Save our Seeds

German brewery was involved in ‘beer monopolies’

Recent patent research by No Patents on Seeds! shows that the European Patent Office (EPO) is about to grant Carlsberg (EP1727905) another patent on beer and barley. Currently, an increasing number of patent applications are being filed for conventionally-bred barley and the beer brewed thereof. Besides Carlsberg, CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation), based in Australia, is especially active in this area. The largest German brewery, Radeberger, is also among the stakeholders who showed interest in using patented barley.

New report from CBAN (Canada) and Testbiotech (Germany)

In the European Union and Canada, there are ongoing debates about deregulating organisms derived from methods of new genetic engineering (New GE, also called genome editing or new genomic techniques). Proposals to exempt genome editing from government regulation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) largely rest on assumptions about similarities between genome editing and conventional plant breeding that are not supported by scientific findings. These assumptions have led to the impression that there are no new and specific risks caused by New GE as compared to conventional breeding.

Save Our Seeds Programme is a series of training meetings for young activists, educators, artists, local and national leaders of formal organizations and informal movements, experienced campaigners, agroecological farmers, breeders, scientists, philosophers and seed savers.

The programme will be divided into two parts – the public-open part, streamed online for a wider public and a closed part – an online workshop programme for our collective of activists

The collective will consist of:

a) a group of around 20 MENTORS (experienced activists, lecturers, scientists, agroecology and organic farming practitioners, seed savers, educators, philosophers and campaigners) from different EU countries,

b) a group of 20-30 young (16-30 years old) activists, community leaders, artists and campaigners, interested in agroecological issues and taking action.

The young activists interested in joining the collective will undergo an application process. All EU nationals between 16 and 30 years can apply.

Deadline: 30.03.2022

Why conservation organisations across the world need to speak up!

Most people in the EU – including civil society organisations – are opposed to genetically manipulating food crops but unaware that the scope of genetic engineering projects has shifted radically in the past decade. With the advent of CRISPR/Cas genetic engineering has been brought to a new level while the previously used ‘gene guns’ that enabled for example Monsantos pesticide resistant corn have become quite outdated. With CRISPR many more species – and not only domesticated ones – can be genetically modified in much more targeted and profound way.

Genetic engineering in conservation?

For years, environmental groups in numerous countries have warned about the potential escape of genetically engineered animals into the wild. Now it has happened. Researchers in Brazil have published a paper documenting the escape and successful reproduction of genetically engineered (genetically modified or GM) aquarium fish in the wild. The fish, which contains a gene from the jellyfish family to make them fluorescent, has unknown consequences for freshwater systems in Brazil. This is the first documented case of a genetically engineered animal breeding in the wild.

Canada was one of the first countries to approve the sale of Glofish (trademark name) and likewise, a genetically engineered salmon now being grown in Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada. In 2021, the conservation group Nature Canada warned the Canadian Government about Glofish escaping.

Controversial claims amended or deleted

22 February 2022 / Following an opposition filed by Testbiotech, the European Patent Office (EPO) has amended a patent on CRISPR/Cas (EP 3401400) gene scissors. The Nobel Prize laureates, Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier, are named among the inventors in the patent. The claims covering human, animal and plant cells were deleted, and intervention in the human germline explicitly excluded.

Testbiotech filed the opposition because the patent did not exclud human germline interventions or the commercial usage of human embryos, and therefore failed to fulfil legal requirements. A further reason for filing the opposition were patent claims on genetic changes in animals that would have been likely to cause suffering. According to Testbiotech, this final point still needs further clarification after the decision.

A cross-party coalition of MEPs co-signed a letter to the European Commission demanding EU-funded research into the potential risks and analytical detection of genetically engineered organisms, stressing this is needed to create informed policies on the matter.

The letter sent 8 February, emphasises that the EU executive cannot just invest in EU research to advance genetically modified (GM) technology and its applications, but should also “urgently invest in EU research to deepen our knowledge of potential risks, and to enable the detection and traceability of GM products across the food chain”.

A petition calling for a European conference on patents is finding increasing support. The goal is to stop patents on conventionally bred plants and animals. Recent examples of these include patents on barley, bush melons, lettuce and tomatoes. Many of these patents also cover food, including beer. The Free Brewers, which has members in Germany, Austria and Luxembourg, has now started a campaign to support the petition. The European farmers’ umbrella organisation, COPA / COGECA, previously declared its support for the petition.

“From our perspective, these patents are an abuse of patent law that weaken the protection of plant varieties and seriously restrict the freedom to operate of breweries. We, therefore, fear drastic consequences for the whole of our economic sector,” explains Jürgen Keipp, head of The Free Brewers.

Findings relevant for planned marketing of GE laying hens

10 February 2022 / In experiments with zebrafish, researchers have for the first time shown that unintended effects of CRISPR/Cas applications are inherited in subsequent generations. They also found unusual patterns of inheritance. According to the scientists, the findings show that the effects of CRISPR/Cas applications on subsequent generations need to be examined in much greater detail.

Previous experiments with CRISPR/Cas in zebrafish have found large structural changes at off-target sites. This means that the gene scissors can cut genomic regions outside of the target site, and thus cause specific unintended mutations. The experiments are part of basic research. In this context, zebrafish are seen as important model organisms. The researchers assume that unintended genetic changes at off-target sites can be more concerning compared to those at on-target regions, as the effects may go unnoticed.

Dear Commissioner Gabriel,

Brussels, 8 February 2022

We are writing to ask for a dedicated EU research into the potential risks and analytical detection of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) engineered with new genetic engineering technology, such as CRISPR/Cas.

These GMOs fall within the scope of the EU’s existing GMO legislation, which aims to protect public health and the environment from any adverse effects they may cause. At the same time, they bring new challenges for the application of EU GMO legislation:

 GMOs developed with so-called genome-editing technology pose new and different risks from both conventional breeding and GMOs commercialised today.

 Existing GMO surveillance strategies are insufficient to detect the presence of these new GMOs, especially when they do not contain foreign genetic material.