Implications Of Genetically Modified Organisms – SAIFood

Growing up on a grain farm in Saskatchewan, I always assumed that farming was straightforward. People eat what is produced without questioning it because they
— Read on saifood.ca/implications-gmo/

Junk Science Week: Weeds in the science | Financial Post

Canadian activists are using the courts to orchestrate a regulatory takeover — and a ban on vital pesticide glyphosate. Find out more.
— Read on financialpost.com/opinion/junk-science-week-weeds-in-the-science

Warm weather speeding up Pacific Northwest cherries

Warm weather speeding up Pacific Northwest cherries
— Read on www.freshplaza.com/asia/article/9531538/warm-weather-speeding-up-pacific-northwest-cherries/

Which Country Produces the Most of Your Favorite Foods? | Interesting Facts

Did you know that Canada has an abundance of lentils, Germany’s tops for cheese, and Madagascar produces most of the world’s vanilla? Check out which countries are most likely to be the starting point for your favorite ingredients.
— Read on www.interestingfacts.com/top-food-exports/Yl3nvFm3LQAHz-cy

Queensland University of Technology Seeks Approval for Commercial Cultivation of GM Banana- Crop Biotech Update (May 17, 2023) | Crop Biotech Update – ISAAA.org

Queensland University of Technology Seeks Approval for Commercial Cultivation of GM Banana- Crop Biotech Update (May 17, 2023) | Crop Biotech Update – ISAAA.org
— Read on www.isaaa.org/kc/cropbiotechupdate/article/default.asp

Viewpoint: Green activists claim we can feed the world with organic-grown crops. Here’s a reality check – Genetic Literacy Project

Myth: Organic agriculture is pesticide freeFact: It is commonly believed that organic farmers do not use pesticides and that organic food is therefore safer to consume than conventionally farmed fruit and vegetables. This claim that organic farmers work without using pesticides is a view that has been spread widely but is clearly false. Pesticides can be sprayed on organic fields as plant protection products or used in warehousing as biocides. In many countries a significant part of the most popular pesticides sold are also approved for organic farming. For example, in the EU, according to the pesticide approvals database, there are currently close to 500 substances approved for use as pesticides — of which 28 are approved for use in organic agriculture, many of which are neurotoxins or with a toxic profile requiring “Danger” labels. Some of those pesticides that are allowed in organic agriculture are boron (may affect brain, liver & heart); acetic acid (burns skin, eyes, risk to bees) or copper sulphate (toxic to everything, bioaccumulates and persists in the environment).
— Read on geneticliteracyproject.org/2023/05/11/viewpoint-green-activists-claim-we-can-feed-the-world-with-organic-grown-crops-heres-a-reality-check/

Viewpoint: Here’s the wacky formula used by Environmental Working Group to stoke unwarranted fears about safe chemicals – Genetic Literacy Project

The EWG study, published in Environmental Research, is a model. Rather than actually measure serum levels of PFOs, the group merely measured the quantity of PFOs in a fish multiplied by the number of fish eaten in a week and calculated a serum level. All models simplify reality by making assumptions; the fidelity of those assumptions to the real world measures how well the model mirrors reality. Let’s look at some of EWG’s assumptions.The Dose Makes the PoisonThe pharmacokinetics of PFOs in humans remains, at best, unsettled science. The EWG study admits that “no direct measurements of PFOS absorption through the gastrointestinal tract have been conducted in humans”The EWG model, based on a chain of events, predicted that as more fresh-water fish was eaten, the serum level of PFOs would rise. There are two key assumptions in that chain that are problematic.no PFOS is removed through cookingthe PFO concentration in fresh-water fish is consistent and knownThe assumption that no PFOS are removed through cooking is wrong. As a study in Food Science and Nutrition reports, how fish is prepared does make a difference: Washing removed 74% of PFOs, while cooking provided other reductions — “grilling (91%), steaming (75%), frying (58%), and braising (47%) comparing to uncooked sample.”Yet the EWG authors claim,“The calculations within the present study…assume that cooking does not materially impact PFAS and that 100% of the PFAS measured in fillets will result in exposure and subsequently impact serum levels. This could potentially overestimate exposure” [emphasis added]They “knew“ this because the citation within the study suggests cooking seafood reduces PFAs by 29% based on a meta-analysis.In calculating our exposure of PFOs, the EWG needed to know the potential amount of PFOs contained in fresh-water fish. They made use of two EPA assessments, the National Rivers and Streams Assessment (NRSA) done every five years, and the 2015 Great Lakes Human Health Fish Fillet Tissue Study. There was a wide range of values in those datasets, as EWG writes,“Across both U.S. EPA’s datasets, the lowest total PFAS was 425 ng/kg and the highest was 286,767 ng/kg. The mean total PFAS was 20,870 ng/kg and the median was 11,880 ng/kg. … fish sampling from the Great Lakes Human Health Fish Fillet Tissue Study found overall higher levels of PFOS and total sum of detected perfluorinated compounds compared to the National Rivers and Streams Assessment.”
— Read on geneticliteracyproject.org/2023/05/10/viewpoint-heres-the-wacky-formula-used-by-activist-environmental-working-group-to-stoke-unwarranted-fears-about-safe-chemicals/

Viewpoint: Social media amplifies misinformation — No, modern pesticides are not the driver of insect declines and no, they are not poisoning us – Genetic Literacy Project

The aim of the European Seed series on Myths, Fake News, Misinformation and Disinformation is to dive deeper, taking a closer look at a variety of seed related topics. This article looks at the myths surrounding crop protection.Myth: Insect deaths are the result of pesticide useFact: The decrease in insect populations must be studied from various angles and can be linked to a wide range of causes. Mainly climate change, but also lack of living space (due to a lack of open space and/or hedges, for example), all types of soil sealing (due to construction projects and roads), the introduction of substances into the environment (for cleaning and plant protection), an increase in light sources (due to the constant illumination of roads), an increase in traffic (insect collisions), and a lack of biotope protection (e.g., fewer wetlands) all impact insect populations. Farmers depends on and protect insects and other pollinators that are essential for their crops. Many farmers go to great lengths to provide habitat and forage for insects, such as planting wildflowers around their fields.
— Read on geneticliteracyproject.org/2023/05/09/viewpoint-social-media-amplifies-misinformation-no-modern-pesticides-are-not-the-driver-of-insect-declines-and-no-they-are-not-poisoning-us/

Does GMO corn increase crop yields? More than 20 years of data confirm it does — and provides substantial health and safety benefits – Genetic Literacy Project

While many studies show that genetically modified crops contribute to yield gains, GMO critics say that they don’t. Such claims, they say, are industry talking points drawn from industry-funded studies.
— Read on geneticliteracyproject.org/2023/05/12/does-gmo-corn-increase-crop-yields-more-than-20-years-of-data-confirm-it-does-and-provides-substantial-health-and-safety-benefits/

New basil variety helps indoor grower to differentiate

New basil variety helps indoor grower to differentiate
— Read on www.freshplaza.com/asia/article/9527885/new-basil-variety-helps-indoor-grower-to-differentiate/