Posted April 13, 2018
The Justice Department has decided to allow Bayer AG’s megadeal to acquire Monsanto Co., valued at more than $60 billion, after the companies pledged to sell off additional assets to secure government antitrust approval, according to people familiar with the matter. An agreement in principle between the companies and the department, brokered in recent days, marked a breakthrough in the U.S. merger review process, which had remained in limbo because of Justice Department concerns about the deal. Read more.
Get Informed on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
Canadian Wheat Exports to Italy Slump Over Glyphosate Fears
Posted April 12, 2018
The world’s largest pasta maker says it has had to cutback Canadian imports of durum wheat – a key ingredient in pasta – because of ongoing consumer concerns about the use of a popular weed killer. Barilla’s purchasing director Emilio Ferrari told grain groups in Toronto last week the company has cut back their Canadian wheat imports by 35 per cent, despite the fact Canadian durum wheat is of exceptional quality. No contracts for Canadian durum are being signed right now, he said. Read more.
USDA is Flying Blind on Genome-Edited Crops
Posted April 12 2018
The USDA says, “Under its biotechnology regulations, USDA does not regulate or have any plans to regulate plants that could otherwise have been developed through traditional breeding techniques as long as they are not plant pests or developed using plant pests. This includes a set of new techniques that are increasingly being used by plant breeders to produce new plant varieties that are indistinguishable from those developed through traditional breeding methods.” Read more.
A Hidden Epidemic: Glyphosate
Posted March 30, 2018
San Diego scientists are helping to expose a major public health hazard that affects every person in the nation. In 2017 Dr. Paul Mills and associates at the University of California School of Medicine, San Diego published a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association,[1] showing that the amount of the probable carcinogen glyphosate[2] in people has increased enormously over the last 20 years. Read more.
The Forests are in Crisis but Biotechnology is not the Answer
Posted March 30, 2018
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine has a study under way to consider the “potential for biotechnology to address forest health.” Presentations, panelists and participants have included representatives from the U.S. Forest Service; Departments of Agriculture and Energy; academics in forest biology, tree biotechnology, genetics and ethics; indigenous peoples; and others involved in the issue of preserving America’s forests. Read more.
Beyond GMOs and Fast Food Nation: Regenerating Public Health
Posted March 30, 2018
After decades of chemical-intensive agriculture, factory farms and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in our food, and an ongoing war against natural systems and traditional knowledge, America’s rural communities, environment and public health are rapidly deteriorating. Read more.
Popular Beer and Wine Brands Contaminated with Monsanto’s Weedkiller, Tests Reveal
Posted March 30, 2018
The past few years have revealed some disturbing news for the alcohol industry. In 2015, CBS news broke the announcement of a lawsuit against 31 brands of wines for high levels of inorganic arsenic. In 2016, beer testing in Germany also revealed residues of glyphosate in every single sample tested, even independent beers. Moms Across America released test results of 12 California wines that were all found to be positive for glyphosate in 2016. Read more.
Amazon and GM Arctic Apples Unlabeled
Posted March 30, 2018
GM Arctic apples are being sold on Amazon without disclosing that they are GM. They are engineered not to brown when cut and thus are advertised as “preservative free”. There’s nothing illegal about this, since GM foods do not have to carry a GM label on the package in the US and the apples are not being sold outside the US. However, selling GM Arctic apples unlabelled is irresponsible because they have not been safety tested in feeding trials on animals. Read more.
Monsanto Merger — or Bust?
Posted March 30, 2018
The Bayer-Monsanto merger has hit a roadblock in the U.S. The agribusiness giants have been waiting for the Department of Justice (DoJ) to approve the business coupling, but last week the department’s antitrust division revealed worries that the merger could hurt competition, and they don’t think Bayer’s proposed plan to sell off some businesses before the deal is finalized goes far enough. Read more.
EU Approves Controversial Bayer-Monsanto Merger
Posted March 23, 2018
The European Union approved Bayer’s takeover of Monsanto, a major hurdle in the $66 billion merger that would create the world’s largest integrated seed and pesticide conglomerate. The European Commission said the German chemical-maker’s takeover of the St. Louis-based agribusiness giant is “conditional on an extensive remedy package, which addresses the parties’ overlaps in seeds, pesticides and digital agriculture.” Read more.
