"A genetically modified wheat under development in the US would increase the use of an herbicide that is linked to soil, water and fetal harm, according to a new report.
The report, from the environmental organization Friends of the Earth (FOE), comes six months after agricultural organizations announced they are partnering to develop what would be the first genetically modified (GMO) wheat, called HB4, commercially available in the US. Proponents of HB4 say it is drought-tolerant and will bolster food security and help farmers grow wheat in a changing climate.
FOE said that HB4 — which was approved by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 2024 — would prompt more use of the herbicide glufosinate, which scientific studies have linked to premature births, impaired fetal development, kidney problems and disruption of the gut microbiome. HB4 is engineered to withstand glufosinate, which can be sprayed directly on the wheat and will only kill weeds. The FOE report also warns that HB4 could hamper US exports since not all importing countries accept GMO wheat, and it would harm US farmers that are not using GMO wheat by contaminating their fields.
“If some farmers choose to grow this GMO wheat it actually imperils all wheat farmers because those wheat supply chains would not be segregated,” said Kendra Klein, senior staff scientist at Friends of the Earth. “So there’s the problem of the commingling of the GMO wheat and the non-GMO wheat.”"
