The use of genetically modified (GM) maize technology is subject to compliance with stewardship requirements and the adoption of specific management practices that promote the long-term effectiveness and environmental sustainability of the technology. For smallholders to comply with these requirements and adopt the desired management practices to ultimately benefit from the technology, they require information that creates awareness of the value of these requirements. To determine what information farmers receive about GM maize and how this information is disseminated to farmers, face to face interviews were conducted with 81 extension personnel and 210 smallhoder GM maize farmers in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The effect of Bt maize introduction and management practices in smallholder maize agroecosystems in the Eastern Cape on Bt maize target [Busseola fusca (Fuller) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)] and non-target insect pests [Agrotis segetum (Denis & Schiffermüller) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)] and a snail species, [Cornu aspersum (Müller) (Gastropoda: Helicidae)] was determined through laboratory, field and cage experiments. The effect of smallhoder farmers‟ GM maize cultivation practices on the profitability of GM maize technology was also determined through on-farm trials in different localities of the Eastern Cape identified as hot-spots for stem borer and weed infestation. Results of surveys indicated that extension personnel had a low level of awareness of GM maize technology stewardship requirements. GM maize technology was also largely disseminated to smallholder farmers through non-participatory approaches and print media sourced from GM seed companies. Although farmers had a high level of contact with extension services, they lacked access to information about GM maize technology. Smallholder farmers‟ level of awareness about GM maize and compliance with the requirement for the planting of non-Bt maize refuge areas adjacent to Bt maize was also very low. While Bt maize event (MON810) commonly cultivated by smallholder farmers in the Eastern Cape Province had a variable effect on A. segetum under laboratory conditions, it had no effect on the incidence of plants damaged by A. segetum and C. aspersum under field conditions. The incidence of H. armigera damage on Bt maize plants was however significantly affected by Bt maize. Populations of B. fusca collected from smallholder maize fields in the province were observed to be still highly susceptible to Bt maize. Results of on-farm evaluation of the profitability of GM maize revealed that stem borer pressure, growing conditions, input supplies and market access affect the productivity and profitability of GM maize cultivation. Challenges within the extension and advisory services of the Eastern Cape which can militate against smallholder farmers‟ ability to benefit from GM maize technology and sustain the long-term efficacy of the technology were identified during this study. Given these challenges and the fact that the cultivation of GM maize may not be profitable under typical smallholder maize cultivation conditions and management practices, dissemination approaches that provide farmers the opportunity to evaluate GM maize technology alongside alternate technologies under their conditions, may prove beneficial.

Trade Facilitation Indicators have become important mechanisms of monitoring the ease of trade. Another issue of rising concern is the pervasive debate on genetically engineered organisms and the development of Genetically Engineered Restrictive Index to evaluate its implications on trade. With regards to these, the objective of the United States Trade Representative is to eliminate implicit trade barriers. Hence, this study examines the impact of TFIs on U.S. agricultural export and its efficiency. From the results, a 1% increase in destination’s Genetically Engineered Restrictive Index leads to a US$ 9,426.82 and US$ 74,268.04 decline in corn and soybean exports while wheat experiences a US$ 26,204.05 increase. The ‘I-State’ paradox was also revealed from the efficiency rankings. This research recommends that GE labelling policies should be synchronized to match the requirements of the destination countries. Furthermore, information on GE foods must be transparent and disseminated to change destinations’ negative perception.

No description available.

Today, Africa has more countries with food security problems than any other region on the globe. Two-thirds of all countries suffering food insecurity are in Africa. Present trends would mean that the number of chronically undernourished people in the Southern region of Africa would rise from 180 to 300 million by the year 2010. In this research, I note that in the face of this food or hunger crisis, particularly in Africa, some have argued that genetic engineering biotechnology promises to combat food insecurity. Opponents of the technology argue that, to the contrary, genetic engineering biotechnology undermines food security, food sovereignty and livelihoods on the continent. The technology is designed to block access to food and kill agricultural biodiversity, vest excessive, monopolistic and exclusive power in the hands of a few biotechnologists and giant multinational corporations, and ultimately, create hunger and poverty in Africa and other developing countries by undermining organic and conventional means of farming. The thesis offers a critical theological assessment of the structural, ecological and socioeconomic effects of genetic engineering and biotechnology on agriculture, food production, food security and sovereignty in Africa against some core theological principles. The study, therefore, brings a careful critique to the growing area of science in its relationship to the current issues of food security and sovereignty. The theological framework provides a moral framework for analysis that can be applied in the debate about genetic engineering and biotechnology. In this thesis, I will consistently demonstrate that opponents of the GE technology think that proponents of r-DNA technology are mostly driven by the intent to generate and maximize profits rather than a concern for the common well being, and the intent to control all the stages of agricultural production. The corporate control over essential agricultural resources such as seeds and food entails that multinational companies have control over fundamental human rights of access to healthy, safe and adequate food, nutrition, and ultimately to social and economic development itself. This, then, becomes an issue of justice and hence the concern of the churches and theologians. In this light, then, the study argues that issues of food security and sovereignty cannot be meaningfully and credibly pursued without taking adequate recognition of moral, ethical and theological insights. Such framework would guide scientific and GE technological activities. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.

