Biotechnology

Monsanto Scraps $90 Million GM Corn Facility Plans Due to Declining Profits

After the recent press release from Monsanto announcing that the company will cut about 3600 jobs globally, more news of the biotech company’s failure rises to the surface.
Plans to construct a $90 million GM corn processing plant in Independence, Iowa have reportedly been scrapped due to a ‘struggling farm economy.’ [1]

Greenpeace Finds Illegal GMO Corn Crops in China

Greenpeace said in a report released last Wednesday that farmers in northeast China are illegally growing genetically modified corn. [1]
The environmental group led an 8-month investigation last year into what it describes as large-scale production of GMO corn in the northeastern province of Liaoning, a major breadbasket region. GMO strains of corn were found in 93% of field tests and in 20 of 21 samples from grain markets and supermarkets.

Brazil Slaps Nestle, Pepsi, and Others for Hiding GMO Ingredients

Six major food manufacturers – including Nestle, PepsiCo, and Mexican baking company Grupo Bimbo – have been slapped with fines by the Brazilian Ministry of Justice, which alleges the companies failed to include labels indicating the use of genetically modified ingredients.
The fines range from $277,400 to just over $1 million, for an estimated total of $3 million.

US EPA Misses Deadline for Key Assessments on these 3 Toxic Pesticides

The world is already well aware of the many nasty effects of pesticides, but in missing its own risk assessment deadline in 2015 for atrazine, glyphosate, and imidacloprid, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sends a clear message to those concerned about biological diversity and human health. If the EPA isn’t doing the business of pushing biotech’s agenda, the agency isn’t interested in protecting life.

Agrichemical Companies Dow and DuPont to Merge, then Split into 3 Mega Companies

Dow Chemical and DuPont are to merge under a $130 billion deal, only to split into 3 independently-traded companies: one in agrichemicals, one in specialty products, and one in materials science. [1]
Is the merger between Dow Chemical and DuPont really the breakup of some of the Big Six agrichemical giants, or just a form of musical chairs meant to confound farmers and anti-GMO activists around the world?