AgJournal   |  Home   |  War of words over biotechnology wears on	February 8, 2010

War of words over biotechnology wears on While the number of acres planted to genetically modified crops continues to increase, bureaucrats and activists continue to wrangle over regulations. More GM cotton to be planted in 2001 Sixty-four percent of all U.S. cotton acres will be planted to genetically modified varieties, up from 61 percent last year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's April crop outlook report. Both herbicide-tolerant and stacked-gene varieties show increases of 2 to 3 percentage points over last year. Bt cotton is expected to account for 13 percent of total area, down from 15 percent last year. Argentina okays Roundup Ready cotton Roundup Ready cotton has received full commercial approval from the government of Argentina. This is the first time Argentina has approved the use of genetically modified seed since July 1998. Mandatory GM crop review endorsed A U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposal for a mandatory review process prior to the marketing of new genetically modified foods will enhance public confidence in the safety and quality of products produced through biotechnology, said representatives of the American Crop Protection Association (ACPA) and American Seed Trade Association (ASTA). Report claims herbicide use up "Roundup Ready soybeans clearly require more herbicides than conventional soybeans, despite claims to the contrary," Dr. Charles M. Benbrook declared in the executive summary of a report issued by the Northwest Science and Environmental Policy Center, Sandpoint, ID. "This conclusion is firmly supported by unbiased field-level comparisons of the total pounds of herbicide active ingredient applied on an average acre of Roundup Ready soybeans in contrast to conventional soybeans." Soybean grower cites environmental gains "While farmer confidence in biotechnology-enhanced soybeans is at an all-time high, as evidenced by the recent USDA planting intentions report, agriculture’s critics won’t admit this confidence is a result of proven gains, both on the farm and in the environment," Tony Anderson, president of the American Soybean Association (ASA) said in rebuttal to the Northwest Science and Environmental Policy Center report by Dr. Charles Benbrook. Biotechnology may be used for good or evil "Genetically modified organisms (GMOs), like all the new technologies, are instruments that can be used for good and for bad in the same way that they can be either managed to the benefit of the most needy or skewed to the advantage of specific groups," Dr. Jacques Diouf, director-general of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organizaton (FAO) said May 3, 2001. Canadian canola controversy continues Although Monsanto won a court victory against farmer Percy Schmeiser, controversy continues over Roundup Ready canola in Canada. Saskatchewan Wheat Pool's (SWP) recall of Quest, a Roundup Ready canola variety, continues while Agricore, a farmer-owned cooperative, has completed its recall operations in Alberta and Saskatchewan. European demand for non-GMO soybean meal soars Growing demand for meat products produced without livestock feed containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) has pushed demand for soybean meal certified as GMO-free to between 20 and 25 percent of the European Union (EU) market. However, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), U.S. soybean sales remain largely unaffected by this situation as European imports of soybeans and soybean meal from Brazil - which currently bans planting of Roundup Ready soybeans - continue to exceed demand for certified non-GMO soybean meal. Farm delegation to talk biotech The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) will field a joint mission to Europe this week to assess the status of the biotechnology debate there, to convey the U.S. corn industry's views about agricultural biotechnology and to develop a biotechnology plan of action for the U.S. feedgrains industry. Mycogen free to pursue lawsuit On May 30, 2001, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled that Mycogen Plant Science, Inc. is entitled to continue a biotechnology-related patent infringement suit against Monsanto Company. The Mycogen patent at issue covers a process for increasing the expression of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) insect resistance traits in crops. Trade team tackles myths Europeans tend to think the United States only sends genetically modified corn overseas and keeps non-biotech corn at home. That was one of the myths a six-member team of representatives from the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and U.S. Grains Council worked to dispell during a six-day mission to Europe, where they discussed trade issues and biotechnology with European Union (EU) officials. GMO labeling may backfire Industry experts speaking at a panel discussion on food biotechnology June 24, 2001, at the International Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Expo in New Orleans shared concerns that labeling food products as "non-GMO" may put food companies and manufacturers at risk for liability. U.N. commission proposes GMO standards The highest United Nations food standards body agreed July 6, 2001, in Geneva, to create global guidelines to ensure the safety of genetically modified food. The 165 member-states of the Codex Alimentarius Commission have also concurred on guidelines for organic livestock production and for such environmental contaminants and food toxins as lead, cadmium and aflatoxin. Courts deal Monsanto two setbacks Federal courts dealt Monsanto two legal setbacks this month, one a defeat in the struggle for intellectual property rights to genetically modified seed. Croatia considers GMO ban Croatia is heading toward a ban on the importation, marketing, use and production of the products of agricultural biotechnology, according to the U.S. Foreign Agricultural Service. Japanese