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GE Free News 11-23-2004

SLO GE Free News for November 23, 2004

Altered crops not taking root in Japan

Farmer's hopes to grow Japan's first crop of GM soybeans are dashed. Nation still rejecting genetically modified produce

Ousted UC Berkeley Professor Chapela Holds Final Class

For Ignacio Chapela, a member of the Cal’s department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management faculty since 1995, the day marked the end of the latest chapter of his battles for academic freedom and his challenges to an increasingly corporatized academic culture.

Biotech crop safety tests flawed, new scientific paper shows

A peer-reviewed scientific paper published today in Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Reviews debunks the myth that biotech or genetically modified (GM) crops are thoroughly tested, regulated and proven safe.

GMO-Free municipalities reach 248 in Piedmont, Italy

A total of 248 of the 1,209 municipalities in the northern Italian region of Piedmont have declared themselves free from genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), Italian farmers' association Coldiretti said on December 21, 2004.

Chapela on Mexico's 'Monsanto Law'

Here's an English summary of Ignacio Chapela's open letter on Mexico's new law on "Biosafety". It was written in the run up to the bill's final approval by the Mexican Congress.

Companies face miniscule fines after unknowingly shipping GE tomato seeds to farmers

Researchers unknowingly sent out genetically altered tomato seeds for seven years.

Food Supply Vulnerable to Contamination by Drugs and Plastics from Gene-Altered Crops

Union of Concerned Scientists Calls for Ban on Food Crops Genetically Engineered to Produce Pharmaceuticals, Industrial Chemicals

Syngenta halts genetic engineering projects in Europe

Syngenta, the world's biggest agro-chemicals group transfers all its biotechnology research activities to the USA.

The Corporate Attack on Organic Agriculture

Steve Sprinkel, of Ventura County, California, has farmed organically for 28 years and serves on the Policy Advisory Board of the Cornucopia Institute, a progressive food and farm policy group based in Cornucopia, Wisconsin. Mark A. Kastel is the institute's Co-Director.

China's First Transgenic Soy Futures Debut Weakly

 

Oregon attempts moratorium on "biopharming"

Oregon's Physicians for Social Responsibility wants a four-year ban in the state on plants with genes modified with drugs

Carbon trading and GE trees rapped at UN conference

Activists gathered this week at a UN conference on Climate Change I in Argentina have challenged a 2003 decision to include genetically engineered trees in the “clean development mechanism” of the Kyoto Protocol that is supposed to mitigate carbon emissions.

Bio-pharming begs closer scrutiny

A recent symposium on the legal and social implications of genetic engineering held at Virginia Tech underscores the need for more public debate about transgenic animal research and bio-pharming.

FDA May Clear Genetically Engineered Salmon

A Massachusetts company expects to get the federal government's OK to sell genetically enhanced salmon within a year, a prospect that scares some Alaskan fishermen.

Group urges ban on crops for drug, industrial products.

The Union of Concerned Scientists called Wednesday for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to ban open-field growing of corn, soybeans and other food crops engineered to produce pharmaceutical and industrial products.

Monsanto Unveils GMO Alfalfa! - Public Comments to USDA due by Jan. 24th

On April 16th, 2004 Monsanto submitted a federal petition for commercial introduction of "Round-Up Ready" (RR) alfalfa in the U.S, and on Nov. 24th the USDA began its required sixty day public comment period. Submit public comments before Jan. 24, 2005!

Oversight on Bioengineered Crops Is Poor, Report Says

Federal oversight of crops genetically engineered to produce medications in their seeds and leaves is inadequate to prevent unwanted contamination of food crops, according to an analysis released yesterday by a scientific advocacy group. As a result, the report concludes, consumers are at risk of inadvertently dosing themselves with prescription drugs while eating a morning bowl of cereal.

Alaska Bill Requires Labeling Genetically Altered Fish

Genetically altered fish will need to be labeled as such when products are to be sold in Alaska.

Monsanto to pay $A1.96m bribe penalties

Agribusiness giant Monsanto said it had agreed to pay $US1.5 million ($A1.96 million) in penalties to resolve US investigations of improper payments and financial irregularities related to its Indonesian affiliates.

Secret test crops worry area farmers

Several area farmers Wednesday expressed concern about secret test crops being raised in Kansas, but agriculture officials said there was nothing to worry about.

Biotechnology Loses Billions A Year

The biotechnology industry lost a combined $6.4 billion last year, according to a new report from Ernst & Young. The industry's total accrued loss since its birth in Silicon Valley in the mid-1970s is more than $45 billion.

Monsanto releases MON863 90-day study

 

Lords of the (GM) Harvest - Monsanto's Prosecution of US Farmers

As if U.S. farmers weren't in enough trouble, now the "seed police" are after them. Monsanto, the world leader in genetically modified grains, is pursuing fines and jail sentences for farmers who use their seed in noncontractual ways-such as saving it and sowing it the next season.

North Coast Advisory Council requests Labeling of Genetically Engineered Foods at Cambria Farmer's Market

The NCAC, which makes recommendations for Cambria and San Simeon, requested that the Friday Cambria farmer's market vendors label their produce with signage stating it is GE free. Farmers selling genetically engineered produce would be required to disclose that information as well.

Tainted biotech maize (Bt10) impounded at Irish port

A United States consignment of genetically modified corn gluten feed tainted with an illegal strain (Syngenta's Bt10) has been impounded upon arrival at an Irish port, the European Commission said on Wednesday.

