-DNA If we observe closely, the women entrepreneurs who run a variety of local small businesses are drivers of the local economy in many ways. Never ending stretches of backwaters and lush green coconut groves welcome you as you drive through the southern Indian state of Kerala. It is the only state in India where the sex ratio is of 1084 females per 1000 males. At 92%, Kerala has one of...

-The Hindu Business Line New Delhi: India has raised serious concerns over a proposed US legislation that will require agriculture imports to be mandatorily inspected and audited by the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA). New Delhi fears that once the law is implemented — in about a year from now — it will raise costs for Indian exporters sharply, making exports unfeasible in many cases. Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to...

-The Hindu Business Line Policy interventions, skill development enhance opportunities for farmers Agriculture, the largest livelihood generating activity, is fast transforming itself from a supply-driven to a demand-demand scenario. The discerning consumer (urban, rural and global) is increasingly demanding better quality, multiple choices, Food safety and convenience. Diversification is the key to convene these changing demand patterns with supply, and more importantly, to act as an overall risk mitigant for the producer himself....

-The Times of India BHUBANESWAR: The state government has decided to overhaul the midday meal scheme in over 65,000 schools in the state by this year end to ensure quality food for the mid-day meal. The state government has asked the state Food safety commissioner to conduct laboratory test of food samples at least once a month. "Random samples will be collected from different schools at least once a month and will...

-Outlook Scientist and longtime activist against genetically modified BT seeds, Dr. Vandana Shiva, talks about why BT has a devastating fallout. A sudden pest attack has ruined cotton crops in large parts of Punjab, bringing biotech, or BT Cotton back into focus. Farmers who used bio-fertilisers in the Malwa region of the state are said to be safe from this latest pestilence. But those growing BT cotton have lost everything. There...