The European Union recently voted to renew the license for glyphosate herbicide for five years. The decision was criticized by both glyphosate supporters, who wanted the herbicide renewed for the full 15 years, and opponents, who have called for a ban on the herbicide.
In the wake of 2017’s dicamba herbicide drift disaster, which damaged 3.6 million acres of farmland, Monsanto will pay farmers a rebate of $6 per acre to spray its proprietary dicamba formula. The company aims to sell enough GMO dicamba resistant soybean seeds to cover 40 million acres in the U.S. this year. Several states including Arkansas, Missouri, Minnesota, and North Dakota are putting restrictions on the use of dicamba at certain times during the year to prevent the drift problems experienced by many farmers in 2017.
A new technology is being rapidly deployed to create new plant traits, while avoiding government regulations that cover genetically modified plants. Supporters say the new technology offers great possibilities for creating new food plants, while opponents say it is another form of genetic engineering with similar risks.
The controversial genetically modified Arctic Apple is now sold in the U.S. Three varieties—Golden, Granny, and Fuji (with Gala on the way)—were sold for the first time in 10-oz bags, in a dozen American stores this past fall. The GMO apples will not be labeled so consumers will not know they are eating transgenic fruit. There is a Non-GMO Project Verified, non-browning apple called the Opal.
Genetically modified genes are still getting into native Mexican maize varieties, a new study has found. This is in spite of the fact that the cultivation of GM maize is banned in Mexico, which is the genetic center of origin for the crop. The study also identifies the crucial factors that decide whether or not GMO contamination occurs: the social organization and seed management systems of local communities.
