European Commission ag committee rejects GM feed draft law

The European Commission’s agriculture committee on September 3 rejected the commission's draft law that would give member states the power to restrict or prohibit the use of EU-approved GM food or feed on their territory. It fears that arbitrary national bans could distort competition on the EU's single market and jeopardize the Union's food production sectors which are heavily dependent on imports of GM feed.
The agriculture committee's opinion, adopted by 28 votes in favor to eight against, with six abstentions, will now be scrutinized by the environment committee, which has the lead on this file, before the Parliament as a whole votes on the matter.
"Today's vote in the agriculture committee sends a clear message: the Commission's proposal to allow member states to decide whether or not to restrict or ban the use of GM food and feed on their territory must be rejected. We have not been building the EU's single market to let arbitrary political decisions distort it completely," said the draftsman of the opinion, Albert Dess (EPP, DE).
"The Commission's approach is completely unrealistic. We have many sectors in the EU that rely to a great extent on imports of GM feed and would not be able to survive if it is banned. If we allowed this, then all animal food production in the EU would be at stake, which could make us much more dependent on food imports from third countries that do not necessarily respect our high production standards. And we certainly want to avoid this," he added.
 The environment committee, the lead committee for this draft law, will adopt its position at its meeting in October. Parliament could then scrutinize the proposal at the plenary session in Strasbourg.

Introducing the new Organic & Non-GMO Forum

A new Organic & Non-GMO Forum has been added to the agenda at the 10^th annual Oilseed & Grain Trade Summit, which will take place this year in Minneapolis, Sept. 30 – Oct. 2. This event will address growing concerns by major food manufacturers and retailers over lack of sufficient suppliers of ingredients to meet increasing consumer demand for organic and non-GMO foods.
The Forum, a unique one-day event, is the first industry event to convene stakeholders from across the organic and non-GMO supply chain in order to address the growth, opportunities and significant supply chain challenges that this sector of the food value chain presents. Critical trade flow data, along with innovative strategies, and new management tools and systems designed specifically to meet these supply and logistic challenges, will be highlighted and covered in-depth by leading industry experts.
Key topics to be addressed at the new Organic & Non-GMO Forum include:


• GMO Testing Protocols: What's the Current Science?
• Defining and Comparing Costs, Yields and Benefits for Conventional, Non-GMO and Organic Farm Practices
• What Does Labeling Mean? Mandatory Biotech Labeling vs. Voluntary Non-GMO Labeling
• PANEL: Managing Co-Existence and Chain of Custody
• PANEL: Can Industry Work Together to Support Farmer's Right to Choose?
“What is truly unique about this event, and what has us so excited about adding it as a complement to the Oilseed & Grain Trade Summit, is that bringing together a wide range of key stakeholders and experts across the industry will ensure that diverse perspectives will be leveraged to develop pragmatic solutions to a variety of supply chain challenges,” said Philippe de Lapérouse, chair of the Forum.
The Oilseed & Grain Trade Summit, presented by HighQuest Group, promises cutting-edge content that addresses key trends and developments in the global oilseed, animal protein and grain sectors. Last year’s Summit convened over 400 buyers and sellers of oilseed products, feed grains and food ingredients from 38 U.S. states and nearly 20 countries.
This year’s attendees will benefit from expanded networking opportunities due to a more fluid room layout;an agenda that addresses more animal protein topics; and a grand Oktoberfest-themed celebration in honor of the event’s 10^th anniversary. Learn more at www.oilseedandgrain.com. 

EU approves 19 genetically modified organisms

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  fotolia/science photo

  The European Union has approved 19 genetically modified organisms.

