officially announced today by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

“I am so pleased to welcome all of our newly appointed Members to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. Agriculture is critical to our economy and is helping to lead our recovery. I look forward to working with all of our Committee colleagues to help create new jobs and continue America’s leadership in this important sector.”

Members appointed to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry today include:

Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
Tom Harkin (D-IA)
Kent Conrad (D-ND)
Max Baucus (D-MT)
Ben Nelson (D-NE)
Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
Robert Casey (D-PA)
Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Michael Bennet (D-CO)
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Pat Roberts (R-KS)
Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)
Richard Lugar (R-IN)
Thad Cochran (R-MS)
Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Mike Johanns (R-NE)
John Boozman (R-AK)
Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
John Thune (R-SD)
John Hoeven (R-ND)

Chairwoman Stabenow Endorses USDA Move to Deregulate Roundup Ready Alfalfa

Chairwoman Stabenow Endorses USDA Move to Deregulate Roundup Ready Alfalfa

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, expressed support for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s decision today to deregulate Roundup Ready alfalfa, but cautioned that flaws in the current biotechnology regulatory system, caused by multiple lawsuits, must be addressed to provide certainty for industry investors, farmers and consumers.

“I applaud the USDA’s decision to deregulate Roundup Ready alfalfa, giving growers the green light to begin planting an abundant, affordable and safe crop,” Stabenow said. “While I’m glad this decision was guided by sound science, I’m concerned that USDA’s process creates too much uncertainty for our growers. Alfalfa was one of nearly two dozen genetically modified crops awaiting USDA evaluation and approval – a bottlenecked process that hinders growth and progress.

“As incoming Chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I’m committed to working with the USDA and stakeholders so that the system promotes safety, certainty, and efficiency. In the coming months, I will examine how we can promote a properly functioning, science-based system that promotes industry investment, growth and job creation while ensuring that consumers can count on safe and affordable products.”

Cibus welcomes Global Food and Farming Future’s call for new technologies to respond to world’s food challenges

Cibus welcomes Global Food and Farming Future’s call for new technologies to respond to world’s food challenges

Wemeldinge, Netherlands (27 January 2011) — Cibus Global, the pioneering crop trait development firm, today welcomed the publication of a major international report into the pressures facing the global food system up to 2050. The Foresight project Global Food and Farming Futures study published this week explores the increasing pressures on the global food system and highlights the decisions that policy makers need to take to ensure that a global population rising to nine billion or more can be fed sustainably and equitably.

The report predicts that the global population will rise from seven billion today to eight billion by 2030 and nine billion by 2050. Increasing wealth will lead to demands for a more varied, high quality and resource-intensive diet, while competition for land, water and energy will intensify. Climate change may also be another major challenge to the ability to meet growing demand for food.

The report notes that the global food supply system is already facing considerable strain, with up to 2 billion people thought to be experiencing hunger or “hidden hunger”, with key nutrients missing from their diet. Recent sharp rises in food prices have highlighted problems in meeting existing demand.

Among a number of key recommendations, the Foresight project, which was funded by the UK government and involved experts from 35 countries, calls for the use and development of new technologies to help increase sustainability of production and reduce the environmental impact of current farming methods.

“Investment in research on modern technologies is essential in light of the magnitude of the challenges for food security in coming decades,” the report said.

Commenting on the publication of the Foresight report, Keith Walker, President, Cibus Global, said, “We welcome this important contribution to the growing debate around the challenges of meeting the food needs of a rapidly rising global population. We believe that Cibus’ RTDS system, by using the basic processes of natural selection, has an invaluable role to play in helping farmers in all parts of the world to improve yields across a wide range of crops and plants, while respecting traditional boundaries and the environment. We look forward to working with farmers, companies, governments and NGO’s in helping to meet these challenges.”

Cibus develops protection and performance enhancement traits for crops using its patented Rapid Trait Development System (RTDS™). RTDS is an environmentally safe trait development procedure that avoids the introduction of foreign genetic material into plants by mimicking natural methods in a highly targeted way. RTDS has been recognized by the USDA as a mutagenesis technique, and is therefore not subject to the regulations applied to transgenic (or GM) crops. Cibus is currently working with a wide variety of partners to develop non-transgenic traits for nine different crops, including rapeseed oil (canola), flax and potato.

The Foresight project Global Food and Farming Futures report can be accessed via the link below.
http://www.bis.gov.uk/foresight/our-work/projects/current-projects/global-food-and-farming-futures

Homemade Valentine's Day Dinner for Two

Homemade Valentine's Day Dinner for Two
Nielsen-Massey Vanillas offers recipes sure to satisfy everyone's sweetie
Waukegan, Ill. (January 27, 2011) - Nothing's more romantic than a homemade Valentine's Day meal - it saves time, money and sets the tone for a wonderful private evening for two. Turn on the love songs, light the fireplace and make a decadent dinner with help from Nielsen-Massey Vanillas. Vanilla is one of the most popular flavors, and is a scent associated with love.

