Latest News From GMO Technology

Under the terms of the agreement Loveland and Cibus will work toward commercializing herbicide tolerance in rice with a focus on the southern US market.

InnerPlant is developing early-stress signaling capabilities in soybeans and corn. The concept is getting serious buy-in from big players in U.S. agriculture.

Labels have become political. Many of them are no longer about what people need to know, but rather what special-interest groups seek to impose.

InnerSoy is genetically engineered to omit signals when stressed, which are detectable from as far away as space. The company says its products can show stress signals two weeks before current detection methods.

The company sees potential in focusing on animal feed and pet food via several non-GMO, Ultra-High Protein low oligosaccharide (“UHP-LO”) commercial soybean varieties.

“Mexico’s decree, which runs counter to scientific findings and is in direct violation of USMCA, is negatively impacting American corn growers,” said Tom Haag, NCGA president.

In Mexico, corn is much more than a food crop—it's a key part of the country's heritage, culture and traditions. Mexico argues glyphosate and GMOs are dangerous to human health, and seeks alternative practices.

The purple tomato is heading to market.

During a bilateral meeting on Thursday, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai discussed with Mexico's Secretary of Economy Tatiana Clouthier various issues concerning energy and biotech corn.

Representatives from the U.S., Mexico and Canada will meet in Cancun, Mexico this week to discuss a series of disputes, including Mexican energy and biotech policies and Canadian dairy barriers.

Mexico reached an agreement with food manufacturers to use only non-GMO corn in tortilla production across the country. The government says it plans to implement new import tariffs on white corn imports.

“We fundamentally disagree with the position Mexico has taken on the issue of biotechnology, which has been proven to be safe for decades,” said Tom Vilsack, USDA secretary.

According to researchers at Ohio State University, most U.S. states will experience a “limited effect” of the dispute in the short term. But the long-term could significantly impact states such as Illinois.

Farmers in Iowa and parts of Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin and South Dakota are in the "red zone" for CRW pressure this season.

The Summer Swell tomato will be distributed through New York City-based produce wholesaler distributor S. Katzman Produce and available at grocery stores in the New York metropolitan area beginning April 2023.

By requesting consultations, the U.S. Trade Representative began a process to come to a settlement on ag biotechnology imports to Mexico. If a settlement is not reached, the issue will move to a full-blown trade dispute.

The U.S. appears to be pursuing a case via USMCA on the matter: “That is going to happen, because we're essentially in a circumstance where this is not a situation that lends itself to a compromise,” Vilsack said.

Mexico's new decree will indicate that if U.S. GMO corn passes the sanitary filters of the Federal Commission for Protection against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris), it will have no problem entering Mexico.

“With 90% of corn acreage in the U.S. being planted to biotech seeds and Mexico being the number one purchaser of U.S. corn, I'm concerned this decree is not being met with urgency it deserves,” said Sen. Grassley.

While Mexico wants to reduce its imports of corn by 30% to 40% by 2024, Mexico's Deputy Ag Minister Victor Suarez told reporters that it cannot replace its imports of U.S. corn for livestock feed.

This blog describes advances in agricultural biotechnology in recent decades, and how gene editing techniques can be used to help farmers adjust to climate change.

“Gene editing is the analog to digital moment for agriculture,” says Rory Riggs, co-founder of Cibus and newly named CEO of the merged company.

InnerPlant is currently developing transgenic soybeans that display a color change within several days of being infected by a disease. 

Just nine of 30 agribusiness companies have followed through on a pledge to implement the Farm Bureau's 2014 "Core Principles" for transparency in the collection of farmers’ data.