13/April/22

 

The UK's GMO advisory body, the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE), has issued its long-awaited guidance on what constitutes a "higher qualifying plant" that will be exempted from the GMO regulations for research (non-commercial) purposes – meaning such plants will evade safety and environmental assessments. [GMWatch will publish its response soon.] ACRE

 

 

Many assume world hunger is due to “too many people, not enough food.” This trope has persisted since the 18th century when economist Thomas Malthus postulated that the human population would eventually exceed the planet’s carrying capacity. This belief moves us away from addressing the root causes of hunger and malnutrition. But in fact, inequity and armed conflict play a larger role. The world’s hungry are disproportionately located in Africa and Asia, in conflict-ridden zones, writes Gisèle Yasmeen, Senior Fellow, School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, University of British Columbia. The Conversation

 

 

Bill McDorman is the founder of a number of small regional seed companies and seed organisations. He explains why seed diversity is the best way to combat crop diseases and meet the challenges of climate change – as it is far more practical and effective than genetic engineering, which is limited to manipulating single-gene traits. He writes, "It takes $150 million to release a new variety and that can only be done in highly centralized locations... With the $150 million it takes to create one new crop, we could teach seed schools in all 50 states. I could create hundreds of new, small, bioregional seed companies; thousands of seed libraries; tens of thousands of seed exchanges; and re-engage the population in a beautiful ritual that’s been the foundation of civilization. He adds, "When you choose a variety, you’re choosing a whole agricultural system. Patents are a tool of industrialized agricultural monopolies." Bioneers