05/November/20

 

A new study on the performance of GM Bt cotton in India concludes, "This technology is "suboptimal, leading to stagnant yields, high input costs, increased insecticide use, and low farmer incomes that increase economic distress that is a proximate cause of cotton farmer suicides. The current GM Bt technology adds costs in rainfed cotton without commensurate increases in yield. Non-GM pure-line high-density short-season varieties could double rainfed cotton yield, reduce costs, decrease insecticide use, and help ameliorate suicides. The GM hybrid technology is inappropriate for incorporation in short-season high-density varieties." GMWatch

 

 

You are invited to a Zoom webinar: Nov 11, 2020 02:00 PM London (GMT). Topic: When Hidden GMOs Can't Hide Any More - First Open-Source Detection Test for a Gene-Edited Crop and What It Means For Us. Register in advance for this webinar: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_wyolW8xIQw-NlD1mfFrFww GMWatch

 

 

Ghana's parliament has passed the Plant Variety Protection law despite fierce opposition from farmers' groups and civil society. They say the bill is hostile to small farmers and undermines farmers’ rights to freely exchange seeds. According to the group, the bill is the same as the Plant Breeders bill that sought to promote the production of genetically modified organisms – but was withdrawn after protests from smallholder farmers across the country. B&FT Online

 

 

PAN Europe, along with more than 70 NGOs (including GMWatch), has written to the EU Commission asking it to put an end to the EU’s export of hazardous pesticides that are banned in the EU, and also the import of food and agricultural goods produced with such pesticides outside the EU. PAN Europe