“Vandals destroy experimental vines in Italy amid GMO confusion” is the headline of an article in the wine industry magazine Vinetur. The subtitle adds, “Chardonnay vines using assisted evolution targeted in attack; researchers clarify they are not genetically modified organisms. Investigation ongoing”. In reality though, these are indeed GMO vines, but the researchers are misleading the public and press about their GMO status. The authorisation of the open-field testing of these GMO vines is being fought in the courts, as part of a wider Italian campaign against the liberalisation of new GMOs. GMWatch

 

 

On 25 February the UK government published the draft statutory instrument (SI) for the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Regulations 2025. The SI, when finalised, will act as the "secondary" implementing legislation for the regulations that will remove regulatory safeguards from a subclass of GMOs in England. GMWatch's Claire Robinson and molecular geneticist Prof Michael Antoniou have submitted comments on the SI to the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee, which examines the policy effects of secondary legislation. In their comments, Robinson and Antoniou write that the scientific foundation of the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Regulations 2025 is critical to its practical implementation, particularly regarding the verification of “precision bred” status for GMOs. However, they show that this scientific foundation is lacking: "Therefore, we have serious concerns about how this policy will function in reality." GMWatch

 

 

Canadian fish farming heavyweight Cooke Aquaculture has agreed to buy the Canadian subsidiary of former land-based GM salmon producer AquaBounty. Cooke stressed that it does not farm or sell any genetically engineered seafood products and has no plans to do so with the acquisition of AquaBounty. It has bought the company for its hatcheries. Fishfarming Expert

 

 

President Donald Trump’s environmental regulators are advancing a proposal to block states from warning consumers about herbicides and other agricultural products in their food. Among the substances that could now go undisclosed is glyphosate, which some studies have linked to cancer and that Trump’s own health secretary has called a “poison”. Last month, Trump issued an executive order mandating agencies “fully address the growing health crisis in America”. But the initiative from Republican attorneys general — which would usurp state labelling authority — is now being moved forward by Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency. The measure would declare that any label citing scientific findings not acknowledged by Trump’s EPA would “constitute misbranding”. The move could be setting up a confrontation with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., head of the Health and Human Services Department. Kennedy helped sue a major agrochemical company for failing to warn consumers of its pesticides’ harmful side effects. Truthout

 

 

Bayer guided for lower earnings this year as it continues to work through a turnaround plan. The company posted a fourth-quarter net loss of 335 million euros compared with a profit of 1.34 billion euros in the same quarter the previous year. Bayer remains embroiled in legal battles stemming from its Monsanto business, as plaintiffs blame its Roundup weedkiller for causing cancers – something the company denies. The $63 billion acquisition of Monsanto in 2018 was designed to turn the inventor of aspirin into the world's biggest crop-science business, but instead saddled it with debt and litigation. Market Screener

 

We hope you’ve found this newsletter interesting. Please support our work with a one-off or regular donation. Thank you!