Cooking cupids can experiment with vanilla and pure flavor extracts as they are not only used in traditional dessert recipes, but are also used in savory dishes such as chicken, beef and vegetables. Below is a selection of recipes to help create a romantic at-home dinner for two.

Kheer Royale cocktails, Cherry Vanilla Chicken á la Nielsen and Vanilla-Mocha Café Cake with Cherries Jubilee Sauce are sure to delight every Valentine. Add a loaf of Artisan bread and pair the recipes below with a favorite salad and vegetable to round out the meal.

Set the table with the flower of the season - a rose, and start the meal with a rose flavored cocktail.

Kheer Royale
Courtesy of Flannery & Katherine Good of www.fashionablybombed.com

Champagne
1 ounce Cardamom Simple Syrup
1 ounce Saffron-infused Vodka
4 drops Nielsen-Massey Pure Rose Water

Add saffron-infused vodka, simple syrup and rose water to a champagne flute. Top with champagne and gently stir.

Cardamom Simple Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
10 cardamom pods (crushed)

Combine water, sugar and cardamom pods in a medium saucepan. Boil until sugar has dissolved, stirring frequently. Let sit for at least one hour. Let cool, strain and store in refrigerator.

Saffron-infused Vodka
1/2 cup vodka
1/2 teaspoon saffron strands

Combine Vodka and saffron strands in a sealed container. Let sit over night, shaking occasionally. Note: the longer you let the saffron soak, the more intense the saffron flavor will be.

Makes 2


Accompany the Kheer Royal with Cherry Vanilla Chicken - an easy-to-make, yet impressive main dish. Plate two chickens and enjoy the leftovers for lunch.


Cherry Vanilla Chicken á la Nielsen
From Nielsen-Massey Vanillas A Century of Flavor

3/4 dried cherries, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
1 cup dry white wine

Soak the cherries in the vanilla extract in a bowl for 10 minutes. Rinse and pat dry the chicken. Cut a pocket in the thickest part of each chicken breast. Spoon 1/2 tablespoon of the vanilla paste into each pocket and stuff with the marinated cherries, reserving some for the sauce. Secure each pocket closed with two wooden picks.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof skillet. Sauté the chicken in the hot oil over medium-high heat until golden brown on each side. Sprinkle with the rosemary. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or to 160 degrees on a meat thermometer.

Remove the chicken from the skillet and place one on each of four dinner plates. Remove the wooden picks. Place the skillet over medium-high heat. Pour the wine into the skillet, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, to deglaze the pan. Add the reserved cherries and vanilla extract. Cook until the liquid is reduced. Spoon approximately 2 tablespoons of the cherries and sauce over each chicken breast.

Note: Reduce is when a liquid is cooked until the liquid amount decreases and thickens, which intensifies the flavor.

Serves 4


After cherry chicken, mocha cake will please the sweetest of taste buds. Make it in a heart-shaped pan to add to the ambiance! Slice two pieces and save the rest for later.


Vanilla-Mocha Café Cake
From Nielsen-Massey Vanillas A Century of Flavor

2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup cooled brewed black coffee
2 teaspoons Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract
2 teaspoons Nielsen-Massey Pure Coffee Extract
1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Pure Chocolate Extract
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 12-cup Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Beat the eggs, canola oil, yogurt, coffee, vanilla extract, coffee extract and chocolate extract in a mixing bowl using an electric mixer on low speed. Add the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes; the batter will be thin. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the cake tests done. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert onto a serving platter. Serve with Nielsen-Massey's Cherries Jubilee Sauce.

Serves 12 to 16

Nielsen-Massey's Cherries Jubilee Sauce
2 (21-ounce) cans sweet cherries in heavy syrup
1/4 cup brandy
1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Pure Chocolate Extract
2 teaspoons Nielsen-Massey Tahitian Pure Vanilla Extract

Combine the cherries, brandy, brown sugar, chocolate extract and vanilla extract in a large sauté pan. Cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Serve over Vanilla-Mocha Café Cake.

Makes about 5 cups


Valentine cooks can't go wrong with a delicious homemade meal, a rose decorated table, dim candlelight and romantic music.

