Save our Seeds

The nomination of Ann Veneman, former US Secretary of Agriculture and before director of Monsantos GM-company Calgene, as new Director of the UN childrens help organisation UNICEF, has triggered international protests.</p><p><a href="http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=11964">People`s Health Movement: Defend UNICEF`s Mission to Defend Children!</a>

Greenpeace International has published a new report about "Golden Rice", one of the most prominent GMOs, which has promised to fight Vitamin A deficiency world wide but has not materialised since five years.</p><p><a href="archiv/www.greenpeace.org/goldenrice">Greenpeace: Not all that glitters is gold: the false hope of "Golden Rice</a>

Europe looks on course for another clash with its top trading partners over genetically modified (GMO) foods as negotiations get under way for the gradual enforcement of a treaty to control global GMO trade.</p><p><a href="http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/29926/story.htm">Reuters via Planet Ark</a>

Bulgaria, seeking to access the European Union in 2007, bans the use of GMOs not appproved within the EU.</p><p><a href="http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/29894/story.htm">Planet Ark : Bulgaria to Ban Some GMO`s, Harmonise with EU</a>

At the council of environment ministers Hungary, Germany, Sweden, Cyprus, Italy, Denmark, Belgium, Greece, Poland, Luxembourg, Malta, Slovenia and Slovakia supported Austrian criticism of the EU Commissions policy on Monsantos Bt-maize Mon810, the only GMO presently allowed for cultivation in the EU. Austria and Hungary have banned Mon810 nationally against the 1998 EU approval. Poland also banned all 17 Mon810 varieties recently aproved by the Commission in the Common seed catalogue. Austria argues that no monitoring plan is in place and, as the old approval did not follow the new rules on GMOs, it had to be re-assessed in 2006 anyway. In the light of new scientific arguments against the safety of the plant, the 13 member states suggest to withold releases in 2005.</p><p><a href="http://www.saveourseeds.org/downloads/at_council_Mon810_march05.pdf">Austrian submission to the Council on Mon 810</a></p><p><a href="http://eu.greenpeace.org/downloads/gmo/PRonBroadSupportForAustrianGMOConcerns.pdf">Greenpeace press release</a>

Legal history was made on March 8th, 2005 in Munich, Germany when the Technical Board of Appeals of the European Patent Office (EPO) revoked in its entirety a patent on a fungicide made from seeds of the Neem tree, concluding a ten-year battle in the world`s first legal challenge to a biopiracy patent. The victory goes to three intrepid women from Texas, India and Norway: Linda Bullard, Vandana Shiva and Magda Aelvoet.</p><p><a href="http://www.saveourseeds.org/downloads/neem_pr_08_03_05.pdf">press release of IFOAM, the Greens and the Research Foundation for Science</a></p><p><a href="http://www.saveourseeds.org/downloads/neem_briefing_08_03_05.pdf">press release of IFOAM, the Greens and the Research Foundation for Science</a></p><p><a href="http://www.saveourseeds.org/img/neem_victory_ladies.jpg">picture of the victorious ladies</a>

Despite the positive safety assessments of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the EU scientific panel on GMOs has put off a decision on the importing and processing of 1507 maize, including animal feed use, in the EU.</p><p><a href="http://www.euractiv.com/Article?tcmuri=tcm:29-136505-16&type=News">Euractiv: Member states block vote on biotech maize variety</a></p><p><a href="http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/29835/story.htm">Reuters: EU Agency All-Clear is First Step to Growing GMO</a></p><p><a href="http://www.efsa.eu.int/science/gmo/gmo_opinions/826_en.html">EFSA opinion on Bt 1507 for consumption</a></p><p><a href="http://www.foodnavigator.com/news/news-ng.asp?n=58612-europe-delays-vote">Foodnavigator: Europe delays vote on GM sweetcorn, again</a>

The Indian government`s Genetic Engineering Approval Committee permitted six varieties of BT cotton seeds, based on technology from seed giant Monsanto for the northern states of Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan. The GMO cotton, killing insects as the cotton bollworm, has been planted on half a million hectares in six southern and central states. In some of these areas the Monsanto-Mahyco seeds failed miserably and farmers call for compensation. The re-approval of these varieties, needed in June, has therefor been deferred by the committee.</p><p><a href="http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/business/technology/11053911.htm">India expands bt-Cotton planting</a></p><p><a href="http://www.financialexpress.com/print.php?content_id=84394">Financial Express: Six new hybrids of Bt cotton approved, decision on earlier three varieties deferred</a></p><p><a href="http://www.reuters.co.in/locales/c_newsArticle.jsp;:42295ce6:5c24ae4f5d87c743?type=topNews&localeKey=en_IN&storyID=7815149">Reuters</a></p><p><a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/india_en/news/details?item_id=771071">Greenpeace India: Report and background</a></p><p><a href="http://www.grain.org/research_files/Story_of_Bt_Cotton.pdf">GRAIN: The story of Bt-Cottonin Andhra Pradesh</a>

Paraguayan farmers agreed to pay royalties of about US$ 2,82 per bag/hectar to Monsanto for its genetically modified Roundup Ready soybean seeds in the 2004/05 crop year. Paraguay is the world`s fourth-largest soy exporter behind the United States, Brazil and Argentina. Around 60% of its 2 mio ha soybeans are believed to be Roundup Ready.<br /><a href="http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2005/02/28/daily52.html?jst=b_ln_hl">Reuters: Farmers in Paraguay to pay Monsanto seed royalties</a></p><p><a href="http://www.grain.org/research/contamination.cfm?id=210">GRAIN: Monsanto looks for more royalties in Paraguay and Brazil</a>

Hungarian seed producers warned farmers about a suspected illegal inflow of genetically modified (GMO) maize seed from Romania and called for government measures to stem it.</p><p><a href="http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/29804/story.htm"> Reuters: Hungary Producers Warn of Illegal GMO Maize Influx</a>