  From WATTAgNet:
  The European Union has approved 19 genetically modified organisms (GMOs), including maize, soybeans, cotton and rapeseed, for 10-year authorizations. Most of the newly approved products will be used for animal feed.
  The companies producing the new lines include Monsanto, DuPont, Bayer and BASF.
  "All the GMOs approved today have been proved to be safe before their placing on the EU market," the European Commission said in a statement.
  The approvals are the first since November 2013, and come after a proposal to change the rules on GM approval, allowing individual countries to restrict or prohibit GM imports even after they have been approved by the bloc as a whole.
  That proposal has angered those on both sides of the GM issue.
  GM advocates, such as the United States government, have said the proposal amounts to a trade restriction and a hindrance to talks towards a planned EU-U.S. free trade deal.
  Opponents of GM products say the change does not provide the legal grounds for national governments to opt out and will in practice lead to a flood of new approvals.
  The newly approved products will be added to the existing list of 58 GM crops authorized in the European Union.
  The approval only covers imports, not cultivation. Only one GM crop, Monsanto’s maize MON810, is grown in Europe -- in Spain and Portugal.

US House mulls labeling for non-GMO food, feed

Legislation to create a label for foods and feed free of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is being revisited in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The idea is part of an attempt to block mandatory labeling of foods that include genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. The certification would be voluntary, said Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kansas, who is including the idea in legislation he is introducing. Pompeo during the previous session was a co-sponsor of the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act, which was proposed but never made it through the legislative process.
Pompeo said a government-certified label would allow companies that want to advertise their foods and feed as GMO-free to do so, but it would not be mandatory for others, according to an Associated Press report on the NewsOK website. The food industry, which backs Pompeo's bill, has strongly opposed individual state efforts to require labeling, saying labels would be misleading because GMOs are safe. The bill would also override any state laws that require the labeling.
Under the legislation, the USDA would oversee the certification, as it does with organic foods. But while organic foods must be USDA-certified to carry any organic label on a package, the USDA non-GMO certification would not be required for every food that bills itself as non-GMO. The idea is that the USDA-certified non-GMO foods would have a special government label that companies could use to market their foods. The bill also steps up FDA review of genetically modified foods.
Pompeo said inconsistent state laws would be confusing and costly for consumers and for companies. Vermont became the first state to require the labeling in 2014, and that will go into effect next year if it survives a legal challenge from the food industry.
Pompeo is working with his party's leadership and also the Senate to try to pass the bill this year.
Genetically modified seeds are engineered in laboratories to have certain traits, like resistance to herbicides. The majority of the country's corn and soybean crop is now genetically modified, with much of that going to animal feed. They are also made into popular processed food ingredients like high-fructose corn syrup and soybean oil.
The FDA says GMOs on the market now are safe, but consumer advocates pushing for the labeling say shoppers have a right to know what is in their food, arguing that not enough is known about the effects of the technology.

New soybean variety offers high protein, yield, feed efficiency

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  Andrea Gantz

  UA 5814HP is the new soybean developed by University of Arkansas soybean breeder Pengyin Chen.

  From WATTAgNet:
  A new non-genetically modified soybean developed by scientists at the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture could not only produce more protein than the average soybean, but also yield more bushels per acre and provide a higher feed efficiency than most conventional soybeans.
  Listed as UA 5814HP, the new soybean developed by UA Division soybean breeder Pengyin Chen in effect offers the potential to improve feed efficiency for poultry, beef and aquaculture producers and yield potential for row-croppers, the Times Record reported.
  “It’s an important discovery as a feed meal ingredient,” said Rick Cartwright, associate director at the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. “This has a significant increase in protein control for conventional soybeans. It’s raised the bar.”
  The bean’s protein level at maturity is over 45 percent, or at least 5 percent higher than a regular commodity soybean. And it produces a feed meal with over 52 percent protein. According to the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board, the normal raw soybean in Arkansas is approximately 36 percent protein and 19 percent oil. When processed into soybean meal the concentration of crude protein is increased to 44 percent. That equates to a 20 percent improvement for feed meal.
  Poultry company OK Foods said it has expressed an interest because of the soybean’s potential to offer higher nutrition value per pound in animal feed.
  “OK Foods applauds the University of Arkansas and Dr. Chen on their efforts to develop this new soybean variety,” Russ Bragg, senior vice president of Supply Chain at OK Industries said. “Our industry, which requires nutritious high-protein soybean meal as feed for chickens, should work with the soybean processing industry to help bring this new variety to market.”
  Chen said in a news release that UA 5814HP will be released to private companies through license agreements with the Division of Agriculture. There were approximately 600 bags available through the Foundation Seed Program.

