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Beyond GM

@beyond-gm.bsky.social
47 followers 18 following 88 posts
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Digital agriculture is often sold as inevitable progress, but behind the “cloud” lie corporate power grabs, exploited mine and data workers, and huge water and energy costs – raising urgent questions about who digitalisation really serves. abiggerconversation.org/caught-in-th...
abiggerconversation.org
Caught in the Algorithm
Digital agriculture is often sold as inevitable progress, but behind the "cloud" lie corporate power grabs, exploited mine and data workers, and huge water and energy costs – raising urgent questions ...
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
We wrote to PM Andy Burnham about why food sufficiency, rather than economic growth, was the basis of genuine food security. The letter never made it to his desk. It was diverted to an anonymous staffer (or AI bot) in Defra for a reply. Here’s why that’s a problem: beyond-gm.org/so-thats-a-n...
beyond-gm.org
So, that’s a no to food sufficiency then?
Beyond GM asked Prime Minister Andy Burnham to put food sufficiency at the heart of food policy. His office passed our letter onto an anonymous Defra staffer who ignored the proposal, revealing instea...
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
How will seed in the UK be impacted by the Genetic Technology Regulations? Join us for this Seed TV/Seed Sovereignty webinar Precision breeding, patents and the future of seed: the UK’s new genetic technology regime. Thu 3 Sep 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM. Please share. tickettailor.com/events/thega...
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Defra’s Farming Roadmap uses welcome nature-friendly language while directing funding and momentum towards technology-led growth, leaving organic and agroecological systems underfunded and governance questions over engineering biology and planning reform unexamined. beyond-gm.org/defras-farmi...
beyond-gm.org
Defra’s Farming Roadmap: nature-friendly language, technology-led future?
Defra’s Farming Roadmap uses welcome nature-friendly language while directing funding and momentum towards technology-led growth, leaving organic and agroecological systems underfunded and governance ...
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Thanks @ukcolumn.bsky.social for giving our Director Pat Thomas @ecoreflections.bsky.social a chance for a deeper discussion about the trajectory of genetic technologies in food & farming, reflections on our recent judicial review & thoughts on citizen action www.ukcolumn.org/video/mythbu...
ukcolumn.org
Mythbusting the Food Industry | UK Column Interviews
Pat Thomas, Director of the campaign group Beyond GM, talks to Charles Malet about her organisation’s recent High Court victory concerning food labelling.
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Reposted by Beyond GM
Natalie Bennett @nataliegreenpeer.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
High Court rules previous laws and regulations allowing gene-edited products into the food supply without labelling are unlawful and irrational. A Huge thanks to Beyond GM, for fighting for this judicial review and congratulations on the successful outcome.
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Thanks Natalie for all your support! We are asking supporters to urgently write to their MPs to ask them to commit to ensuring that the regulations are changed to include labelling and transparency. See: beyondgm.eaction.online/fixtheregula...
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
A thoughtful and important read. Sustainable Food Trust's CEO Patrick Holden, co-claimant in our judicial review, asks why the same concerns about transparency, choice and democratic oversight he was fighting for in the 1990s are still being dismissed today. sustainablefoodtrust.org/news-views/l...
sustainablefoodtrust.org
Looking back, looking forward: New GMOs and old lessons | Sustainable Food Trust
Patrick Holden reflects on why he chose to speak out during a recent judicial review challenging regulations that remove labelling and traceability from ‘precision bred’ organisms (PBOs) and the impor...
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
2/ As a result of our case,big new information came to light in documents the government was forced to release - incl. government advisors had wrongly briefed the Defra Minister he was not allowed to include mandatory labelling in the Regulations. We'd say you couldn't make it up - except they did!
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
We're celebrating! 🎉🎉 We've had a significant win in our high court challenge the precision bred GMO regulations. The court has ruled that the Defra Minister's decision not to label PBOs in the food chain was unlawful! Read the full story: beyond-gm.org/victory-high...
beyond-gm.org
Victory! High Court Finds Government Failed to Properly Assess Gene-Editing Deregulation
A High Court legal challenge led by Beyond GM has found that the Government failed to understand the significant consequences – for farmers, businesses, consumers and the organic sector – of removing ...
