An important review of the safety of gene-edited GM plants for health and the environment has been published by a group of scientists working for national government regulatory agencies in various EU member states and Switzerland. The review discusses how to assess the risk and safety of gene-edited GM plants in light of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) opinions on this topic. It challenges EFSA to improve its guidance on the risk assessment of gene-edited GM plants and points out some misconceptions on the part of EFSA, certain scientists, and lobbyists who want to weaken regulations on gene-edited plants. GMWatch
The European Commission has said the current EU legislation on GMOs is “not fit for purpose” for some GM technologies and their products. It believes these products can “contribute to sustainable food systems“ and should be regulated differently from other GMOs. The Commission therefore plans to exclude certain GM plants from the EU requirements for GMO authorisation, traceability and labelling. But what would that mean for our food, farmers and nature? Would it really help to make EU farming more sustainable? The Greens/EFA in the European Parliament have organised a webinar on 13 July, 16:00 to 17:30 CET, in which they will discuss the Commission’s plan with a scientist, a farmer, a plant breeder and a non-GMO certifier, as well as a representative from the European Commission itself. Greens/EFA in the European Parliament
Dr Michael Antoniou's letter to the editor of the Financial Times, "Changes in GMO food laws will imperil public health", can now be accessed via the web archive
here, along with comments from members of the public. The original paywalled link at the Financial Times is
here.
In a startling revelation, M/s Aurega Lahore, a company owned by the Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Food Security, Jamshed Iqbal Cheema, has been found to be involved in the illegal sale of planting materials and illegally planting Bt cotton on almost 10,000 acres of land under name “White Gold”, without following prescribed rules. Reportedly, none of the seeds were imported legally and they have not been tested according to rules and regulations set by government agencies at federal and provincial levels. Despite Cheema’s firm being implicated in criminal activities damaging to the cotton industry, no action has been taken against him or his company. Pakistan Today
GM Freeze and 25 other organisations – including GMWatch – have come together to ask DEFRA not to allow Rothamsted Research to plant an open field trial of GM wheat. The submission says, "The research is at an early stage and should be conducted in a contained environment. The risk assessment is incomplete. The field trial represents a risk and won't provide any public benefit." GM Freeze
The Bee Informed Partnership has reported the second-highest annual losses of honeybee colonies for the second year in a row. In its preliminary annual report on honey bee losses in the United States, beekeepers reported losing nearly half (45.5%) of their colonies over the past year. A growing body of science shows that pesticide use in agriculture is a key driver of declines in populations of honey bees and other insect pollinators like native bees and butterflies. Yet the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not taken significant action on pollinator-toxic pesticides, such as neonicotinoids. Research shows that US agriculture has become 48 times more toxic to bees since we began using neonicotinoids in the 1990s. Friends of the Earth
Maine Governor Janet Mills last week vetoed legislation prohibiting the aerial use of glyphosate and other dangerous herbicides in forestry practices. The proposed ban was supported by a wide range of health and conservation groups. With Maine recently passing one of the strongest consumer bans on pollinator-toxic neonicotinoids, advocates are dismayed by the setback from the Governor’s office. Senate President Troy Jackson said Mills should stop referring to herself as an environmentalist: “The science across the country, across the world, says that this stuff kills people, kills wildlife. And all that it is, is a giveaway to the large landowners so they can maximize their profits off the lives of the people in Maine and the wildlife in Maine.” Beyond Pesticides
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