Recent scientific findings have revealed chromothripsis-like effects after the application of CRISPR/Cas gene editing in the genome of tomatoes, reports Testbiotech in an article commenting on a just-published preprint study. Chromothripsis refers to a phenomenon in which often several hundred genetic changes occur simultaneously in a catastrophic event. Many sections of the genetic material can be swapped, recombined, or even lost if this occurs. It has been known for some time that chromothripsis occurs in mammalian (and human) cells. But now this effect has also been demonstrated in plants after gene editing applications. The findings show that gene editing applications cause unintended genetic alterations much more frequently than previously thought, affecting large parts of the genome. Commenting for GMWatch, molecular geneticist Dr Michael Antoniou said, "Yet again we see a phenomenon that has already been observed in a human cell context – major DNA damage from gene editing – now appearing in plants. Due to the inadequate analysis that is generally done in gene-edited plants, GMO developers will often miss this. So we will end up with marketed products with major genetic rearrangements affecting the function of many genes, even disturbing the balanced expression of multiple gene families, with unknown downstream consequences to the biochemical composition of the plant. Those consequences could include the production of new toxins and allergens. Yet gene editing is claimed to be more precise than natural breeding. Clearly this is not the case." GMWatch

 

 

As the food and climate crises continue to cause suffering around the world, one under-appreciated solution — neglected crops — could be a powerful tool to alleviate both crises in one of the worst affected regions: Africa. Neglected crops — including grains such as sorghum and millet and vegetables such as amaranth, eggplant, and kale — are also known as “indigenous”, “lost”, “native”, “orphan”, “traditional”, or “underutilised” crops, or as ingredients in “forgotten foods”. Why bring back neglected crops? Expanding their use can help diversify agriculture and food systems and introduce a greater variety of foods into global supplies — including more nutritious cereals, fruits and vegetables, and roots and tubers — while building resilience to climate change and providing employment and alternate sources of income for farmers. Neglected crops can be superior to dominant staples due to their inherent adaptation to the natural environment and local conditions. Neglected crops tolerate irregular rainfall and infertile soils better, thrive in dry conditions and even droughts better, and often succeed where other crops fail. GMWatch

 

 

Mexico's President Lopez Obrador has said that he is about to sign an agreement "so that only white and non-transgenic corn is used in tortilla shops". The agreement would also establish tariffs to reduce the reliance on imported white corn and promote Mexican producers, he said. Mexico has been embroiled in a trade dispute with the US over a decree to limit the use of GM corn, particularly for human consumption. Devdiscourse

 

 

On October 3, 2022, the Kenyan Government lifted the ban an import and cultivation of GMOs that had been in place for ten years. The Kenyan Peasants League (KPL) filed a lawsuit against that decision. They also asked the High Court for conservatory measures, which were granted on November 29: The Court decided the ban will remain until the matter is judged in court. This was a first victory for the peasants. The Government appealed the decision, but the Court of Appeal sided with the High Court and KPL and left the conservatory measures in place. In its decision, the Court cited the lack of public participation, which was one of the main arguments of KPL, based both on the Kenyan Constitution and on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas (UNDROP). The struggle is far from over, since a complete trial and judgment has not happened yet, but the first decision are good sign and KPL is determined to have the Rights of Peasants recognised and protected. Defending Peasants' Rights

 

 

Health Canada intends to authorise an increase in the maximum limits of pesticide residues that can remain on certain foods, but affirms in the same breath that this decision does not mean that Canadians will be exposed to more pesticides. Health Canada has also said that the authorisation does not, at least for the moment, concern glyphosate residues, which are found in the herbicide Roundup. The Bloc Québécois critic for agriculture, Yves Perron, reacted by inviting the government to “step back” and reduce the use of pesticides instead. “Today’s announcement runs counter to efforts to reduce the use of pesticides in the agricultural world. We are entitled to worry about an upcoming increase in pesticide residues on food. As the planet moves toward new agricultural practices, the federal government is instead opening the door to more pesticides,” he wrote in a statement. Actual News Magazine

 

 

In April 2023, the National Academy of Sciences held a three-day workshop titled “In Vitro Derived Human Gametes as Reproductive Technology: Scientific, Ethical, and Regulatory Implications”. Stuart Newman, Professor of Cell Biology & Anatomy at New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York, and Tina Stevens, Lecturer Emerita, Department of History, San Francisco State University and Director, Alliance for Humane Biotechnology, provide a critique of the workshop and the technology itself. They also identify the sometimes surprising individuals and institutions who are smoothing the path towards industrialised gamete production and fertilisation. These developments are happening regardless of safety and other concerns, say the authors, in particular the eugenic aspects of overtly controlled fertilisation. Independent Science News

 

 

The iconic monarch butterfly is on the verge of extinction, thanks to Bayer’s Roundup weedkiller sprayed on GMO crops destroying a significant portion of its breeding habitat. But there’s no need to worry: Bayer Hawaii is running the Monarch Butterfly Sweepstakes, in which people can win a Monarch Butterfly Kit that “raises awareness for pollinators”. Bayer says, “The Monarch Butterfly plays an important role as a pollinator in Hawaii agriculture”. It’s curious, then, that it has no qualms about the monarch's mass extermination via their products. Monarchs aren’t the only pollinator that Bayer has been doing its best to wipe out. In fact, its latest greenwashing is reminiscent of its offering "FREE SEEDS for Bees" with its Provado Ultimate Bug Killer, containing the bee-harming neonicotinoid insecticide thiacloprid! GMWatch on Twitter @GMWatch

 

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