Stuff
Viewpoint: New Zealand farmers push for biotechnology regulatory reform — ‘Farming regulations can’t stop a flood, but they can stifle a farmer’s ability to practice their craft’
In a world with food prices escalating, it is difficult to understand why any government would implement regulations that made ...
‘It’s outdated and overly cautious’: New Zealand’s National Party calls for overturning ban on gene-edited and GMO crops
The New Zealand National Party is campaigning to reverse the “ban” on gene editing and genetic modification ...
Viewpoint: Is anti-biotechnology New Zealand ready to embrace gene drives to control wasps, possums and other predator pests?
The once-forbidden concept of gene editing for predator control is back on the table after two projects received New Zealand ...
Viewpoint: ‘Misuse, theft and discrimination’ — Here’s why it’s essential to keep your DNA data safe and private
Incredibly, by 2025, 60 million people in the United States alone will have had their DNA sequenced and analysed for ...
Predator free? New Zealand inches towards considering ‘forbidden’ gene editing and gene drives to control possums, rats and other predators
Appetite for gene editing has always been low among the New Zealand public. In 1999, 20,000 people protested in Auckland alone, ...
Precision fermentation: New genetic modification process could make anything from fossil-free biofuels to animal-free milk and cow-free cheese
Known as precision fermentation, the process is a hot topic because it can be used to make anything from fossil-free ...
Viewpoint: A science-backed case in support of organic farming
Conventional or intensive farming and gardening is dominated by monocultures – fields of crop plants and nothing else. These are ...
Food prices have increased by 33% worldwide and costs are continuing to rise. How can we boost productivity to feed a growing population?
The FAO food price index has increased 32.8 per cent from September 2020 – food prices globally have increased by ...
Impossible Foods applies for approval to sell GMO plant-based burgers in New Zealand
The American food technology company Impossible Foods has applied to the food safety regulator for approval of its genetically engineered ...
Young scientists urge New Zealand’s Green Party to embrace CRISPR for ‘sake of the climate’
Recently, there has been a shift in society's view of genetic modification and its potential applications in the fight against ...
Viewpoint: New Zealand’s ‘archaic’ GMO laws hold back research that could boost sustainable farming
New Zealand's archaic GMO laws heavily regulate the research and release of genetically engineered organisms. Those wanting to test on ...
With its biotech scientists forced overseas, New Zealand should rethink strict GMO rules, official says
New Zealand has a proud history of innovators and pioneering entrepreneurs who have turned ideas into world-beating businesses. It is ...
Push to use gene editing to fight invasive predators rejected in New Zealand
A lobby group is calling for an end to a ban on investigating whether genetic technologies could be used to kill predators ...
New Zealand’s Environment Court says local governments must take ‘precautionary approach’ to GMO adoption
Opponents of the use of genetic engineering are hailing a recent [New Zealand] Environment Court decision as "a victory for common ...
New Zealand garden centers continue selling neonicotinoid insecticides, won’t follow Bunnings’ lead
Kiwi garden centres will not immediately follow hardware giant Bunnings' lead and stop selling controversial pesticides said to harm bees ...
How GMOs could slash livestock methane greenhouse gas emissions
Genetically modified ryegrass developed to reduce methane emissions and nitrate discharges by livestock is being tested in the United States. Limits on ...
To feed a growing, hungry global population, we need more plant breeders
Plant breeders are in short supply as the human population heads to an estimated nine billion in 2050 and they ...
High-yield, environmentally-friendly GMO ryegrass moved to US for field trials due to New Zealand’s strict biotech laws
Genetically modified grass that could lower farming's environmental footprint will be taken offshore next year for field testing. Developed by ...
New Zealand won’t permit field trials of sustainable GMO ryegrass
AgResearch scientists have developed a genetically modified (GM) ryegrass that has a 40 per cent increase in production and a 30 ...
GMO grasses could provide healthier forage for livestock, reduce environmental impact
Grasses of the future will make animals healthier, more productive and reduce their impact on the environment. AgResearch scientist Tony Conner said advances in modern ...
Chinese, New Zealander researchers look for year-round breeding genes in sheep
In 2013, the Chinese government announced its intention to achieve self- sufficiency in red meat production by 2020. This announcement ...
Can genetics make weight gain inevitable for some?
The greatest gift I gave my children was my husband's genes. I'm not the only one who thinks that - ...
Letting go of your own “leftover” IVF embryos
In a few days a big part of our lives will be no more. For the past six years our ...