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he site www.context.co.nz, hosted by PlaNet, has made a good initiative for those who will not be doing more substantial submissions to the GE Inquiry - fill out an online one and submit it directly. Worth passing on to those who might want to do submissions but don't have much time. Context.co.nz have posted an online form for the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification public submissions. "I think New Zealanders should be given every opportunity to participate to the full in our democracy." said Phil Doherty, editor of context.co.nz the participatory democracy advocate website. "My enquiries to the commission, asking for them to post an online form have drawn a blank. The form that they do provide, requires a double doctorate in rocket science and constitutional law to fill out." said Doherty. Last month context.co.nz provided a direct email form to ERMA on an submission round for the field trialing of GE trees. Our form accounted for over 92% of the 735 submissions received. "I say democracy should be much easier, and the issues raised by biotechnology are too important to be left to the likes of Genesis and Monsanto with their legions of lawyers, to decide ." " I want as many people as possible to have their say." GE Week - 9-16 Oct 2000 Aventis unable to assure Royal Commission of genetic purity Auckland, 16 October 2000 - Today, the opening day of the Formal hearings for the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Genetic Modification, panelists heard that once Genetically engineered crops were introduced there was no assurance of genetic purity for conventional crops. Aventis Global Product Safety Manager Robert McDonald was unable to give any assurance to the Commission or environmental and organic groups, that conventional and organic crops would be 100 percent free of contaminated material, if genetically engineered crops were introduced into the environment. When cross-examined by Greenpeace lawyer Duncan Currie, Mr McDonald acknowledged that genetically engineered material is spread by bees, wind, animals and people spreading seeds. Aventis' witnesses also acknowledged that genetic contamination of crops has already occured in Canada and the UK. "New Zealanders will not accept that their crops cannot be guaranteed free of genetic contamination", said Greenpeace spokesperson Annette Cotter. "One of the largest Agrichemical companies in the world has today admitted that Genetically Engineered material cannot be contained." Representatives of many groups were present at the hearing today, including the Organics industry, the Green Party, Nelson GE Free and Greenpeace. For more information contact: Annette Cotter, GE campaigner 025-648-8636 Gene scientists disable plants' immune system. Antony Barnett, Public affairs editor UK Observer Scientists working for Swiss food giant Novartis have developed and patented a method for 'switching off' the immune systems of plants, to the outrage of environmentalists and Third World charities who believe the new technology to be the most dangerous use so far of gene modification. Patents filed by Novartis, manufacturers of Ovaltine, reveal that its scientists expect to be able to use the radical biotechnology for almost every crop on Earth. Novartis claims that the new use of genetic modification will give farmers greater control over disease and boost production. But critics insist that it will make Third World farmers dependent on buying the company's chemicals each year to produce healthy harvests. A spokeswoman for Novartis said: 'We are trying to help farmers, not hinder them. We are looking at ways to improve the way plants fight disease.' She agreed that the company had discovered a way of genetically modifying crops so that their immune systems were disabled, but stressed that this was for 'research purposes' only. The process involves transferring a single DNA molecule, described by the firm as the 'NIM gene', to the plant. This gene then reacts with the plant's immune system, allowing it to be switched on selectively by the use of chemicals when disease threatens. But the patent also describes plants where the entire immune system has been switched off, making them highly prone to disease. Environmentalists fear the new technology could have a disastrous ecological impact if crops with their immune systems suppressed are allowed to cross-pollinate with surrounding plant life. The use of GM technology, which uses chemicals to activate genetic traits, was specifically condemned by the UN earlier this year. It recommended that the technology should not be field-tested and called for a moratorium on its development until the impact had been fully assessed. The patent documents seen by The Observer suggest that Novartis intends to use the new GM technology on 'barley, cucumber, tobacco, rice, chilli, wheat, banana and tomato'. The company cites an extensive list of more than 80 crops, including several cereals, dozens of fruit such as apples, pears and strawberries, vegetables like beans and lentils, and cash crops like cotton and tea. Alex Wijeratna of Action Aid, a development charity that works with farmers in developing countries, said: 'We find it extremely frightening that such a powerful multi-national is working on this type of technology, which seems aimed at protecting their profits by threatening the rights of poor farmers.' Dr Sue Mayer, director of Gene Watch, said: 'These companies should halt development of these potentially dangerous products until there has been a proper assessment of whether they are good for agriculture.' On Wednesday, the shareholders of Novartis and biotechnology giant Astra Zeneca will vote on whether to merge and create the world's largest GM company.
