http://www.whybiotech.com The CBI blog is focused on providing the latest news and information on agricultural biotechnology. Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:13:54 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en     The Hawaii Crop Improvement Association (HCIA) has opened its 4th annual Dr. James L. Brewbaker Scholarship contest. Dr. Brewbaker helped establish the Corn Research Program at the University Of Hawaii College Of Agriculture in the 1960s and founded HCIA. Three scholarships will be awarded to Hawaii high school students graduating in ... http://www.whybiotech.com/?p=1700 Roger Beachy, long-time head of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, has agreed to join the Obama Administration as director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), the new research funding arm of the US Department of Agriculture. As the head of this organization, Beachy aims to fund ... http://www.whybiotech.com/?p=1685 Members of the Iowa ag community will gather in Des Moines February 9-10 for the Iowa Agribusiness Association's annual Agribusiness Showcase and Conference. The event will include an "Ag Industry & Crop Management Conference" with seminars and workshops focusing the latest industry innovation and technology for crop production professionals, as ... http://www.whybiotech.com/?p=1673 In early January, we wrote about the co-existence event at the Maine Agricultural Trades Show, which brought together both organic and conventional farmers to discuss how the two practices can work together to feed the world. The Maine Biotechnology Information Bureau was on hand for the standing-room only event that addressed ... http://www.whybiotech.com/?p=1663 World leaders and CEOs at the Davos 2010 World Economic Forum participated in a panel called "Rethinking how to feed the world." The panel discussed the challenges facing global food production and possible solutions that will increase yield and support agricultural producers worldwide. The panel was moderated by Prannoy Roy, Chairman, ... http://www.whybiotech.com/?p=1657 In November, CBI blogged about the Leonardo Academy's search for applicants to fill seven vacant seats on its National Sustainable Agriculture Standards Committee, which aims to establish a common set of economic, environmental and social metrics by which to determine whether an agricultural crop has been produced in a sustainable manner. The ... http://www.whybiotech.com/?p=1650 This and related challenges will be discussed on Friday, February 12th, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Eastern, at The Newseum in Washington, D.C., leading agricultural experts host an international discussion on how to address challenges farmers and nations will face in the next century. Panelists will comment on Dr. ... http://www.whybiotech.com/?p=1636 Bill Gates, Microsoft Chairman and head of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, writes about the importance of achieving both agricultural productivity and sustainability. As head of the largest foundation in the world, Mr. Gates has made a $1.4 billion commitment to small farmers for reducing global hunger through approaches ... http://www.whybiotech.com/?p=1631 The University of Minnesota Institute on the Environment produced an excellent video that asks the big question "how will we feed a growing population without destroying the planet?" The video shares some sobering facts that underline the enormity of the challenges before us, but also provides solutions and ideas on ... http://www.whybiotech.com/?p=1624 Joel Kotkin of Forbes Magazine discusses the troubling "assault on mainstream farmers" that is slowly manifesting itself in policies that result in "cutoffs on water...and a growing movement to ban the use of genetic engineering in crops" at a time when the world population is multiplying rapidly. He reminds his ... http://www.whybiotech.com/?p=1618