The Organic & Non-GMO Report Newsletter

China approves first gene-edited wheat for food production

The Chinese government recently authorized the safety of genetically engineered wheat as it proceeds cautiously with the commercial production of GMO food crops. The gene-edited, disease-resistant wheat will be used to manufacture pasta, noodles, and bread. China is the biggest producer and consumer of wheat worldwide. China grows non-GMO crops for food but imports GMO […]

Respecting rights in the U.S.-Mexico GMO corn dispute

By Karen Hansen-Kuhn The trade dispute over Mexico’s restrictions on genetically engineered (GE) corn and glyphosate, a pesticide that GE corn is designed to resist, recently entered a new phase. The dispute is turning from the governments’ submissions and rebuttals to a dialogue with the panelists who will ultimately decide the case. One issue up […]

Spain’s GM corn cultivation is in sharp decline

Despite a robust debut in the mid-1990s, and two decades of strong adoption, the last ten years have seen stagnation and moderate growth of GMOs globally. Genetically modified crop acres grew by 1.9% in 2023 compared to 2022, totaling around 510 million acres. Twenty-three countries grow the common GMO varieties, bred for resistance to lepidopteran […]

Organic cotton group mobilizes farmers and brands to grow organic cotton industry

In its impact report for 2022-23, the Organic Cotton Accelerator (OCA) highlights significant strides in advancing organic cotton farming practices and driving systemic change in the textile industry. It calls for more investments and industry-wide adoption of organic cotton as well as support of in-conversion cotton farmers to increase global supply. Through its Farm Programme, […]

Organic produce trade is growing between the U.S. and Mexico

Trade between the U.S. and Mexico in organic produce is booming, according to a recent report from the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. In 2023, the top five organic exports from the U.S. to Mexico were apples, pears, grapes, spinach, and lettuce. Meanwhile, Mexico’s top five organic exports to the U.S. that year were avocados, strawberries, […]