GM mustard is back in the news, this time because of the central government's attempt to wriggle out of its oral commitment to the Supreme Court on putting its environmental release on hold. On October 18 last year, the government approved the country’s first environmental release of a GM mustard variety, Dhara Mustard Hybrid (DMH-11), for a period of four years. However, activists saw in it a possible attempt towards commercial release and moved the Supreme Court. On November 3, 2022, a bench of justices Dinesh Maheshwari (now retired) and B. V. Nagarathna ordered the suspension of its environmental release after getting the central government's assurance. The central government recently approached the Supreme Court to release it from the undertaking, saying the mustard sowing season was approaching. The case went to a new bench comprising justices Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan, but it refused to accept the government’s request. “If we discharge you, then what remains in the matter? You cannot be allowed to release it into the environment… The environmental harm cannot be reversed,” the judges said. New Indian Express

 

 

The Coalition for GM-Free India (CGMFI), an informal network of organisations and individuals comprising farmers, consumers and environmental activists has urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin to strongly oppose and halt any attempt of the central government to carry out open-air release of genetically modified organisations (GMOs). The CGMFI said the central government is trying a new tactic to bypass the state governments – including changing the name of GMO trials. It is doing this by introducing “notified field trial sites” (NFTS): “Since states are not allowing field trials to take place, some sites have been shortlisted by ICAR and labelled as notified field trial sites (NFTS). In these sites, trials are being proposed without the need for consulting state governments. Hence, Tamil Nadu should reject proposals for NFTS sites.” New Indian Express

 

 

Two EU agencies wrongly dismissed the cancer risk of glyphosate despite the findings of the independent scientific literature, according to the action group, Pesticide Action Network (PAN). The EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), according to PAN, “wrongfully relied on ECHA’s (European Chemicals Agency) classification of glyphosate as ‘non-carcinogenic’. Not only did it disregard the observed tumour incidences in cancer studies as irrelevant but it also dismissed evidence from independent literature that glyphosate causes oxidative stress, a recognised mechanism that can lead to cancer.” Agriland (Ireland)

 

 

A motion opposing the European Commission from potentially re-authorising glyphosate has received majority support in the Dutch parliament, with MPs urging Agriculture Minister Piet Adema to vote against the measure at next month’s EU Agriculture Council. The Party for the Animals (PvdD/EU Left) and GroenLinks (GL/Greens) submitted the motion. “Glyphosate is a substance that is harmful to our biodiversity, to our drinking water, it has high risks for neurological diseases […], and the WHO says it is probably also carcinogenic,” PvdD lawmaker Leonie Vestering stated during a parliamentary debate, adding that the motion presents “a very good opportunity to put an end […] to glyphosate”. Euractiv

 

 

Glyphosate has been found in samples taken from all but one of a group of Irish volunteers tested for the controversial weedkiller. The exercise has deepened fears that the chemical is more widespread than ever and becoming increasingly difficult to avoid. It comes as EU ministers prepare for discussions on whether to renew the chemical's licence for use. Simon Kenny, a farmer from Naas, Co Kildare, has not used any weedkiller for the last six years, but still tested positive. Retired community health doctor, Liz Cullen, also tested positive despite getting all her vegetables from her organic grower brother. “It’s disappointing. It shows how pervasive glyphosate is,” she said. Sinn Féin senator Lynn Boylan was previously tested when she was an MEP in 2016 and had a reading of 0.8ng/ml. Her fresh test result was 0.93ng/ml. “I would have thought it would have decreased because I’ve living at home now so I’ve more control over what I eat and I eat organically as much as possible,” she said. Independent (Ireland)

 

 

A ban on the use of a controversial weedkiller in Edinburgh’s parks and greenspaces is set to be introduced next year. The council said the move was part of a gradual, three-year phasing-out of herbicides containing glyphosate, which threatens bee colonies and has been linked to cases of cancer. Other methods of controlling weeds include using vinegar, hot foam, pressurised hot water and mechanical sweeping – and the council is expected to use a combination of these as it moves away from chemical-based treatments. Edinburgh Evening News

 

 

Billions were sunk into the Human Genome Project and the promise of precision treatments personalised to the individual. After spending 13 years and $2.7bn, the Human Genome Project announced in 2003 that it had successfully mapped our DNA, paving the way for a new era of medicine that would deliver “the right treatment, for the right patient, at the right time”. But some doctors and academics say that too much emphasis is placed on our genes, and not enough on environment and lifestyle. That’s the argument of a new book, Tyranny of the Gene: Personalized Medicine and Its Threat to Public Health, by Prof James Tabery, a philosopher of science and bioethics at the University of Utah. “There’s this paradox where the more we learn about the human genome, the less we should expect it to actually have significant impacts for most patients,” Tabery says. “And yet we’re increasingly accelerating towards it, even though there’s plenty of information to suggest that if we really wanted to combat common diseases, we should be focusing on environmental causes.” The Guardian

 

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