During a recent webinar called “Chestnut Chat”, organised by the American Chestnut Foundation (TACF), GM chestnut researchers walked back earlier promises and projections for restoration of the American Chestnut through the use of genetic engineering. During the “Chestnut Chat”, several startling admissions were made including that the “Darling 58” (D58) GM American chestnut tree is not the silver bullet once promised for restoration. It was revealed that the tree grows more slowly and shorter than once thought, blight tolerance is not reliable, and field trials are limited in their ability to reflect real life conditions. In light of these revelations, the Campaign to STOP GE Trees is calling for an immediate rejection by the USDA of the pending petition to deregulate the D58 GM American chestnut tree. GMWatch

 

 

The summer forecasts for the 2023 soy harvest were exceeded after this year's harvest was brought in. The record high in Europe this year is forecasted to 12.2 million tonnes of soy. This is shown in the latest Donau Soja Market Report November, which was published yesterday. The European harvest volume has increased by almost a quarter compared to the previous year. The largest increases were recorded in Ukraine, with a rise of almost one million tonnes, up 20% to 4.8 million tonnes. The soy harvest in the EU countries also increased by 740,000 tonnes to more than 3 million tonnes. The soy cultivation area in the EU remained roughly the same this year, but the harvest volume in the EU countries nevertheless increased by more than a third. The global soy harvest is projected to be 400 million tonnes in the current marketing season (2023/24). “The majority of the soy used in the EU still comes from non-certified sources overseas, where deforestation might be involved. We see great potential for the expansion of regional, European, GMO-free and sustainably produced soy value chains both in the EU and in European non-EU countries," said Donau Soja President Matthias Krön. Donau Soja

 

 

Check out our latest GMWatch Reviews – on GMOs in General and Non-GMO Solutions – at the link above. Subscribing to the Reviews is a great way to keep up to date with essential updates. We send them out typically two or three times a month. Don't miss out – if you'd like to receive them, you can update your subscription by clicking on "Review" here. GMWatch

 

 

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