Actualité
28.01.2010
Organic cotton sector responds to fraud assertions from Financial Times of Germany article
Importantly, a number of retailers and NGOs interviewed for the Financial Times article say that they were misquoted, and therefore assert that many allegations made in the article are unfounded or unsubstantiated. While Organic Exchange was interviewed for the article, its responses were ignored. For example, the article cites a nonexistent ?internal OE report? as stating that up to 30 percent of organic cotton is probably contaminated with GMO. No such report exists at Organic Exchange.
- Organic Exchange, USA (26.01.2010): Organic Exchange responds to organic cotton fraud assertions from Financial Times of Germany article
- Ecotextile News, UK (26.01.2010): C&A backs organic cotton
- Ecotextile News, UK (26.01.2010): H&M doubts GM used in its organic cotton
- Ecotextile News, UK (28.01.2010): Organic ?fraud?: GMO lab clarifies position
27.01.2010
Zimbabwe Government urged to lift GMO ban
The Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe has advised government to lift a ban on genetically modified grain amid a looming shortage. [...] Tafadzwa Musarara, chairman of the millers? organisation, said the dry spell and lack of fertilisers threatening the cropping season required government to make a policy shift on genetically-modified grain to boost the country?s grain reserves.
27.01.2010
Mexico OKs Monsanto corn seeds
Three types of Monsanto Co.?s genetically modified corn seed traits [Genuity, SmartStax and Genuity VT Triple PRO] have won regulatory approval for import in Mexico. The approvals allow U.S. and Canadian farmers who plant these corn trait technologies to fully market their grain in 2010 in Mexico, a major importer of U.S. corn grain and dried distillers grains.
27.01.2010
U.S. alfalfa and beet farmers await high court ruling
A Supreme Court case targeting Roundup Ready alfalfa could write new ground rules for legal battles involving other genetically modified crops, including Montana and Wyoming sugar beets. At issue is whether a lower court erred when it sided with environmentalists alleging imminent danger if Monsanto Co. sold alfalfa seed genetically engineered to resist the popular weed killer Roundup. Monsanto is arguing that its opponents should have been required to produce evidence that danger was indeed imminent.
- The Billings Gazette, USA (26.01.2010): Alfalfa, beet farmers await high court
- Powell Tribune, USA (26.01.2010): Sugar beet grower: Court ruling could cripple sugar industry
- GMO-Compass, Germany (21.01.2010): Green light again for GM alfalfa in the USA
- Capital Press, USA (29.01.2010): Biotech beet foes seek injunction
27.01.2010
Western Australian GM canola decision: anger and delight
Critics of the decision included Shadow Agriculture Minister Mick Murray, who said this will have negative long term economic and social impacts that cannot be reversed. He noted ?overwhelming opposition? to the proposal, and called the decision an irreversible blunder. [...] Mr Murray said almost 90 per cent of submissions made to a review of the Genetically Modified Crops Free Areas Act 2003 opposed the introduction of GM crops.
- Augusta Margaret River Mail, Australia (27.01.2010): GM canola decision: anger and delight
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Austalia (26.01.2010): Warning that exports could suffer through GM
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Austalia (27.01.2010): Tasmanian farmers struggling to get non-GM canola seed
- Weekly Times, Australia (27.01.2010): SA must drop GM ban
27.01.2010
Canadian grain companies exploit flax situation to tighten vise on farmer seed saving
SK—Grain company Viterra wants to force all farmers wishing to grow flax in 2010 to purchase certified seed. [...] But the NFU believes that the proposed certified seed cure is the wrong one, and that there will be long-lasting and negative side effects.
- National Farmers Union, Canada (18.01.2010): Grain companies exploit flax situation to tighten vise on farmer seed saving
- Western Producer, Canada (14.01.2010): GM flax situation shows need for caution, not new certified seed policies
- Flax Council of Canada, Canada (21.01.2010): Certified seed best opportunity to restore European market
- Canadian Cattleman, Canada (25.01.2010): Flax growers in limbo awaiting EU developments
27.01.2010
Brazil stops Canadian flax imports with unapproved GE contamination
Since November 4, 2009, Government of Brazil has ordered the mandatory holding and testing of all flax shipments entering Brazil from Canada prior to release. [...] To date, several containers have tested positive for traces of FP967 (CDC Triffid), a genetically modified (GM) variety of flax. Due to Brazil?s zero tolerance level for non approved GM products, these shipments have been halted at the border by the Ministry of Agriculture authorities.