Vote gives EU member states ability to ban GM crops

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  freeimages.com/123dan321

  The European Union has voted to allow member states the power to restrict or prohibit genetically modified crops.

  From WATTAgNet:
  The European Union has voted to allow member states the power to restrict or prohibit genetically modified (GM) crops in their territory.
  In the future, member states will be able to ban GM crops once they establish grounds other than the environmental risk assessment conducted under the EU authorization system.
  The vote goes further to establish a two-phase approach to ban the cultivation of GM crops, said Mairead McGuinness, vice president of the European Parliament.
  “Phase 1 allows member states to participate in the GMO authorization procedure at an EU level. Member states can request the applicant or company to modify the scope of the geographical area intended for authorization.
  “Phase 2 comes into effect after the authorization procedure is complete, member states can still prohibit the authorized GMO crop from being cultivated in their territory. However, there cannot be any conflict between national measures implemented and the environmental risk assessment carried out by EFSA,” she continued.
  MON 810, a type of corn, is the only GM crop grown commercially in the EU. Spain is the largest grower of MON 810 in Europe, with 338,000 acres. MON 810 is marketed by Monsanto and is modified to be resistant to the European corn borer. It is banned in Austria, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary and Luxembourg.
  The new law applies only to crops and not to GM ingredients in animal feed.

China approval gives Syngenta incentive to settle lawsuits

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  freeimages.com/kstiffler

  China’s approval for imports of Syngenta Viptera corn increases the likelihood that the company will settle lawsuits.

  From WATTAgNet:
  China’s approval for imports of Syngenta Viptera corn increases the likelihood that the company will pay settlements to more than 100 farmers and exporters, including Cargill and Archer Daniels Midland, who are suing Syngenta for damages resulting from China’s rejections of shipments of U.S. corn, according to a Reuters report.
  Lawyers for Syngenta told Reuters that the decision by China’s Ministry of Agriculture to approve the corn ends uncertainty about the MIR 162 strain’s status and gives the company new price references to calculate potential losses from the rejections.
  China’s approval of MIR 162 gives Syngenta an incentive to settle the lawsuits because the end of the unapproved status makes it easier to calculate potential damages, Syngenta’s lawyers say. However, Syngenta has previously said the lawsuits are without merit and that it has not put aside funds to cover any potential claims.
  During the past year, U.S. corn exports to China have been halted, as more than 1.2 million metric tons of U.S. crop shipments have been rejected due to the co-mingling of the unapproved corn strain.
  Cargill, ADM and dozens of farmers have sued Syngenta, claiming hundreds of millions of dollars in 

Syngenta lawsuits consolidated in Kansas court

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  freeimages.com

  Lawsuits over Syngenta’s Viptera corn have been consolidated as a multidistrict litigation.

  From WATTAgNet:
  Lawsuits over Syngenta’s Viptera corn have been consolidated in United States District Court in Kansas as a multidistrict litigation.
  In the lawsuits, agricultural companies claim they have sustained economic losses as a result of the presence of the genetic trait MIR162 in the U.S. corn supply.
  “Corn farmers, grain elevator operators and corn exporters have all suffered significant economic damages as a result of Syngenta’s release, promotion and commercialization of a certain genetically engineered corn trait – MIR162 – into the United States corn production system,” the lawsuits say. China has not yet approved MIR162 corn seeds including Viptera and Duracade.
  According to official court documents, agricultural entities that have filed Syngenta corn lawsuits say the company allegedly made false claims in order to convince farmers to plant the genetically modified seed known as Agrisure Viptera prior to China’s approval of the product. Specifically, the company launched a “Plant with Confidence campaign”, according to court documents. Aimed at domestic corn farmers, the marketing campaign allegedly assured farmers that China’s decision to approve the corn was imminent, and that Viptera corn seed could be safely planted side by side with other seed, according to court documents.

