Pregnant women living near farm fields show “significantly” increased concentrations of glyphosate weedkiller in their urine during periods when farmers are spraying their fields with the herbicide, according to a new scientific paper published on Wednesday. The research team said the findings were concerning, given recent studies that have found gestational exposure to glyphosate is associated with reduced fetal growth and other fetal problems. Glyphosate separately has been linked to cancer and other health problems. “If the developing fetus is especially vulnerable to glyphosate, it is critical to understand the magnitude and sources of exposure during this critical developmental period,” the new paper states. The results of the study were considered somewhat surprising because none of the women studied worked with glyphosate or other herbicides or had a household member who worked with weedkillers, said Cynthia Curl, associate professor at Boise State and lead author on the paper. The Guardian

 

 

The global release of GM trees is closer than it has ever been. This advancement is a significant concern because the release of GM trees would pose serious threats to forests and other ecosystems, as well as to many local communities and Indigenous peoples. The environmental impacts could be irreversible. CBAN's International Bulletin (October 2023) (provides critical updates on GM tree development around the world and serves as an update to their 2022 report “The global status of genetically engineered tree development: A growing threat". The new report is available in many languages. Among other points, it explains how GM trees are affected by the moves by governments around the world to remove biosafety regulations from gene-edited plants. CBAN

 

 

On 10-11 December, EU agriculture ministers will try to reach a general agreement on the European Commission’s proposal to widely deregulate the new generation of genetically modified organisms (new GMOs, also called new genomic techniques). Under the Spanish Council presidency, ministers have largely supported the Commission’s deregulation approach. However, the majority required to green-light the compromise text was not reached during the preparatory ambassadors meeting (Coreper I) on 6 December. The Agriculture Council intends to allow a majority of new GMOs (so-called category 1) to be imported, marketed and grown without any kind of safety checks, liability, labelling or monitoring. For the remaining new GMOs (category 2), the current GMO rules will partly apply. Friends of the Earth Europe is deeply concerned by the impacts the proposal would have on the environment, the food sector, farmers and consumers. GMWatch

 

 

The European Commission is proposing that in the future, there should be two categories of GMOs/NGTs. Those in category 1 would be exempt from risk assessment, traceability and labelling. Behind the misleading display of a limit of twenty genetic modifications for this category 1, these GMOs/NGTs could in fact have undergone an infinite number. What’s more, this number of twenty has no scientific basis whatsoever. It is the result of a purely political decision designed to restrict inclusion of new GMOs in category 2, which is still somewhat regulated. Inf'OGM

 

 

A new wave of GMOs made with new genomic techniques (NGTs) is promised by US and European multinationals and promoted by the European Commission and agricultural lobbies. But it raises intellectual property issues for some seed companies. These GMOs/NGTs are in fact protected by patents with a potentially very broad scope, which can have an impact on the activities of such seed companies (as well as those of farmers). Inf'OGM

 

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