| | 16/June/23
| | Leaked proposal to deregulate new GMOs – Commission plan gives in to GMO seed corporations A leaked version of the European Commission unit DG SANTE’s proposal to deregulate products of "new genomic techniques" (NGTs, or new GMOs) confirms early warnings of environmental, sustainable farming groups, consumer groups and scientists. The European Court of Justice ruled on 25 July 2018 that NGTs are GMOs and need to be regulated as such. Ever since, GMO seed corporations have massively lobbied to get the EU GMO rules scrapped for NGTs. Nina Holland, researcher at Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO), says: “If this proposal would go through, it would mean that these GMOs will no longer be subject to a risk assessment for health and environment, traceability nor labelling. This will increase biosafety risks and abolish consumers’ freedom of choice. Since NGT seeds will be patented, this will erode farmers’ rights, and it will lead to a further monopolisation of the already highly concentrated seed market.” GMWatch Glyphosate and a glyphosate-based herbicide affect bumblebee gut microbiota Researchers have found that glyphosate, the world's most widely used pesticide, affects the bumblebee gut microbiota. They exposed the bumblebee diet to glyphosate and a glyphosate-based herbicide and monitored the changes in bacterial communities. Fifty per cent of the bacterial strains detected in the bee gut microbiota were classified as potentially resistant to glyphosate, while 36% were classified as sensitive. Healthy gut microbiota have been shown to protect bees from parasite infections and decrease mortality. The study concludes that the heavy use of glyphosate-based herbicides may have implications for bees and ecosystems. FEMS Microbiology Ecology Argentina: Supported by doctors and researchers, the group "Stop Spraying Us" wants freedom from pesticide spraying on GM soy The Sprayed Peoples of Argentina and people from other pesticide-sprayed towns in the "United Republic of Soybeans" in Paraguay, Brazil, Uruguay and Bolivia are meeting and marching this week in Rosario, Argentina for food sovereignty and freedom from spraying. They're mobilising against the concentration, expulsion, poisoning, disease and death that agribusiness brings with its GMO soy and pesticides. There have also been talks and workshops organised by the Institute of Socio-Environmental Health of the National University of Rosario. Carlos Manessi, head of the Center for the Protection of Nature (Cepronat) and member of the multisectoral "Stop Spraying Us", has been working for 15 years to publicise the problem. He said, "It is urgent that we make a change, we have to start changing agriculture in Argentina. We are running out of land because the soybean monoculture model is exhausting it. If we do not use phosphorus, nitrogen or some of the minerals that are lacking, the crop does not advance. You cannot plant soybean on soybean for 15 years, it has really compacted the soil. And let us bear in mind that our lands in Santa Fe, Córdoba and Buenos Aires were among the richest in the world. I think that the same reality is going to make us change towards another way of producing, we cannot continue producing based on chemicals, poisoning people. What they are doing is madness. The State cannot continue to endorse this way of producing, they are responsible for the economic, environmental and public health disaster that is taking place." Uno Santa Fe (Spanish language article) 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
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