Univ., Diss.--Freiburg (Breisgau), 2005. / Literaturverz. S. 453 - 466.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität, Göttingen, 2004. / English summary: International liability for damage caused by genetically modified organisms. Copyright by Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften e.V., to be exercised by Max-Planck-Institut für ausländisches öffentliches Recht und Völkerrecht, Heidelberg. Includes bibliographical references (p. [393]-410) and index.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität, Freiburg (Breisgau), 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 453-474).

Com a busca pela praticidade e rapidez na obtenção dos resultados, torna-se cada vez mais importante a implementação de métodos que possam ponderar se os resultados quantitativos são realmente necessários. Os métodos qualitativos são utilizados como uma triagem que antecedem a quantificação e que permite uma redução tanto de tempo como de custos. Estes métodos têm cada vez mais ganhado importância e o uso instrumental proporcionou novas perspectivas e garantia de uma maior confiabilidade e aplicabilidade. O desenvolvimento de metodologias qualitativas aliando métodos instrumentais e quimiometria podem ser apropriados para autenticação de amostras. Desta forma, associado à espectroscopia na região do ultravioleta e visível (UV-Vis) o método quimiométrico de reconhecimento de padrões supervisionado de mínimos quadrados parciais com análise discriminante (PLS-DA), mostrou ser uma ferramenta capaz de autenticar amostras de óleo de soja transgênica e não transgênica, bem como, a autenticação de azeite de oliva extra virgem de acordo com os percentuais de acidez. Além disso, o método proposto permite uma análise rápida e não destrutiva da amostra. Nos estudos, a autenticação de óleos de sojas transgênicos e não transgênicos pode ser atribuída ao deslocamento batocrômico, provavelmente devido às diferenças no grupo cromóforo presente nas amostras transgênicas e não transgênicas, enquanto que nos azeites extra virgem de diferentes percentuais de acidez a autenticação pode ser atribuída a ocorrência de efeitos hipercrômico e hipocrômico. A espectroscopia na região do UV-Vis permitiu a autenticação geográfica de azeites de oliva da região do Mediterrâneo através do método quimiométrico de análise de componentes independentes (ICA). Por ser um método baseado na independência estatística, diferenças entre as amostras provenientes de diferentes países banhados pelo mar Mediterrâneo puderam ser discriminadas, bem como amostras provenientes de um mesmo país. / The search for practical and quickly results increase the importance of methodologies that can ponder if the quantitative results are really needed. The qualitative methods are used as a prior screening to quantification and allows a reduction of time and costs. These methods have increasingly its importance and the instrumental employ provided new perspectives and ensuring greater reliability and applicability. The development of qualitative methods combining instrumental and chemometric can be appropriate for authentication samples. Thus, coupled with spectroscopy in the ultraviolet and visible region (UV-Vis) the supervised pattern recognition method of partial least squares with discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), showed be a tool to authenticate transgenic and non-transgenic soybean oil samples, as well, extra virgin olive oil according to the acidity percentage. Furthermore, the proposed method promote a rapid and non-destructive analysis of the samples. Authentication studies of transgenic and non transgenic soybeans oils can be attributed to the bathochromic shift, due to differences in the chromophore group present in the transgenic and non transgenic samples, while in the extra virgin olive oils with different acidity percentages the authentication can be attributed to the occurrence of hyperchromic and hypochromic effects. UV-Vis spectroscopy allowed the geographic authentication of extra virgin olive oils from the Mediterranean region through the chemometric method of independent component analysis (ICA). Due the ICA be a method based on statistical independence, differences between samples from different countries around the Mediterranean Sea were authenticated, as well the samples from the same country.