Biotech giants, GM corn welcomed in Vietnam

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  freeimages.com/eschu1952

  Vietnam’s agriculture ministry approved the imports of four of Monsanto’s corn varieties in August.

  From WATTAgNet:
  Vietnam’s agriculture ministry approved the imports of four of Monsanto’s corn varieties in August, raising questions about the country’s partnership with the manufacturer of Agent Orange, the toxic defoliant used during the Vietnam War.
  The four varieties of genetically modified (GM) corn approved in the country are MON89034 and NK603 from DeKalb Vietnam, a subsidiary of Monsanto, and Syntenga’s GA21 and MIR162. Approval of MR162 is under consideration.
  Vietnamese government formulated a plan in 2006 to develop GM crops as part of a “major program for the development and application of biotechnology in agriculture and rural development.” The country is looking to harvest its first GM crops by 2015 and have 30-50 percent of the country’s farmland covered with genetically modified organisms by 2020.
  Officials in Vietnam appear to believe the introduction of GM crops is a logical way to improve yields and feed a growing population of 90 million people at a reasonable price. Monsanto and its supporters say GMOs are a promising solution to Vietnam’s food security concerns. Opponents are concerned, among other things, that the U.S. will try to impose restrictive intellectual property rules that could be damaging to developing countries.

German study finds GM crops good for economy, environment

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  iStockphoto.com

  An international study has found that genetically modified crops are good for the economy and reduce the amount of pesticides us

  From WATTAgNet:
  An international study funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the European Union’s Seventh Framework Program FOODSECURE has found that genetically modified (GM) crops are good for the economy and reduce the amount of pesticides used in agriculture.
  The study – the largest ever conducted on the effects of GM crops on farming – found that GM crops are a “promising technology.” The study’s authors found that GM crops have reduced chemical pesticide use by 37 percent, increased crop yields by 22 percent, and increased farmer profits by 68 percent.
  Yields are larger and pesticide use is reduced more for insect-resistant crops than for herbicide-tolerant crops, the study says. The study also found that yield and profit gains are higher in developing countries than in developed countries.
  The study’s authors say they hope their findings will help build public trust for GM technology.
  The study is a meta-analysis – a rigorous study of the numbers inside past studies on the topic -- that included studies of GM crops conducted from 1995 to March 2014 that were published in English. The study was published November 3 in PLOS ONE, the peer-reviewed, open-access publication for the Public Library of Science.

Farmers, grain exporters sue Syngenta over GMO corn

• Corn farmers have filed several federal class action lawsuits against Syngenta Corp. over its GMO MIR162 (Agrisure Viptera) seed.
  Suits were filed in Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska alleging the farmers were damaged by Syngenta’s premature release of the seed into the U.S. market before receiving import approval from China. Grain exporters Cargill and Trans Coastal Supply Co. also have filed suit.
  The lawsuits claim Syngenta’s continued marketing of MIR162 corn in the U.S. has caused U.S. corn to be excluded from China, and domestic corn prices have been harmed as a result.
  Syngenta says the trait “was approved for cultivation in the U.S. in 2010. Syngenta commercialized the trait in full compliance with regulatory and legal requirements.
  “Syngenta also obtained import approval from major corn-importing countries.”
  Meanwhile, Syngenta says it applied for cultivation approval of MIR162 in China, but later halted the process to focus on gaining import permission for it.
  Cargill and Trans Coastal Supply claim they have suffered combined damages of more than $130 million after China began rejecting U.S. corn exports.
  Syngenta says the lawsuits are without merit.
  "Syngenta followed common industry practice and initially applied for cultivation approval of MIR162 in China. However, we later stopped this work to focus solely on the import application," Syngenta spokesman Paul Minehart said. 

