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Wild American Chestnuts Making a Comeback in Maine – New short film airs Dec 4
Our short film documents thousands of thriving, wild American chestnuts on the land of renowned biologist Dr. Bernd Heinrich—contradicting decades of assumptions about the species’ decline. Register to watch the film here:...
The Campaign in Panama: Mobilizing to STOP GE Trees Globally in Preparation for UN Climate Summit in Brazil Next Month
This week the Campaign to STOP GE Trees made important headway at the meetings of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity in Panama City. Strengthening the Moratorium on GE trees: The CBD Alliance, which is a network of civil society organizations that work to...
TAKE ACTION: FSC Consultation to help STOP GE Trees (deadline Sept 28)
FSC Consultation on GMO Definition Deadline Sunday, September 28, 2025The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) prohibits FSC member companies from using GE trees for commercial purposes, in certified or non-certified areas. FSC’s prohibition exists because the risks and...
Global forests at risk from GE Trees: Your Support today is Critical
In just a few weeks, all eyes will be on Panama City, where two critical meetings will decide the future of forests worldwide:
→ The UN Convention on Biological Diversity (SB8J-1) — focused on Indigenous rights and biodiversity
→ The Forest Stewardship Council’s General Assembly — where members will vote on whether to uphold or dismantle the global ban on genetically engineered (GE) trees.
The outcomes will shape forest policy and Indigenous land rights for decades to come. And with COP30 looming in November in Brazil, these meetings are our one chance to set the stage for strong global resistance to GE trees.
KPFA Evening News Interview on Opposition to GMO Chestnut trees (Berkeley, CA 16 August 2025)
https://youtu.be/C4mLHiJzirY More than 170,000 individuals and over 440 organizations worldwide have voiced strong opposition to the release of the #GMO American chestnut tree, known as Darling 54 (D54), into wild forests. The USDA is currently considering a petition...
Press Release: 170,000+ Demand USDA Reject Proposal for Release of Genetically Engineered American Chestnut Into Wild Forests
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 29, 2025 Contact: Steve Taylor, Communications Director, Global Justice Ecology Project | +1.314210.1322 | steve@globaljusticeecology.org 170,000+ Demand USDA Reject Proposal for Release of Genetically Engineered American Chestnut Into Wild...
GJEP quoted in The Guardian regarding the American Chestnut
https://youtu.be/ZSddbjouXtI GJEP was quoted in an important article in The Guardian yesterday addressing efforts to restore the American Chestnut and the dangers posed by the GE American chestnut. Here is the quote they used from our recent press release:...
Press Release: USDA Poised to Approve Release of Genetically Engineered Trees Based on Botched Research
NOTE: A PDF of this Press Release can be found here. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Steve TaylorEmail: steve@globaljusticeecology.orgPhone: +1 314 210 1322 USDA Poised to Approve Release of Genetically Engineered Trees Based on Botched Research Defective GMO Chestnut...
infOGM: Bioengineered poplars to save the climate?
A few months ago, Living Carbon, a US start-up, announced that it had developed and planted genetically modified poplar trees in 2023. These trees are said to absorb more quickly carbon dioxide, one of the greenhouse gases whose current accumulation in the atmosphere...
Testimony on the Dangers of GE Trees: The Case of the American Chestnut Tree
By Anne Petermann, International Coordinator, Campaign to STOP Genetically Engineered Trees March 26, 2025 Introduction Genetically engineered (GE) trees are an untested and unpredictable technology that threatens not only the biodiversity of our forests but also the...
The GE Chestnut tree fiasco: New article feature in Earth Island Journal
GJEP Executive Director Anne Petermann has a new article in Earth Island Journal called “The Darling 58 Debacle”. It details the disaster of the defective D54/58 genetically engineered American chestnut tree submitted to the USDA for unregulated release into forests....
GJEP UPDATE from the Convention on Biodiversity COP in Cali, Colombia: Save the Amazon from Brazil’s Genetically Modified Trees
More than 100 organizations from over 30 countries demand that Brazil cancel its NINE genetically engineered eucalyptus and stop threatening global forest biodiversity. Organizations and Indigenous Peoples from around the world call upon the world leaders at COP16 to...
US Forest Service – keep genetically engineered trees OUT of our public forests!
The US Forest Service has long been regarded by those involved in the protection of US forests as a serious threat to those forests. Now the agency proposes adding genetically engineered trees to the history of clearcut logging, spraying of toxic herbicides, road...
September 21: The international day of struggle against monoculture tree plantations
September 21 is the International Day of Struggle Against Monoculture Tree Plantations. It is a day for organizations, networks and movements to celebrate resistance and raise their voices to demand: “STOP the Expansion of Monoculture Tree Plantations!” These...
NY Times: How Do You Restore a Chestnut Forest or an Apple Orchard? Very Slowly.
A July 3rd article in the New York Times by Margaret Roach provided an example of efforts to restore the American Chestnut tree without the use of genetic engineering. Note: Lois and Denis, who are volunteers with the American Chestnut Cooperators Foundation (ACCF)...
September 20th webinar: Tree Plantations, Carbon Markets and Resistances
On the eve of the International Day of Struggle against Tree Monocultures, The World Rainforest Movement invites you to participate in this free webinar on September 20th, 2024. It will be on Friday 20th September at 9am EDT (3pm Central Europe). In this webinar,...
The Washington Post: The future of paper could come from gene-edited trees
An article appeared in The Washington Post on August 1, 2024 that examined gene-edited trees. Anne Petermann, Co-founder and International Coordinator of the Campaign to STOP GE Trees, was quoted in the article: “The potential for genetic contamination of wild forests...
Indigenous Knowledge vs Genetic Engineering: Humans as part of the Earth or apart from the Earth
Photo Caption: Chief Ninawa from the Brazilian Amazon speaks about the threats facing Indigenous Peoples in the region. Photo credit: PetermannThe Global Justice Ecology Project, representing the Campaign to STOP GE Trees, sent a team to the Indigenous Environmental...
Press Release: GJEP requests USDA, Office of Inspector General investigate SUNY GE American Chestnut debacle
For Immediate Release July 8, 2024 Contact: Steve Taylor (314) 210 1322 New York – July 8th, Global Justice Ecology Project (GJEP) has requested that the United Stated Department of Agriculture (USDA), Office of Inspector General investigate what has been...
Defective genetically engineered American chestnut tree rocked with scandal
May 30, 2024 – the importance of our our ten years of dedication to protecting the forests from the risks and unknowns of the genetically engineered American chestnut has been demonstrated through a bombshell article released May 30, 2024 in New York Times...