Michael Antoniou's inaugural lecture as professor of molecular genetics and toxicology at King's College London is now available online. It's called "Glyphosate herbicides: safer than table salt or deceptively toxic?" King's College London

 

 

Northland Regional Council, Whangarei District Council, Far North District Council, Auckland Council, and Hastings District Council have made a commitment to farmers and other ratepayers to oppose the the controversial Gene Technology Bill in its current form, according to GE-Free Northland. GE-Free Northland writes of the bill, that would deregulate certain gene technologies, "There is strong opposition from these councils to the parts of the current Gene Technology Bill that would remove existing district and regional regulations, and significantly reduce local participation in decision-making around outdoor GMOs. Clauses in the Bill seek to undermine many years of collaborative work done by Northland and Auckland's local authorities, to bring about a cohesive plan that represents the values of their communities and ensures truly sustainable integrated management to protect finite resources and biosecurity." GE-Free Northland

 

 

Greenpeace Aotearoa (Greenpeace NZ) opposes the New Zealand government's Gene Technology Bill because it puts "the health of our people and the environment... at unacceptable risk" and recommends that the bill "be rejected in its entirety". Greenpeace

 

 

Peru's agricultural unions are rejecting a Congressional bill seeking to lift the ban (currently in place until 2035) on GMOs. And organisations defending native seeds are proposing strategies to preserve Peru's agricultural heritage and strengthen its marketing without any use of GMOs. According to Luis Cruz, manager of the National Agricultural Convention (Conveagro), lifting this restriction would put agrobiodiversity at risk and affect the livelihoods of small farmers. “Various studies have shown that there is danger to our native products and we also think that our position in the world as a biodiverse and transgenic-free country is at risk, which has opened many doors for us to bring our organic products,” he said. La Republica

 

 

At the end of 2024, the Slovakian Association of Feed Producers, Storekeepers and Trading Companies developed an initiative under which feed crops grown without the use of GMO technologies would receive relevant certification and labelling. The project’s goal was to ensure that the Slovak Republic does not produce and introduce GMO feed products. The association believes that investing in a GMO-free supply chain would not only bolster the popularity of Slovak food in the European market but also potentially increase its market share and profitability. All About Feed

 

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