Researchers Reach a Breakthrough for Protein Levels in Key Staple Crop

Researchers Reach a Breakthrough for Protein Levels in Key Staple Crop
Results could prove beneficial to millions suffering from malnutrition

ST. LOUIS, MO January 26, 2011— Researchers working at The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center’s International Laboratory for Tropical Agricultural Biotechnology (ITLAB), have made an another advancement in their efforts to improve the root crop cassava which is a major source of calories to 700 million people worldwide, primarily living in the developing world. A study conducted Dr. Claude Fauquet, Principal Investigator and Director of ITLAB, established a method to provide more dietary protein in cassava. The results of this research are published in the recent article, "Transgenic biofortification of the starch staple cassava (Manihot esculenta) generates a novel sink for protein," in the PloS One journal

Cassava has many properties that make it an important food source across much of Africa and Asia, it also has many limitations. For example, cassava has poor nutritional content because it is lacking protein among other micronutrients.

Although calorie dense, the starchy, tuberous roots of cassava provide the lowest sources of dietary protein among the major staple food crops. The starchy roots total protein content ranges from 0.7 to 2.5% dry weight compared with 7 to 14% in cereals such as wheat, rice and corn. Insufficient protein intake often leads to protein energy malnutrition (PEM), which is estimated to affect one in four children in Africa. Cassava has the lowest protein to energy ratio (P:E) of any staple food, making resource-poor populations that rely on cassava as their major source of calories at high risk of PEM which can lead to permanent physical and mental disabilities and related pathological disorders.

“The ILTAB lab strives to improve cassava productivity and quality through genetic transformation to help less developed countries and we are a step closer to that reality,” said Dr. Claude Fauquet, principal investigator and director of ITLAB at The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. “This study will contribute to efforts to end the very real and scary reality that a child dies every six seconds from malnutrition.”

The cassava used in the study was genetically modified to express zeolin, a nutritionally balanced storage protein resulting in total protein levels of 12.5% dry weight within the tissue, a fourfold increase as compared to the non-transgenic controls. This breakthrough demonstrates that it is possible to increase the PE ratio for cassava to be close that of cereals, and that it is possible to improve essential amino acid composition to directly benefit children. Initially Fauquet and his team had concern that the modified cassava would have a disrupted physiology and altered phenotype of the transgenic plants. Greenhouse and field studies revealed this not to be the case, with similar levels of protein accumulation recorded across more than three years of testing in three different locations.

A two-year-old child consuming 50% of his/her dietary energy as wild type cassava would receive about 3 g dietary protein, equivalent to 20% of their daily protein requirement. The same child consuming the same amount of modified cassava accumulating storage protein at levels achieved in the study would obtain approximately 16 g of dietary protein, or more than 100% of their daily requirement. This illustrates that genetic modification of cassava has the potential to deliver enhanced nutrition to at-risk populations.

The results prove a concept towards the potential transformation of cassava from a starchy staple, devoid of storage protein, to one capable of supplying inexpensive, plant-based proteins for food, feed and industrial applications.

About The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
Founded in 1998, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is a not-for-profit research institute with a mission to improve the human condition through plant science. Research at the Danforth Center will feed the hungry and improve human health, preserve and renew the environment, and enhance the St. Louis region and Missouri as a world center for plant science. The Center’s work is funded through competitive grants and contract revenue from many sources, including the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Agency for International Development, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Howard Buffett Foundation.
About ILTAB
ILTAB has developed significant expertise in cassava genetic transformation to produce commercial products that are resistant to cassava viruses and have more nutritious roots. The technology is now capable of producing high quality transgenic cassava plants in a variety of farmer-preferred cultivars, with the possibility of stacking many genes expressing several important agronomic or nutritional traits.

ILTAB was established in 1991 with a mission to develop the techniques and products of tropical plant biotechnology and to transfer knowledge and resources to developing countries. By doing so, it will help these countries improve their agricultural production in a sustainable manner, providing useful research tools and training young scientists from these countries. Three major crops were initially chosen as a core for the research activities: rice, cassava and tomato, but ILTAB is now concentrating only on cassava with the goal to deliver products in Africa. Research projects have also been initiated on yam, sweet potato, cotton, sugarcane, and a number of other tropical and sub-tropical crop species, contributing to the wide range of experience within ILTAB.

Claude Fauquet, a native of France, obtained his academic degrees from the University Louis Pasteur in Strasbourg, France. Prior to co-founding ILTAB at The Scripps Research Institute with Dr. Roger Beachy in 1991, Dr. Fauquet worked for 19 years as a plant virologist for IRD, including 14 years stationed at a French research center in Ivory Coast, West Africa. Dr. Fauquet is also a member of the Graduate Faculty at University of Missouri-St. Louis, Adjunct Professor with University of Missouri-Columbia, and Co-Chair of the Global Cassava Partnership, which he founded in 2002.