regulators propose 1-percent tolerance On August 20, 2001, a subcommittee within Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (MAFF) approved a draft proposal setting a 1-percent tolerance (rather than zero) for unapproved genetically modified corn hybrids in livestock feed. In addition to this development, considered positive by the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), the outlook for U.S. corn sales to Japan has improved, according to a recent report from the office of the U.S. agricultural attaché in Tokyo. EPA extends registration of Bt cotton Monsanto Company has received renewed registration for its Bollgard (Bt) cotton from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The registration extends the commercial license to sell Bollgard cotton an additional five years, but also continues key stewardship practices, including existing insect resistance management (IRM) plans. European Commission okays GM crops The European Commission has released a report summarizing the results of 81 biosafety research projects that the European Union has supported for more than 15 years. “Research on GM (genetically modified) plants and derived products so far developed and marketed, following usual risk assessment procedures, has not shown any new risks to human health or the environment, beyond the usual uncertainties of conventional plant breeding,” the report states. “Indeed, the use of more precise technology and the greater regulatory scrutiny probably make them even safer than conventional plants and foods. If there are unforeseen environmental effects - none have appeared as yet - these should be rapidly detected by existing monitoring systems." Dow AgroSciences, DeKalb resolve Bt corn dispute Dow AgroSciences LLC and DeKalb Genetics Corporation jointly announced the resolution of a significant patent dispute regarding the use of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) insect-resistance technology in corn. Corn growers follow divergent paths The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved the planting of Bt corn for an additional seven years after a comprehensive scientific review. While the decision was hailed as a victory by the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), the rival American Corn Growers Association (ACGA) continues to urge growers to seek markets for corn that has not been genetically modified. European court upholds biotech patents he European Union's Court of Justice has dismissed an action brought by the Netherlands seeking annulment of a directive on the legal protection of biotechnological inventions. GM acres could reach 125 million The global area planted to transgenic crops is likely to reach 50 million hectares, or 125 million acres, at the end of 2001. Preliminary information from a global survey conducted by Dr. Clive James, chairman of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), indicates that this is more than a 10-percent year-on-year growth compared with 2000. Canadian Parliament votes down labeling bill By a vote of 126 to 91, members of Canada's Parliament October 17, 2001, voted down a bill that would have required mandatory labeling of genetically modified foods. Treaty protects plant diversity After seven years of arduous debate, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) adopted an international treaty on plant genetic resources on 3 November 2001. The treaty was approved with 116 votes in favor, and 2 abstentions - from the United States and Japan. Dow AgroSciences ends biotechnology agreement Dow AgroSciences has notified Demegen Inc. that its agreement to commercialize Demegen technology for disease-resistant crops and protein-enhanced crops will be terminated over the next four to six months as provided for in the agreement. The agreement was originally with Mycogen, Inc. and subsequently applied to Dow AgroSciences through its acquisition of Mycogen. Modified DNA found in wild corn Despite Mexico's three-year-old moratorium on the use of genetically modified corn, scientists have detected bioengineered DNA in native corn, or criollo, from the remote region of Sierra Norte de Oaxaca in Mexico. Testing for one bean in a thousand Neogen Corporation claims that its new test kit can detect as few as one Roundup Ready soybean among 1,000 soybeans, or one Roundup Ready NK603 corn kernel among 800 kernels. Positive samples can usually be read within five minutes on the test's device. No threat to biodiversity in Mexico There is no evidence that the presence of transgenic traits in native Mexican corn poses a threat to biodiversity, says Luis Herrera Estrella, PhD, director of the Center for Research and Advanced Studies of the National Polytechnic Institute (CINVESTAV) at Irapuato, Mexico. Consumers ignore anti-GM activists Despite prolific and vocal campaigning by anti-biotechnology activist groups against national food manufacturers and retailers, research conducted this year by the United Soybean Board (USB) demonstrates that a surprisingly low number of U.S. consumers is aware of activism related to biotechnology. Mexican lawmakers want GM corn ban Mexico's Congress unanimously demanded this week that President Vicente Fox ban the importation of genetically modified (GM) corn, and claimed the new corn could affect the genetic integrity of Mexico's crops and threaten the country's food supply. While the planting of transgenic corn has been forbidden in Mexico for three years now, it is still being imported from the United States. Roundup Ready in South Africa South African farmers have completed planting of the country's first commercial transgenic food crop, according to Monsanto sources. Roundup Ready soybeans were approved earlier this year by South Africa's Executive Council for Genetically Modified Organisms, the body that reviews the country's applications for approval of biotech products. New laws target activists Almost half of all state legislatures passed bills in 2001 addressing some aspect of agricultural