| | 06/January/21
| | USDA moves to weaken regulation over GM animals The US Dept of Agriculture (USDA) has proposed that it take over the regulation of GM animals from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Agriculture secretary Sonny Perdue said this would provide GMO "developers with a one-stop shop for their products at USDA". This appears to be an attempt to smooth the path to market for GM animals, including new gene-edited animals, by removing oversight from the FDA. GMWatch Investigation on weedkiller dicamba adds to pattern of corporate deception on pesticide hazards The Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting published a story in December on yet another example of the corporate malfeasance that exalts profit far above concerns for safety, health, and ecosystems. The Center’s investigation finds that Monsanto and BASF, makers of the problematic herbicide dicamba, engaged in a variety of deceitful, unethical, and possibly fraudulent practices to enable its use. The bottom line is that the companies knew, before they released dicamba, about the massive damage it would cause — and then put it on the market. Beyond Pesticides Lab leak the "most credible" source of coronavirus outbreak, says top US government official The US’s Deputy National Security Adviser, Matthew Pottinger, says the “most credible” theory about the origin of the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is that it escaped from a lab in China. And now the journalist Ian Birrell has written an authoritative article explaining why the lab escape theory is a real possibility. Comment by GMWatch on article in The Mail on Sunday The following stories appeared in our Review No 509, sent out on 1 January. However, for those who may have missed them, we're also featuring them in this Daily Digest. US FDA approves GM pig for food and therapeutic use The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a transgenic GM pig for use in food as well as human therapeutics. The aim of the genetic modification is to eliminate the production of alpha-gal sugar in the pigs' cells. Alpha-gal sugar in red meat, including pork, causes allergic reactions in some people. In human transplant patients, alpha-gal sugar contributes to the problem of rejection of pig-derived organs and tissues. However, the risks and limitations of the GM pigs are not properly addressed in the FDA evaluation. GMWatch Mystery packages of seeds may contain GMOs – Danish ministry The Danish ministry of agriculture has announced that "signs of GMOs" have been revealed in mysterious packages of seeds sent to citizens in the mail, apparently from China. If the presence of GMOs is confirmed, this development is just the latest in a long line of illegal disseminations of GMOs by advocates. GMWatch BBC blocked from investigating SARS-CoV-2 lab leak theory in China A team from the BBC went to China to investigate claims that the SARS-CoV-2 virus leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology — but found themselves blocked at every turn. According to the reporter, "We ran into checkpoints at which unidentified men told us their job was to keep us out". BBC News Biden brings Vilsack back to USDA President-elect Joe Biden has chosen Tom Vilsack as secretary of agriculture. Vilsack delivered corporate-friendly policies when he headed the USDA in the Obama administration. And under Vilsack, the USDA approved many GM herbicide-tolerant crops, including crops tolerant to dicamba. The result has been a full-on disaster. Dicamba has strayed from targeted fields and damaged millions of acres of crops, trees, and home gardens. The Guardian; comment by GMWatch New Bayer chairman faces sour investors in his first major tour Bayer AG Chairman Norbert Winkeljohann has spent several weeks meeting almost two dozen fund managers during his first major tour of the investment community since taking the job in April. The feedback hasn’t been altogether encouraging. Several of Bayer’s 25 largest shareholders questioned the timing of the three-year contract extension granted to Chief Executive Officer Werner Baumann in September, given the company continues to grapple with the fallout from the Monsanto acquisition that he spearheaded. BNN Bloomberg A feminist ethics of care framework for risk assessment of GM crops A peer-reviewed paper calls for a reformation of regulatory procedures for GM crops by exploring the potential of Feminist Care Ethics to offer an alternative approach. The Feminist Ethics of Care framework acknowledges that GM crops are part of and promote a system of industrialised agriculture that damages socio-ecological relations. The paper calls for a "re-imagining" of the current system to include voices currently missing from the discourse. Technology in Society, Third World Network, via GMWatch Farmworkers and conservationists ask court to remove Monsanto's Roundup from the market On 17 December, the Center for Food Safety (CFS) filed the opening arguments and evidence in its litigation challenging the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) re-approval of glyphosate. The CFS is representing a broad coalition of farmworkers, farmers, and conservationists seeking to have the pesticide prohibited from use or sale because of its unlawful approval. GMWatch Brexit stems from a civil war in capitalism – we are all just collateral damage To one sort of capitalist, the insecurity and chaos that Brexit will bring is horrifying. To the other, it is highly profitable. In this civil was within capitalism, the people are just collateral damage, writes George Monbiot. GMWatch points out that GMOs are a significant part of the disruptive agenda. The Guardian; comment by GMWatch DONATE TO GMWATCH __________________________________________________________ Website: http://www.gmwatch.org
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