According to a new study commissioned by Donau Soja, by using only certified, sustainable and non-GM soybeans, the soymeal produced at the AdamPolSoya (ATK Group) crusher in Ukraine has 80% less CO2 emissions, compared to average soybean meal available on the European market. Donau Soja says the study, carried out by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) Austria, reveals how the exclusive use of Europe Soya certified soybeans at AdamPolSoya (ATK Group) in the Khmelnitsky region of Ukraine has a significant positive impact on the carbon footprint of the processed certified soybean meal. Donau Soja is a non-profit, independent and member-based organisation based in Vienna. The vision of Donau Soja is a sustainable, safe and European protein supply. GMWatch

 

 

Consumers want food that is produced without genetic engineering and deforestation. There is sufficient Non-GMO, deforestation-free feed (made from Non-GM soy) available for the European market, but equitable supply relationships and long-term contracts are necessary to ensure the supply security. These were the key conclusions from the International Non-GMO Summit, which took place in Frankfurt on 10 May 2023. The approximately 200 industry representatives from 19 countries and four continents - from soy cultivation to processing to food retailing - jointly declared their support for Non-GMO and deforestation-free food. GMWatch

 

 

Corteva Agriscience, the world’s second largest seed company, says it will label all seeds developed using new GM techniques (sometimes called “new genomic techniques” or NGTs), even if upcoming EU rules don’t require this, according to a report in Politico. While this may look like a victory for those of us who are arguing for labelling of new GM products, it's not acceptable to replace mandatory labelling in law (which the EU currently has) with voluntary commitments from industry. Voluntary commitments mean that disclosure remains under the control of the company and can be withdrawn at any time. GMWatch

 

 

Some of the US’ most widely used food pesticides are contaminated with “potentially dangerous” levels of toxic PFAS “forever chemicals”, new testing of the products finds. The Environmental Protection Agency has previously been silent on PFAS in food pesticides, even as it found the chemicals in non-food crop products. The potential for millions of acres of contaminated food cropland demands swifter and stronger regulatory action, the paper’s authors say. “I can’t imagine anything that could make these products any more dangerous than they already are, but apparently my imagination isn’t big enough,” said Nathan Donley, environmental health science director at the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), which co-authored the study. “The EPA has to take control of this situation and remove pesticide products that are contaminated with these extremely dangerous, persistent chemicals.” The Guardian

 

 

In her new book, Pandora’s Gamble, the dogged reporting of Alison Young lays out the shocking extent of lax laboratory standards and procedures, and lack of accountability and transparency, in the United States and around the world, writes Zeynep Tufekci. Lax lab safety is a global problem. The Washington Post reported recently that in 2019, hundreds of people in Lanzhou, China, got sick after thousands were exposed to bacteria that can cause brucellosis, after a government-run biomedical complex failed to properly disinfect its waste. [GMW: We — GMWatch — recommend this book as well. One of the many effective aspects of Young's reporting is she keeps telling you what requests for info she submitted to researchers and institutions and the extent to which she got answers: Mostly not at all or very partial or misleading ones!] New York Times

 

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