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
Excellent long-read in the Ecologist from the Agtivist Agency exposes the conflicts, uncertainties and lack of transparency around deregulating gene-edited farm animals - a move that could see industrial animal agriculture further embedded in our food system theecologist.org/2026/may/28/...
theecologist.org
Gene edited meat 'on dinner plates soon'
England could see meat from gene edited animals sold in shops very soon. What are the ethical implications of this technology?
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
It was an intense couple of days in court for us this week. Importantly, it revealed just how fragile and contradictory the government’s position really is. Read more about what we heard and why this case matters. mailchi.mp/beyond-gm/gm... #StopHiddenGMOs
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
“The judicial review being heard in May is not a rearguard action by a handful of obsessives. It is…a serious argument, mounted by serious people and serious lawyers, with serious evidence.” So where is everybody? asks Patrick Holden of Sustainable Food Trust sustainablefoodtrust.org/news-views/t...
sustainablefoodtrust.org
The new fight against GMOs – where is everybody? | Sustainable Food Trust
Reflecting on current situation in the Middle East and the subsequent impact on food security around the world, the SFT's research team imagine what a future food system that's more resilient to globa...
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
Read our latest newsletter for updates on our judicial review of the Genetic Technology Regulations mailchi.mp/beyond-gm/co.... If you think all GMOs should be traceable in our environment and our food please donate to our legal fund today: www.crowdjustice.com/case/stop-hi...
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
Two new Beyond GM briefings explore the likely next stages for the UK’s deregulation of gene editing: farm animals and microorganisms. But the picture is considerably more complicated than the government may want us to believe. beyond-gm.org/gene-editing...
beyond-gm.org
Gene Editing Deregulation – What Comes Next?
Two new Beyond GM briefings explore the likely next stages for the UK's deregulation of gene editing: farm animals and microorganisms. But the picture is considerably more complicated than the governm...
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Reposted by Beyond GM
GMWatch @gmwatch.bsky.social · 16/02/2026
The High Court will hear the @beyond-gm.bsky.social challenge to the Govt's deregulation of gene-edited food and farming at a hearing May 12-13th 2026. You can donate to Beyond GM's crowdfunder to help them cover their legal fees. Pls help them reach their goal! www.crowdjustice.com/case/stop-hi...
crowdjustice.com
Judicial Review: Stop hidden GMOs entering our food and environment
We are acting with a group of citizens, farmers, food producers and retailers to ensure novel genetically modified organisms are visible and traceable in the environment and food system.
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
Is technology always beneficial? Is innovation always benign? Another important contribution to the agritech debate.
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
Researchers say that precision bred GMO dandelions will be “enabling us to build a new, domestic rubber supply that strengthens UK resilience”. Of the 30 million metric tonnes of rubber consumed globally each year, 0% comes from dandelions… defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/2026/02/02/f...
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
12/ UPDATE 24 hrs later: the follow up on this story is that this short report was part of a larger one which the government has tried to suppress. You couldnt make it up! archive.ph/ZMs9y
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
11/ When biodiversity loss is assessed through a national security lens, the answer isn’t growth, deregulation or techno-optimism. It’s precaution, protection and resilient food systems. That’s not anti-innovation. It’s mature, thoughtful risk governance.
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
10/ Genetic (& other) technologies are often dismissed as peripheral to eco & food issues. Not so! @beyond-gm.bsky.social and @abiggerconvo (on X) assess them in the round – as values-based, ethically loaded, food system, ecological & governance issues central to ecosystem health &food security.
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
9/ The report frames techno-fixes as slow & uncertain, while calling ecosystem restoration “easier, cheaper & more reliable”. This directly conflicts with 'jam-tomorrow' policies that bet on future tech while dismantling precaution now. We agree, see: beyond-gm.org/turbo-chargi...
