Actualité
21.12.2007
Samples of GM maize found at deserted farm in Thailand
Genetically-modified maize has been found at a local farm near agribusiness giant Monsanto?s maize farm in Phitsanulok province, bringing the leakage of transgenic crops in the country to three. The GM maize contamination was exposed yesterday by Biothai, a non-government organisation working on organic farming. The group collected 19 samples of maize, soybean and cotton from local plantations and farm shops in Phitsanulok, Nakhon Sawan and Sukhothai late last month and sent them for testing at Chulalongkorn University?s food research and testing laboratory.
21.12.2007
EU decision to stop GMO testing opens door for U.S. rice
A decision to stop testing U.S. rice for genetically modified traits when it arrives at its destination should help restore trade with the European Union, which has virtually stopped since August 2006, said U.S. rice traders on Thursday. The EU Standing Committee of the Food Chain and Animal Health made the decision on on Thursday and it could take effect as early as mid-January.
21.12.2007
Don?t look for GE wheat anytime soon
Although there is the possibility of great economic return for wheat producers from the development of biotech wheat, don?t expect to see that option available anytime soon. That was the basic message Dr. Bill Wilson brought to those attending the Prairie Grains Conference in Grand Forks on Dec. 13. Wilson, a professor of Agricultural Economics at North Dakota State University who has done extensive research in cereal grains, expects the first use of biotech wheat will probably come from a country like Australia, where drought is a regular occurrence.
21.12.2007
Successful field trial of Evogene?s GE tomato for improving yield and abiotic stress tolerance
Evogene Ltd. today announced successful third year field trial results for Evo133, one of its candidate genes for improving plant yield and tolerance to abiotic stress conditions. Transgenic tomato plants over expressing Evo133 demonstrated an increase of up to 25% under normal conditions, and up to 20% under abiotic stress conditions compared to control plants under the same conditions. Results from this third field trial are consistent with two previous field trials conducted in 2005 and 2006.
20.12.2007
France says to extend GMO ban unless proven safe
France will extend its ban on the use and sale of gm maize MON 810, the only genetically modified crop grown in the country, unless a newly set-up committee on GMOs can prove it is safe. A present ban expires in February.
20.12.2007
GE corn to enter New Zealand?s food chain
netically-engineered corn has been approved to enter the New Zealand food chain. The New Zealand Food Safety Authority today gave the green light for high lysine corn to be imported and sold. ?This corn is used as an animal feed, but it has had its safety assessed as if for human consumption,? said NZFSA director Carole Inkster.
- New Zealand Food Safety Authority, New Zealand (20.12.2007): High lysine corn gazetted
- Sustainability Council of New Zealand, New Zealand (20.12.2007): Credibility of food safety regulation takes a significant hit
- New Zealand Herald, New Zealand (20.12.2007): GE corn to enter NZ food chain
- Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand, New Zealand (20.12.2007): Government caves in to Monsanto
- New Zealand?s Biotech Industry Organisation, New Zealand (20.12.2007): Corn approval protects NZ?s reputation
20.12.2007
International Dairy Foods Association (USA) supports moratorium on milk from cloned cows
Senator Barbara Mikulski[?s] amendment would require further scientific study in tandem with an economic and trade analysis of the impact of allowing milk and milk products from cloned animals to enter the food supply. Under the Farm Bill provision, both studies would be required to be completed before the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is allowed to lift the current moratorium on milk and meat from cloned animals entering the marketplace. ?Both IDFA and National Milk Producers Federation supported the amendment, and the dairy industry as a whole is very concerned about the lack of responsiveness by the FDA on this issue,? said Tipton.
20.12.2007
Australian dairy farmers urged to consider GM crops
Dairy farmers on the New South Wales far south coast have been told they will need to look to genetically modified (GM) crops if their industry is to meet increasing international and national demand for dairy products. Max Roberts from Bega has been elected to his second term as chairman of Dairy Australia. [...] He says that criticisms of the use of GM stock products have been what he describes as ?uninformed?.
20.12.2007
Australian Academy of Science endorse GM crops
GENETICALLY modified crops will play a critical role in alleviating malnutrition, combating climate change and removing allergens from food — and the technology must be embraced in Australia, according to Australia?s top scientists. [...] But Bob Phelps, of Gene Ethics, said the report was biased and a ?bunch of lies?. He said there were no drought-tolerant GM crops, so the technology could not combat climate change, and herbicide-resistant species meant crops were sprayed with more chemicals.
20.12.2007
UK scientist who claimed GM crops could solve hunger admits he got it wrong
A claim that GM technology is helping deliver higher crop yields in Africa was wrong, the Government?s chief scientist has been forced to admit. Professor Sir David King recently caused uproar with his assertion that GM crops could help feed the hungry of the Third World.
