Genetic Engineering
GMO = Genetically Modified Organism
GMOs are created in a lab, by inserting a gene from one organism into another unrelated organism, producing plants and animals that would never occur in nature. No long-term safety studies have been done on humans, but animal studies link the consumption of GMOs to an increase in allergies, kidney and liver disease, ADHD, cancer, infertility, chronic immune disorders and more.
A beekeeping cooperative in northern France has filed a legal complaint against German chemicals giant Bayer after traces of the controversial weedkiller glyphosate were detected in batches of honey, officials said Friday. The weedkiller, introduced by the US agro-giant Monsanto under the Roundup brand name, is the most widely used in France, where President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to outlaw it by 2021.
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Re “The seeds of science” (May 7): Michael Gerson, in his commentary, is making a bad decision for both himself and his dog by not believing that GMOs (genetically modified organisms) are health hazards.
Unlike Mark Lynas, who is not a scientist and whose words Gerson is parroting, I can unequivocally state that there is no scientific consensus about GMO safety and that most of his statements are false. The statement that GMO foods are safe to eat because there is no evidence for harm is not valid because there are no studies on human safety.
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Researchers from Case Western Reserve University have synthesized an artificial human prion, a scientific first that could eventually lead to treatments for Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and other deadly brain-wasting disorders.
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French politicians have adopted a proposal which, if enacted, would mean animal protein products from animals raised on genetically modified (GM) feed would have to carry on-pack labels stating ‘fed with GMOs’.
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Toronto’s Planet in Focus Environmental Film Festival announced today that Rachel Parent will receive the second annual Rob Stewart Youth Eco-Hero. PiF will award Parent on June 7 at the upcoming student film festival. The award honours the memory of late filmmaker Rob Stewart, who died in January 2017 while researching his upcoming film Sharkwater: Extinction. Stewart’s films and mentorship inspired a new generation of eco-activists.
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Unless there is a major hiccup in the next few days, an incredibly powerful company will shortly be given a licence to dominate world farming. Following a nod from Donald Trump, powerful lobbying in Europe and a lot of political arm-twisting on several continents, the path has been cleared for Monsanto, the world’s largest seed company, to be taken over by Bayer, the second-largest pesticide group, for an estimated $66bn (£50bn).
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Thanks to internal emails uncovered by Carey Gillam, writing for The Guardian, the public knows that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has found glyphosate residues in a variety of foods. In fact, the agency had trouble finding any foods that didn’t test positive for traces of the chemical, best-known as the key ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide.
It’s the FDA’s job to conduct residue testing on food. It’s the
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Bayer plans to complete its $63 billion acquisition of Monsanto on Thursday after receiving all required approvals from regulatory authorities.
The German pharmaceutical company will also retire the St. Louis-based corporation's 117-year-old name.
"Bayer will remain the company name. Monsanto will no longer be a company name. The acquired products will retain their brand names and become part of the Bayer portfolio," Bayer
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Five years ago, under mounting pressure from consumers, Whole Foods Market (WFM) announced that by the end of 2018, the then-largest retailer of organic foods would require all of its suppliers to clearly label GMO ingredients and foods.
Last week, the company reneged on that commitment, or at least the timeline part of it.
This time, there was no flashy press release, no media fanfare. Instead, the news was circulated quietly in an email to the company’s suppliers.
In the email, WFM Chief Operations Officer A.C. Gallo claimed the
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