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
8/ It also supports the role of national & global regulation in addressing biodiversity loss, ecosystem degradation & national security. In this frame, regulation is pro-security, NOT anti-science. That sits uneasily alongside govt policies that trade oversight for growth.
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
7/ A key feature of the report is its treatment of uncertainty. It centres on unknown thresholds, irreversibility & tipping points, stressing that ignoring uncertainty = poor decisions in the face of complex, cascading national security risks. See here: abiggerconversation.org/looking-at-r...
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
6/ The authors pull no punches: the current industrial model of food production is the single biggest driver of terrestrial biodiversity loss. It warns that without real food system resilience, ecosystem collapse would leave the UK struggling to maintain food security.
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
5/ The report is clear: nature is national security. It links growth-driven economic models to biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse & resource instability, & calls for rethinking “growth” within planetary limits. See our report Rethinking Sustainability. abiggerconversation.org/wp-content/u...
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
4/ Here’s the problem: prioritising growth can directly conflict with managing irreversible risk. And that’s where the national security assessment becomes awkward – because it shows that ecosystem protection, not deregulation, is what resilience actually requires.
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
3/ In 2025, the Labour government strengthened the Growth Duty, placing it at the heart of regulation, backed by performance dashboards and “pro-growth” language about innovation and competitiveness. It’s increasingly rebranded as “smart regulation” - make of that what you will.
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
2/ Since 2017, UK regulators have been bound by the “Growth Duty” – a legal requirement to consider economic growth alongside their core responsibilities – like environmental protection, food safety, or public health. Growth is no longer the destination - it’s the journey.
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
1/ A new UK Government report treats biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse as a national security risk. We’ll get to that in a moment... First, some context on how UK policy ended up pulling in the opposite direction… 🧵 www.gov.uk/government/p...
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
The Citizens’ Charter for Transparency, Accountability & Choice in the Use of Genetic Technologies sets out clear principles for how #GMOs – incl. gene editing & “precision breeding” – should be governed in the UK. Read & use it to inform your choices/actions: beyond-gm.org/citizens-cha...
beyond-gm.org
Citizens' Charter on Genetic Technologies Upholds Choice and Transparency
A new Citizens’ Charter for Transparency, Accountability and Choice in the Use of Genetic Technologies has been launched, setting out clear principles for how genetic engineering – including gene edit...
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
New research shows gene editing can cause lasting disruption to genome function through “chromatin fatigue” – even when DNA appears to have repaired itself – raising serious questions about UK deregulation, which assumes precision equals safety. beyond-gm.org/gene-editing...
beyond-gm.org
Gene Editing Can Cause Significant DNA Damage: Here’s Why it Matters for UK Regulation
New research shows gene editing can cause lasting disruption to genome function through “chromatin fatigue” – even when DNA appears to have repaired itself – raising serious questions about UK deregul...
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
Genetic engineering can't be contained in living systems. Engineered genes & microbes inevitably spread, exposing regulatory blind spots & challenging assumptions of control, precaution & accountability. We'll be keeping an eye on 'wild' GMOs from 2026 onwards. beyond-gm.org/editing-natu...
beyond-gm.org
Editing Nature - Examining the Illusion of Control
Genetic engineering cannot be contained in living systems. From bees to crops, engineered genes and microbes inevitably spread, exposing regulatory blind spots and challenging assumptions of control, ...
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
‘Tis the season…🌲🎅 If you believe that we have a right to know when there are ‘precision bred’ GMOs in our foods or fields please support our judicial review. We are challenging the government on behalf of the 8 in 10 who demand to know. DONATE today www.crowdjustice.com/case/stop-hi...
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
We've spent years directly challenging the FSA's misleading representation of precision-bred GMOs as 'essentially natural'. Any plan to further mislead citizens – using taxpayer money to fund citizen 'education' programmes – is despicable. www.food.gov.uk/board-papers...
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
12/ Govt & NGOs must stop pretending conservation & exploitation are separate issues. It's two sides of the same framework – MPAs & EIAs on one side; MGR access, DSI & IP on the other. Conservation rhetoric on its own ignores the genetic grab & only protects corporate interests.
