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In a study, Greenpeace found great variations in the Bt toxin content in the genetically modified maize MON810 and has claimed that the legal basis for the EU approval has not been fulfilled. However, prior scientific analyses by a German research group, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) contradict these findings and conclusions.

In 2006, Greenpeace took samples of 600 leaves from Bt maize MON810 in German and Spanish fields. They found the content of the Bt toxin, a plant-produced insecticide, to be lower than expected and to have variations between 0.1 and more than 10 µg/g. One month before the release of the Greenpeace report, German researchers published results from a three-year study that confirmed low Bt toxin levels, albeit with much smaller variations which remained within natural levels.

Project leader Johannes Jehle of the DLR in Neustadt/Weinstrasse stated, "Despite the lower Bt concentrations and the observed variations between plant individuals, our results corroborate the known findings of earlier studies and do not tally with the Greenpeace measurements."

US researchers have developed genetically modified maize varieties that have the promise to make biofuel ethanol production more cost-effective and efficient. Scientists could turn leaves and stalks into products that are as valuable as the kernels.

Currently, most US ethanol is made from maize kernels, because breaking down the cellulose in maize leaves and stalks into sugars for ethanol fermentation is difficult and expensive. Together with colleagues, Mariam Sticklen, professor at Michigan State University, now has succeeded in creating two maize crop varieties that contain the enzymes necessary to break down the cellulose in their leaves into simple sugars. The trick was to prevent the enzymes from becoming active while the plant is still alive. Researchers therefore used enzymes that are naturally found in bacteria living in hot springs and that only are active when the GM maize is heated to 50 °C.

"In the future, maize growers will be able to sell their maize stalks and leaves as well as their grain for ethanol production", Sticklen stated in a press statement. "What is now a waste product will become an economically viable commodity."

However, before the new maize line may be commercialised, it must first be tested for its environmental safety in order to ensure that the transgenic plants have no negative environmental effects.

Researchers at the University of Zurich and at the Federal Institute of Technology in Switzerland plan field experiments with genetically modified wheat. Tied in with similar research conducted in 2004, the experiments would form part of a planned national research programme.

The new projects would study the outcrossing behaviour of GM wheat and compare its growth in the lab to its growth in the field. Beat Keller, a lead researcher on the project, commented, "We want to find out if GM wheat plants that we have already tested in the labs, which show improved resistance to fungal diseases, also behave in a similar way in the field in normal agricultural environments." Impacts on soil organisms and insects would be another focus of research.

GMOs continue to be highly contentious in Switzerland. The last field trials in Switzerland were conducted in 2004 and caused major protests and lengthy legal debates. In 2005, the Swiss voted for a five-year moratorium on the cultivation of GM crops until a national research programme delivers new insights into safety and coexistence of genetically modified plants. Scientific research remains permitted. "There is a clear need and demand from society to clarify questions," Beat Keller said.

The field trials would start in 2008 and continue for two years, if the Federal Environment Office agrees with the plans. A decision thereon is expected within the next three months.

In Brazil, the cultivation of GM maize is approaching. A large majority of the National Technical Biosafety Commission, CTNBio, has voted for the approval of an application from the agro-biotech company Bayer to allow the cultivation of herbicide-resistant LibertyLink maize. Before final approval by the government, the ministries will be consulted. Other companies, such as Monsanto and DuPont, also are currently preparing the market introduction of GM maize varieties.

Brazil is the third largest supplier of maize in the world. In the season 2006/2007, its maize cultivation area increased by approximately 20 percent. This growth was precipitated by high world market prices for maize due to an increased demand for biofuels.

Europe should weigh benefits as well as risks when evaluating GM crops. This is the conclusion of a report by the UK Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) on behalf of the British government.

ACRE stated that the current approval system is focused exclusively on the risks of new GM plants and completely neglects their benefits. In the case of herbicide-tolerant GM beets, for example, approval was denied due to the negative impact of the herbicide on the environment. Yet, according to the report, potential environmental benefits such as reduced herbicide use were not considered.

The report entitled “Managing the Footprint of Agriculture: Towards a Comparative Assessment of Risks and Benefits for Novel Agricultural Systems” also demands the application of a more holistic approach to any novel agricultural practice with environmental impact, especially to the use of crops for biofuels. "We could end up covering the land with crops that don't actually produce food, and that may be a problem in the future," said ACRE chairman Chris Pollock.

In February, a US district court prohibited the cultivation and marketing of a genetically modified alfalfa variety after March 30th until a new biosafety evaluation has been conducted by government authorities. A federal judge now has confirmed the decision and made the temporary US-wide ban permanent as long as the biosafety of the GM alfalfa developed by Monsanto has not been studied adequately. Monsanto officials have said that they are considering an appeal.

The US government has announced extensive assessment of the environmental safety of the GM alfalfa. USDA spokeswoman Rachel Iadicicco said that the agency would conduct the study, which may take up to two years to complete.

Some 220,000 acres of genetically engineered alfalfa were planted this year before the judge’s ban came into effect. These cultivations are not affected by the verdict, although strict requirements must be fulfilled. For example, the sites on which GM alfalfa is grown must be made public and GM and conventional alfalfa must be processed at harvest under strict separation.