20.12.2007
France says to extend GMO ban unless proven safe
France will extend its ban on the use and sale of the only genetically modified crop grown in the country unless a newly set-up committee on GMOs can prove it is safe, senior government officials said on Wednesday. France said this month it was suspending the commercial use of maize seeds using MON 810 technology developed by U.S. biotech giant Monsanto until Feb. 9. This would give it time to look into the environmental and health implications of its use.
19.12.2007
Italian researchers decode Pinot Noir genome for non-GE breeding
talian scientists have cracked open the genetic make-up of Pinot Noir, responsible for the great red wines of Burgundy, in a breakthrough that may lead to hardier vines and cheaper fine wines. [...] ?We?re not interested in GMOs (genetically modified organisms). GMOs are not allowed in Europe and would not be accepted in the grape world, which is extremely conservative,? Velasco said.
19.12.2007
Australian and Chinese programmes to breed non-GE disease resistant wheat
Disease resistance genes from three different grass species have been combined in the world?s first ?trigenomic? chromosome, which can now be used to breed disease resistant wheat varieties. Pioneered by CSIRO researchers, in collaboration with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and Sydney University, the research illustrates the major genetic improvements possible without genetic modification (GM) technology.
19.12.2007
Oregon State University (USA) starts non-GE tree breeding programme
A new move toward ?marker based breeding? with economically important forest tree species is expected to improve and speed up the identification of trees with desirable traits ? to achieve faster growth, drought resistance, wood quality or other useful characteristics. [...] These programs, researchers say, do not involve genetic engineering, which is the intentional change of genetic structure or introduction of novel genes into plants, and an approach that has also met significant public resistance and regulatory hurdles.
19.12.2007
Lifting GMO ban can trigger a deadly blow to environment and agriculture in Thailand
Greenpeace activists staged the plight of a dying farmer in front of the Government House to symbolize the dangers posed by genetically modified organisms and to warn the military-installed cabinet that lifting the ban on open field trials of GMOs can trigger a deadly blow to Thai agriculture and environment. ?Thais will face this type of threats if GMOs are released in the open as they will irreversibly contaminate our crops and the environment, endangering human health and livelihoods of farmers,? said Natwipha Ewasakul Genetic Engineering Campaigner of Greenpeace Southeast Asia.
19.12.2007
Agrobiotech companies invest in Asia
DuPont and Beijing Weiming Kaituo Agriculture Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (BWK) today announced the formation of a joint venture to accelerate the discovery of genes for high value agronomic traits such as stress tolerance and efficient nutrient utilization to improve the performance of important crops for farmers in China and throughout the world. For DuPont, this marks another step toward the globalization of its R&D capabilities to accelerate new product launches and drive business growth for its worldwide seed business, Pioneer Hi-Bred.
19.12.2007
EU decision on triple-stacked GE corn crucial for Monsanto?s business
The European Commission proposed that the European Council of Ministers authorize imports of three types of Monsanto?s genetically modified corn. If the council fails to approve the products within three months, they still may be approved by the commission, [Monsanto] spokesman Lee Quarles said. [...] ?Our success rests squarely on the shoulders of triple-stack penetration,? Monsanto Chief Executive Hugh Grant said on an Oct. 10 call with analysts.
18.12.2007
Canadian Supreme Court stops class action suit against Monsanto over canola contamination
A six-year battle by a group of Saskatchewan organic farmers to sue a pair of powerful ag-biotech companies has been snuffed out by the Supreme Court of Canada. The farmers, Larry Hoffman and Dale Beaudoin, launched their case against Monsanto Canada and Bayer Crop Science in January 2002. [...] They sought compensation for losing canola as a crop due to genetic contamination and attempted to stop the production of genetically engineered wheat for the same reason.
- The Leader-Post (Regina), Canada (14.12.2007): Supreme Court won?t hear Monsanto case
- The Canadian Press, Canada (14.12.2007): SCOC ruling means end of the road for farmers trying to sue Monsanto over canola
- Monsanto Canada, Canada (13.12.2007): Supreme Court of Canada denies Leave to Appeal in Saskatchewan organic case
- Saskatchewan Organic Directorate, Organic Agriculture Protection Fund, Canada (14.12.2007): Supreme Court of Canada decided against class action suit by organic farmers
18.12.2007
Bayer CropScience develops ?not classical GM? crops to ease public opposition
When is a genetically modified plant not genetically modified? When its genes are being suppressed rather than spliced, claim researchers from Bayer CropScience. The German firm has developed a way of engineering plants to withstand tougher conditions that could get round the ethical concerns posed by genetically modified plants.
18.12.2007
Are validated standard methods needed for GE crop risk assessments?
EcoStrat used two different measurement methods in this latest study, and recorded different Bt values depending on which method was used. [...] Differences in extraction methods and comparative protein detection standards, for example, can cause variations in results which overlap the natural variations in plant Bt toxin levels. Experts like Johannes Jehle are familiar with this problem, but they do not regard it as a safety risk.