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
11/ This isn't anti-science. But marine governance is complex, costly & technologically demanding. The UK BBNJ discourse pairs lofty ambition with reluctance to fund the essential infrastructure for transparency, monitoring, environmental assessment or fair benefit-sharing.
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
10/ Bio-pirates are already lifting genes & pathways from marine organisms, inserting them into microbes, algae & higher organisms & designing new “synthetic” species based on marine models. Commercial incentives = engineering new life forms, not just cataloguing existing ones.
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
9/ All the politeness & poetry of the debates & the hype around the Bill being a “landmark” is smoke & mirrors to hide key questions, e.g.: Who will own marine genetic inventions? What will benefit-sharing really look like? What about patents?; How will DSI be governed in practice?
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
8/ The US is a non-party. It never ratified the CBD & is not party to Nagoya. It delays/blocks stronger global rules – but its companies dominate patents, sequencing & AI-driven biodiscovery. It has signed but not ratified the BBNJ. Heads up landlubbers, history repeats itself!
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
7/ Now we’re opening our largest remaining genetic commons – the ocean – to a similar model. But this time: AI can mine genetic sequences; synthetic biology can rebuild marine organisms in labs; companies can offshore R&D to non-parties & the bounty flows to the strongest players
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
6/ We’ve sailed these stormy seas before. The CBD & Nagoya Protocol promised fair ‘benefit-sharing’ of terrestrial genetic resources. But: little money reached biodiversity-rich countries; DSI blew equitable access out of the water; and corporate control & concentration grew.
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
5/ Patents on marine genetic sequences are heavily concentrated in a few corporations. One, BASF, reportedly holds about half of all patented marine sequences; 10 countries dominate about 98% of the sector - before ‘fair' frameworks have been worked out. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Corporate control and global governance of marine genetic resources
One corporation has registered 47% of all patented marine genetic sequences.
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
4/ MGRs = DNA & digital sequences from deep-sea organisms. They're already underpinning new medicines, industrial enzymes & biomaterials, personal care products, AI-driven ‘biodiscovery’ & synthetic biology. It’s a competitive, fast-expanding, multi-billion-dollar bioeconomy.
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
3/ The BBNJ treaty – & UK implementing Bill – covers: Area-based management tools (like MPAs); Environmental impact assessment; & ‘Fair and equitable’ benefit-sharing of Marine Genetic Resources (MGRs) & Digital Sequence Information (DSI - where the real money, and risk, lies.
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
2/ We heard a lot of poetry & soft nationalism about ocean wonders, medieval sea monsters, UK’s proud marine heritage, science leadership & the planet's ‘blue lungs’. Not so much on biopiracy & the global genetic grab of the high seas embedded in the Bill. bills.parliament.uk/bills/4016/p...
bills.parliament.uk
Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill publications - Parliamentary Bills - UK Parliament
Documents, and debates for Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
1/ Ahoy, me hearties…This week’s Lords reading of the UK’s Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdictions (BBNJ) Bill on marine plunder…er, conservation…was revealing and worth a deeper dive. Here’s a🧵
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
A sweeping deal to deregulate new GMOs has been proposed in the EU, yet civil society still secured some key concessions – seed labelling, public registers and full GMO regulation for higher-risk plants. See next steps & comparison with UK regulations: beyond-gm.org/new-eu-propo...
beyond-gm.org
New EU Proposal Supports Hidden GMOs
A sweeping deal to deregulate new GMOs has been proposed in the EU, yet civil society still secured some key concessions – seed labelling, public registers and full regulation for higher-risk plants –...
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 02/12/2025
Biotech companies - and the government - call gene edited/'precision bred'/GMO plants, foods and animals “natural.” The only thing “natural” about these #GMOs is how naturally the spin keeps spinning.
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Beyond GM @beyond-gm.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
UK conservation groups supporting GMOs as a 'conservation tool' — despite risks & no proven benefits? Decisions with big implications for nature demand accountability & informed, equitable debate, not mute acquiescence to biotech narratives. Who voted? See: beyond-gm.org/iucn-votes-o...
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