MarketsFarm — Argentina has become the first country in the world to approve cultivation and consumption of a genetically modified wheat variety, the country’s National Commission for Science and Technology (CONICET) announced Thursday. “This is the first approval in the world for drought-tolerant genetic transformation in wheat,” CONICET said in a statement. Argentina is the […] Read more
Tag Archives gmo — page 3

Argentina approves drought-tolerant GM wheat
Variety would need Brazil approval before going commercial

USDA limits review requirements of some biotech farm products
Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on Thursday a rule that will simplify or waive agency reviews of certain biotech farm products, including plants and seeds that have been genetically modified or engineered. As a result, some products could be sold to farmers without a USDA review — a move that […] Read more

China certifies three domestic GM traits
Beijing | Reuters — China’s agriculture ministry issued biosafety certificates on Tuesday for domestically grown, genetically modified (GM) corn and soybean traits, moving closer to commercialization of GM grain production in the world’s top market. The certificates, valid from Dec. 2, 2019 until Dec. 2, 2024, were granted to a corn trait developed by Beijing […] Read more

U.S. regulators allow GM cotton as human food source
Washington | Reuters — U.S. regulators on Friday gave the green light for genetically modified cotton to be used for human consumption, paving the way for a protein-packed new food source — edible cottonseed that tastes a bit like chickpeas — that its developers said could help tackle global malnutrition. The Food and Drug Administration’s […] Read more

USDA investigates unapproved GMO wheat in Washington state
Chicago | Reuters — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed the discovery of unapproved, genetically modified (GM) wheat plants growing in an un-planted agricultural field in Washington state. There was no evidence the wheat had entered the food supply, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said in a statement on Friday. The wheat […] Read more

Brazil urges China to improve GMO approvals
Brasilia | Reuters –– Brazil Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo said on Thursday that the country must work with China to reduce non-tariff barriers to agriculture trade, including improving the process for genetically modified goods. Brazil is the world’s largest exporter of soybeans, the vast majority of which are genetically modified organisms (GMO). Many newer GMOs, […] Read more

French rapeseed farmers destroy 18,000 hectares over GMO risk
Paris | Reuters — French farmers destroyed a total of 18,000 hectares of rapeseed, more than double the area initially expected, following the discovery of a non-authorized genetically modified organism (GMO) in seeds, German group Bayer said on Friday. Bayer had announced in February that farmers in France and Germany were turning over thousands of […] Read more

How will gene-editing reach the farm?
Biotech advocates say regulatory clarity is critical, but not available in Canada
Biotechnology experts and supporters from the agriculture and medical sectors met in Toronto recently to discuss how Canada’s regulatory system could better enable the safe commercialization of gene-edited plants and animals. Hosted by Ontario Agri-Food Technologies and CropLife Canada, the March 7 meeting provided an overview of gene-editing regulations in various countries around the world. […] Read more

French, German farmers destroy crops after GMOs found in Bayer seeds
Paris | Reuters — Bayer said on Wednesday that farmers in France and Germany were digging up thousands of hectares of rapeseed fields after traces of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) banned for cultivation were found in seeds sold by the company. GMO crops are widely grown across the world, but they remain controversial in Europe, […] Read more

Canadian canola runs into Chinese delays after Huawei arrest
Winnipeg/Beijing | Reuters — A political dispute between China and Canada over the arrest of a Huawei executive is slowing canola shipments through Chinese ports and causing some importers to hesitate to buy from their biggest supplier, according to interviews with a dozen traders. Since Canadian authorities arrested Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou in […] Read more