The New Dark Age

Why risk contaminating New Zealand with GMOs when nature already has the answers? In a video clip, dairy farmer Paul Bosher explains why Crown Research Institute (publicly funded) scientists are pushing GMOs, even though there are other natural, proven ways to cut methane on farms. Feeding diverse multi-species plants and certain seaweeds are practical and low-risk solutions that work. Instead, New Zealanders are being sold risky, untested GMO experiments that could harm the environment and export markets. Why? Because the Crown research institutes can’t make money out of them, so they ignore them. GE Honesty on X

New Zealand has a lot of livestock, so there has been a big focus on reducing methane emissions, including funding for public (Crown) research, as part of the country’s mission to get to net zero by 2050. As an article says: “It’s the subject of a huge scientific inquiry in New Zealand”. And the research has included developing genetically engineered methane inhibitors and genetically engineered clover and rye grass cattle feed. So when the government announced last year that it was going to pursue GMO deregulation it highlighted the supposed potential of genetic engineering to reduce methane emissions. However, this is a con (see above item). GMWatch comment, no link in header

Nipissing First Nation (NFN) hosted a rally on August 15, urging the provincial government to stop spraying glyphosate-based herbicides over Nipissing Forest — which is Nipissing traditional territory. Isaac Murdoch, an Indigenous activist from Serpent River, said he received a message from the spraying company Interfor, confirming the cancellation of this year’s aerial spraying for the North Shore, Serpent River, and Pinelands forests. It noted that the decision was made due to concerns regarding contractor safety. The halt of aerial spraying in this area would be seen as a victory for the Stop the Spray organisers and those advocating for sustainable practices that respect Indigenous knowledge and land stewardship. However, not all spraying has been called off; it is still scheduled for other areas of Northern Ontario. Baytoday

John Bennett, senior policy adviser with Friends of the Earth Canada, is calling for a moratorium on the use of glyphosate in forests. He writes, “Used widely by Ontario’s forestry industry, glyphosate-based herbicides are sprayed from helicopters to kill off broadleaf trees like poplar and birch. The goal is to give conifers — mainly jack pine and spruce — a competitive edge for future logging. But this shortcut is costing us more than it’s worth. It’s poisoning our ecosystems, undermining Indigenous rights, and threatening the health of our communities… Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) Elders… have long warned about the dangers of glyphosate. Their observations are grounded in generations of experience and deep respect for the land. They’ve seen the changes firsthand: poisoned plants, sick animals, and disrupted ecosystems.” Sudbury Star

Sublethal glyphosate herbicide exposure harms fireweed — an ecologically important plant in the northern hemisphere that provides food across forest openings for many wildlife species, including bumblebees, according to a study. Results showed that fireweed is negatively impacted by sublethal exposures of glyphosate herbicide, including reduced photosynthetic efficiency, reduced height, and reproductive shoot dieback. Exposure is common in forested areas managed for timber. Scientific Reports

The Weed Resistance Action Group has flagged a fresh wave of concern for UK farmers, announcing that several more Italian ryegrass populations may be developing resistance to glyphosate. Glyphosate is the most used herbicide in arable farming. The first three UK cases of glyphosate resistance were confirmed earlier this year – in Kent, Gloucestershire, and North Yorkshire – with a fourth in Essex showing significantly reduced sensitivity. [GMW: This is doubtless the tip of a massive iceberg. So far, only a few cases have been found – but that’s because few people are looking in few places. And the problem will only get worse if GM herbicide-tolerant crops are grown in the UK. The solution, of course, is to phase out glyphosate and NOT replace it with other herbicides.] Farmers Weekly

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