Posted April 8, 2021
The new paper reviews previous research in CRISPR-edited camelina lines engineered to have an altered fatty acid profile. Unintended mutations were identified and the plants showed “drastic developmental defects” – including impaired growth, twisted leaves, and delayed bolting. Dr Kawall comments that this shows “the importance of a well-balanced fatty acid profile for the development of the plants”. Read more.
Get Informed on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
Dicamba Kills Plants in Neighboring Fields
Posted March 26, 2021
What used to be called “The Green Revolution” has, over the past 50 years, radically improved crop yields and lowered farmers’ costs by marrying seeds and herbicides. Agri-industrial giants like Dow, DuPont, Monsanto and BASF genetically engineered seeds that could survive herbicides like glyphosate that killed all the weeds around them. Read more.
New Analytical Tool Reveals Massive DNA Damage Caused by CRISPR/Cas9 Gene Editing
Posted March 26, 2021
New research from Chinese scientists shows that CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing causes massive damage to the genome, much of which would have been missed by the analytical tools used so far. Read more.
GE Salmon is Coming
Posted March 19, 2021
AquaBounty, the purveyor of the genetically engineered (GE) salmon, said the fish could reach store shelves by April of 2021. Action Alert! In a recent online press conference, a chief executive for AquaBounty said that its genetically engineered salmon would be on sale to the US public in April, adding that seven out of ten consumers might buy GE salmon, presumably once they learned more about it. This underscores the necessity of passing into law legislation that mandates the labeling of these fish telling us that they are GE. Read more.
The Next Neocolonial Gold Rush?
Posted March 12, 2021
Planning documents for the 2021 United Nations Food Systems Summit shed new light on the agenda behind the controversial food summit that hundreds of farmers’ and human rights groups are boycotting. The groups say agribusiness interests and elite foundations are dominating the process to push through an agenda that would enable the exploitation of global food systems, and especially Africa. Read more.
Gates Foundation’s plans to Remake Food Systems will Hurt the Climate
Posted March 6, 2021
In his new book on how to avoid a climate disaster, billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates discusses his plans to model African food systems upon India’s “green revolution,” in which a plant scientist increased crop yields and saved a billion lives, according to Gates. The obstacle to implementing a similar overhaul in Africa, he asserts, is that most farmers in poor countries don’t have the financial means to buy fertilizers. “If we can help poor farmers raise their crop yields, they’ll earn more money and have more to eat, and millions of people in some of the world’s poorest countries will be able to get more food and the nutrients they need,” Gates concludes. Read more.
Bayer Posts 10.5 Billion Euro loss after Roundup Legal Woes
Posted March 6, 2021
Bayer announced on Thursday steep losses for the year 2020 as it struggled to recover from a string of US lawsuits claiming its weedkiller causes cancer. The German chemical and pharmaceutical giant said in a statement that it posted an annual net loss of €10.5 billion ($12.8 billion), compared with a profit of just over €4 billion for 2019. Read more.
Mexico’s Decision to Ban GMO Corn and Glyphosate Has Rocked the Agribusiness World
Posted March 6, 2021
Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador quietly rocked the agribusiness world with his New Year’s Eve decree to phase out use of the herbicide glyphosate and the cultivation of genetically modified corn. His administration sent an even stronger aftershock two weeks later, clarifying that the government would also phase out GM corn imports in three years and the ban would include not just corn for human consumption but yellow corn destined primarily for livestock. Read more.
US TAKE ACTION: Stop USDA from automatically approving all GMO animals!
Posted March 4, 2021
As one final favour to industrial meat companies, the Trump administration made a last ditch effort to move genetically engineered (GE) livestock regulations from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) responsibility just before their term ended. When FDA officials balked at such a rash move, former USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue went over their heads and signed an agreement with the head of Health and Human Services to move the review of most GE animals to USDA anyway. Please read and sign.
Stop the Reckless GMO Mosquito Experiment in Florida!
Posted February 11, 2021
Florida plans to release over a billion genetically engineered mosquitoes into the Florida Keys, one of the most eco-sensitive areas in Florida. The GMO mosquitoes could reproduce with wild mosquitos and their release could have grave consequences, including impacts on the health of the humans they bite, creating more aggressive and virulent mosquitoes and potentially threatening endangered species in the Everglades and Florida Keys. Read more.