FITNESS Magazine’s 2nd Annual Ten Champions of Health and Fitness Honorees

FITNESS Magazine’s 2nd Annual Ten Champions of Health and Fitness Honorees Include
U.S. Surgeon General, Regina Benjamin, Jillian Michaels, Jamie Oliver & Jessica Biel

NEW YORK, NY (January 27, 2010) – FITNESS magazine announced their second annual Champions of Health and Fitness Awards, honoring ten do-good powerhouses who are helping people in the United States live healthier and better. Ten activists and innovators were nominated by health experts and FITNESS editors for their contributions over the past year.

For the full story including photos, please visit: http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/real-plans/stay-fit/2011-champions-of-health-and-fitness/

The Ten Champions of Health and Fitness are:

America’s Doctor: Regina Benjamin, M.D.
Since taking office, Benjamin has called on employers to encourage physical activity for their employees, pushed physicians to talk to patients about how their weight can affect their health, and encouraged families to become more active and limit TV viewing. Last January, she released The Surgeon General’s Vision for a Healthy and Fit Nation, her grassroots plan for combating the obesity epidemic.

Tough-Love Trainer: Jillian Michaels
The Biggest Loser trainer and bestselling author formed her tough-love approach to fitness at age 14, when she was “the chubby ugly duckling who ate lunch alone every day.” Going through her own personal transformation taught her that setting goals is the key to changing lives.

Food Revolutionary: Jamie Oliver
Not only did Oliver overhaul lunch menus on his Emmy winning TV show, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, he launched an online petition in the UK that called for better food for kids which pushed the British government to announce an almost $1 billion investment to improve nutrition in schools. He’s started a similar petition in the United States that has more than 622,000 signatures and he plans to present it to Congress.

Action Heroine: Jessica Biel
She kicked off 2010 by climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise awareness for the global water crisis. She’s also hosted and participated in Revlon Run/Walks for breast and ovarian cancer, and she’s a true defender of the environment.

Compassionate Medicine: Roseanna Means, M.D.
Female patients weren’t showing up at the Boston clinic for the homeless where she was the medical director, so she started Women of Means, which enlists volunteer doctors to donate $500,000 in medical care to 2,500 women and children at 10 shelters every year. The women are also taught good nutrition, given pedometers and encouraged to walk, and offered yoga and dance classes.

The Wheel Deal: Chris Carney
Hosting a fund-raiser for a wounded soldier in 2004, inspired the personal trainer and amateur cyclist to do a 5,000 mile solo coast-to-coast charity bike ride to raise more money. Two years later, Carney had raised nearly $4 million from his Solider Rides.

Budding Genius: Donna Cavato
Nearly 5 years ago, Cavato helped design Louisiana’s first-ever Edible Schoolyard (ESY), an educational gardening program. The garden now yields about 2,600 pounds of produce every school year. Kids work in the garden, and the chef-teachers on Cavato’s staff show them how to use the produce they grow to prepare healthy dishes that taste good.

Class Act: John Skretta
In 2004, Nebraska’s Norris School District 160 Superintendent partnered with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation to combat childhood obesity, and since then he has overhauled the district’s phys ed programs. Kids have daily breaks at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and each school period starts with a Jammin’ Minute when kids dance to get their hearts pumping. The staff has, started walking and running clubs, and the high school hosts monthly walk/runs for the community.

Healing Force: Kathryn Schmitz, Ph.D.
Thanks to an international team of experts led by Schmitz, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has issued guidelines strongly endorsing exercise for cancer patients and survivors and begun certifying specialized cancer exercise trainers.

Social Networker: Chris Downie
Inspired by his own health makeover, Downie launched SparkPeople.com in 2001, an online community whose mission is to help people reach their health goals. Today, with 9 million users, it is the largest diet and fitness website in the United States, and features health tips, online tools like fitness trackers, workout videos and recipes—all free.

About FITNESS magazine
Launched in 1992, FITNESS magazine is a leading source for all the latest news on health, nutrition and exercise. The magazine and its partner website, fitnessmagazine.com are devoted delivering strategies and tools that help women make little changes to achieve big success. With a you-can-do-it attitude, our workouts, health and beauty advice, diet plans and success stories motivate readers to get strong in mind, body, and spirit. The magazine empowers women to embrace fitness as a lifestyle—not an age or dress size-and to change the conversation from "skinny" to "healthy." FITNESS is published 10 times a year by Meredith Corporation [NYSE: MDP], with a rate base of 1.5 million and an audience of 7.3 million readers. For more information, please visit www.fitnessmagazine.com.