26.01.2010
Western Australian exempts GE canola from GM Crops Free Areas Act
Western Australia has become the third Australian state to allow farmers to grow genetically modified (GM) canola. Agriculture and Food Minister Terry Redman on Monday approved an exemption order under the Genetically Modified Crops Free Areas Act 2003 to permit cultivation of the GM crop. Premier Colin Barnett said the step fulfilled a key election promise to approve commercial-size trials of GM canola and brought WA into line with the other major grain-growing states, NSW and Victoria.
- Sydney Morning Herald, Australia (25.01.2010): WA approves GM canola
- Farm Online, Australia (25.01.2010): WA green light for commercial GM canola
- Farm Online, Australia (26.01.2010): Has WA sacrificed its GM-free competitive advantage?
- GM Watch, UK (14.01.2010): New Report highlights Monsanto?s corrupt science in GM canola assessment
26.01.2010
More Indian States joining Bt brinjal opposition
Joining the growing opposition to commercial cultivation of genetically modified Bt brinjal, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa today said the state government would not allow the growing of the breed in the state. Talking to reporters here, he said he had written a letter to Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar in this regard yesterday. ?I will not take any decision that may harm the interest of farmers in Karnataka. Bt brinjal could seriously affect the interests of peasants,? he said.
- Mangalorean, India (24.01.2010): Yeddyurappa says no to Bt Brinjal
- ExpressBuzz, India (24.01.2010): CM says we won?t allow production of Bt brinjal
- The Hindu, India (22.01.2010): Kerala govt. extends support to protest against Bt. Brinjal
- The Times of India, India (25.01.2010): ?Reject Bt brinjal as poison?
- ExpressBuzz, India (25.01.2010): Govt urged to amend law
- ExpressBuzz, India (23.01.2010): Bt brinjal: Spread of contamination feared
26.01.2010
In fight over Bt brinjal, Indian Congress backs Environment Minister
The fight between Union ministers for agriculture and environment, Sharad Pawar and Jairam Ramesh, over whether to clear genetically modified crop Bt brinjal for commercial use sharpened on Friday with the Congress backing the latter to the hilt. [...] ?It is not an issue between the agriculture and environment ministries. The government retains an overriding remit if larger issues of public interest are involved. To that extent, the environment minister is absolutely right in interpreting the responsibility of the government,? Congress spokesperson Manish Tiwari said.
26.01.2010
Indian Agriculture Minister blames U.S. agencies to lead Bt protest in ndia
Hitting out at the United States of America (USA) for objecting to India?s use of genetically modified (GM) crops, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Sunday said such a stance was unjustified as majority of the agriculture fields in the USA were under such crops. ?For some time now there have been vociferous protests against the usage of biotechnology (BT) crops like cotton and brinjal. The protests are most vocal from American agencies, despite the fact that their 80 per cent agriculture land is under BT crops. This makes their protests unjustified,? Pawar said.
26.01.2010
Indian Textile Ministry official lauds Bt cotton
Genetically modified cotton — commonly termed Bt cotton — has been a blessing, according to a senior government official. The country has generated an additional income of Rs 10,000 crore to Rs 12,000 crore annually because of its higher yield, J N Singh, joint secretary in the Union textiles ministry, told Business Standard. According to official figures, 80 per cent of the overall cotton crop is from Bt seeds.
26.01.2010
Organic cotton ?fraud? uncovered
Leading European retailers and brands such as H&M, C&A and Tchibo have unknowingly been selling certified organic cotton clothing contaminated with genetically modified cotton from India, in a suspected fraud that is certain to shake consumer confidence in organic. The scale of the alleged fraud uncovered by the German edition of the Financial Times newspaper is shocking - if it?s accurate. Lothar Kruse, a director of the independent testing laboratory Impetus in Bremerhaven, who examined the cotton fabrics claimed around ?30% of the tested samples? contained genetically modified (GM) cotton. The head of the Indian agricultural authority, Apeda, Sanjay Dave, told the newspaper they were dealing with fraud on ?a gigantic scale.?
