Bridges Trade BioRes • Volume 7 • Number 12 • 22nd June 2007
Resources
If you have a relevant resource (books, papers, bulletins, etc.) you would like to see announced in this section, please forward a copy for review by the Bridges staff to Malena Sell at msell@ictsd.ch.
UPHOLDING THE LAW: THE CHALLENGE OF EFFECTIVE ENFORCEMENT. By the Environmental Investigation Agency, June 2007. Effective implementation and enforcement of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) is critical to the success of every aspect and objective of the Convention. This briefing paper calls upon parties to CITES to acknowledge that environmental crime, including wildlife crime, is a form of serious transnational organised crime and to adopt appropriately stringent measures to tackle it effectively. To this end, the authors offer a number of specific policy recommendations for CITES delegates. The paper is available at http://www.eia-international.org/cgi/reports/reports.cgi?t=template&a=139.
FAO BIOTECHNOLOGY GLOSSARY ON CD-ROM. By the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, June 2007. The FAO has released a CD-ROM containing the Arabic, English, French, and Spanish versions of the FAO Glossary of Biotechnology for Food and Agriculture, with cross-referencing among the four languages. The glossary provides definitions of over 3,000 terms and acronyms that are used regularly in biotechnology and related fields. To request a copy of the CD-ROM, contact sandra.tardioli@fao.org. The glossary is also available online at http://www.fao.org/biotech/index_glossary.asp.
BIOTECNHOLOGY IN CROP PRODUCTION AND THE BIOSAFETY PROTOCOL — IMPLICATIONS FOR CEREAL TRADE. By the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, 2007. This paper, which was prepared for a joint meeting of the Intergovernmental Group on Grains and the Intergovernmental Group on Rice, describes international legal instruments that regulate or offer guidelines on genetically modified crops and highlights challenges and implications for the global trade in cereal crops. The paper maintains that the adoption of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety has created a strong demand in many developing countries for establishing effective biosafety systems and concludes that there is a need to provide long-term, continuous technical and financial support to allow the full development of national capabilities in this sector. The paper is available online at ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/meeting/011/J9312E.pdf.
A REVIEW OF INTNERNATIONAL LABELLING POLICIES OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOOD TO EVALUATE INDIA’S PROPOSED RULE. By G.P. Gruère and S.R. Rao (AgBioForum 10(1), 2007). This paper evaluates India’s proposed mandatory labelling rule through the lens of a review of existing international labelling policies for genetically modified (GM) food and associated relevant international agreements. According to the analysis presented, existing evidence from developed countries shows that mandatory labelling regulations have resulted in no additional consumer choice or information. The authors maintain that India’s proposed labelling rules would be among the most stringent in the world and could result in low consumer benefits at a high cost both domestically and internationally. The article is available at: http://www.agbioforum.org/v10n1/v10n1a06-gruere.htm.
IN THE BLACK: THE GROWTH OF THE LOW CARBON ECONOMY. By the Climate Group, 2007. This report describes the growing number of companies worldwide that are implementing low-carbon solutions such as renewables, hybrid cars, and carbon markets. This report also documents the rapid growth experienced by companies that provide low-carbon products and services. The authors maintain that, particularly in the past year, action on climate change around the world has increased dramatically, and that this shift has both created jobs and added value to the economy. The report is available at http://theclimategroup.org/index.php/resources/.
RISK, GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOOD AND THE US/EU DIVIDE. By Dave Toke (International Journal of Green Economics 1:3-4, 2007). Recent developments on genetically modified (GM) food illustrate some key differences between the EU and the US on environmental issues. These differences have paralleled the apparently stronger influence of environmentalists since 1990 on a range of issues in the EU, compared to the US. This paper presents a theoretical analysis of regulatory frameworks in the EU and the US in an attempt to explain such differences. To access the paper, visit http://www.inderscience.com/search/index.php?action=record&rec_id=13069&prevQuery=&ps=10&m=or.
ENVRIONMENTAL POLICY IMPLICATIONS OF INVESTOR-STATE ARBITRATION UNDER NAFTA CHAPTER 11. By Sanford E. Gaines (International Environmental Agreements 13:2, 2007). Chapter 11 of the North American Free Trade Agreement requires governments to treat foreign investors the same as domestic investors, to afford them international standards of due process of law, and to compensate investors for any actions that expropriate their investments. It further allows foreign investors to submit compensation claims to international arbitration. To the alarm of the environmental community, four of the early Chapter 11 claims involved challenges to government measures that were, or appeared to be, environmental protection measures. This paper takes analyses the circumstances of these four claims to determine whether the claimants avoided bona fide environmental protection measures and concludes that environmentalists have little ground for alarm, and much reason to be encouraged, about how Chapter 11 has influenced environmental protection. To access the paper visit http://www.rienner.com/viewbook.cfm?BOOKID=1310.