Glyphosate Toxic & Roundup Worse

Dr. Mae-Wan Ho and Prof. Joe Cummins call for urgent regulatory review of the most widely used herbicide in the light of new scientific evidence

GE pharmaceutical & industrial crop-ban headed for state Senate vote

The anti-“biopharm” bill under consideration in the Oregon Legislature that seeks to prohibit farmers and researchers from growing a range of genetically modified crops drifted to the Senate floor this week.

Monsanto Dealt Defeat in Attempt to Invade Brazilian Schools

The Ministry of Culture had declined its support on a project financed by the company Monsanto, which was directed to students from public schools in a number of Brazilian states.

Roundup(r) kills frogs as well as tadpoles, Pitt biologist finds

Product is lethal even at lower concentrations; soil does not lessen its effects. "The most striking result from the experiments was that a chemical designed to kill plants killed 98 percent of all tadpoles within three weeks and 79 percent of all frogs within one day" - University of Pittsburgh researcher, Rick Relyea

Mounting evidence on toxicity of Roundup

Research from France has confirmed previous studies that Monsanto's Roundup, the most commonly used herbicide in the world, is much more toxic that Monsanto admits.

U.S. Biotech Firm Sees FDA Approving Cloned Meat

A U.S. biotech company said on Thursday it expected the Food and Drug Administration to soon approve the industry's request to market meat and milk products from cloned cattle and other animals.

Industry aims to strip local control of food supply

Environmental and healthy-farming advocates are learning what tobacco-free campaigners learned in the 1990s: When local governments step up to protect their community's citizens, industry responds by taking away the authority of local governments.

Japan Discovers 6th Shipment Contaminated with Bt10

Japan appears to be doing its own checking and not just leaving it to the Americans.

Organic farms 'best for wildlife'

The organic farms tended to have smaller fields Organic farms are better for wildlife than those run conventionally, according to a study covering 180 farms from Cornwall to Cumbria. The organic farms were found to contain 85% more plant species, 33% more bats, 17% more spiders and 5% more birds.

GM plant creates "Superweed"

Modified genes from crops in a GM crop trial have transferred into local wild plants, creating a form of herbicide-resistant "superweed", the Guardian can reveal. The cross-fertilization between GM oilseed rape, a brassica, and a distantly related plant, charlock, had been discounted as virtually impossible by scientists with the environment department.

Biotech giant Monsanto application for global pig patent

Greenpeace researchers have uncovered patent application from the biotech giant Monsanto which, if granted, would give the company world-wide control over breeding of pigs and their off spring.

Japan finds 9th U.S. corn cargo tainted with Bt-10

Japan's Agriculture Ministry said it discovered a ninth U.S. feed grain cargo tainted with Bt-10 biotech corn, and has told the importer to destroy it or ship it back to the United States.

First US labeling legislation for GM food becomes law in Alaska

Alaska has become the first state to give its citizens what 90 percent of Americans want - labels for genetically engineered foods. We anticipate that this legislation will be a bellwether for other state efforts to label biotech foods. It's only a matter of time before all states move to fill in the regulatory gap left by the Federal government's failure to require mandatory labeling.

Class Action Suit on GMO Contamination Moves Forward

Farmers are seeking compensation for losses due to contamination of organic fields and crops by Monsanto's and Bayer's genetically engineered canolas. "This is great", says plaintiff Dale Beaudoin. "On behalf of 1000 plus organic farmers we can continue to fight for our right to remain stewards for sustainable agriculture. This is no minor issue. It is a matter of independence and survival for all farmers world-wide."

Herbicide-resistant horse weed strains plague California farmers

Due in part to the over-use of Roundup on Roundup-Ready crops, scientists in California have found clusters of the weed that are resistant to scores of herbicides, leaving farmers to fight an increasingly formidable and costly foe.

U.S. needs to pay attention to customers

The United States needs to start listening to its customers if it wants to remain a player in the soybean export market, a soyfoods industry expert said at last week's Midwest Specialty Grains Conference. If any more GMO soybeans are grown, the United States will be out of the food-grade market and may have to import to meet U.S. consumer demand.

Going Organic Can Shield Children From Pesticides

A study finds benefits are 'immediate' and suggests that youths are exposed to the chemicals primarily through food, not spraying of homes.

Organic Standards Under Attack - Take Action

THE ORGANIC TRADE ASSOCIATION AND FOOD PROCESSORS ARE ASKING CONGRESS TO CHANGE THE ORGANIC FOODS PRODUCTION ACT (OFPA) WHICH COULD ALLOW NUMEROUS UNREVIEWED SYNTHETIC SUBSTANCES IN PRODUCTS LABELED “ORGANIC” AND WEAKEN ORGANIC DAIRY STANDARDS.

Less is more: working miracles in Nepal's rice fields

Rajbansi is one of a dozen farmers in Morang district testing a new method of planting rice. It is reported to boost harvests without requiring farmers to flood their fields or use chemical fertilisers and pesticides. It sounds too good to be true. After all, this is not a high-yielding variety of genetically modified rice but the normal local variety, mansuli.

Corporate-sponsored PBS Documentary Riles Small Farming Advocates

The telecast, America's Heartland, consists of twenty half-hour episodes produced by PBS affiliate KVIE in Sacramento. The bulk of the underwriting will be provided by the farming trade group the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and biotech giant Monsanto. Activists say the program exploits a model of factory farming that has profoundly undermined the same rustic lifestyle the program is meant to showcase.