Cargill sues Syngenta over unapproved corn seed

Cargill filed a lawsuit against Syngenta Seeds Inc. in Louisiana state court on September 12, seeking damages from Syngenta for commercializing its Agrisure Viptera (MIR 162) corn seed before the product obtained import approval from China. Cargill’s grain export facilities in Reserve and Westwego, Louisiana, loaded the vessels that were destined for and rejected by China. 
“Unlike other seed companies, Syngenta has not practiced responsible stewardship by broadly commercializing a new product before receiving approval from a key export market like China,” said Mark Stonacek, president of Cargill Grain & Oilseed Supply Chain North America. “Syngenta also put the ability of U.S. agriculture to serve global markets at risk, costing both Cargill and the entire U.S. agricultural industry significant damages.”
Since mid-November 2013, China has rejected imports of U.S. corn due to the presence of Syngenta’s MIR 162 trait because of its lack of approval for import, virtually halting U.S. corn trade with China. A study by the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) estimated that U.S. exporters and farmers lost up to $2.9 billion because of the uncertain trade environment.
Stonacek said that seed companies, farmers, grain handlers, exporters and others have a shared responsibility to maintain and preserve market access when introducing new technology. “The risks – as well as the rewards – need to be shared across the marketplace by all of the stakeholders,” Stonacek said. “Syngenta has not accepted its share of the risks associated with MIR 162.”
Dave Baudler, president of Cargill AgHorizons U.S., said Cargill is an advocate for new technology including new GMO seed products, noting that the innovations in seeds are tools that can allow U.S. agriculture to meet the growing demand for food, feed and fuel.  AgHorizons U.S. is Cargill’s network of grain storage and farm service centers and purchases corn from farmer customers. 
“Responsible stewardship of agricultural innovation – from creation through its development and marketing – requires everyone’s cooperation and allows everyone to benefit,” Baudler said. “I want to be clear about this: Cargill is a supporter of innovation and the development of new GMO seed products. But we take exception to Syngenta’s actions in launching the sale of new products like MIR 162 before obtaining import approval in key export markets for U.S. crops. Syngenta’s actions are inconsistent with industry standards and the conduct of other biotechnology seed companies.”
Stonacek said that filing the lawsuit came only after talks with Syngenta proved unproductive. “This issue is important to U.S. agriculture,” Stonacek said. “Marketing MIR 162 before receiving approval from China closed off that significant export market to U.S. farmers and exporters. Cargill believes that Syngenta continues to not accept its role in shared responsibility by moving ahead this year with the commercialization of Duracade, which also is not approved in China and other key export markets.”

GMO corn seeds in Brazil no longer resistant to bugs, farmers claim

Genetically modified corn seeds are no longer resistant to devastating tropical bugs in Brazil, a farm group said.
Producers are calling for four major manufacturers of "BT" corn seeds to reimburse them for the cost of spraying up to three coats of pesticides so far in 2014, said Ricardo Tomczyk, president of Aprosoja farm lobby in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso.
"The caterpillars should die if they eat the corn, but since they didn't die this year, producers had to spend on average 120 reais (US$54) per hectare ... at a time that corn prices are terrible," he said.
The main corn culprit in Brazil is Spodoptera frugiperda, also known as the corn leafworm or southern grassworm. However, seed companies reportedly warned farmers to plant a part of their corn fields with conventional seeds to prevent bugs from developing a resistance to the GMO seeds. 
Dow Agrosciences, a division of Dow Chemical Co., has programs in Brazil to help corn farmers develop "an integrated pest management system that includes, among other things, the cultivation of refuge areas," the report says. Other companies, including DuPont and Monsanto Co., have said they have not yet received any formal notice. 
"There are barely any non-GMO seeds available ... it is very uncomfortable that the companies are blaming the farmers," Tomczyk said. Aprosoja hopes to reach a negotiated agreement with the seed companies, but if all else fails farmers may sue to get reparations for pesticide costs, according to Tomczyk.