Modified beet seed dropped after trial mistake A German biotech company has unwittingly produced a genetically modified beet that is resistant to two of the most used herbicides. KWS Saat, acting as a subcontractor for Aventis Crop Sciences, the Franco-German group, produced the beet seed in specially controlled greenhouses. The intention was to make the beet resistant to "Liberty", a widely used herbicide. But cross-pollination from another trial rendered the beet resistant to "Roundup", another leading herbicide. The unchecked spread of herbicide-resistant plants could develop into a serious problem. The resistant gene could cross over to other members of a plant family, in this case the wild beet. Were this to happen, additional or new herbicides would have to be used to kill the newly resistant plant. The advantage of genetically modified plants, namely that only one herbicide is needed to keep them free of weeds, would disappear. The mistake was discovered when the beet in question was tested in 39 German trials and a further nine across Europe including the UK, France and the Netherlands. KWS and Aventis have confirmed the incident to the Financial Times Deutschland. There were no adverse consequences for farmers or consumers, the companies said, since the beet was intended for research purposes only. Georg Foltmann of KWS said: "All of the affected seed was withdrawn and cannot be distributed for planting any longer."
Demand for Non-GM and Organic Soy Growing Editors, Progressive Farmer -- Friday, October 06, 2000 The U.S. has become the supplier of last resort for corn and soybeans thanks to the controversy over genetically modified (GM) crops, according to Jim Skiff, president of USSoy in Mattoon, Illinois. USSoy is a supplier of third-party-verified, identity preserved food grade, non-GM or organic soybeans and processed food-grade, non-GM or organic soy grits, flour, and meal, as well as soy oil, textured and roasted soy products that have been mechanically, not chemically, pressed or extruded. He also sells similarly processed flax oil and meal. Skiff notes that his European and Asian customers, who are primarily food processors, have recently indicated that the retail customers "want to know the country of origin and often refuse to buy U.S.-origin non-GM or organic products. They are now buying from Canada and Brazil and getting what they want at a cheaper price than I am willing to sell them," says Skiff. "It looks like the U.S. policy on GMs has helped build a pretty good market for these other countries, which are willing to produce exactly what the customers want." While U.S. producers may feel that the GM controversy in Europe has died down, Skiff says "the Europeans have moved on, and we are getting ready for a second wave," he says. "The legislation regarding GM tolerances for food is in place. Right now the EU is debating how much GM crop should be allowed in animal feed." In fact, Skiff said he recently had a call from a "fairly large" northern European feed company trying to line up substantial supplies of non-GM and organic soy to be formulated into animal rations. The primary growth area in U.S. commodities is in organic production, Skiff says. In the U.S. this market is growing at the rate of 20% a year; in Japan 25%; and in Europe by 28 to 30%, he notes. In fact, the market is becoming so particular that the hexane-extracted soy isolates currently used to add protein to many beverages are now being rejected in favor of mechanically produced isolates. "Even if it's grown and certified as organic, once a soybean is exposed to hexane, a synthetic chemical, it's no longer considered organic," Skiff explains. This organic niche offers "tremendous value-added potential" for U.S. farmers who are willing to undergo the three-year transition to intensive management practices, which involve weaning from chemicals and a shift to a three- to five-crop rotation. Skiff currently is paying from $13 to $17 a bushel for organic soybeans. All of his production is contracted and is subject to third-party verification from seed production and storage through planting, growing, harvest, transfer, storage and processing. "We maintain a paper trail of signed affidavits so that a buyer can literally visit the field and the farmer who grew his order," he says. . . .
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