18/October/21

 

GM crops targeted at smallholder farmers in developing countries are rolled out with hyped-up promises of high yield, pest resistance, and improved farmers incomes. Several years later, amid the farmers’ lived experience of disappointing performance, the GM crop is abandoned and the pro-GMO lobby moves on to a new candidate crop. Why the gap between the hype and the actuality? Certain methodologies underpin the data presented in the pro-GMO articles that pack the scientific literature. They give the false claims the veneer of the scientific approach and persuade scientists, policymakers and the public to get behind the GMO juggernaut. In a peer-reviewed analysis, development experts Matthew A. Schnurr and Brian Dowd-Uribe explain these methodologies and the false assumptions underlying the inflated claims. The authors present a more reliable way of predicting the fate of GM crops in developing countries – and conclude that the promises for newer GM crops intended for Africa are unlikely to be realized. GMWatch

 

 

Friends of the Earth Europe has published a package – a report, briefing, and short video – about the hyped claims that the new generation of genetically modified organisms are needed to fight the climate crisis. The report, called "Editing the truth: Genome editing is not a solution to climate change", is both scientifically rigorous and accessible for the layperson. Please share these materials widely! Please also spread the news about the public consultation on the Inception Impact Assessment laying out the Commission's plans to deregulate gene editing. You can take quick and easy action, whether you are based within or outside the EU; the consultation closes on 22 October. GMWatch

 

 

The EU authorities’ assumption that glyphosate does not spread through the air has been disproven. The results of the German study “Pesticide pollution of the air” prove that glyphosate and dozens of other pesticides are travelling through the air for miles into national parks and cities. The analysis was initially published in 2019 and has now been peer-reviewed and published in the journal Environmental Sciences Europe. The scientific publication (open access): Maren Kruse-Plaß; Frieder Hofmann; Werner Wosniok; Ulrich Schlechtriemen; Niels Kohlschütter: Pesticides and pesticide-related products in ambient air in Germany, Environmental Sciences Europe, Oktober 2021, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-021-00553-4. Eurekalert