China rejection of US corn cost companies $427 million

The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) says China has rejected nearly 1.45 million tons of U.S. corn shipments since 2013,costing grains companies $427 million in lost sales and rerouted shipments.
China began rejecting genetically modified corn in November 2013 after detecting Syngenta's unapproved MIR162 strain in incoming shipments.
The NGFA says exports of corn and related products from the U.S. to China since January are down 85 percent from the same period one year ago. China is the third largest buyer of U.S. corn.
Fifteen genetically modified corn varieties are approved for import to China. Syngenta’s MIR162 has been awaiting approval since March 2010, but has been mixed in with other varieties since China started importing U.S. corn in 2011. Rejections of the strand have affected corn and soybean prices on the global market, and resulted in losses of hundreds of millions of dollars for farmers.

Animal feed event to address non-genetically modified product concerns

Leading organizations involved in the supply of non-genetically modified (GM) soy from Brazil are to host a one day industry event in Germany this April specifically for European animal feed producers and users at which they will present the facts about current supply and logistics of non-GM products from Brazil.
The event follows the recent announcement by the German Poultry Association (ZDG) and others including the German Egg Association (BDE) that they would no longer be using non-genetically modified soybean material due to alleged shrinking supply of GM-free material from Brazil.
The forum will be held in Münster/W., Germany - the southern gateway to the highest feed and poultry industry concentration in Germany - on April 8, 2014. The event is being supported by three industry organizations involved in the supply chain of certified non-GM soy food products with the soy component carrying the biggest focus - The German Association of Food without Genetic Engineering (VLOG); The ProTerra Foundation and The Brazilian Association of Non-GMO Grain Producers (ABRANGE).
Delegates will be able to find out more about the current reality of commodity supply from Brazil.  Delegates will also be able to learn more about the legalities of EU and national GM labeling regulations and be able to hear directly from growers and processors based in Brazil's largest supply  regions the truth about the availability of oilseeds - what growers can deliver, why they can deliver, and the logistics of getting the products to market.
The conference is aimed decision makers of European trading companies, feed compounders, poultry, pig and dairy producers, as well as retailers.

AFIA joins coalition to push for federal GMO labeling solution

The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) has announced its membership in the newly formed Coalition for Safe Affordable Food (CFSAF), joining a national effort to urge Congress to quickly seek a federal solution and establish standards for the safety and labeling of animal feed, pet food and human food and beverage products made with genetically modified ingredients.
"AFIA firmly believes there should be a federal GMO labeling solution protecting consumers by ensuring the safety of both food and feed ingredients produced through the use of modern agricultural biotechnology," said Leah Wilkinson, AFIA director of ingredients, pet food and state affairs. "If a labeling solution is not agreed upon and even a few of the pending state initiatives are successful, the feed industry's cost of doing business goes up, on-farm production costs go up, and ultimately the consumer pays the price, with no important information in hand."
The broad coalition said such a federal GMO labeling solution would:
Eliminate confusion: Remove the confusion and uncertainty of a 50-state patchwork of GMO safety and labeling laws, and affirm the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as the nation's authority on the use and labeling of genetically modified feed and food ingredients.
Advance food safety: Require FDA to conduct safety reviews of all new GMO traits before they are introduced into commerce. FDA is empowered to mandate the labeling of GMO food ingredients if the agency determines there is a health, safety or nutrition issue with GMO technology.
Inform consumers: FDA will establish federal standards for companies seeking to voluntarily label their products for the absence of or presence of GMO ingredients to clearly understand their choices in the marketplace.
Provide consistency: FDA will define the term "natural" for its use on food and beverage products so human food and beverage companies and consumers have a consistent legal framework for food labels while informing consumer choice.
"With the vast majority of U.S.-produced corn and soybeans enhanced through biotechnology, U.S. feed products made with these genetically modified ingredients are deemed safe by FDA, and have been used by the industry for more than 20 years. They are beneficial to not only the industry, but to the planet and its population as a whole," said Wilkinson.
It is expected the global population will increase from 7 billion people to 9 billion people by 2050, and the world will need 70 percent more food production to meet the growing demand.
"AFIA recognizes the need for a consistent, national GMO labeling solution, but is strongly against labeling laws set by political campaigns or state and local legislatures. AFIA recommends FDA determine whether labeling is necessary as it is most in tune with our nation's animal feed and food systems," Wilkinson said. "Such a solution determined by FDA, will help the industry to safely and continuously use evolving production technology to help meet global needs."

