GMO-free news from the Netherlands

2012-05-21 | permalink

Concern as G8 Relies on Agribusiness to Fight Hunger

G8 Attempts to Fix Broken Promises with Private Sector Partnership Photo: Victoria Marzilli/Oxfam

At the G8 summit in Camp David, U.S. President Obama announced a ‘New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition’ which aims to help 50 million Africans escape poverty and hunger within 10 years through an increase in agricultural growth. The plan is for the programme to start in Tanzania, Ethiopia and Ghana and then expand to other African countries. However, the backbone of the initiative is made up of $3 billion of private sector investment, across the entire agricultural chain of production. In total 45 multinational companies plan to invest, most of which are based outside Africa, including agribusiness giants Monsanto, Cargill and DuPont. Swiss agrochemical company Syngenta is to invest over $500 million to develop seeds for local farmers. Several NGOs welcomed the commitment to fight hunger but were sceptical about dependence on the private sector: “Smallholder farmers need the freedom to pursue their own growing strategies, not take overly-prescriptive tips on farming from G8 leaders, or one size fits all technologies from far away CEOs”, said Lamine Ndiaye from Oxfam. The new alliance builds on pledges made at L’Aquila in 2009, where G8 nations committed $22 billion to food security and agricultural investment over three years - only part of the money has been disbursed.

2012-05-18 | permalink

Greenpeace Philippines optimistic ’Bt’ eggplant to be permanently banned

International environmental group Greenpeace is confident that the Supreme Court will permanently ban the field testing of genetically modified organism, particularly the BT talong (eggplant). ”The Writ of Kalikasan is not an ordinary procedure at dahil sa decision sa SC we can now openly discuss this issue,” said Lawyer Zelda Soriano, political adviser of the Greenpeace-Southeast Asia, at a media briefing in Quezon City on Friday. Soriano said the respondents, officials and scientists of the UP Los Banos and other proponents of BT talong field testing, will be summoned by the SC to present ”all possible defenses” to argue that it is ”safe and not negative to the environment.”

2012-05-18 | permalink

Canadian breeder files application for GE apple that won’t turn brown

An Okanagan orchardist is trying to get the OK for a genetically modified apple that won’t turn brown, but his colleagues in the fruit business aren’t happy about it. Neal Carter of Okanagan Specialty Fruits is waiting for approval of the new apple from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, but he thinks it’s a winner already. [...] But the BC Fruit Growers’ Association is concerned about the negative impact on marketing, according to past-president Joe Sardinha. ”Why would we go and embrace something that carries the negative connotations of genetic modification?” he said.

2012-05-18 | permalink

India scientists and farmers lack understanding of Bt cotton

The Indians claim they were promised certain yields. However, no yield can truly be promised by any company regardless of whether the seed is genetically modified or not. Growing conditions and management have a direct effect on yield, yet the Indian farmers seem to have forgotten that. In an example of how misguided their views are about growing GM cotton, the head of the Central Institute for Cotton Research, Keshav Raj Kranthi claims GM cotton is more susceptible to bacteria. He claims GM varieties consume more water and nutrients, leading to soil depletion, which means more fertilizer is needed. Kranthi has it all backwards.

2012-05-18 | permalink

Destroy GMO-tainted papaya crops, Thai researcher says

Academics yesterday called on the Agriculture Department to destroy farms growing Hawaiian papaya in Kanchanaburi province after a recent study found that these crops might be contaminated with genetically modified organisms. The move came after a study conducted by Piyasak Chaumpluk from Chulalongkorn University’s Department of Botany revealed on Wednesday that 29 samples of Hawaiian papaya tested in Kanchanaburi province were tainted. ”Tests show that papaya grown in 50-rai in Kanchanaburi province have GMO,” Piyasak said. ”The department should destroy these farms in order to prevent the contamination from spreading.”

2012-05-18 | permalink

Alaska (USA) Congressional delegation unites in opposition to ’frankenfish’

Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski on Thursday filed an amendment requiring the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to ensure genetically-modified fish pose no risks. While the FDA is already examining the biological risks associated with what’s come to be dubbed ”Frankenfish,” no separate analysis is planned looking at the impact of genetically modified fish escaping into the ocean. Murkowski’s amendment would require that. ”We need to look before we leap here -- and make that long hard look,” Murkowski said in a press release.

2012-05-18 | permalink

Western Australian farmers agree on 1.1km buffer zone to prevent GE canola contamination

The Safe Food Foundation has welcomed a court agreement designed to better protect a Western Australian Great Southern organic farm from contamination by genetically modified crops. Kojonup farmer Steve Marsh is suing his neighbour and seeking a ban of GM canola crops within 2.5 kilometres of his property. Mr Marsh says his property was contaminated by GM canola in 2010. He and his neighbour have agreed to temporarily keep a 1.1 kilometre GM-free buffer zone around Mr Marsh’s property. The foundation’s Scott Kinnear says the agreement sets a strong precedent.

2012-05-16 | permalink

Adopting out retired GE ’enviropigs’ a non-starter due to risks, Canadian scientist says

The fate of 16 genetically modified pigs remains undecided, but adopting them out to ”loving homes” as requested by an animal-rights group is a non-starter, the University of Guelph said Tuesday. Prof. Rich Moccia, an associate vice-president at the school, said relinquishing control of the ”enviropigs” posed unacceptable risks. [...] In a letter to Moccia Tuesday, the group called on the school to ensure the pigs would be spared. [...] ”For the same reason you wouldn’t kill 16 healthy dogs at the end of a research project, please don’t kill these poor pigs, who deserve a chance to live out their final years basking in sunshine, taking mud baths, and simply being pigs.”

2012-05-16 | permalink

GM Jatropha hopes to break into biodiesel market

A Singapore partnership has developed what it hopes to be an eco-solution to the world’s demand for biofuel. The world’s first genetically modified Jatropha plant can produce biodiesel faster and better. Plans are in the pipeline to start field trials and commercialise it in three years. [...] Its developers Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory and JOil have filed a patent for this genetically modified Jatropha.

2012-05-16 | permalink

Coexistence becoming more complicated in the USA

the Obama administration and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack determined the need for addressing coexistence and a 23-member committee was established in 2011. [...] the Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture has been given the job of addressing the size and scope of risks to coexistence, potential compensation mechanisms for crops contaminated, tools and standards to verify eligibility for compensation and figuring losses and finally who would have to pay. [...] There isn’t much talk about the first committee’s success or failure, but it doesn’t seem much came from that committee.

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