Posted on 4-11-2003

GM onion details kept secret
By Monique Devereux, NZ Herald, 04.11.2003

The commercial benefits of a field trial of genetically modified onions
and the name of the secret partner involved have been kept under wraps at
a Government hearing. Crop & Food Research has applied to the
Environmental Risk Management Authority (Erma) to begin field trials of
the onions which it wants to run over 10 years at a secret location near
Lincoln.

It wants to assess the impact of the onions, which have been designed to
be resistant to Roundup, and says the outdoor trial is required to test
their effects in a normal environment. Field trials like the Crop & Food's
project were not covered by the moratorium lifted last week and have been
allowed to continue. The scientists involved in the project say the risk
of GM contamination to other plants is extremely minimal and the benefits
of such a crop would outweigh any risk. They believe an engineered onion
crop would require 70 per cent less herbicide treatment. At the first day
of a three-day hearing in Christchurch yesterday, one scientist involved
told the Erma panel he "could not imagine a simpler application for you to
consider". The application concerns onions modified for tolerance to
glyphosate, a low-toxicity, biodegradable herbicide. Glyphosate is the
active ingredient in Monsanto's big-selling Roundup herbicide.

But the proposal came under tough scrutiny from the panel, forcing the
scientists to admit that the finer details of the proposal had yet to be
worked out. The leader of the project, Dr Colin Eady, was asked who would
own the intellectual property rights to the seed production should the
field trials go ahead and be successful. Dr Eady said those details had
not been worked out. He was also asked about the possible scenario of the
modified gene spreading into other crops nearby and if that happened who
would own those crops. Dr Eady said he did not know as that had not been
worked out.

Asked what obligation he would have towards other growers if any
"contamination" sparked a significant economic effect, Dr Eady debated the
risk factor of the trial. He said he was confident there would be no
contamination, but was told he was "not asked about risk analysis, but
what if it did happen". Dr Eady conceded he could not answer that question
without further discussion with others at Crop & Food.

The scientist's estimation that the engineered crops would eventually lead
to a 70 per cent reduction in herbicide use was challenged by an Auckland
consultant, Richard Wood, contracted by Erma. He said the reduction would
more likely be 40 to 50 per cent. Erma received more than 1900 submissions
on the proposed trial after it was publicly notified in July. But only a
handful of submitters were invited to speak during the hearing, which left
many anti-GM groups frustrated. GE Free New Zealand president Claire
Bleakley said the timeframe was unfair and the inflexibility of the
hearings being held only in Christchurch meant many people who made
submissions could not personally speak to their concerns. However, she and
a colleague, Susie Lees, were able to ask questions of Crop & Food during
the hearing and put to Dr Eady that the secret collaborator was the US
seed company Seminis. Seminis has already undertaken work on making onions
tolerant to glyphosate but it made headlines by developing a fluorescent
green protein and inserting it in vegetables like onions - essentially
making them glow in the dark.

The Seminis website confirms it does have research partnerships with Crop
& Food Research but does not say what that research looks at. Yesterday's
hearing was also attended by a group of protesters, one of whom scaled the
foyer at the Christchurch Convention Centre and hung a banner saying "No
dodGE onions". He removed the banner and climbed down when police asked
him to. The hearing continues today with more submissions. The application
The Environmental Risk Management Authority will consider an application
to plant onions modified for tolerance to glyphosate, a low-toxicity,
biodegradable herbicide. Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Monsanto's
popular Roundup herbicide More than 1900 people and organisations have
made submissions on the Crop & Food Research plans.