Save our Seeds

A scientific panel set up by the North Atlantik Free Trade Agreement is warning about unpredictable impacts of illegal planting of GM maize in Mexico, which has been imported from the USA.</p><p><a href="archiv/www.saveourseeds.org/downloads/nyt_mexcio_corn_12_03_04.pdf">New York Times</a></p><p><a href="http://www.cec.org/maize/index.cfm?varlan=english">official NAFTA homepage on the Mexican Maize issue</a>

The Danish government has introduced legislation regarding the growing of GMOs and their co-existence with non-GM agriculture. The opposition in the Parliament vowed to fight against it. Below is a report from the USDA on the law project.</p><p><a href="http://www.fas.usda.gov/gainfiles/200403/146105616.pdf">English translation of the proposed Danish Legislation for GM Co-existence</a>

UK ministers say GM crops can - on certain conditions - now be grown commercially in Britain.The Environment Secretary, Margaret Beckett, told Parliament ministers had agreed in principle to the growing of a single variety of GM maize in England.</p><p><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3546347.stm">BBC</a></p><p><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/scotland/3545825.stm">Scottish executive backs GM growing</a></p><p><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/wales/3545447.stm">Wales refuses GM agreement</a>

EU farm ministers will debate dropping a five-year ban on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) at their next meeting April 26-27 by authorising a new biotech sweetcorn variety to be sold in tins on shop shelves. The EU is split over genetically modified products but in the event of deadlock, the European Commission can endorse the proposal.</p><p><a href="http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=4520338">Reuters</a>

Nine organisations representing 8 million members, including the National Trust and the Women's Institute, wrote to Tony Blair yesterday demanding that he postpone the introduction of GM crops. The Scottish executive warned citizens not to plant GMOs.<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1163288,00.html">Guardian Unlimited - The Guardian - Delay GM crops, say groups speaking for 8m members</a><br><a href="http://www.sundayherald.com/40454">Scotland defies Blair and puts block on GM</a>

A key fear driving consumers away from genetically modified foodstuffs is the belief that conventional crops will be bastardised by genes from GM neighbours. A new study released this week does little to relieve these concerns.</p><p><a href="http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/news/news-NG.asp?id=50119">Food Production Daily</a>

Mendocino, North of San Francisco is the United States first GMO free county, voters decided on "Super-Tuesday" by passing a general ban on raising genetically engineered plants in the County. GM-Companies had in vain spent a fortune, to stop such local legislation.</p><p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26874-2004Mar3.html">Washington Post</a></p><p><a href="http://www.madison.com/captimes/opinion/column/nichols/69402.php">Opinion: John Nichols: Vote against gene-altered food historic (captimes.com)</a></p><p><a href="http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/8103136.htm">biotech industry considers lawsuit against Mendocino</a></p><p><a href="http://www.saveourseeds.org/downloads/mendocino-gmo.pdf">The Mendocino Ordinance on GMOs</a>

The Union of Concerned Scientists released a study that found genetically engineered DNA is contaminating traditional seeds of three major U.S. crops. Seed contamination, if left unchecked, could disrupt agricultural trade, unfairly burden the organic industry, and allow hazardous materials into the food supply."The scale of the experiment this country is engaged in - and its potential effect on the environment, the food supply and the purity of traditional seed stocks - demands vigilance on the same scale," writes the New York Times.</p><p><a href="http://www2.ucsusa.org/food_and_environment/biotechnology/seed_index.html">UCS-Report: "Gone to Seed"</a></p><p><a href="http://www.saveourseeds.org/downloads/nyt_seeds_01_03_04.pdf">New York Times: Keeping Seeds Save</a>

87 member States of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, which entered into force in September 2003, have adopted documentation requirements and other procedures for promoting the safety of international trade in living (or genetically) modified organisms (known as LMOs, or GMOs), at the end of their one-week meeting in Malaysia. According the UN the system is now operational. The US expressed its frustration about the strict rules on documentation and labelling adopted. Environmentalists claimed victory.</p><p><a href="http://www.iisd.ca/biodiv/bs-copmop1/">daily reports on the offical UN homepage and final summary</a></p><p><a href="http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=9909&Cr=Health&Cr1=GMOs">UN final press Release</a></p><p><a href="http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=31&art_id=qw1077875102550B236&set_id=1">Reuters: Countries strike deal on stricter GM rules</a></p><p><a href="http://www.news24.com/News24/Technology/News/0,,2-13-1443_1490546,00.html">US snubbed by GM rules - environmentalists claim victor</a></p><p><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-3796058,00.html">Guardian: Europe OKs New Rules for Biotech Labels</a></p><p><a href="http://www.terradaily.com/2004/040226111905.ae0or32k.html">Mexico bans import of some GM maize crops</a></p><p><a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/international_en/press/release?item_id=421953&campaign_id=">Greenpeace press release</a></p><p><a href="http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/global_rules_on_gm_agreed_27022004.html">Friends of the Earth press release</a>

The Spanish government has approved new seed varieties containing Syngentas Bt176 and Monsantos Mon810 GM events under its national seed legislation. Once they have entered the Spanish seed catalogue they will also be included in the common European catalogue of seeds, which can be legally planted in all member states. GMO planting in Spain (the only EU country with commercial GMO planting) is expected to raise above the 32.000 ha planted in 2003.</p><p><a href="http://www.fas.usda.gov/gainfiles/200402/146105532.pdf">USDA report</a>