Familiar agriculture in Lagoa das Flores, Bahia, Brazil. (Photo:jhelfny/Flickr/CC)

A recently published review paper compares the differences in greenhouse gas contributions between the industrial and agro-ecological production systems and finds that the first one contributes significantly to global warming, representing a large majority of total agriculture-related emissions, reported Lim Li Ching, of the Third World Network (TWN), on the Biosafety Information Centre web page.

A new study entitled “GMO myths and truths” challenges the conventional wisdom that “critics of genetically engineered food are anti-science”, reported Earth Open Source. The study produced by Dr Michael Antoniou, Dr John Fagan and Claire Robinson presents a large body of peer-reviewed scientific and other authoritative evidence of hazards to health and the environment posed by genetically engineered crops and organisms (GMOs).

Iraqi elections officers discussing with UNAMI representative. (Rick Bajornas/UN Photo)

As the Security Council is discussing the renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq this month, concerns remain regarding political consolidation and reconciliation efforts. Women’s rights remain at risk, and their voices are still not adequately heard in the political realm. The issue was debated in the panel discussion held in New York on 9 July 2012 by Hana Edwar, Founder and Secretary-General, Iraqi Al-Amal Association and Ms. Raz Rasool, Founder, Kurdistan Business Women Association.

Photo: CAP

Visitors at the Penang Hospital learn about good eating habits when they stroll through the healthy lifestyle exhibition organized by the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) that ends on Friday 20. The event is aimed to raise awareness on the consumption of foods rich in sugar, fat, salt and chemicals that led to obesity among Malaysians. Some worrying trends: Malaysians are the eight highest sugar users in the world, they are getting used to keep awake till late and meat is fast becoming a staple food.

Protesters "embrace" a lake near the Conga project. (Photo: Punto de Vista y Propuesta)

The International Network for Economic, Social & Cultural Rights (ESCR-Net), transmitted on 11 July a communication to the Government of Peru to request urgent action to protect the human rights of people protesting the Conga gold mine in Peru after five people lost their lives in the week of July 3, on a wave of “disproportionate police repression”.