GMO
GMO pre-emption ‘protecting corporate interests,’ says Leahy
Legislation to pre-empt state laws that require special labels on food made with genetically modified organisms amount to "protecting corporate interests," says Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, where a pre-emption bill in on the agenda.
GMO food-label chaos coming, but a vote is postponed
Vermont's first-in-the-nation law to require special labels on food made with genetically modified organisms "is going to create a chaotic situation," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told lawmakers in backing a nationwide solution. "We want some standardization ... We need to get this fixed."
Report calls for Hawaii to clamp down on pesticide use
Hawaii’s legislature should “undertake a major update of [state] pesticide laws and regulation,” says a draft report commissioned by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture, and by Kauai county.
A push for a Senate vote next week on GMO pre-emption
Senate Agriculture chairman Pat Roberts was negotiating terms of a bill that could be called for Senate debate next week to pre-empt state GMO food-labeling laws.
In drought, South Africa may relax rules on GMO corn imports
In response to the worst drought in a century, South Africa will relax some of its rules on importing GMO corn so it can ramp up supplies of the grain, says Reuters.
‘Virtually every corn farmer’ could become party to Syngenta lawsuit
When China rejected shiploads of U.S. corn in 2013, it shook the commodity market and spawned hundreds of lawsuits against Syngenta. Harvest Public Media says lawyers involved in the lawsuits "are preparing to ask for the cases to be certified as a class-action lawsuit.
Monsanto threatens to leave India over Bt cotton spat
Monsanto Co. has threatened to pull out of India if the government goes forward with a plan to cut royalty fees on Bt cotton seeds by 70 percent, says Reuters.
Roberts calls committee vote on GMO label pre-emption
After weeks of fruitless talks with Democrats, Senate Agriculture Committee chairman Pat Roberts said the committee will vote on Thursday on his proposal to prevent states and local governments from requiring special labels on food made with genetically modified organisms.
More clashes as GMOs move into fruits and vegetables
Nearly half of U.S. cropland is planted with genetically engineered crops, say four USDA analysts, but the risk of cross-contamination of organic and non-GMO crops may rise with the approval of genetically modified apples and potatoes.
Boulder County considers ban of GMOs on public land
In Boulder County, Colorado, county commissioners are slated to decide whether to ban GMO crops on publically-owned land, reports Harvest Public Media.
FDA plans to test for glyphosate residues on food
The most widely used weedkiller worldwide, glyphosate, will become a subject of pesticide residue testing by FDA for the first time, says Civil Eats.
The breaking point in GMO negotiations: a package label
Congress will have to decide whether to require special labels on foods made with genetically modified organisms, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who tried to broker a compromise between labeling advocates and foodmakers, who oppose mandatory labels.
Chinese corn spy faces up to five years in prison
Chinese businessman Mo Hailong pleaded guilty in Des Moines to conspiracy to steal trade secrets - inbred corn seeds from two of the largest U.S. seed companies - in return for prosecutors' recommendation of a shorter prison sentence, said the Justice Department. "Mo Hailong participated in the theft of inbred corn seeds from fields in the Southern District of Iowa for the purpose of transporting the seeds to China. The stolen inbred, or parent, seeds were the valuable intellectual property of DuPont Pioneer and Monsanto."
Washington state seeks penalties against GMA in GMO lawsuit
Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson asked a court Monday to grant summary judgment and penalties for the Grocery Manufacturers Association in a suit stemming from the group's campaign against GMO labeling. GMA, a Washington D.C.-based trade association, was the largest donor to the “No on 522” campaign, which sought to block genetic labeling requirements in 2013.
Syngenta workers hospitalized in pesticide incident in Hawaii
Ten employees at Syngenta Kauai were taken to the hospital when they walked onto a corn field 20 hours after the application of chlorpyrifos, reports The Civil Beat. Typically, workers are supposed to wait 24 hours before going back into the fields after a chlorpyrifos spray. Three of the workers stayed overnight at the hospital, but all have since been released and cleared for work.
U.S. court lets weedkiller combo stay on the market
A U.S. appellate court turned down EPA's request to withdraw its registration of a new weedkiller that its developer, Dow Chemical, expects will be a big seller. "The three-sentence order did not elaborate on the judges' reasoning," said the Chicago Tribune, adding the decision "brought the next generation of genetically modified crops closer to America's dinner tables."
Clock is ticking on GMO food labeling
The food industry is bankrolling a publicity blitz against mandatory GMO food labels that includes "a six-figure campaign that is running ads in prime time on network and cable TV in and around the nation’s capital," says the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
Will Maine pull the trigger on GMO food labeling?
Maine passed a GMO food-labeling law in 2014 that will not take effect unless the five states contiguous to Maine enact their own labeling laws. "But some lawmakers then began a drive to repeal the trigger, putting the law into effect, and a key statehouse panel is expected to take up the issue in coming weeks," reports the Associated Press.