News
2012-07-26 | permalink
Angry reactions to approval of GM potatoes field release in Ireland
Top names from the food, restaurant, and tourism sectors have sharply criticised the Environmental Protection Agency for potentially destroying Ireland's ”clean, green” agricultural image by allowing GM potatoes to be grown in Ireland. The agency has given consent to the Department of Agriculture's research arm, Teagasc, to carry out field trials on a genetically modified potato that could improve resistance to blight. The trial is to be carried out over the next four years, at Oak Park in Co Carlow, on an area up to two hectares. Speaking as a member of Slow Food Ireland, the European Chef's Association, Eurotoques, and the Taste Council, chef and owner of Ballymaloe House, Darina Allen, said she ”felt so let down” by what she described as ”a deeply regrettable decision”.
Irish Examiner, Ireland: Angry reaction to GM potatoes go-ahead- The Irish Times, Ireland: Go-ahead for Teagasc GM trials criticised
- Business and Leadership, Ireland: Blight resistant GM potatoes for Co Carlow field trials
- Silicon Republic, Ireland: GM-free group and IOFGA oppose Ireland’s genetically modified potato trials
2012-07-26 | permalink
Texas (USA) field workers sue Monsanto for being exposed to pesticides and underpaid
Monsanto promised seven Texas field workers and their children free housing with kitchens in Indiana, then charged them $300 a room, exposed them to pesticides and underpaid them, the men claim in Federal Court. Lead plaintiff Jose Cardenas sued Monsanto, its recruiter Milo Inc. and Milo Inc.'s president Hermilo Cantu Jr. [...] The recruiter told them there would be plenty of work; they would be paid $80 per acre for detasseling; a bonus for roguing and detasseling; and free housing with kitchens, but it wasn't like that, the men say.
2012-07-26 | permalink
Genetically-modified apples spur debate in the USA
David Bedford, a scientist with the University of Minnesota's apple breeding program, said he thinks it will take modifying a trait more important than browning to change the views of the apple industry and the American public, which currently do not favor genetically modifying apples. The U.S. Apple Association said in a statement they do not want the USDA to allow Okanagan to plant their apples in the United States. ”Ultimately, the future of [genetically modified] apples in the United States will be determined by USDA's decision on the two petitions and by the marketplace” the association said in the statement. ”The market will have time to decide, since new apple trees take years to come into production.”
2012-07-26 | permalink
U.S. farmer becomes disillusioned with GMOs, switches to non-GMO
Wendel Lutz hardly qualifies as an anti-GMO activist. As a conventional corn and soybean farmer is nearly a polar opposite of an environmentalist. Yet, he shares some views with opponents of genetically modified foods based on his experience growing GM crops. [...] In his first year growing RR crops, he says, ”I had nice clean beans” with no weed problems.
But in his second year, he started seeing problems. ”We went from a 32 ounce formulation (with Roundup) to 36 ounces,” Lutz says. ”As time went on we were upping the rates,” he says.
Last year, Lutz grew Monsanto's Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans, but they didn't increase yields as promised. ”They were my worst soybeans,” he says. On top of that, weeds became resistant to Roundup, which was confirmed by lab tests on weed samples he submitted.
2012-07-25 | permalink
Most uncooked food is toxic and GMOs are as safe as that, explains EU chief science adviser
Genetically modified organisms are no riskier than their conventionally farmed equivalents, the European Commission's Chief Scientific Advisor Anne Glover has told EurActiv [...] ”There is no substantiated case of any adverse impact on human health, animal health or environmental health, so that's pretty robust evidence, and I would be confident in saying that there is no more risk in eating GMO food than eating conventionally farmed food,” Glover told EurActiv, saying the precautionary principle no longer applies as a result. Glover said she was not promoting GMOs, and added that ”eating food is risky”, explaining: ”Most of us forget that most plants are toxic, and it's only because we cook them, or the quantity that we eat them in, that makes them suitable.”