biotechnology, according to new research released today by the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology. A total of 130 pieces of legislation (112 bills and 18 resolutions) were introduced in 36 states, with 22 states passing those bills into law. About 30 percent of the bills focused on protecting genetically modified (GM) crops from willful destruction by radical anti-biotechnology activists. No transgenes found in Mexican landraces The El Batan, Mexico-based International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center ( also known as Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maiz y Trigo or CIMMYT) has completed screening an additional 15 Mexican maize landraces from its maize gene bank and determined that none of them carried the common promoter (cauliflower mosaic virus 35S, abbreviated as CaMv 35S) associated with the presence of a transgene in corn. Public still undecided about GM crops The American public is evenly divided over whether genetically modified food and other agricultural biotechnology products hurt or help the environment when given basic information on risks and benefits, according to a poll released today by the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology. “Initially, people tend to feel slightly more strongly about the risks of the technology, but react more positively when additional information is presented to them," says Michael Rodemeyer, executive director of the Pew Initiative. China's rules add up to zero tolerance China's new labelling regulations for genetically modified food products, set to take effect in March, contain no explicit specification of a tolerance level for modified genetic material. The U.S. Department of Agriculture maintains that the rules will effectively establish a zero-tolerance limit, similar to standards imposed by South Korea and the European Union. Under these rules, even Brazil, where transgenic soybeans are ostensibly banned, will have a hard time exporting its crop to Roundup Ready test certified The EnviroLogix Roundup Ready QuickStix test for soybean grain has been certified by the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) unit of the U.S. Department of Agriculture as meeting performance claims of detecting one Roundup Ready soybean in a sample of 1,000 soybean within five minutes. GIPSA today issued a Certificate of Performance after conducting its own evaluation and reviewing the validation data supplied by EnviroLogix. China compromises on GM rules The Chinese government March 7, 2002, agreed to a proposal to delay the implementation of any new regulatory provisions on genetically modified product imports, if the products have completed the regulatory review process in the exporting country and have initiated the approval process in China. For U.S. corn exporters and producers, this means trade will trade will not be disrupted when China’s new biotechnology regulations go into effect March 20.  Bt corn proves profitable in Philippines On the average, Bt corn yields in the Philippines were higher by 41 percent than non-Bt corn within field trial sites, while Bt corn in farmers' fields average 60 percent higher yields than non-Bt corn. Despite furious controversy over the trials, including legal battles and the destruction of one test plot, 84 percent of Filipino farmers surveyed said they would buy Bt corn once it becomes commercially available. Monsanto submits soybean data for review On March 14, 2002, Monsanto Company submitted regulatory data on Roundup Ready soybeans to the Chinese government to enable continuing trade of these widely grown soybeans. The submission is the first under China's new biotechnology regulations. India okays Bt cotton India's Genetic Engineering Approval Committee has approved commercial production of Bt cotton in the world's third-largest cotton-producing nation. Cotton seed will be available in India for the 2002 growing season, which is scheduled to begin in the second quarter. The insect-protected technology will be marketed by Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company (Mahyco) under Monsanto's Bollgard brand name. Brazil burns Roundup Ready soybeans In Brazil, officials recently destroyed a portion of more than 55 metric tons of genetically modified soybeans. Confiscation of the soybeans led to the arrest of at least 15 farmers in the soybean-producing states of Rio Grande do Sul and Parana, but the government offered pretrial deals to those farmers who cooperated with authorities. Public prosecutor Paulo Mazzotti Girelli has recommended that charges against eight farmers in Rio Grande do Sul be suspended. DuPont, Monsanto trade technology DuPont and Monsanto have agreed to cross-license Roundup Ready corn, soybeans and canola, and corn borer- and corn rootworm-protected corn. All legal issues between the two companies have been resolved. Withered corn may spell food shortages According to initial estimates of the upcoming April/May harvest, southern Africa will experience yet another year of low maize (corn) production and economic hardship, made worse by a vicious dry spell which has swept through the region and withered crops. Coming on the heels of a similarly poor 2000/2001 production year, the effect of this year’s poor harvest could be devastating, according to the United Nations World Food Program (WFP). U.S. farmers plant more GM crops The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates U.S. farmers this spring will plant nearly 90 million acres of genetically modified (GM) soybeans, corn and cotton, up more than 10 percent from 2001. Within the past 10 years, the adoption of GM crops has been rapid, and USDA forecasts 74 percent of soybean acres, 32 percent of corn acres and 71 percent of cotton acres will be planted with biotechnology-derived varieties this year. Study supports larger GM food labels Despite their high level of opposition to genetically modified (GM) foods, most Europeans aren't concerned enough to read ingredient lists on food