Save our Seeds

According to Friends of the Earth a peer reviewed paper of US scientists shows that only flawed testing and regulation permitted insecticide-producing GM maize MON810 of Monsanto onto world markets despite evidence that it could cause food allergies. The EU Commission recently allowed 17 Mon810 varieties for planting within the entire EU.</p><p><a href="http://www.foeeurope.org/press/2004/GR_16_Nov_scientific_papers.htm">FOE: GM crop safety tests "flawed", new scientific paper showsEU Approval of Monsanto`s GM Corn Questioned</a>

After massive internal and public controversy the Italian government has passed a bill, which prohibits the planting of GMOs until the end of 2005 and requires that Regional co-existence laws be established by then as a prerequisite to legally grow GMOs in that region. Regions can as well prohibit the growing of GMOs if coexistence is not feasible. 13 of the country`s 20 regions, 27 provinces and nearly 1,500 towns and communities have proclaimed themselves "GMO-free zones" and they will be able to continue doing so.</p><p><a href="http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1539&ncid=1539&e=7&u=/afp/20041111/sc_afp/italy_food_biotech_041111202039">AFP: Italy accepts biotech crops but allows regions to ban them</a></p><p><a href="http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=4620">GMWATCH-Special report: tough coexistence bill passed despite Berlusconi and GM lobby</a></p><p><a href="http://www.greenplanet.net/Articolo6151.html">Greenplanet.net : Il decreto sulgi OGM</a>

Genes introduced to Mexican maize varieties through GM maize imports could persist indefinitely if they are beneficial or neutral to local varieties and their removal "is likely to be very difficult and may in fact be impossible", says a report of NAFTAs environment commission. The CEC`s 16-member panel - which includes a former executive of the Monsanto company and the chair of the American Association for the Advancement of Science - made a series of unanimous recommendations: maize imported to Mexico should be labelled and milled at the point of entry to prevent genes from spreading to native varieties. The genetic modification of maize to produce pharmaceuticals or industrial compounds that are incompatible with food and feed should be prohibited.</p><p><a href="http://www.cec.org/maize/index.cfm?varlan=english">NAFTA: Maize and Biodiversity - The Effects of Transgenic Maize in Mexico (also available in panish and French)</a></p><p><a href="http://www.soyatech.com/bluebook/news/viewarticle.ldml?a=20041111-7">Soyatech: US, Mexico disagree on corn importation</a></p><p><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4008205.stm">BBC: US maize 'threat' to Mexico farms</a>

Among the 100 orders the US-administrator Paul Bremer left behind in Iraq are drastic US style patent and seed control laws, paving the way not only for Haliburton but also for Monsanto & Co.. "The seeds farmers are now allowed to plant - "protected" crop varieties brought into Iraq by transnational corporations in the name of agricultural reconstruction - will be the property of the corporations," GRAIN reveals.</p><p><a href="http://www.grain.org/articles/?id=6">GRAIN: Iraq`s new patent law - a declaration of war against farmers</a></p><p><a href="http://www.iraqcoalition.org/regulations/20040426_CPAORD_81_Patents_Law.pdf">US Iraq Order 81 on patents and breeding rights</a>

The European Commission proposes to EU member states to outlaw national bans in Austria, Germany, France, Greece and Luxembourg on GMOs, which had been approved in the 90ies of last century. The Commission would need the support of a qualified majority of member states in the Standing Committee on GMO releases on November 29th.</p><p><a href="http://www.soyatech.com/bluebook/news/viewarticle.ldml?a=20041110-3">soyatech: EU to press 5 member states</a></p><p><a href="http://www.foeeurope.org/biteback/29nov/agenda.htm">Friends of the Earth full dossier on the vote and the Commissions proposals</a></p><p><a href="http://www.foeeurope.org/press/2004/GR_28_oct_bans.htm">Friends of the Earth press release</a>

The European Food Safety Authority`s (EFSA) Scientific Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms published a statement confirming the safety of MON 863 maize of Monsanto. Statistically significant detrimental effects, which had been observed in rat feeding experiments were dismissed as "within normal biological variation" or "spontaneous" and "incidental".</p><p><a href="http://www.efsa.eu.int/press_room/press_release/669_en.html">EFSA press release</a></p><p><a href="http://www.foodnavigator.com/news/printNewsBis.asp?id=55784">Food navigator: EFSA clears Monsanto corn, again</a>

Protests against the contamination of Mexican maize varieties with US GM maize were taken to a meeting of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, CGIAR, by Mexican farmers in Mexico City.</p><p><a href="http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2004/10/28/mexican_farmers_protest_biotech_corn/">Boston.com / Business / Mexican farmers protest biotech corn</a></p><p><a href="http://www.gmwatch.org/profile1.asp?PrId=295">Critical background information on the CGIAR</a>

The polish ministry for agriculture protested the Commissions inscription of the first 17 GM seed varieties (Mon 810) in the common seed catalogue and considers their national ban as no sufficient co-existence regulations are in place nationally and at EU level to grow such GM varieties. Also the Danish and Greek delegation submitted their protest, supported by Germany, Italy, Austria.</p><p><a href="http://saveourseeds.org/downloads/poland_coexistence_council_18_10_04.pdf">Polish submissionto the Council</a></p><p><a href="http://saveourseeds.org/downloads/greece_coexistence_council_18_10_04.pdf">Greek submissionto the Council</a></p><p><a href="http://saveourseeds.org/downloads/dk_coex_council_18_10_04.pdf">Danish submission to the Council</a>

The European Union has approved the use of Monsantos NK 603 Roundup Ready maize for import (not cultivation) after EU member states had been split about the decision.</p><p><a href="http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6613714">Top News Article Reuters.com</a>

It is claimed repeatedly that GE crop technologies are reducingpesticide use. A comprehensive accounting of the impactsof HT and Bt transgenic varieties on total pesticide use in the USAdemonstrates unequivocally that this was only true in the first three years. From 1996 to 2004GE corn, soybeans and cotton have led to a 122 millionpound increase in pesticide use according to an analysis of USDAs official figures.</p><p><a href="http://www.biotech-info.net/Full_version_first_nine.pdf">Genetically Engineered Crops andPesticide Use in the United States:The First Nine Years</a>