GM Bt corn is failing in the US and yields are no better than non-GM corn, according to a report in the US's mainstream agricultural press written by North Carolina State University professor and extension specialist, Dominic Reisig. Prof Reisig says that the corn earworm pest has become resistant to the Bt insecticidal ("Cry") toxins in GM Bt corn. GM Bt corn was engineered to kill the pest – but, Prof Reisig says, "We have documented corn earworm resistance to all hybrids with Cry toxins since 2016 – eight years now. During that year, we observed unexpected injury to Bt corn and recommended growers spray Bt cotton" with chemical insecticides. Prof Reisig adds that corn varieties containing VIP toxins, another form of genetically engineered insecticide, are still effective against the pest – though GMWatch points out that a paper published in 2021 documented signs of resistance in the pest to these toxins too. It's only a matter of time before this resistance becomes widespread and GM Bt corn becomes completely redundant. GMWatch

 

 

The uncertainty over the commercial sale of GM mustard in India is likely to continue, with the Supreme Court delivering a split verdict. While Justice B.V. Nagarathna quashed the approval given to GM mustard by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), Justice Sanjay Karol upheld the panel’s decision to allow the crop to be sold commercially. With the two judges giving divergent views, the matter will now be placed before Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, who will then allot it to a larger bench. The court order came on a set of public interest litigations (PILs) challenging the Centre’s nod to the commercial cultivation and release of GM mustard. Justice Nagarathna faulted the GEAC for clearing the project without relying on any indigenous studies on the crop’s effect in India and its possible environmental ramifications. ThePrint

 

 

According to agroecologist Nasike Claire Akello, there's been a lot of misinformation about the punitive Kenyan seed law that bans farmers from sharing or selling uncertified seeds. In a short video, she explains the facts. Nasike Claire Akello on X @MissNasike

 

 

There is a haze of pesticides all over rural areas, writes PAN Europe. They spread into people's gardens, houses, playgrounds and even nature reserves. This alarming finding is shown by a one-year monitoring study by the Dutch citizens' network Meten = Weten in cooperation with PAN Netherlands. Among the many chemicals detected was the Parkinson's-linked pesticide Folpet. The findings add to evidence from other countries. Research in South Tyrol found that the airborne spread of pesticides is seriously underestimated. They do not remain in the apple orchards in the Alpine valleys, but spread to houses and playgrounds – and significant amounts even go up the mountain to nature reserves that should be protected. The EU SPRINT research project already showed that pesticides accumulate in house dust, with the highest levels in the houses of conventional farmers. Urgent action needs to be taken to protect humans and nature against this unhealthy and unnecessary exposure. PAN Europe

 

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