The Organic Cotton Accelerator (OCA) has released the Non-GM Cottonseed Production Guidelines to safeguard the integrity of the entire Indian organic cotton value chain from seed to shirt. These guidelines aim to create a standardised industry approach for the production of non-genetically engineered (non-GM) seed marketed to organic cotton growers.

Led by OCA, these guidelines have been developed in consultation with sector experts and via field pilots at three Indian seed producers. They are now made available to producers of non-GM cottonseed who want to implement solid practices to monitor and prevent GMO presence along their seed supply chain, OCA said in a press release.

Documents released to Corporate Europe Observatory following a Freedom of Information request reveal how pro-biotech lobby platform Public Research Regulation Initiative (PRRI) unites industry, researchers and regulators in ‘like-minded’ groups to manipulate crucial international biosafety talks under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

This discovery is all the more important because two crucial moments which may have a huge global impact on biosafety are to take place shortly. From 2 – 13 July 2018, experts from the 196 countries that have signed this international agreement will gather in Montreal to continue discussions on controversial technologies such as Synthetic Biology and so-called gene drives made through gene editing. And on 25 July 2018 the European Court of Justice (ECJ) will publish a ruling about the legal status of new genetic engineering techniques including gene editing.

Biotech developers are trying hard to avoid the food and environmental safety rules that govern GMOs being applied to their products from new genetic engineering techniques, like gene editing. But environmental groups, scientists and farmers are calling for strict regulation of these new techniques, and for careful consideration of the socio-economic impacts of these technologies.

Initially the Crispr-Cas9 system seemed to be accurate, but it is now apparent that it sometimes also cuts non-target DNA sequences

Once again we find more honesty about the imprecision of the CRISPR gene editing system in the medical research field, as with the new paper featured below, than in the field of crop biotechnology.

1. Mathematics explains why Crispr-Cas9 sometimes cuts the wrong DNA

2. Hybridization kinetics explains CRISPR-Cas off-targeting rules

RE: Begin

Over the last century, the word “science” – rooted in Latin: scire (to know) – has had all meaning raided and stripped off it, leaving nothing – zero. The actual pursuit of knowledge has been replaced by silver-spoon-fed-shills parading as “defenders of science”.This “Data”-driven Zero-knowledge is being “hailed” as the solution, to all the very real problems faced by real people around the world. The problems caused by Zero-knowledge, Zero-cience.

(.....)

For the last century Zero-science has been the compass that has dictated the direction of the vector called “progress”, and therefore all “progress” has meant the “growth” of zeros in the accounts of the guilty. The entire Industry – automotive, container, shipping, piping, food, pharma, media and IT, share the same patent toting Original Equipment Manufactures (OEM).

“Innovation” now means “inventing” new language, to refresh the “tired” wheel before the old patent runs out, revolving in perpetuity, moving forward, in what has been established as the wrong direction. Ever faster.

We pledge, to the mountains of wisdom we stand atop, and the diverse possibilities of our collective futures, that the Patent Cartel will not be at the re-invented wheel of the bus to extinction any longer, they will be under it. The world will not be string-theoried along by the Geppettos above.

This is our “Stop!”, we are yanking the chain. We are getting off the patented vend-bus.

Each step we take back to our roots, guided by the soil under our feet, will bring us closer to harmony – with each other and nature.

We are here, present, and this is our time.

(The Hague, 15 October 2016)

The Monsanto Tribunal is an international civil society initiative to hold Monsanto accountable for human rights violations, for crimes against humanity, and for ecocide. Eminent judges will hear testimonies from victims, and deliver an advisory opinion following procedures of the International Court of Justice. A parallel People's Assembly provides the opportunity for social movements to rally and plan for the future we want. The Tribunal and People's Assembly will take place between 14 and 16 October 2016 in The Hague, Netherlands.

New Horizons for Eco-Labels and Sustainability

Sustainable ingredients, food waste and marketing developments will be featured in the European edition of the Sustainable Foods Summit. Like previous editions, the summit will bring together leading organisations involved in eco-labels and sustainability in the food industry. Click here to get the detailed summit agenda.

What are the implications of COP21 on the European food industry? What developments are occurring in sustainable seafood and livestock production? What can food companies and retailers do to minimise food losses? How can consumers be encouraged to undertake sustainable purchases and responsible consumption? This new edition will address such questions in a high-level forum.

Since 2009, the Sustainable Foods Summit has been discussing leading issues the food industry faces concerning sustainability and eco-labels, such as Organic, Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, etc. The aim of the Sustainable Foods Summit is to explore new horizons for eco-labels and sustainability in the food industry by discussing key industry issues. Other editions in this international series will be hosted in Latin America and North America.

In September 2011 a Green Member of the Dutch Parliament, Rik Grashoff, put forward a Parliamentary motion proposing a ban on the “commercial use” of Roundup outside agriculture. In the motion, Grashoff cited evidence presented in Earth Open Source’s report, “Roundup and birth defects: Is the public being kept in the dark?“. [...] Grashoff’s proposal has been watered down and has been made part of the Dutch national pesticide action plan which says they want to stop local communities from using it on pavements and streets by 2018. But the proposed ban on sales to non-professional users was dropped.

In the Netherlands, the Community Council of Nijmegen last night declared the city GE-free. After Culemborg and the province of Friesland, this is only the third GE-free region in the country, whose national government considers itself neutral as to GE agriculture, but is seen as a staunch supporter of it by industry, other governments and civil society alike.