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Mothers for Natural LawInternational News on Genetic Engineering in AgricultureBiweekly News 00/03/18
Articles have been aggressively shortened. ------------------ The Toronto Star March 17, 2000, Friday, Edition 1 Ontario Farmers Slash their Use of Insecticides by Stuart Laidlaw Farmers have drastically cut their insecticide use over the past 15 years, according to an Ontario government study. They've done it through such age-old techniques as rotating crops and more selective application in their fields. Most of the drop, outlined in the study, came before the introduction of genetically modified crops, which are designed to eliminate the need for insecticides. Over the same period, however, the use of weed killers has increased by more than half, as genetically modified crops tied to them were introduced... Roundup Ready allows a farmer to spray a field with chemicals without worrying about killing his crop, said Fred Wagner, a corn and soybean farmer near Kitchener. ''It leaves nothing else out there except the soybeans." Farmers are using four times the amount of glyphosate they did in 1988, the Ontario study said. Copyright 2000 Toronto Star Newspapers, Ltd. ------------------ March 8, 2000 Genetic engineering does not yield pesticide reduction TORONTO, March 7 /CNW/ via NewsEdge Corporation - Genetically-engineered (GE) crops cannot be depended on to reduce pesticide use, according to a report released today by World Wildlife Fund Canada titled "Do Genetically Engineered Crops Reduce Pesticide Use? The Evidence Says Not Likely." ...recent US data show that GE crops are not producing such reductions. Farmers planting GE crops have often actually increased their use of herbicides and insecticides... Since GE is not performing according to claims and significant risks continue to emerge, including concerns regarding the impact of Bt corn on monarch butterflies, WWF concludes that sure-fire ways of achieving pesticide reduction, including IPM and organic techniques, should be preferentially adopted. WWF's report, "Do Genetically Engineered Crops Reduce Pesticide Use? The Evidence Says Not Likely," is available in the news room of WWF Canada's web site at www.wwf.ca or by calling WWF at 1-800-26-PANDA. For further information: Julia Langer, Director of Wildlife Toxicology, WWF Canada, at (416) 489-4567 ext. 258 or Gregory Hamara, Media Relations Manager, WWF Canada, at (416) 489-4567 ext. 276 ------------------ GE Soy Contaminates Organic Food Dutch food safety expert Dr Harry Kuiper told the [OECD] conference: "We have carried out tests in our laboratories on organic food and found traces of GM soya. It is everywhere." The Herald, Mar 01, 2000 in "Blair's adviser backs creation of global GM watchdog" ------------------ April 1 is a National Day of Action on Genetic Engineering (Canada) On April 1 a global 10 days of action on genetic engineering also begins. The global campaign is called: "Resistance is Fertile - We're not fooled by GE Foods". See www.resistanceisfertile.com If you would like to get involved in your area, contact the Council of Canadians at (613-233-2773) or 1-800-387-7177 or e-mail us: inquiries@canadians.org ------------------ http://www.biodev.org Biodevastation 2000 - Boston, March 24-26 Fourth International Grassroots Gathering on GE Resistance and Solutions to the Corporate Monopoly on Power, Food, and Life Contact NERAGE, Institute for Social Ecology, 1118 Maple Hill Rd, Plainfield, VT 05667 or call 802 454 9957 ------------------ The following resolution was passed unanimously by the Boston City Council on March 2, 2000. City of Boston, in City Council March 1, 2000 Resolution of Councillor Maura Hennigan WHEREAS: Genetically engineered foods have never been proven safe, nor are genetically engineered foods tested by any federal agency as the Food and Drug Administration requires only that the companies engineering these foods taste, on the "honor system" that the foods are safe with no further testing required; and WHEREAS: Cornell University researcher, John Losey, and other researchers indicated in repeated tests that the larvae from Monarch Butterflies were dying at an alarming rate from toxic pollen generated from the genetically engineered corn near their feeding sites; and WHEREAS: A class action lawsuit has been brought against the Food and Drug Administration by some of the nation's most prominent anti-trust lawyers for rushing these novel, unpredictable and untested food technology products to the market; and WHEREAS: Numerous bioengineers and related distinguished scientists have gone on record stating this technology clearly is different from traditional breeding methods and is highly probable to exhibit a host of undesirable health and environmental risk factors as well as great potential for negative cascade effects in the genetic cross-pollination of beneficial plants, insects and other fragile ecosystems directly linked to the breeding of this novel experimental food production technology; Now, Therefore Be It RESOLVED: That the Boston City Council, in meeting assembled, urges the Federal Government to require labeling of genetically manipulated foods and further urges a moratorium on the production of any more of these foods until acceptable testing systems are in place; and Be It Further RESOLVED: That March 26, 2000 be declared YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT DAY in the City of Boston. ------------------ PLANETNEWS broadcast Minnesota has made history! The first state in the U.S. to introduce a bill calling for a 5 year moratorium on planting GE crops. The Organic Consumers Association is a national consumer advocacy group based in Minnesota. We have over 25,000 subscribers to our newsletters, 1700 stores, co-ops, and CSAs working with us throughout the country and receive over 250,000 monthly hits on our web site. We are calling on all Minnesota Legislators to support holding a hearing on the important issue of genetic engineering and the bills that have been introduced in the MN Legislature that relate to: calling for a 5 year moratorium on all GE crops from being planted; requiring mandatory labeling of all GE foods sold in Minnesota; and insuring that liability for genetic drift/pollution be born by the companies that manufactured the technology, not the farmers. There are over 250 certified organic farmers in Minnesota whose livelihood depends on preserving the integrity of their crops. There are documented cases of genetic drift - where pollen from GE corn has traveled up to 5 miles away and polluted an organic corn crop. This is not acceptable!! Just like the FDA was remiss in allowing DDT to be used for so many years because they didn't do adequate testing to insure it wasn't harmful to the environment, GE/GMO's have also not had adequate testing done. Organic consumers, please contact your MN legislators immediately and
