U.S. Approval of GMO Wheat Threatens Farmer Livelihoods and Public Health
by Sustainable Pulse:
“A new report from Friends of the Earth raises alarm over the U.S. government’s recent approval of HB4 genetically engineered (GMO) wheat, warning that it could pose serious risks to public health, the environment, and U.S. farmers’ livelihoods, while offering no proven benefit. The approval of HB4 wheat marks a critical turning point: after decades of public opposition and trade concerns that kept GMO wheat off U.S. fields, consumers now face the prospect of herbicide-tolerant wheat entering the food system. However, it is not currently being grown commercially in the U.S. Friends of the Earth is calling on companies and consumers to reject HB4 GMO wheat before it enters the market.
Developed by the Argentine biotechnology firm Bioceres Crop Solutions, HB4 wheat is engineered to tolerate the toxic herbicide glufosinate ammonium. Glufosinate is banned in the European Union because it poses risks to human health. It is also linked to negative impacts on soil and ecosystem health.
