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International Research

 

Grains Gone Wild

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This opinion piece by New York Times columnist Paul Krugman discusses the escalating prices of wheat, corn, rice, and other food basics and the likely causes, including the change in diet of the Chinese population to include more meat, the escalating price of oil, and bad weather in key agricultural areas.

Commentary: The Plight of the Elephant

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This article describes the International Elephant Foundation's efforts to protect and conserve the African and Asian Elephants. The African Elephant population has fallen from 1.6 million to fewer than 500,000 in the past 25 years, while Asian Elephants are ten times more endangered than their African counterparts.

Poll: Britain Opposes Animal-Human Embryos

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This article summarizes two opinion polls conducted in early 2008 about the use of human-animal embryos in the United Kingdom, with both surveys finding the majority of respondents opposed to the concept.

European Union Faces Pressure to Act on Canada Seal Hunt

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The European Union is considering possible measures against Canada to protest the annual seal hunt off its Atlantic coast, which could potentially include a ban on products derived from Canadian seals.

EU Ethics Group Advises Against Cloning Animals for Food

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The European Group on Ethics released on opinion stipulating that science and new technologies did not find any argument to justify the production of food from clones and their offspring. Instead, it recommends promoting public debates on the impact of cloning farm animals on agriculture, the environment, and society at large.

British Public Opinion on Hunting

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The United Kingdom-based organization "Support Fox Hunting" compiled a list of public opinion polls on hunting and concluded that these surveys show that support for a ban on fox hunting has been decreasing since 1997.

Huge Study of Diet Indicts Fat and Meat

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Early findings from a study of 6,500 Chinese people regarding the relationship between diet and the risk of developing diseases are challenging much of the current American diet. The study indicates that plant-based eating plan is more likely to promote health than disease.

Public Opinion Test for Animal Research

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Britain's Yorkshire Post examines the controversial area of animal testing and presents the recent history of events and public perception pertaining to the topic. The article includes some basics about animal research in the UK, including the fact that 2006 was the first time that the number of animals used in testing was more than 3 million.

SAC Estimates Scottish Organic Beef, Lamb, and Grain Output for 2007-2008: SAC Organic Market Link Survey

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This annual survey of organic producers in Scotland shows that, between July 2007 and June 2008, the country will produce 6,987 head of "finished organic cattle" (an increase of 19% compared to the previous year) and an estimated 100,000 prime organic lambs (an increase of over 10%). The number of store cattle is the same as in the previous year, but store lamb numbers have fallen by 11%, perhaps reflecting the loss of some hill farmers from the organic sector. This survey accounts for 94% of organic producers in Scotland.

Chicken Survey (UK)

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Conducted among readers of Living Earth magazine on behalf of the Soil Association at the end of 2006, this survey shows that 63% of readers bought organic chicken meat; approximately 70% of organic chicken and 2/3 of all poultry came from supermarkets, while the rest were bought direct from farmers or independent retailers. Consumers expect both organic and "free range" chickens to have been raised according to certain animal welfare standards, which in practice are infrequently met by retailers.