ask them to support these bills and hold hearings on these important
issues. For more information on these please check our website at
------------------ The Associated Press March 9, 2000 Legislators Seek Halt of Genetically Altered Crops ALBANY, N.Y. -- Saying there is little knowledge about the long-term health effects of genetically engineered food, organic farmers and environmentalists, according to this story, asked Wednesday for a moratorium on planting biotech crops in New York State. Audrey Thier, project director at Environmental Advocates, an Albany-based lobbying group, was quoted as saying, "We need to call a time out -- time to put the public interest first, where it belongs, and check our headlong rush into a brave new world that we do not yet understand." The story notes there are at least 35 varieties of genetically engineered foods registered federally with the Food and Drug Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Agriculture. The legislation would put a five-year moratorium on planting or growing genetically modified crops in New York State. It was introduced Tuesday in the Assembly by Democrat John McEneny of Albany and is scheduled to be introduced in the Senate by Republican Kenneth LaValle of Long Island, advocates were cited as saying. ------------------ Have FDA Test U.S. Bio-Foods for Safety, Bill Asks WASHINGTON, March 9 (Reuters) - All foods made with genetically engineered crops would be subject to a safety review by the Food and Drug Administration, under a U.S. House bill announced on Thursday. The bill would also levy a "user fee" on firms asking approval for the foods to pay for the tests. Foods likely to cause allergic reactions would be banned from sale. Lead sponsor Dennis Kucinich, Ohio Democrat, said the bill was a companion to legislation to require labels on food packages to alert consumers of bioengineered ingredients. Although manufacturers and regulators say genetically engineered foods are safe, opponents say there has not been enough arms-length study of long-term effects and any unintended problems with the foods. "I think it's safe to say in a year's time or less we will have a bill (passed) to address these concerns," Kucinich said at a news conference. "Consumer awareness keeps growing. The outer marker (for passage) is the next election cycle." Kucinich had five co-sponsors for the testing bill as well as the support of two consumer groups, Consumers Union and the Center for Science in the Public Interest, and the Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods. Major points of the bill were: -- All genetically engineered foods on the market undergo tests within two years. New foods would be tested before sale. Kucinich estimated tests could take less than a year. -- FDA to examine foods for allergenicity, unintended effects, toxicity, functional characteristics and nutrient levels. Foods likely to be "commonly or severely allergenic" would be barred from sale. -- Environmental impact studies could be invoked on genetically engineered foods. -- Use of antibiotic resistance markers in developing biofoods would be phased out by June 2004 unless the markers are removed prior to commercialization. -- User fees could be collected to pay for FDA regulatory work including testing, long-term research and independent testing. Copyright 1999 Reuters Limited. Editor's Note: For more details, search the Library of Congress
website for bill number H.R.3883:
------------------ Excerpts from Revised USDA Organic Proposal WASHINGTON, March 7 (Reuters) - The following are excerpts from the
U.S. Agriculture Department's revised proposal for national
guidelines to govern the U.S. organic industry. The proposal, which
was released on Tuesday, will be subject to a 90-day public comment
period. The full proposal can be found on the USDA's web site,
------------------ South China Morning Post March 16, 2000 One in Five Products in Consumer Council Survey Contain Genetically Altered Crops - High Level of Modified Food on Sale By Alex Lo A call for speedier labelling of genetically modified food was made by the Consumer Council yesterday. The appeal came as the council released a survey that found one in five supermarket products studied contained genetically modified ingredients. In a survey of 105 food products likely to use the most commonly modified crops such as soya beans, corn and tomatoes, 21 were found to have genetically modified contents. The nine products with the most genetically altered ingredients had from three to 50 per cent, including three baby formulas. Abbott Laboratory's Isomil Soy Protein Infant Formula had the top reading, 50 per cent, followed by Campbell's Golden Corn soup and Nissin Demae Ramen Instant Noodle, at 30 per cent each. The percentage refers to the proportion of - for example - modified soya bean to total soya content in any given food product. Copyright 2000 South China Morning Post Ltd. ------------------ Bangkok Post March 15, 2000 Threat of Mass Rally Against GM Testing: Farmer Groups Say Scrap Tests Right Now A network of 35 farmer groups and non-governmental organisations has threatened to stage a mass rally unless concerned agencies respond positively to their call for a halt to the testing of genetically modified plants. The network issued the threat in a statement submitted to the Agriculture and Co-operatives Ministry, seeking to know the result of an investigation into the reported spread of genetically modified cotton, or Bt cotton, from trial fields to open farms. It also wanted the ministry to clarify reports that the Agriculture Department had sent seeds of jasmine rice and other crops to be genetically modified in the United States in 1997, and then planted them in field trial. It wanted a halt to the trial. Veeraphol Sopha, an adviser to the Forum of the Poor, submitted the demand to Somsak Singholka, deputy permanent secretary for agriculture. Mr Somsak maintained the ministry had stopped the testing of GM jasmine rice since 1998 and had no plans to continue it. The testing was initiated because the government wished to solve the problem of diseases with rice crops and genetic modification was one option, he said. In its statement, the farmers' network said the ministry had allowed the import of genetically modified seeds to be tested in the country since 1995. All Bt plants had to be burnt for biosafety reasons after the experiment ended. However, it was found that Bt cotton had been planted on some farms. The network demanded the ministry immediately stop testing GM seeds until there were water-tight biosafety measures. Copyright 2000 FT Asia Intelligence Wire All Rights Reserved
------------------ In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is compiled for educational use only. |
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