Brussels | Reuters — The European Commission is extending by 18 months its approval for the herbicide glyphosate, used in Monsanto’s Roundup, Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis said on Tuesday. Contradictory findings on carcinogenic risks have thrust the chemical into the centre of a dispute between EU and U.S. politicians, regulators and researchers. Campaign groups urged […] Read more
European Commission to extend glyphosate licence for 18 months
EU officials to decide on Roundup after political impasse
Brussels | Reuters –– An impasse between EU nations on whether to allow Monsanto’s Roundup and similar herbicides to continue to be sold means that the European Commission, rather than national politicians, will decide the issue next week. With most EU attention focused on Britain’s shock decision to quit the bloc, everyday work continued in […] Read more
Coexistence plan for GM alfalfa won’t eliminate risk
Expert says stopping the spread of the glyphosate-tolerant trait is virtually impossible, but levels can be kept ‘very, very low’
Reading Time: 3 minutes The recently released “coexistence plan” for genetically modified alfalfa in Western Canada doesn’t offer any guarantees that conventional and organic crops won’t be contaminated, says an expert on gene transfer. “It really depends on what you’re trying to achieve,” said Rene Van Acker, a professor of plant science at the University of Guelph. “If it’s […] Read more
EU countries refuse to back new licence for glyphosate
Brussels | Reuters — EU nations refused to back a limited extension of the herbicide glyphosate’s use on Monday, threatening withdrawal of Monsanto’s Roundup and other weed-killers from shelves if no decision is reached by the end of the month. Contradictory findings on carcinogenic risks have thrust the chemical into the centre of a dispute […] Read more
Germany to abstain in EU glyphosate vote next week
Berlin | Reuters — Germany will abstain in a European Union vote next week on the continued use of glyphosate in herbicides, because ministries run by different parties remain at odds over the chemical which some experts say could be carcinogenic. Contradictory findings on the carcinogenic risks of glyphosate have thrust the chemical into the […] Read more
EU delays vote on glyphosate license amid cancer row
Brussels | Reuters — The European Union on Thursday delayed a vote on renewing sales approval for the herbicide glyphosate, used in Monsanto’s Roundup, amid a transatlantic row over whether it may cause cancer. Experts from the EU’s 28 nations had been due to vote on a proposal to extend by nine years licensing of […] Read more
Draft a plan before rejuvenating tired forage stand
Forage ecologist Mike Schellenberg offers his insights on how to reinvigorate pastures and boost productivity
Reading Time: 4 minutes “Five years to forever.” That’s a long time for a forage stand to be highly productive — and yet that’s the answer producers often give when asked how long they expect the benefits of rejuvenating pastures to last, said Mike Schellenberg, a range and plant forage ecologist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at Swift Current, Sask. […] Read more
U.S. study finds no risks to people, planet in GMOs
It’s time for the task of regulating new crop varieties to focus on plants’ characteristics rather than on how the plants were developed, a team of U.S. scientists recommends in a new report. A study committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine on Tuesday released an “extensive” study of genetically engineered crops, finding […] Read more
U.N. experts find glyphosate unlikely to cause cancer
London | Reuters — The herbicide glyphosate, sold by Monsanto in its Roundup product and widely used in agriculture and by gardeners, is unlikely to cause cancer in people, according to a new safety review by United Nations health, agriculture and food experts. In a statement likely to intensify a row over its potential health […] Read more
Germany looks set to abstain in EU glyphosate vote
Reuters — Germany looks set to abstain in a European Union vote next week on the continued use of glyphosate in weed killers because ministries run by different parties remain at odds over the chemical which some experts say could be carcinogenic. Glyphosate is used in many herbicides including Monsanto’s Roundup, despite a dispute between […] Read more
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