Foreword
We begin with a legal issue
regarding genetically modified crops. Under European law, these crops are
heavily regulated, including limitations on how they can be planted and sold.
The law in question is a directive published in 2001, that restricts the
intentional release into the environment of strains where whole genes have been
inserted into the genome. This is an effort to prevent unintentional
crossbreeding of these modified species with wild-type strains, which could
introduce unwanted genetic material into the latter’s genome. There are,
however, some genetic modification techniques that are exempt from this
restriction: namely mutagenesis techniques, which expose plants to mutagens in
order to instil changes to the genome without deliberately adding anything new.
There has been controversy this month regarding.........
Other News this Month Includes:
Policy
- European Court of Justice rules to regulate
genome editing technologies
- US approves sorghum as biofuel feedstock
Markets
- Fears for crops thanks to prolonged European
drought
- Harvest forecasts slashed in hot weather
- US densified biomass production statistics
Research & Development
- "Feeding" algae with plant biomass
- Azolla plant shows potential as biofuel
feedstock
- Post-Horizon2020 EU innovation programme
- Sources and applications of technical lignin
- Startup seeks field trial participants
Wood & Crop
- New "supercritical water" process
to extract cellulose from biomass
- Hot dry weather continues to disrupt global
crops
- Bioenergy Europe announces new woodchip
certification
- Renewed viability of Jatropha
- Sustainability affects wood pulp sector
- High exports lead to Kenyan sisal shortage
- Bamboo for African biomass plant
Other Feedstocks
- Hot drinks packaging cleared for composting
- Evaluating food waste as potential for
Swedish biobased chemicals
- Fiberight launches multi-faceted waste plant
Events
Feedstock Prices