| 28/November/23 | After years of hype, researchers temper expectations for GM American chestnut tree – reveal unexpected problems 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 Record (and non-GM) soy harvest in Europe in 2023 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 GMWatch Reviews published 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 In the UK? Support GMWatch without it costing you a penny! Please remember to use easyfundraising when you do your Christmas shopping. Over 8,000 brands will donate to us for free - so you can raise donations when you buy gifts, decorations, your festive food shop and more! Sign up today. If you've already signed up to support GMWatch on easyfundraising, please don't forget to shop via the easyfundraising site – then do a search for your favourite brands. Currently we have many supporters signed up to support us on easyfundraising, but only a very few remember to activate donations by visiting their chosen websites via the easyfundraising site or downloading and clicking on the "Donation Reminder" button. GMWatch We hope you’ve enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible by readers’ donations. Please support our work with a one-off or regular donation. Thank you! __________________________________________________________ Website: http://www.gmwatch.org Profiles: http://www.powerbase.info/index.php/GM_Watch:_Portal Twitter: http://twitter.com/GMWatch Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/GMWatch/276951472985?ref=nf |
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