Os panoramas social e ambiental estão intimamente relacionados, o que atrai a perspectiva socioambiental. Assim, as interferências nas condições de vida da população proporcionadas pela biotecnologia são compreendidas na proteção ao meio ambiente. A comercialização de organismos geneticamente modificados em alimentos gera muito debate doutrinário e científico na atualidade. No entanto, já é possível revelar alguns mitos e efetivar algumas constatações acerca do tema. Os mitos trazem as promessas de buscar saciar a fome através do aumento da produção com a utilização da biotecnologia na área alimentar, bem como a prioridade na produção de alimentos com propriedades benéficas para a saúde da população. As constatações esbarram em alguns episódios negativos envolvendo a utilização de organismos geneticamente modificados e, também, no forte domínio de grandes corporações, que estão ditando as regras do desenvolvimento biotecnológico. Diante deste quadro, na comercialização dos alimentos, a disponibilização de informações através da rotulagem ganha destaque, sendo importante analisar o tratamento legal que vem sendo dado no âmbito interno, na União Européia, sob a perspectiva dos Estados Unidos e do Codex Alimentarius. Diante do contexto legal, resta claro que ainda existem diversas polêmicas e que a disponibilização de informações ainda encontra alguns desafios, em especial, na fiscalização da rotulagem e na conciliação da informação com a diversidade cultural. Para que a informação tenha plena concretização deve estar inter-relacionada com a educação e a participação dos atores envolvidos. / Submitted by Marcelo Teixeira (mvteixeira@ucs.br) on 2014-06-02T19:26:59Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Patricia Maria Schneider.pdf: 760958 bytes, checksum: a2b8997a6ff8084e112826104e2cbf4a (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-02T19:26:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Patricia Maria Schneider.pdf: 760958 bytes, checksum: a2b8997a6ff8084e112826104e2cbf4a (MD5) / The social and environmental views are closely related, which attracts the socioenvironmental perspective. All artifacts in the living conditions of the population is comprised of biotechnology in environmental protection. The commercialization of genetically modified organisms in food generates much debate and scientific doctrine today. However, it is possible to draw some myths and commit some observations on the subject. Myths bring the promises of seeking satisfying hunger by increasing production with the use of biotechnology in the food, as well as the priority in food production with properties beneficial to health. The findings run into some negative episodes involving the use of genetically modified organisms and also strong in the domain of large corporations that are dictating the rules of biotechnology development. This picture, in the marketing of food, the availability of information through labeling is emphasized, it is important to consider the legal treatment that has been given at the domestic, European Union, from the perspective of the United States and the Codex Alimentarius. Given the legal context, it remains clear that there are still many controversies and the availability of information is still some challenges, particularly in reviewing the labeling and reconciliation of information about cultural diversity. For information to have full effect should be inter-related education and participation of stakeholders.

Os panoramas social e ambiental estão intimamente relacionados, o que atrai a perspectiva socioambiental. Assim, as interferências nas condições de vida da população proporcionadas pela biotecnologia são compreendidas na proteção ao meio ambiente. A comercialização de organismos geneticamente modificados em alimentos gera muito debate doutrinário e científico na atualidade. No entanto, já é possível revelar alguns mitos e efetivar algumas constatações acerca do tema. Os mitos trazem as promessas de buscar saciar a fome através do aumento da produção com a utilização da biotecnologia na área alimentar, bem como a prioridade na produção de alimentos com propriedades benéficas para a saúde da população. As constatações esbarram em alguns episódios negativos envolvendo a utilização de organismos geneticamente modificados e, também, no forte domínio de grandes corporações, que estão ditando as regras do desenvolvimento biotecnológico. Diante deste quadro, na comercialização dos alimentos, a disponibilização de informações através da rotulagem ganha destaque, sendo importante analisar o tratamento legal que vem sendo dado no âmbito interno, na União Européia, sob a perspectiva dos Estados Unidos e do Codex Alimentarius. Diante do contexto legal, resta claro que ainda existem diversas polêmicas e que a disponibilização de informações ainda encontra alguns desafios, em especial, na fiscalização da rotulagem e na conciliação da informação com a diversidade cultural. Para que a informação tenha plena concretização deve estar inter-relacionada com a educação e a participação dos atores envolvidos. / The social and environmental views are closely related, which attracts the socioenvironmental perspective. All artifacts in the living conditions of the population is comprised of biotechnology in environmental protection. The commercialization of genetically modified organisms in food generates much debate and scientific doctrine today. However, it is possible to draw some myths and commit some observations on the subject. Myths bring the promises of seeking satisfying hunger by increasing production with the use of biotechnology in the food, as well as the priority in food production with properties beneficial to health. The findings run into some negative episodes involving the use of genetically modified organisms and also strong in the domain of large corporations that are dictating the rules of biotechnology development. This picture, in the marketing of food, the availability of information through labeling is emphasized, it is important to consider the legal treatment that has been given at the domestic, European Union, from the perspective of the United States and the Codex Alimentarius. Given the legal context, it remains clear that there are still many controversies and the availability of information is still some challenges, particularly in reviewing the labeling and reconciliation of information about cultural diversity. For information to have full effect should be inter-related education and participation of stakeholders.