New research by top US government scientists has found that people exposed to the widely used weedkilling chemical glyphosate have biomarkers in their urine linked to the development of cancer and other diseases. The study, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, measured glyphosate levels in the urine of farmers and other study participants and determined that high levels of the pesticide were associated with signs of a reaction in the body called oxidative stress, a condition that causes damage to DNA. The ability to cause oxidative stress is considered by health experts as a key characteristic of carcinogens. The Guardian

 

 

Monsanto and its owner Bayer have been hit with a federal lawsuit for refusing to finalise a settlement payout with a non-US citizen who developed cancer from using Roundup. The complaint was filed in Abingdon, Virginia, federal court by Public Citizen, a nonprofit consumer advocacy organisation, and other groups and firms on behalf of Elvira Reyes-Hernandez. In 2018, Reyes-Hernandez developed a painful swelling in her neck and was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma the following year. She had worked on various tree farms in Virginia since 2015, where her job duties included regularly spraying Monsanto’s Roundup weedkiller. Courthouse News Service

 

 

The Westminster government's Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Bill, which will deregulate GMO technologies, was recently subjected to deep and thoughtful critique during the Committee stage in the House of Lords. A raft of necessary and, in some cases crucial, amendments were put forward and several fundamental questions were put to the DEFRA Minister, Lord Benyon, which he was unable to answer at the time. In a letter to all peers, dated 13 January 2023, he has attempted to answer some of these questions. His answers selectively omit some important points raised in the House, while the answers to those he does address are inadequate and in some cases cause more confusion. Given the importance of this Bill and the upcoming Report stage, GMWatch has worked with Beyond GM to address some of these in an open letter, which we have now published. GMWatch

 

 

Various stakeholders in the agriculture sector, including farm union leaders and agriculture experts, have warned the Punjab government about fallouts of introducing GM mustard in the state and said there would be widespread agitation if this step was undertaken. Kavita Kuruganti from the Alliance for Sustainable and Hollistic Agriculture (ASHA) said that GM mustard is hazardous in numerous ways and that at least 15 regulatory compromises and violations have paved the way for its approval. She added that the state government has not been consulted on it and that Punjab, which is reeling under severe environmental health crises, cannot afford any GM mustard cultivation. The Indian Express

 

 

The European Court of Justice (CJEU) has published a preliminary ruling on questions posed by the Belgian Administrative Court, following a complaint by PAN Europe, Nature & Progrès Belgium and a Belgian beekeeper. The Court declared that providing derogations for the treatment of seeds with a banned pesticide and their use is not in line with EU law. This ruling puts a stop to almost half the derogations given by Member States to banned pesticides. Hans Muilerman of PAN Europe said: "PAN Europe has been fighting this maladministration for many years. This landmark ruling of the EU Court puts an end to 10 years of abuse by Member States, with the blessing of the European Commission. Thanks to our action, the EU environment will become a safer place." In 2019, Nature & Progrès Belgium, a Belgian individual beekeeper and PAN Europe filed a request for annulment before the Belgian Administrative Court. This followed a derogation given by Belgium to the sugar lobby for the use of bee-toxic neonicotinoid insecticides on sugar beets. The complainants suggested that the Belgian Court submit questions for a preliminary ruling to the CJEU in order to clarify the limits of the law with regards to derogations. PAN EU

 

 

We have only a few days – until Jan 26 – to submit comments to the US Department of Agriculture rejecting their plan to allow the release of genetically engineered (GE) trees into wild forests in the US - and ultimately Canada. Right now it appears that the pro-GMO lobby is outnumbering the voices of caution, and it's crucial to turn this around. GMWatch

 

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