International News

2005-03-03 |

Brazil OKs GMO law

The Brazilian Congress has adopted a framework law to regulate GMO approvals, which still needs to be signed by President Lula. Environmentalists and consumer organisations protested while Monsantos shares rose at Wall Street.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D88JGUSO0.htm?campaign_id=apn_home_down"> Business Week: Brazil OKs law to legalize biotech crops</a></p><p><a href="http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/29789/story.htm">Reuters: Brazil Seen Opening Door to GMO Crops in 2005</a>

2005-03-02 |

USA: safety investigation on Bt maize against rootworm

A maize variety, developed by Pioneer Hi-Bred International and Dow AgroSciences, which is toxic for maize rootworms is being investigated by the US Environmental Protection agency. Doug Gurian-Sherman, a former scientist of the Agency, said the new corn variety shouldn't be approved as it has an allergenic potential, just as "Starlink".</p><p><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/biotech/2005-03-01-gmo-corn_x.htm">USATODAY.com - Government investigates new corn variety</a>

2005-03-02 |

Latin America: Mexcian GMO law a blueprint for others?

A Mexican framework law on GMO approvals and labelling passed the two chambers of Parliament and is now to be signed by President Fox. It has been hailed by GM proponents and criticised by anti-GM organisations. Will it be a blueprint for other latin american countries?</p><p><a href="http://www.ipsnews.net/africa/interna.asp?idnews=27676">IPS: Law on the Side of Transgenics-</a></p><p><a href="http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/monsantolaw021505.cfm">organic consumers: "Monsanto law" nears passage in Mexico</a>

2005-03-01 |

1000 gm free zones in Ireland by April?

"GM free Ireland", an initiative of 50 farmers, consumers, environmental organisations and businesses plans to put 1000 gm free zones on the map of Ireland by Earth Day, April 22nd - from farm to fork.</p><p><a href="http://www.gmfreeireland.org/">gm free Ireland</a>

2005-02-28 |

Japan: Illegal GM rape seed spreads in harbors

The Japanese Environment Ministry disclosed that GM rapeseed had been detected in 11 locations near ports. The seeds likely spilled from containers during unloading or transportation. Japan imports about 2 million tons of rapeseed for cooking oil, but does not allow cultivation of GM rape seed. Farmers worry that imported GM rapeseed will cross-pollinate and hybridize the domestic rapeseed and other crops.</p><p><a href="http://www.asahi.com/english/nation/TKY200502250146.html">asahi: Crop crusaders</a>

2005-02-24 |

RICS calls for GM register in the UK and the EU

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, a world wide association of land property professionals, calls for a web-based GM Land Register to record where GM crops are grown. Such a system is already in place in Germany.</p><p><a href="http://www.stackyard.com/news/2005/02/land_register.html">RICS Calls For GM Land Register To Protect The Consumer</a>

2005-02-24 |

EU questions safety of GMO in WTO submission

According the European Commission "new risk considerations sometimes arise spontaneously and change the scope of the risk assessment" and concerns about the safety of GMOs are "legitimate scientific concerns". The Commission even states that member states should be able to determine their own level of protection and defends national bans of initially EU approved GM varieties. What sounds like a U-turn of EU GMO policies is actually the Commissions official statement to the WTO in defense against the USA. The document was leaked today by Friends of the Earth.</p><p><a href="http://www.foeeurope.org/biteback/download/Second_EU_Submission_to_WTO.pdf">EU submission to the WTO on GMO safety of July 2004 (111 pages pdf)</a></p><p><a href="http://www.foeeurope.org/press/2005/AB_24_Feb_leaked_documents.htm">FOE press release</a>

2005-02-22 |

WTO vs EU

In May 2003 the US, Argentina and Canada, urged on by their industry lobbies, complained to the WTO about Europe`s moratorium on GM approvals, imposed in October 1998. The final act of a controversy over GM crops that sets America against Europe unfolds today in Geneva. The World Trade Organisation will hear the closing arguments in a case where the public authority of both the European commission and the WTO is at stake.</p><p><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1419841,00.html">The Guardian: A bitter harvest</a>

2005-02-19 |

Japan: Hokkaido government goes GMO free

The local government of Japans main farming region, Hokkaido, has proposed additional regional saveguards to prevent gmo free production from GMO contamination. Any GMO growing would require additional approval of the local government. No commercial GMO cultivation takes place in Japan so far, but experiments with GM soybeans and rice triggered massive opposition in Hokkaido.</p><p><a href="http://www.checkbiotech.org/root/index.cfm?fuseaction=newsletter&topic_id=5&subtopic_id=20&doc_id=9712">Reuters (via checkbiotech) Japan`s main farm region to tighten GMO crop rules</a>

2005-02-16 |

Syngenta gives up mega-patent on flowering as CBD negotiations start in Bangkok

According to the ETC Group the international pesticide and crop giant Syngenta has agreed to give up a 323-page patent application in up to 115 countries on DNA that regulates flowering development in rice. The patent claims had even extended to flowering plants in general. Meanwhile the International Convention on Biodiversity`s Working Group on "Access and Benefit-Sharing" started negotiations in Bangkok.</p><p><a href="http://www.etcgroup.org/article.asp?newsid=502">ETC: Syngenta to let Mega-Genome Patent Lapse - "Daisy-cutter" Patent Bomb busted</a></p><p><a href="http://www.biodiv.org/meetings/abswg-03/default.shtml">CBD homepage on access and benefit sharing negotiations</a>

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