- Ecotextile News, UK (24.01.2010): Organic cotton ?fraud? uncovered
- Deutsche Welle, Germany (24.01.2010): European clothing chains hit by ?fake? organic label controversy
- Bumbaumel, Germany (25.01.2010): Bio Baumwolle aus Indien
- The Times of India, India (14.11.2009): Villages export fake Bt Cotton; US, EU see red
25.01.2010
Milkweed eradication through HT crops threatens Monarch butterflies
Although weather can affect population numbers from year to year, Dr. Taylor said, the monarchs have been suffering from a loss of habitat. One problem is the massive expansion in the amount of genetically modified corn and soybeans planted by farmers. These crops have led to an increase in herbicide use, which has eliminated milkweed plants that the butterfly larvae depend on for food.
25.01.2010
NSF grant to launch world?s first open-source genetic parts production facility
With seed money from the National Science Foundation, bioengineers from the University of California, Berkeley, and Stanford University are ramping up efforts to characterize the thousands of control elements critical to the engineering of microbes so that eventually, researchers can mix and match these ?DNA parts? in synthetic organisms to produce new drugs, fuels or chemicals. [... The International Open Facility Advancing Biotechnology (BIOFAB), aims to produce thousands of free, standardized DNA parts to shorten the development time and lower the cost of synthetic biology for academic or biotech laboratories.
25.01.2010
Canadian GE salmon causes controversy in Panama
The Authority on Aquatic Resources of Panama has not ratified the order to destroy the genetically modified salmon stocks produced by the company Aqua Bounty Technologies. According to Henry Clifford, Vice President, Sales & Marketing at Aqua Bounty Technologies [...] the experimental fish are confined in a series of more than twenty levels of biological and physical containment, and were never intended for release into the environment.
25.01.2010
GE rabbits milked for human protein; drug soon for sale?
Dutch farmers are ready to start commercially milking rabbits, pending authorization from European authorities. But that doesn?t mean bunny cheese will soon be on store shelves—the genetically engineered rabbits would be milked to churn out a potentially lifesaving drug. Developed by Netherlands-based biotech firm Pharming, the rabbits have been outfitted with a human gene that produces a protein called C1 inhibitor.
25.01.2010
KWS and BASF collaborate to develop high-yielding ?genetically enhanced? sugar beets
BASF Plant Science and KWS SAAT AG announced today a collaboration in plant biotechnology. [...] ?Within this cooperation, KWS and BASF will bundle their breeding and biotechnology skills to develop genetically enhanced sugar beet. This shows our company?s clear commitment to the sugar beet crop and is a meaningful addition to our classic plant breeding work,? said Dr. Günter Strittmatter, Head of Research at KWS SAAT AG.
25.01.2010
Judge asked to halt planting of genetically modified sugarbeet seeds in Oregon (USA)
A group of activists that includes organic seed farmers in Oregon?s Willamette Valley asked a federal judge Wednesday to bar planting of genetically engineered sugarbeets and sugarbeet seeds this spring, saying the plants could contaminate organic crops. [...] Willamette Valley is nearly the sole supplier of U.S. sugarbeet seeds, and the Monsanto seeds are the first genetically engineered crop to be widely planted in the valley.
- The Oregonian, USA (20.01.2010): Judge asked to halt planting of genetically modified sugarbeet seeds in Oregon
- The Iowa Independent, USA (20.01.2010): Environmental groups seek to halt use of genetically-modified sugar beets
- The Billings Gazette, USA (20.01.2010): Genetically modified variety worries organic seed, food safety groups
- Earth Justice & Center for Food Safety, USA (20.01.2010): Farmers and conservation groups seek to halt planting of illegal crop
22.01.2010
India?s biotech ?queen? and Science Minister back Bt brinjal
India?s biotech ?queen? Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw of Biocon Tuesday appealed for considering the issue of Bt brinjal cultivation on a scientific basis and not on ?unfounded fears?. [...] The chairperson of Karnataka Vision Group for BT said the industry had fully understood its responsibility and would never develop a technology that was unsafe for human consumption.
- Mangalorean, India (19.01.2010): Now, Kiran Mazumdar backs Bt brinjal
- Taragana.com, India (19.01.2010): BT Brinjal safe for humans, says science ministry
- The Hindu, India (19.01.2010): Bt Brinjal safe for humans, says science ministry
- Indian Express, India (20.01.2010): State to decide on crop after agri varsities send info
