China has approved the safety of gene-edited wheat for the first time as Beijing cautiously moves forward with commercial growing of genetically modified food crops.
China approves first gene-edited wheat in step to open up GM tech to food crops
China expands list of GM soybean, corn variety approvals
China has approved 27 genetically modified corn seed varieties and 3 GM soybean varieties, expanding its list of approvals as it aims to increase the development and planting of high-yielding crops.
Canada says will join as third party in U.S.-Mexico corn dispute
Mexico's measures 'not scientifically supported,' ministers say
Reuters — Canada said Friday it will participate as a third party in dispute settlement proceedings between the U.S. and Mexico regarding genetically modified (GM) corn in imported tortillas and dough, citing concerns about Mexico’s stance on the matter. The decision follows Washington’s request for a dispute settlement panel through the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), which […] Read more
U.S. escalates Mexico corn trade spat with dispute panel request
Canada 'considering its next steps'
Washington | Reuters — The United States on Thursday escalated its objections to Mexico’s curbs on genetically modified corn imports, requesting a dispute settlement panel under the North American trade pact, the U.S. Trade Representative’s office said. The request to send the dispute to arbitrators was announced after formal consultations failed to resolve deep divisions […] Read more
NAFTA meeting to skirt major disputes, U.S. trade rep says
Dairy, corn, energy issues to be discussed via separate channels
Washington | Reuters — U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai’s meetings with North American trade partners Canada and Mexico this week will not delve deeply into major disputes over Mexico’s biotech corn and energy policies nor Canadian dairy access, a senior USTR official said on Wednesday. The annual meeting of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) Free Trade […] Read more
German cabinet approves draft law banning GM crops
Berlin | Reuters — The German cabinet has approved a draft law banning cultivation of crops with genetically modified organisms (GMOs), government sources told Reuters on Wednesday. Germany had announced in September 2015 that it will ban cultivation of crops with GMOs under new European Union rules allowing member states to opt out of their […] Read more
No need seen for new EU rules to protect butterflies from GM crops
Brussels | Reuters — European food safety officials found there was no need to widen buffer zones around genetically modified (GM) crops even though research shows pollen from GM maize can travel kilometres further than previously thought. The buffer zones to protect vulnerable species, such as butterflies, have been part of heated debate in Europe […] Read more
White House directs U.S. GMO regulators to update oversight
Reuters — The White House on Thursday directed the three U.S. agencies that oversee biotech crop products to improve and modernize their regulatory “framework” to boost public confidence in a system that critics call a failure. The order, announced in a statement by President Barack Obama’s Office of Science and Technology Policy, followed demands by […] Read more
Groups urge tighter controls as U.S. considers GM crop regulation
Reuters — Dozens of consumer and food groups and businesses asked the U.S. government on Monday for tighter regulation of genetically engineered crops, calling the current system a “failure.” The U.S. Department of Agriculture has said it was considering changes to the way it regulates biotech crops and set a public comment period that expired […] Read more
EU approves first new genetically modified crops since 2013
Brussels | Reuters –– The European Union cleared the import of 10 new types of genetically modified crops and two more kinds of cut flowers on Friday, its first authorizations in more than a year after a review of its blocked approval process. The European Commission said it had authorized 10 new types of maize, […] Read more
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