Cultivated meat is on its way to a major tipping point: the culmination of decades of development and the beginning of a vast potential market. Venture capitalists, governments, and tech moguls have poured billions of dollars into more than 100 startups whose collective goal is to replicate animal flesh in laboratories and bioreactors and give it the characteristics—and prices—of natural meat. Advocates believe they’ll also reduce the impact of animal agriculture on Earth’s climate. Read more.
Get Informed on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
New GMO Alert: It’s Just Like Beer — No, Wait, it IS Beer!
Ever since the term synthetic biology (synbio) – the genetic engineering of microorganisms to produce novel ingredients – entered our everyday lexicon, synbio developers have been searching for ways to disassociate the process from its genetic modification heritage. One of the most-often-used descriptions to make the synbio process and its novel products more normalized, acceptable, and consumer-friendly has been, “It’s just like brewing beer!” Well, we’ve now come full circle, with developers genetically engineering yeast in order to produce… wait for it… synbio beer! Read more.
Why Genetically Engineered Soil Microbes are Concerning
A new report from Friends of the Earth explores the potential implications of this novel use of genetic engineering, something that is fundamentally different from the genetically engineered (GE) crops that have been the center of debate for decades. Microbes can share genetic material with each other far more readily than crops and can travel great distances on the wind. The genetic modifications released inside GE microbes could move across species and geographic boundaries with unforeseen and potentially irreparable consequences. Read more.
The World Has Changed, but Monsanto’s Glyphosate Remains
In 2015, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer acknowledged the carcinogenicity of glyphosate, the main ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide. This made lawsuits on behalf of Roundup exposed cancer victims possible and resulted in billion-dollar jury awards. Shamefully, the IARC decision didn’t influence the Environmental Protection Agency, but Bayer (which now owns Monsanto) said that, to limit liability, by 2023 it would stop selling glyphosate-based herbicides to consumers, limiting sales to farmers and pesticide professionals. Read more.
The New Wave of Frankenfoods, Coming to a Store Near You
The government is making decisions about genome-edited food that prevent consumers from identifying it, exposing us to potential risks. Action Alert! Did you know that meat from a genome-edited (GE) cow could soon be in grocery stores, and it wouldn’t be distinguishable from other meat? That’s because it will likely not need to be labeled as being GE (or “bioengineered” to use the USDA’s term). Worse, the FDA has cleared this product with only cursory oversight because it believes the GE cows to be “low-risk.” Read more.
New Genetically Engineered Soil Microbes Could Threaten Soil Health
As biotech and agrichemical companies push to commercialise genetically engineered (GE) soil microbes for agriculture, a new report from Friends of the Earth reveals potential risks and recommends policy action. Corporations including Bayer, BASF and Pivot Bio have developed commercially available products. At least two GE microbes are currently being used across millions of acres of US farmland. Read more.
Residents say Herbicide Drift has Damaged their Trees
In the 11 years Abbey and Barry Houser have lived in the Pinetree subdivision in Seymour, they’ve added to one of the features residents love most about their neighborhood. They’ve planted more trees. Now the trees on the Housers’ property and others in a subdivision full of old, towering trees are showing signs of distress, with leaves that have wilted, curled and cupped. Read more.
Glyphosate and Arsenic Found in 19 of 20 Beers and Wines Tested
Glyphosate… This isn’t the first time we’re talking about Monsanto’s cancerous, disease-promoting weed killer and it won’t be the last. If you aren’t familiar with it, the chemical glyphosate is arguably the most concerning toxin in Monsanto’s popular herbicide, RoundUp. In fact, evidence against the toxic chemical is mounting – just look at the findings below. Read more.
Campaign Urges Whole Foods Market to Stop Selling GMO Sweet Corn
Toxin Free USA, a nonprofit dedicated to consumer protection and education, launched a campaign urging Whole Foods Market to stop selling fresh GMO sweet corn. Whole Foods Market claims to be the “Organic Capital of the World” and advertises, “We don’t just put organics on a shelf — we put them on a pedestal.” Read more.
Genetically Engineered Vaccines in Organic Meat & Dairy
The USDA and some organic certifiers have been looking the other way as genetically engineered (GE) vaccines make their way into US organic production. This contravenes the very principles of organic agriculture. This government-sanctioned deception of the public must stop—particularly as we prepare for a wave of mRNA vaccines hitting the market. Action Alert! Are you prepared to roll the dice with your health when you visit your grocery store? Read more.