China denies US dried distillers grains shipments

China has denied about 2,000 metric tons of U.S. dried distillers grains (DDG), and more rejections are expected in coming weeks as Beijing imposes strict checks over an unapproved genetically-modified (GMO) strain, traders said on December 26, 2013.
According to a Reuters report, the move follows the rejection of more than a half-million metric tons of U.S. corn when authorities detected the presence of MIR 162, a GMO variety developed by Syngenta AG but not approved for import by China's agriculture ministry.
"The containers, which were sealed for a while, have been rejected at a port in Shanghai," said one trader with a domestic trading house.
Quarantine authorities in Shanghai declined immediate comment.
According to the report, more rejections were likely after the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (CIQ) issued a notice to local authorities asking them to step up checks for MIR 162 in DDG cargoes.
"Quarantine authorities at major ports have been notified and will be strict in testing," said another trader, with a major state-owned trading house. "Before, authorities were just checking on selective shipments, but now all shipments will have to be tested and a large volume may be turned away."
The U.S. has urged China to act promptly to approve the strain.

Brussels Soy Declaration calls for more non-genetically modified soy

A group of major retailers from five European countries have released the Brussels Soy Declaration, in which they pledge to support the non-genetically modified soy production system in operation in Brazil. The Brussels Soy Declaration emphasizes that retailers see animal feed as the main route by which genetically modified soy gets into the food chain.
The signatories have declared their full support for the continued, and even expanded, production of GMO-free soy in Brazil to provide European consumers with GMO-free food products, thereby giving them the option to exercise “their right to individual food sovereignty”.
Augusto Freire, president of the Proterra Foundation, which administers a certification program scheme for non-GMO, commented in addition to his own organization’s scheme, both the Brazilian association of non-GMO grain producers and processors, ABRANGE, and the Brazilian soy industry association, APROSOJA, have provided clear evidence that non-GMO soy volumes are not only secure, but growing year on year.
He went on to say: “Recently, four British retailers announced that they would no longer require eggs and poultry to be produced using non-GMO feed, giving the reason that there is poor availability of non-GM soy, particularly from the main supply source, Brazil. In light of this declaration the UK retailers are in danger of being viewed as ‘backward-thinking’ on the issue.”

Dow delays genetically modified corn for US until 2014

A new Dow Chemical Co. genetically modified corn seed won't be available for U.S. farmers until at least 2014, according to the company which says it is still waiting for regulatory approval.
Dow Chemical's agriculture subsidiary, Dow AgroSciences, said it had hoped to sell the seed for 2013 planting. The technology, called Enlist, is genetically modified to withstand applications of the herbicide 2,4-D. It is part of an industry response to the emergence of weeds resistant to glyphosate, an herbicide used in tandem with genetically modified corn and soybean seeds from Monsanto.
Critics of the technology say it will lead to more herbicides being used and, eventually, weeds building up a resistance to these products, as well.

Mexico delays approval of genetically modified corn fields

Approval for commercial-scale genetically modified corn fields will carry into 2013 and under the government of incoming president Enrique Pena Nieto, according to Mariano Ruiz, deputy agriculture secretary. Permits will take four to five months to be approved, but as the incoming president is like-minded to outgoing President Felipe Calderon, they are still expected to go through eventually.
"I think we are in agreement generally over the importance of having this instrument, and that farmers have the tool of genetically modified organisms," said Ruiz. The government must still designate "centers of origin" where genetically modified corn cultivation will be banned, as well as set other safety regulations. The delay will prevent five applications for commercial-scale genetically modified corn fields, totaling 2.5 million hectares, from going through.

Mexico plants 7.2 million hectares of corn per year, mostly white corn for human consumption, and domestic corn production in 2012 will total nearly 22 million metric tons, according to agriculture ministry data. It imported 9 million metric tons of yellow corn for animal feed in 2012.