Articles

Confirming the widespread doubts in the Indian farming community about the efficiency of genetically modified cotton seeds, the Maharashtra government has banned the sale and distribution of Bt cotton seeds by a US multinational giant. The state announced its decision after Mahyco, the Maharashtra-based partner of the Monsanto group, failed its appeal against a show-cause notice. The company was served a notice over allegations of hoarding and over-pricing. Mahyco accounts for 5% of the total demand of 165 lakh seed packets supplied to farmers annually.

The EU gave permission for use of the soybeans in food and feed at end of June. However, it is claimed that the European Food Safety Authority has not carried out the risk assessments for the product ”in the way” as legally required. The European Network of Scientists for Social and Environmental Responsibility has now filed a complaint about the matter to the commission. Other complainants include the Society for Ecological Research, Sambucus, the foundation Manfred-Hermsen-Stiftung for Nature Conservation and Environmental Protection and the Foundation on Future Farming.

The German state “Schleswig-Holstein“ again belongs to the European GMO free regions network. With its re-entry, the network gains back one of its founder members after its exit from the alliance in 2005. The environmental minister Habeck justifies this step with locational advantages of his state. Schleswig-Holstein’s agriculture wants to continue GMO free to avoid ecological damages. With this decision, the federal state government also responds to the interests of its citizens. “Surveys show that the considerable majority of people oppose of genetically modified food on their plates. This concern we takes serious”, said minister Habeck. More than 50 regions with more than 140 million residents belong to the European GMO free regions network. Since 2008, no more GMO crops have been cultivated in Schleswig-Holstein.

Lantmannen highlighted the severity of the European Union's opposition to genetically modified foods by revealing that it had closed down feed production capacity after the discovery of biotech rapeseed meal. The Swedish agriculture and food co-operative said that it was taking action against the, unnamed, supplier of the rapeseed meal, after routine internal tests discovered ”traces” of genetically modified material. ”The raw material comes from a reputable supplier that guarantees GM-free product,” Lantmannen said.

New Zealand growers of oilseed rape or canola say experiences overseas have convinced them they need to stay clear of genetically engineered crops. The chairman of the rapeseed growers group, South Canterbury farmer Jeremy Talbot, agrees with a visiting Australian farmer, Bob Mackley, who has been brought to New Zealand by the Green Party to talk about the consequences of having GE crops in his area (western Victoria). Mr Mackley says New Zealand needs to be aware that once the green light is given for GE production, there is no turning back.

Brazilian farmers are using more pesticides on their crops. Despite the significant growth of the area cultivated with transgenic seeds, a technology that promises to reduce chemical use in agricultural production, sales of these products increased by over 72% between 2006 and 2012 - from 480,100 to 826,700 tons – according to data from Sindag, the association that represents pesticide manufacturers in the country. [...] The maize-aphid , an insect that sucks plant sap and leaves malformed cobs, never posed a threat to farmers in Jatai, one of the major production centers of winter maize in the country. But in April, the pest showed indication of its danger when it was about to attack a good part of the 150,000 hectares of the 2011/12 crop in the region. ”It was one of those scares,” recalls Luis Batista, an agronomist at Pioneer.

Beekeepers have succeeded in preventing, through two suspensions obtained in amparo (specialized protection), the seeding of transgenic soy for 253,500 hectares in Campeche, Quintana Roo, Yucatan, Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosi, Veracruz, and Chiapas. 59 organizations of beekeepers, environmentalists, and NGO´s have maintained that the amparos (or protections) granted by the second district court of Campeche, are setting a precedent to continue demanding the definitive suspension of permits that have been issued by SAGARPA to Monsanto. The organizations added in their press release communication that they will not cease in their fight for production that is free of transgenic interference.

It’s genetically modified sweet corn from the biotech giant Monsanto, engineered to resist a common herbicide and certain pests. The arrival of the crop’s first harvest has alarmed consumer groups and activists who say genetically modified foods may pose environmental and health risks. In recent months they have urged major retailers to avoid Monsanto’s sweet corn, prompting Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and General Mills to pledge not to sell or use it. But this week the world’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., confirmed to the Tribune that it would not restrict sales of the genetically modified corn in its stores.

The African Centre for Biosafety has today released its new study titled, ”How much glyphosate is on your dinner plate? SA's food safety compromised by lack of testing.” This study highlights numerous risks posed by the herbicide glyphosate to human and animal health as well as worrying regulatory failures, particularly in relation to the monitoring, inspection and testing of food for glyphosate residues. South Africans consume glyphosate ridden food on a daily basis: currently, 77% of maize grown in South Africa is genetically modified and of this 54% (about 1 million hectares) is modified to be glyphosate tolerant. Soya products on our market suffer the same fate: all of the GM soya planted in South Africa is tolerant to glyphosate, planted on 480 000 ha.

A very low-key field testing of genetically modified ”Golden Rice” in two Camarines Sur towns has stirred debate between organic farmers and farming advocates and those conducting the tests. Representatives of Magsasaka at Siyentipiko para sa Pag-unlad ng Agrikultura (Masipag) and CamSur Organic Agriculture and Industrial Development Inc. (Camsoaid) raised alarm over the field tests, saying the genetically modified rice variety could contaminate traditional rice varieties in farms near the testing sites in the towns of Pili and Tigaon. [...] Dr. Antonio Alfonso, plant molecular biologist and head of Philippine Rice projects to test GMOs [...] said grains of Golden Rice were planted on a 950-square-meter area each in Pili and Tigaon last March and were harvested in June yielding about three sacks of grains per field test area. He said samples were taken for further study. Most of the harvest, he said, was destroyed.