| | 23/May/23
| | Biting off more than we can chew: US, GMOs and the new scramble for Africa The lifting of the GMO ban in Kenya was a pre-requisite for the agricultural component of the US-Kenya Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership (STIP) to be realised but it does not augur well for the people of Kenya, writes policy analyst Maryanne Nduati. The biggest beneficiaries are likely to be the corporations that are part of the American agricultural industrial complex. Those firms that produce GMO seeds and foods will now have a captive market through the US-Kenya STIP trade deal. Nduati writes, "There is concern that smallholder farmers, who account for 78% of total agricultural produce in Kenya, will be unable to compete with the US agricultural corporations who have vast economies and efficiencies of scale. Corn, a competitor to Kenya’s staple maize crop, is likely to have a devastating effect on the local smallholder markets. As a result, smallholder farmers are likely to suffer a fall in farmgate prices, possibly exacerbating poverty." The Elephant Bayer investors get class status in Monsanto deal risk suit Two pension funds can represent a class of investors in a lawsuit alleging Bayer AG didn’t adequately vet Roundup herbicide maker Monsanto before buying it and didn’t warn them about cancer litigation risks. The lead plaintiffs cleared a big hurdle with Chief Judge Richard Seeborg‘s May 19 decision to certify a class, since such a ruling typically sets the stage for settlement. Seeborg oversees the case in the US District Court for the Northern District of California. Bloomberg Law (paywalled) Glyphosate exposure linked with urinary oxidative stress biomarkers in farmers An epidemiological study investigated associations between glyphosate exposure and urinary oxidative stress biomarkers in farmers, as part of the Agricultural Health Study. Oxidative stress is a destructive imbalance in the body that can cause a long list of diseases, including cancer. Urinary glyphosate concentrations were found to be linked to biomarkers of oxidative stress. The authors conclude that the findings contribute to the weight of evidence supporting an association between glyphosate exposure and oxidative stress in humans and may inform evaluations of the carcinogenic potential of this herbicide. Journal of the National Cancer Institute Six ways to confront pesticide industry science denial and disinformation An analysis of internal corporate documents, reported in US Right to Know's Merchants of Poison case study, details how companies like Bayer, and the pesticide industry broadly, spend tens of millions of dollars every year on tactics to mislead the public about its products and the sector. Like the tactics of the tobacco and fossil fuel industries, the methods Monsanto and Bayer used to protect glyphosate are designed to thwart independent scientific examination and regulatory oversight. These tactics are also used to distract the public and policymakers from grappling with the systemic changes needed to address the impacts of glyphosate, and pesticides more generally, on ecosystems and public health. An excerpt from Merchants of Poison offers six suggestions for policy makers, media outlets, academics, and public health advocates to counteract industry spin tactics. US Right to Know We hope you’ve enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible by readers’ donations. Please support our work with a one-off or regular donation. Thank you! __________________________________________________________ Website: http://www.gmwatch.org
Profiles: http://www.powerbase.info/index.php/GM_Watch:_Portal
Twitter: http://twitter.com/GMWatch
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/GMWatch/276951472985?ref=nf |
|
