The US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has revealed significant changes regarding the regulation of GMOs. Following a recent court decision, APHIS will revert to its previous regulatory framework, effective December 10, 2024. This change stems from a court ruling, which declared the final rule known as SECURE, established in May 2020, invalid. The SECURE rule was claimed to update regulations to reflect advancements in genetic engineering and address associated plant pest risks. Now APHIS will reinstate the prior regulations set forth in 2019, paving the way for a more structured process concerning the authorisation and commercialisation of genetically engineered products. [GMW: The court ruling mentioned above resulted from the successful lawsuit brought by the Center for Food Safety and others – see this and this.] Clinique Bio

 

 

Following the trade panel ruling in favour of the US and against Mexico's attempts to ban imports of US GM corn for human consumption, Mexico’s Economy Department said it disagreed with the ruling by a panel of experts convened under the US-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement, known as the USMCA, but said it would abide by it. “The Mexican government does not agree with the panel’s finding, given that it considers that the measures in question are aligned with the principles of protecting public health and the rights of Indigenous communities,” Mexico’s Economy Department said. “Nonetheless, the Mexican government will respect the ruling.” [GMW: For background on this story, see this.] Associated Press

 

 

Just two companies — Bayer, the German conglomerate, and Corteva Agrisciences, which spun off from DowDuPont in 2018 — control the vast majority of patents related to genetically engineered crops. They own just under 80% of these patents, according to US Department of Agriculture research. Bayer and Corteva both own thousands of patents related to seed. With their grip on the industry’s intellectual property, Bayer and Corteva also control the majority of the market for corn and soybeans, according to USDA research using proprietary data. The two companies also control large swathes of pesticide markets. A third chemical company, Syngenta, also owns many corn and soybean patents. Investigate Midwest

 

 

India's Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has amended the rules governing the selection of experts to the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), the apex technical body regulating GM seeds in India. Under the new rules, an “expert member” has to disclose any “interest” that could conflict with their duties. The expert is also expected to take all steps necessary to ensure that any conflict of interest does not affect any decision of the GEAC. All selected members would also have to fill out a form detailing their professional affiliations to a decade prior to joining the committee. [GMW: It is not enough to have experts in committees responsible for decision making on GMOs declare their conflicts of interest; steps must be taken to exclude such conflicted people altogether from the committees. They can still be invited to give evidence or comments, as with any stakeholder.] The Hindu

 

 

Sustainable practices and innovation using desi (indigenous) cotton has the potential to replace the stagnant GMO Bt cotton grown in 90% of Northern India, according to a farmer and his daughter-in-law in Haryana. They say desi varieties provide high yields and a solution to the challenges posed by pests and climatic unpredictability. Indian Express

 

 

Legal activists from Nigeria and Ghana have called on the governments of both countries to ban GMOs from their nations’ agricultural systems. The lawyers made the call at a meeting in Accra, Ghana, organised by the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) and hosted by Food Sovereignty Ghana (FSG) in collaboration with the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoE), and the GMO-Free Alliance. The lawyers called on the governments of both nations to reject the introduction of GMOs and adhere to the precautionary principle in dealing with biosafety issues. The experts stressed that concerns about GMOs are not only about food, health and environmental safety, but also about the systematic appropriation of the right to seeds by transnational corporations that deprive farmers of their traditional rights, in favour of their patents. Business Day

 

 

While the global south expects China to play a leading role in preventing and resisting the increasing domination of the world food system by giant western agribusiness companies, in recent times China appears to be colluding in this domination by promoting GM crops and related businesses. In January 2024 Reuters reported, “The agriculture ministry approved the domestic production of six more varieties of genetically modified corn, two of soybeans and one of cotton.” What is more, the planting of GM crops was expanded to a much wider area and Chinese firms were allowed to develop and sell GM seeds. GM imports were also facilitated. Later in the year Reuters also reported regarding at least partial acceptance of GM wheat in a report titled "China approves first gene-edited wheat in step to open up GM tech to food crops". Countercurrents

 

 

For a bit of light relief to welcome in the new year, here's a reminder not to miss Glenn Davis Stone's hilarious-yet-serious article, "Bonus Eventus and Childless Cat Ladies", about the US government-funded PR outfit that compiled derogatory files on numerous scientists who dared to criticise GMOs and pesticides. (Bonus Eventus also kept files on NGO critics, including GMWatch.) GMW comment on article on Field Questions

 

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