genetically modified

An appeal by two environmental groups to Canadian Federal Courts to halt the production of genetically modified (GM) salmon has taken a beating. Hundreds of thousands of consumers will now have to figure out if their stores are selling the GM fish. [1]
The Ecology Action Centre of Halifax and the Living Oceans Society in B.C. filed the appeal against AquaBounty and the federal ministers of health and environment.
The court dismissed both the allegations that the environmental groups made, including:

On Monday December 21, students from Livingston High School joined Dr. Shiva Ayyadurai, an American scientist with a PhD in systems biology from MIT, to debate the ‘safety’ of GMO crops. Monsanto was invited to come and prove that there are indeed GMO safety assessment standards, and was even offered a $10 million enticement to send representatives to argue its side. But the company was entirely absent from the event. [1]

The Yurok Tribe, the largest Native American tribe in California, will join other peoples such as those from Russia, Italy, and Germany in saying NO to genetically modified organisms. The tribe has just announced that it is implementing a ban on all GM crops and GM animals. [1]
A committee meant to review the Yurok Tribe Genetically Engineered Organism (GEO) Ordinance, which was first allowed public comment, has now been enacted this December, 2015.

Agricultural leaders aren’t giving up on the fight to halt foods from being labeled if they contain genetically modified ingredients. Even though the bill that would have ruined GMO labeling initiatives across the country was stopped dead in its tracks in Congress, leaders say the issue of GMO labeling will be ‘top priority’ when they get back to work in January.

The United States Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, recently met with high-ups at Monsanto and other companies to discuss agricultural ‘advances’ for 2016. But was this really a ‘forum,’ or a way for Vilsack to promote Monsanto? And why were Monsanto insiders ever appointed to protect the safety of our food?
Vilsack’s meeting sounds more like a master conflicts of interest group get-together for the biotech and industrial agricultural model, especially when you consider who was leading the discussion:

This might sound like an odd-sounded phrase: organic Gatorade. But it’s real, and it will soon be on store shelves.
The organic Gatorade, made by PepsiCo, was announced by company CEO Al Carey last Monday at Beverage Digest’s Future Smarts conference.

“It’s a consumer interest. I think they’re very interested in non-GMO and organic, and to the degree you can make it meaningful to the consumer – do it,” said Carey.

In the massive spending bill unveiled Wednesday morning on Capitol Hill, 2 small paragraphs contain language that may force the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to finalize guidelines for the labeling of the recently-approved genetically modified (GM) salmon, or “Frankenfish.”

The country of Venezuela, through its National Assembly, has approved a law that will ban GMOs and prohibit seed-patenting.
Its aim is to promote sustainable agriculture and real food security. Grassroots efforts for years has finally culminated in the passing of a law that prohibits Monsanto, Bayer, Dow, Syngenta, and others from controlling the seed supply and poisoning the people.

HR Bill 1599, also known as the DARK ACT (Monsanto’s favorite bill that would effectively ruin the food supply and halt GMO labeling initiatives) has been stopped cold in Congress. After thousands of letters and activists railing against this dangerous legislation, no anti-GMO labeling provisions were allowed in the must-pass Omnibus spending bill.

A new study links a pesticide (organochlorine pesticides) used by farmers (until it was banned for commercial sale in the U.S. in 1988) to the development of Parkinson’s disease in people who were exposed to it.