| | 25/November/24
| | India: Activists slam government over illegal sale of GM maize, processed foods Environmental activists have raised concerns about the illegal cultivation of GM maize in Tamil Nadu and its presence in commercially sold processed foods and unprocessed maize grains across India. In a letter to regulatory authorities, including the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and the Ministry of Commerce, activists demanded immediate action against violators. They also called for the withdrawal of all products made from GM maize from the market. India has stringent regulations to prevent the entry of GM food crops and the sale of products derived from GM foods. In March 2021, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) mandated a GM-free certificate and a non-GM origin certificate for importing 24 food crops, including maize (Zea mays). However, evidence suggests this order may have been flouted. [GMW: Read the activists' letter here.] The New Indian Express India's (GM Bt) cotton production is plummeting Cotton is a crucial raw material for the apparel industry. Most cotton grown in India is GM Bt insecticide-producing. But pests, diseases, and falling yields are pushing farmers away from growing the crop. India’s overall cotton production is estimated to fall to 29.9 million bales in 2024-25, the lowest in six years, due to lower plantings and stagnant yields. The latest production numbers are significantly lower than the record 39 million bales harvested by farmers a decade back, in 2013-14. Over the years, the pink bollworm pest has developed resistance to Bt toxin and new diseases have emerged. [GMW: This article promotes approval of GM herbicide-tolerant cotton as a solution to Indian cotton farmers' woes, on the claimed grounds that it will make weed control easier and cheaper. Clearly some people have learned nothing from the catastrophic spread of herbicide-resistant weeds in areas where GM herbicide-tolerant crops have been grown, a development that has tied farmers to an expensive pesticide treadmill.] Livemint (paywalled) Oxitec wants to release GM mosquitoes in Australia Oxitec has applied to the OGTR (Office of the Gene Technology Regulator) for commercial release of millions of GM male-sterile Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, in Queensland, Australia. They claim the imported strain, OX5034 Ae. aegypti, will reduce mosquito numbers and dengue fever. Meanwhile the World Mosquito Program has released millions of non-GMO Aedes aegypti mosquitoes infected with natural Wolbachia bacteria, meaning the mosquitoes are not a vector for transmission of dengue or other diseases. Australians will be "consulted" on the GM mosquitoes in March 2025. GMWatch comment on OGTR document GMWatch Review: Glyphosate and Other Pesticides and Toxics is out Our latest Review, on Glyphosate and Other Pesticides and Toxics, is out and is archived here. We have a roundup of new research on glyphosate, including the latest on how it can increase blood pressure, cause intestinal damage, and trigger other serious diseases, not to mention causing malformations in frogs. We also have more on the mysterious brain disease cluster in Canada and the aggressive cancers hitting women farmers in Brazil, both of which are being linked to glyphosate exposure. We cover the problems with glyphosate contamination of not just food, water, and public spaces, but even the manure used to help grow food – and the damaging results. We also have the latest on two lots of lawsuits weighing on Bayer-Monsanto – the Roundup ones costing the company billions and the PCB ones that just keep coming. Don't miss out – subscribe for free here. GMWatch We hope you’ve found this newsletter interesting. Please support our work with a one-off or regular donation. Thank you! __________________________________________________________ Website: http://www.gmwatch.org
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