08/30/2026
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1C1ciyueai/
Yesterday, the USDA announced it is deregulating the genetically engineered (GE) Darling 54 American chestnut tree with tolerance to chestnut blight. The USDA stated that "the modified American chestnut is unlikely to pose a greater plant pest risk than the unmodified comparator."
Our allies at Global Justice Ecology Project (GJEP), lead nonprofit in the campaign against GE trees, stated in a press release: “This decision marks the beginning of an unprecedented, dangerous and irreversible experiment with our wild forests. Never before has a GE plant been released into the wild with the intent to contaminate its natural relatives with GE traits. This decision was made despite the fact that three years after the submission of the deregulation petition, the GE chestnut was revealed to be rife with problems including high rates of mortality and loss of blight resistance."
Throughout 2023, The American Chestnut Foundation and its partners observed disappointing performance results from broad-scale field and greenhouse tests of advanced generations of Darling trees across several geographic locations. Analysis indicated striking variability in Darling trees’ blight tolerance, significant losses in growth competitiveness, reduction in overall fitness including stunted growth, leaf browning and curling, and increased mortality.
The USDA ignored all science and data to give this defective tree a rubber-stamp, endangering what is left of the wild American chestnut population. The USDA's claim that this GE tree does not "pose a greater plant pest risk" is completely false and irresponsible. It’s time to fire everyone at the USDA.
READ the press release: https://globaljusticeecology.org/gjep-response-to-usda-decision-to-deregulate-defective-d54-ge-chestnut/
