In April the Philippines Court of Appeal ruled in favour of farmer/scientist group MASIPAG and others and against the Philippine government's actions that granted permits for the commercial propagation of GM Bt brinjal and GM golden rice. The decision was hailed as a significant victory for farmers, the environment, and people's health. Now the court decision has been published and can be read on the GMWatch website. GMWatch

 

 

One of the most common claims for gene editing technologies is that they can help make farming more sustainable, predominantly by improving resource and water use efficiency. This narrative is frequently repeated by politicians and in the media, and is rarely questioned or examined more deeply. However, the term "sustainability" is itself contentious, meaning different things to different people and in different contexts. A webinar aims to dig a little bit deeper into the notion of sustainability, exploring questions such as: what does the term "sustainable" actually mean when applied to food systems? What are the different visions for a sustainable food system and the worldviews behind them? What are the barriers to their implementation? How do genetic technologies fit into the picture? How might sustainability criteria help create a more sustainable food system? A panel of expert speakers with a wide range of knowledge on the complexities of sustainable food systems will give their views and answer questions from the audience in order to promote a deeper and more nuanced understanding of these issues. Register now! A Bigger Conversation via Eventbrite

 

 

No Patents on Seeds! filed an appeal against the decision of the European Patent Office (EPO) to maintain the patent on lettuce (EP2966992). Following a hearing in February, the Opposition Division of the EPO did not revoke the patent, even though it is based on conventional breeding. The traits of the lettuce could become important due to ongoing climate change, as the seeds can still germinate at higher temperatures. However, access to the seed is controlled by the patent holder, the Dutch company Rijk Zwaan. “If the patent is not revoked, it will not be possible to continue to breed freely with these plants to bring improved varieties to the market. The patent means that only Rijk Zwaan can decide who gets access to the necessary biological material,” says Christoph Then for No patents on seeds!. “Such patents endanger diversity in the fields and in our shopping baskets; they can also significantly hamper adaptation to climate change.” No Patents on Seeds!

 

 

In Australia, scientists at the University of Melbourne are trying to fix the problem of endangered native quolls (a small cuddly marsupial) through genetic engineering. It seems the quolls are going extinct as they bite poisonous cane toads, an invasive introduced species that is spreading across the North – and die. The scientists plan to gene edit the quolls to be resistant to the cane toad toxin. A scientist not involved in the research called the project "possibly the only hope that we’ve got" to save the quoll. [GMW: The University of Melbourne boffins also propose de-extinction of the Tasmanian Tiger, in partnership with Colossal Biosciences.] The Guardian

 

 

New Zealand's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved a large-scale fermentation laboratory for production of synthetic genetically engineered (GE) milk proteins."The EPA approval to Daisy Lab was done under "fast track" and only took 10 days to evaluate with no public notification. There was no community or stakeholder consultation. "This is an example of what the proposed Fast Track Bill has for democracy, where public participation in decisions will be eliminated” said Claire Bleakley, GE-free NZ president. “The EPA has been negligent in their risk assessment. They have not required monitoring of the facility, annual reports on the process or require food safety trials on the purity and safety of the product for human consumption or any labelling of the product." Nor did they specify the bacterial waste disposal conditions. Bleakley said the EPA has not specified if these novel GE-derived proteins need safety trials on the purity and allergenicity of the product for human consumption or any labelling of the product. GE Free NZ

 

 

GeneEthics (Australia) reports that facilities and projects in Western Australia (which produced nothing of value despite being hyped in the media) have received renewed funding. GeneEthics comments, "Their target traits are polygenic," involving multiple genetic sequences. So "They will fail again as GM science can't do that." GeneEthics (no link in header)

 

 

At a press conference in Bangladesh, activists asked the government not to release genetically modified variety Golden Rice for commercial production in Bangladesh before independent validation about its impact. UBINIG, Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), and other groups jointly organised the event at the National Press Club. Executive director of the non-governmental organisation UBINIG Farida Akhter said that the International Rice Research Institute and the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute are pushing the government for commercial release of the Golden Rice without any studies on its impact on public health and environment. BELA chief executive Syeda Rizwana Hasan said that the agencies and companies, while spreading misinformation about GM crops, are trying to test the impact of these crops on the people, making Bangladeshi people into guinea pigs. New Age (Bangladesh)

 

 

After failing in several US states this year, global chemical manufacturer Bayer said that it plans to amplify efforts to create a legal shield against a proliferation of lawsuits alleging it failed to warn that its popular weedkiller could cause cancer. Bayer, which disputes the cancer claims, has been hit with about 170,000 lawsuits involving its Roundup weedkiller and has set aside $16 billion to settle cases. But the company contends the legal fight “is not sustainable” and is looking to state lawmakers for relief. Bayer lobbied for legislation that could have blocked a central legal argument this year in Missouri, Iowa and Idaho — home, respectively, to its North America crop science division, a Roundup manufacturing facility and the mines from which its key ingredient is derived. Though bills passed at least one chamber in Iowa and Missouri, they ultimately failed in all three states. ABC News

 

 

Melinda French Gates has said she will step down as co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which she co-founded with her former spouse more than 20 years ago. The Foundation has poured money into GMO projects, often garnering strong criticism from those who ostensibly are the targets of its philanthropy. GMWatch comment on article in The Guardian

 

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