HB4 GM wheat was authorised in Argentina in an irregular process, denounced both in the streets and in the courts for violating laws that protect health and the environment, as well as violating the rights of small and medium-scale farmers, including peasants and Indigenous people. The Federal Prosecutor's Office has twice asked for the suspension of its authorisation in the country, while in the province of Buenos Aires, the Supreme Court has to decide whether to uphold an order to prohibit its cultivation and commercialisation. In Brazil and Paraguay, where it was also authorised, various sectors of civil society have mobilised to warn that the process was illegal and demand that it be revoked. At the international level, a group of movements and organisations from Latin America, Asia and Africa presented a report to the United Nations detailing their concern about the damage that the new GMO could cause to communities and their territories. In the document, they ask the Special Rapporteurs on Human Rights, Health, Environment and Food to urge governments to suspend its authorisation. "GM wheat only gained approval because it evaded proper public scrutiny and social participation," warns the group formed by the GMO-Free Latin America Network, the Union of Concerned Scientists for Society and Nature (Uccsnal), the international organisation Grain, the African Centre for Biodiversity, Friends of the Earth Nigeria and FIAN Indonesia, along with other organisations. TierraViva

 

 

The timing of the recent general election gave British voters a rare window of opportunity to put the issue of genetically engineered food in the UK food system in front of would-be-MPs and demand that they take action. Before the election was called, the government was in the process of introducing new regulations to the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act that would make it fully operational. That process was put on hold for the election. The question now is whether the new Labour government will pick up where the Tories left off or will it pause, review and rethink – as it indicated it would do when in opposition. Beyond GM reports. Beyond GM via GMWatch

 

 

Our latest Review is out, reporting on the battles over GMOs — and the pesticide deluge that almost invariably accompanies them — raging fiercely on every continent (well, maybe not Antarctica!). And the stakes in some of these battles couldn’t be higher. If you're not subscribed to the Reviews and want to update your preferences, you can do so here. GMWatch

 

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