Wednesday, 19 February 2025 — GM Watch Divided Kingdom: Devolved nations and the Genetic Technology Act The Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 aims to deregulate gene-edited organisms (or, as the UK government misleadingly calls them, “precision-bred organisms, PBOs). As the government moves to implement secondary legislation that will make the Act operational by the… Continue reading

Friday, 14 February 2025 — GM Watch Editor’s note: We apologise for the auto-correct-generated typo in yesterday’s Daily Digest item, the title of which should have read “GM trees promoted as potential future solution to citrus greening disease – but is the (non-GM) solution already out there?” Auto-correct, in its wisdom, changed the title to… Continue reading

Thursday, 13 February 2025 — GM Watch GM trees promoted as potential future solution to circus greening disease – but is the (non-GM) solution already out there? Researchers at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences have developed genetically engineered trees that create a protein that forms holes in the gut of… Continue reading

Tuesday, 11 February 2025 — GM Watch GMO deregulation threatens breeders, farmers, and the organic and non GMO sectors in the EU  European countries must protect farmers, small- and medium-sized seed breeders, and the organic and GM-free sectors from threats to their business posed by the deregulation of new GMOs, warns Greenpeace and more than… Continue reading

Monday, 10 February 2025 — GM Watch US-funded “social network” attacking pesticide critics shuts down A US-funded “social network” attacking pesticide and GMO critics has shut down after an investigation by Lighthouse Reports in collaboration with The Guardian and others. The St Louis, Missouri-based firm, v-Fluence, said it’s shuttering the service that featured personal details… Continue reading

Monday, 3 February 2025 — GM Watch Lab-grown breast milk firm goes tits-up BIOMILQ — a startup culturing mammary cells to produce bioactives found in breastmilk — has filed for bankruptcy amid a protracted IP dispute with the ex-husband of one of the cofounders that she says rendered the firm “uninvestable and unacquirable”. Founded in… Continue reading

Friday, 24 January 2025 — GM Watch Brazil says soy shipments to China from five firms halted due to contamination China, the world’s biggest soybean buyer, has stopped receiving Brazilian soybean shipments from five firms after cargoes did not meet plant health requirements, according to a statement from the Brazilian government. The Brazilian agriculture ministry… Continue reading

Thursday, 23 January 2025 — GM Watch ACTION ALERT: Keep GMO food regulated and labelled! Sign the petition urging the European Commission and EU national governments to take a strong stand against any attempts to exclude new GMOs from the existing EU GMO legislation and to uphold mandatory safety checks, transparency and labelling for all… Continue reading

Wednesday, 22 January 2025 — GM Watch There is no “magic threshold” for new GMO safety Testbiotech has published a new backgrounder summarising recent research showing clear evidence that the EU Commission proposal for the future regulation of plants obtained from new genetic engineering (new genomic techniques, NGT) is inadequate. It would be outdated before… Continue reading

Tuesday, 21 January 2025 — GM Watch Poland’s gene editing gamble leaves EU Member States baffled Poland’s bid to end an EU impasse on new gene-edited crops has flopped after its much-anticipated patent proposal was met with confusion from other member states. Poland’s proposal was meant to unite the bloc and secure a deal before… Continue reading

Thursday, 12 December 2024 — GM Watch GM salmon company AquaBounty shuts down operations The troubled biotechnology company AquaBounty has announced it will stop production of all genetically modified salmon and is closing its last working facility, at Bay Fortune in Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada, reports Canadian Biotechnology Action Network (CBAN). AquaBounty released the… Continue reading

Friday, 6 December 2024 — GM Watch Study reveals lasting effects of glyphosate on brain health New research has shown even brief exposure to the weedkiller chemical glyphosate can cause lasting damage to the brain, which may persist long after any direct exposure ends. In the new study, Arizona State University researcher Ramon Velazquez and… Continue reading

Tuesday, 3 December 2024 — GM Watch Victory! US federal court strikes down lax GMO rules, halts GE crop introductions without USDA oversight In a precedent-setting victory for food and environmental safety, a federal district court in the US has ruled that genetically engineered (GE) organisms must be regulated. The Court’s ruling overturns the 2020… Continue reading

Thursday, 28 November 2024 — GM Watch New Zealand: Farmers want consultation on gene editing changes The vast majority – 93% – of farmers surveyed think it is important that there is widespread consultation with farmers and growers on changes to New Zealand’s gene editing regulations. Account director at research company Truwind (formerly Research First)… Continue reading

Wednesday, 20 November 2024 — GM Watch New Zealand: Market, not scientists, must drive GM stance Concerned dairy farmers are asking the New Zealand government to slow the process of weakening the GMO laws. They say New Zealand dairy is the gold standard for non-GMO supply, but the government seems determined to wreck that. They… Continue reading