Save our Seeds

Key United Nations negotiations on the safe trade of genetically modified crops and foods ended today in acrimony. Despite over 100 countries demanding comprehensive controls to limit GM contamination, the move was blocked by just two countries that sided with the GMO industry - New Zealand and Brazil.</p><p><a href="http://www.prdirect.ca/en/view_release.aspx?TrafficID=2934">Greenpeace and FOE press release</a></p><p><a href="http://www.iisd.ca/biodiv/bs-copmop2/">Ful coverage and pictures of the biosafety protocol meeting</a>

European Union food safety experts clashed over authorizing the genetically modified maize, Pioneer Hi-Bred 1507. The experts, representing the EU`s 25 member states, could not reach a majority under the bloc`s weighted voting system to approve or reject the application for approval.</p><p><a href="http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=scienceNews&storyID=8690383">Reuters: EU deadlocked over latest GMO maize approval</a>

Japan is to start testing all U.S. corn imports after a consignment shipped from the United States was found to be tainted with unapproved genetically modified Bt-10 corn.</p><p><a href="http://www.checkbiotech.org/root/index.cfm?fuseaction=newsletter&topic_id=2&subtopic_id=9&doc_id=10467">checkbiotech.org: Japan finds US biotech corn, now to test all imports</a></p><p><a href="http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=8669553">Reuters: Japan to test all US corn after Bt10 find-official</a>

A United States consignment of genetically modified corn gluten feed tainted with an illegal strain of Bt10 has been impounded upon arrival at an Irish port, the European Commission said on Wednesday.</p><p><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=789912">Reuters: Tainted biotech maize impounded at Irish port</a></p><p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/25/AR2005052500515.html">Washington Post: EU: Ireland Intercepts U.S. Biotech Corn</a></p><p><a href="http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/05/608&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en">EU press release</a></p><p><a href="http://www.gmfreeireland.org/press/GMFI20.pdf">GM Free Ireland press release (pdf)</a>

The Independent on Sunday revealed details of a rat feeding study Monsanto carried out with its GM maize Mon863, which give raise to concerns about its safety. The company so far refused to publish the study. The European Food safety agency FSA asked Monsanto to provide all its research results amid health risk concerns. Monsanto denied any problems.</p><p><a href="http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/story.jsp?story=640430">Independent: Revealed: health fears over secret study into GM food</a></p><p><a href="http://www.forbes.com/business/feeds/afx/2005/05/24/afx2049419.html">Forbes: Monsanto denies rat research reports on GM corn</a></p><p><a href="http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=businessNews&storyID=8576993">Reuters: Monsanto defends results of rat studies</a>

Hungarian Academy of Sciences professor warns, in contrast to EFSA opinion, of impacts on biodiversity and industry pressure. Professor Darvas`s research on behalf of the Hungarian government into the effects of Monsantos insect-resistant maize led Hungary in January 2005 to impose a national ban on the crop, which is authorised for growing in the EU.</p><p><a href="http://www.saveourseeds.org/downloads/gp_pr_240505.pdf">Greenpeace: Scientist backs Greenpeace concerns on GM crops</a>

China, one of the biggest importers of genetically modified crops, has ratified the International Biosafety Protocol on transboundary movements of GMOs, days before members of the Protocol will meet in Montreal for presumably contentious debates about labelling and traceability, liability and sanctions on non-member states such as the US and Canada.<p><a href="http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-05/19/content_444122.htm">Chinadaily: biosafety standard adopted</a></p><p><a href="http://www.foodnavigator.com/news/news-ng.asp?n=60140-gmo-issues-step">Food Navigator: GMO issues step up in China</a></p><p><a href="http://www.nutraingredients.com/news/news-ng.asp?n=60154-special-report-global">Nutraingredients: Biotech battle heats up in Montreal</a>

The EU food safety agency`s scientific panel on GMO has published an opinion that "considers that Bt11 maize will not havean adverse effect on human and animal health or the environment in the context of its proposeduse." The GM maize variety of Syngenta has recently triggered a scandal over planting and export of an illegal variety "Bt10", which had been mistaken for Bt 11 for 4 years. Green groups called the opinion "another rubber stamp of a highly biast group of GM scientists".</p><p><a href="http://www.efsa.eu.int/science/gmo/gmo_opinions/922_en.html">E F S A: Opinion of the GMO Panel on use of Bt11 for cultivation, feed and industrial processing</a>

Dr. Tewolde Berhan Gebre Egziabher, chief scientist of Ethiopia and one of the "founders" of the international Biosafety Protocol has been denied a visa to attend the Protocols next round of negotiations end of May in Montreal.</p><p><a href="http://www.ipsnews.net/new_nota.asp?idnews=28747 ">IPS Newswire</a></p><p><a href="http://www.etcgroup.org/article.asp?newsid=504">ETC Group: Canada Denies Visa for Africa`s Top Biosafety Negotiator -Montreal`s status as UN`s biodiversity headquarters is jeopardized</a>

The EU member states standing committee on the food chain could not agree with a qualified majority to approve Monsanto`s rootworm resistant maize Mon 863 for food and feed use. A decision about Pioneers GM maize 1507 was taken off the agenda on Thursday May 19th.</p><p><a href="http://www.foodnavigator.com/news/news-ng.asp?n=60119-gm-sweetcorn-from">Foodnavigator: GM sweetcorn from Monsanto rejected by EU states, again</a></p><p><a href="http://www.saveourseeds.org/downloads/gp_19_05_05.pdf">Greenpeace press release</a></p><p><a href="http://www.saveourseeds.org/downloads/FOE_1507_maize_comments.pdf">Friends of the Earth comments on GM maize 1507</a></p><p><a href="http://www.saveourseeds.org/dossier/fact_sheet_mon_863.htm">SOS fact sheet on Mon 863</a>