04/February/20

 

We've added two papers to our list of scientific research articles with findings that support the need for stringent regulation of gene-edited plants, animals, and foods. We've provided summaries and analyses of the study findings. We've marked the new additions with "[UPDATE 4 Feb 2020]" so you can clearly see what's new. GMWatch

 

 

Boris Johnson has hinted at allowing GM foods to be imported from the US after Brexit as he called for an end to “hysterical” fears about American products coming to the UK as part of a trade deal. [GMW: GM foods are already allowed to be imported into the EU and the UK as long as they are approved by the EU authorities. Many GM foods have been approved by the EU, for imports destined for food and feed use. The difference with the potential influx of GM foods into the UK post-Brexit is that after the transition period in which the UK still has to abide by EU rules, GM foods not approved by the EU might be allowed into the UK and they might not be clearly labelled, as clear on-package labelling is not required in the US.] The Guardian; comment by GMWatch

 

 

The UK's Food and Drink Federation has repeated its pleas that it wants to keep trading ties closely aligned with the EU's after British prime minister Boris Johnson dismissed fears about food standards as "mumbo jumbo" and implied that GM food imports from the US would be allowed. The FDF's chief executive, Ian Wright, said the UK should carefully assess the pros and cons of changing its future trading relationship with the EU. He said, "The EU market is the largest source of UK food imports and the largest destination for UK food exports.... Introducing friction into those supply chains will have implications for our largest manufacturing sector and for all food and drink consumers." Food Navigator

 

 

While BASF was telling farmers there would be no yield impacts from dicamba drift in 2017, the company was privately telling pesticide applicators that any drift they caused could cause yield loss, according to Monday video testimony from Gary Schmitz, tech service regional manager for the Midwest. Schmitz was the first official from BASF to testify in the ongoing trial of the civil lawsuit filed by Bader Farms, the largest peach farm in Missouri. In the lawsuit, Bader Farms alleges that Monsanto, which was acquired by Bayer in 2018, and BASF knew their dicamba-related products released beginning in 2015 would cause damage to other farmers, yet released the products anyway. Investigatemidwest.org

 

 

A Roundup cancer trial in St Louis, Missouri, will not open on Wednesday as expected, fuelling fresh speculation that a global settlement of tens of thousands of lawsuits brought by cancer victims against the former Monsanto may be near. The St Louis case, titled Wade v. Monsanto, involves four plaintiffs, including one woman whose husband died of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Opening statements were initially expected January 24, but were postponed to allow for lawyers for Monsanto’s German owner Bayer and lawyers for the plaintiffs to discuss settlement terms. The court then said the trial would open on February 5. Now, it is off indefinitely. US Right to Know