packaging, according to a study funded by organizations as divergent as Monsanto and Greenpeace. As a result of the study, the researchers are advising European nations to put a large label on the foods indicating they contain genetically modified ingredients in addition to putting the information in the list of ingredients. Biotechnology research must focus on yields "The benefits of agricultural biotechnology to developing countries - one of its main public selling points - will require development of stress-resistant crops and new types of crops adapted to tropical climates," says Lynn Mytelka, director of the Netherlands-based institute. "Such crops are along way from market given the relative slow pace of testing in these areas." Monsanto to release gene markers Monsanto intends to release approximately 200 simple sequence repeat (SSR) genetic markers to accelerate the development of a soybean with improved oils, better yields and more protein. More food allergy research needed The science needed for government regulators to assess allergies in genetically modified (GM) foods could be greatly improved, according to a new report issued from the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology. GMO testing judged worthwhile investment Testing how genetically modified organisms (GMOs) actually interact with wild species in natural setting will cost millions of dollars. But two Purdue University scientists says considering what's at stake, it's a worthwhile investment. GM crops reduce pesticide use A new study released by the National Center for Food and Agricultural Policy (NCFAP) shows that crops enhanced through plant biotechnology have resulted in a significant reduction in the use of pesticides on American farms. According to the study, the eight biotech crop varieties currently grown in the U.S. reduced pesticide use by 46 million pounds in 2001. Syngenta sues other biotech seed firms Syngenta has filed suit against Monsanto, DeKalb Genetics, Pioneer Hi-Bred Internation, Delta and Pine Land Company, Dow AgroSciences and Mycogen Seeds in Federal District Court in Delaware. Specifically, Syngenta asserts that YieldGard and Herculex I insect-resistant corn products and Roundup Ready and Bollgard cotton products fall within the scope of its patent rights. Syngenta is seeking damages and injunctive relief to stop the other companies from selling these products. Zambia refuses genetically modified food aid Zambia, one of six countries in southern Africa where some 13 million people need emergency food aid, continues to refuse offers of genetically modified (GM) food supplies. U.S. remains committed to food aid The United States remains committed to providing about a half a million tons of food aid to southern Africa. But, says U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman, "Our ability to deliver desperately needed food has been greatly hindered by individuals and organizations that are opposed to biotechnology and who are providing misguided statements about the U.S. food system." Malawi will mill all genetically modified corn Malawian Agriculture Minister Aleke Banda the Panafrican News Agency that his country would mill all genetically modified corn aid shipped to it by the United States to prevent any of it being planted as seed. The ministry said it had not milled the 20,000 metric tons of genetically modified corn already received but would do so with the over 53,000 metric tons expected in further U.S. aid. Mugabe reverses stand on GM food Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe has reversed his stand on genetically modified grains and decided to acccept 55,000 metric tons of emergency food aid, James Morris, executive director of the United Nations World Food Program (WFP), told Agence France Presse. Canadian court rejects Schmeiser appeal Canada's Federal Court of Appeal has unanimously dismissed the 17 grounds of appeal submitted for Percy Schmeiser, a farmer who was found guilty of violating Monsanto's patent pertaining to the Roundup Ready gene in canola. Ontario farmers plant more herbicide-tolerant soybeans Thirty percent of Ontario's soybean acreage was planted to herbicide-tolerant seed in 2001, according to a survey of 352 Ontario soybean growers by the George Morris Centre. It's estimated that herbicide-tolerant soybeans will represent 40 to 45 percent of 2002 soybean acreage. NGOs support Zambian decision The government of Zambia has been strongly commended by for its decision to refuse food aid packages containing genetically modified corn by two nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). The Kasisi Agricultural Training Centre (KATC) and the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR) have called the government's stance ?courageous? and urged that it fulfill its pledge to get the necessary relief food to hungry Zambians as quickly as possible. The damaging impact of genetically modifed organisms (GMOs) on sustainable agriculture was cited as the key reason for rejecting offers of GM corn. ProdiGene under investigation The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), in close coordination with the Food and Drug Administration is investigating ProdiGene, Inc., of College Station, TX, for violations of the Plant Protection Act. During a compliance inspection in October 2002, APHIS found potential permit violations by ProdiGene at a site in Nebraska that had been used for small-scale field testing of corn genetically engineered to produce pharmaceutical substances in 2001. Prodigene must pay civil penalty Prodigene Inc. has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $250,000 for allowing soybeans in Nebraska to be contaminated by genetically modified corn. In addition, the College Station, TX, company will reimburse the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for all costs to acquire the approximately 500,000 bushels of soybeans in storag, destroy the beans and clean the facility and all equipment.

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