News
2013-12-20 | permalink
Georgian government approves bill on living GMO’s
The Georgian government has approved a bill on "Living genetically modified organisms". Georgian Minister of Environment said that the purpose of the bill is to create a single state system of biosafety that will regulate the use of living genetically modified organisms. According to the bill, a license will be required to use these organisms.
Trend News Agency: Georgian government approves bill on living GMO’s2013-12-18 | permalink
Turkish State Council Cancels Import of GM Corn MON810 and MON810x88017
The Turkish Council of State has cancelled the import of two genetically modified (GM) corn varieties following a lawsuit filed by the ‘No to GMO Platform’. In light of this ruling, the re-evaluation of all GMOs approved for import should be re-evaluated and their approval should be revoked according to Greenpeace Turkey. The Turkish Biosecurity Council had allowed the import and use as animal feed of 16 GM corn and 3 GM soy varieties despite a public outcry in Turkey.
2013-12-18 | permalink
Florida University Campus: Anti GE Tree Activists Kicked Off , Spied on by FBI
A few months ago, while reporting an article about genetically engineered trees for Earth Island Journal’s Autumn issue (read the story here), I had a mighty hard time locating plant biologists or genetic engineers at academic institutions who were willing to talk about the possible risks of growing GE trees in massive plantations. It seemed there was little debate over this controversial issue within the biotech community on college campuses — the very places where most of the research into GE trees is carried out.
2013-12-17 | permalink
Proposed GM maize 1507 authorisation must be rejected say MEPs
The European Parliament's environment and public health committee today voted with a clear majority in favour of a resolution tabled by the Greens calling on EU governments to reject a proposal by the European Commission to authorise the cultivation of a type of GM maize in the EU for the first time in 15 years
2013-12-15 | permalink
Local residents in Córdoba, Argentine vs Monsanto
The people of this working-class suburb of Córdoba in Argentina’s central farming belt stoically put up with the spraying of the weed-killer glyphosate on the fields surrounding their neighbourhood. But the last straw was when U.S. biotech giant Monsanto showed up to build a seed plant. The creator of glyphosate, whose trademark is Roundup, and one of the world’s leading producers of genetically modified seeds, Monsanto is building one of its biggest plants to process transgenic corn seed in Malvinas Argentinas, this poor community of 15,000 people 17 km east of the capital of the province of Córdoba. The plant was to begin operating in March 2014. But construction work was brought to a halt in October by protests and legal action by local residents, who have been blocking the entrance to the site since Sept. 18.
