Posted May 27, 2020
Historically, USDA has regulated most genetically engineered plants by requiring notification and permits for field research and a USDA determination that those plants do not cause harm before they are commercially planted by farmers. The new Trump Administration policy is not based on a risk assessment with scientific data that found the exempt plant safe, but instead is the result of USDA’s narrow reading of its statutory authority and its wish to deregulate wherever possible. Read more.
Get Informed on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
US EPA Grants first Permit to Test Genetically Modified Mosquitoes
Posted May 11, 2020
The US EPA has chosen a time when Americans are worried about the COVID-19 pandemic to announce its approval of a potentially dangerous experiment with Oxitec’s GM mosquitoes, with the claimed purpose of preventing mosquito-borne disease. The EPA’s announcement of its decision shamelessly exploits COVID-19 fears, stating, “To meet today’s public health challenges head-on, the nation needs to facilitate innovation and advance the science around new tools and approaches to better protect the health of all Americans. ” Read more.
National Institutes of Health Study Links Dicamba to Increased Cancer Risk
Posted May 11, 2020
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have found that use of the pesticide dicamba can increase the risk of developing numerous cancers, including liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancers, acute and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and mantle cell lymphoma. Read more.
More Roundup Users Sue as Settlement talks show due to COVID-19
Posted May 1, 2020
The number of plaintiffs claiming that Roundup caused their cancers rose to 52,500 in April from 48,600 in February, Bayer said. Read more.
Surveys Make Unsettling Reading for GMO Proponents
Posted April 24, 2020
As the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launches a new PR campaign called “Feed your Mind” to convince people that GM foods and crops are desirable and beneficial, new surveys have been conducted to try to find out how the public currently views the technology, including new gene-editing techniques. The findings make unsettling reading for GMO proponents. Read more.
Another probable carcinogen on its way into Europe’s soybean imports?
Posted April 10, 2020
GM soybeans that tolerate glyphosate, a probable carcinogen, are already imported into Europe. Now the European Commission is coming under US pressure to allow the import of GM soybeans sprayed with a second probable carcinogen. Ray Seidler, a former senior scientist with the US EPA, says Europe should just say no. Read more.
Bayer seeks to strike $265 million award in first dicamba-related trial
Posted April 10, 2020
Bayer has filed post-trial motions in the Missouri Bader Farms case, asking for the $265 million verdict to be overturned in the first dicamba-related case to go to trial. Read more.
Bayer Settles False Ad Lawsuits
Posted April 3, 2020
Bayer AG agreed to pay $39.5 million to settle allegations that its Monsanto unit ran misleading ads about the controversial Roundup weedkiller and its potential health risks to humans and animals. As part of the deal, language will be removed from Roundup Weed and Grass Killer’s label saying that glyphosate — the product’s active ingredient — only affects an enzyme found in plants. Consumers alleged that the chemical attacks an enzyme found in humans and some animals. Read more.
Revealed: Monsanto Predicted Dicamba Crop System Would Damage US Farms
Posted April 3, 2020
The US agriculture giant Monsanto and the German chemical giant BASF were aware for years that their plan to introduce a new agricultural seed and chemical system would probably lead to damage on many US farms, internal documents seen by the Guardian show. Read more.
Do We Need a GMO Banana?
Posted March 27, 2020
Bananas are one of the world’s most popular fruits, with 114 million tons produced globally in 2017.1 While there are more than 1,000 varieties of bananas, most commercialized bananas sold in U.S. and European grocery stores are the Cavendish type. This variety accounts for about 47% of global banana production. Read more.
