Guest guest Posted July 18, 2003 Report Share Posted July 18, 2003 News Update From The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods----Dear News Update Subscribers,We have two important news items to share with you. MONSANTO ABANDONS PHARM CROPSAccording to an article in Thursday's edition of The New York Times,Monsanto is "abandoning efforts to produce pharmaceuticals ingenetically engineered crops..."Monsanto claims this move was "purely a business decision" and hadnothing to do over the controversy over these crops. The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods has stated repeatedlythat if the biotech industry moves forward with the commercialdevelopment of pharmaceutical drugs in corn, it is only a matter of timebefore the food supply gets contaminated with drugs.Several studies have recently documented how easy genes move aroundin the environment. Perhaps Monsanto finally realized that if genes from their pharmaceutical crops got into the food supply, it could be devastatingfor the company? The New York Times article titled "Monsanto Overhauling Businesses" isposted below.NEW SURVEY SHOWS 94% OF U.S. WANTS LABELINGOne of the most detailed surveys on genetically engineered foods everproduced was released on Wednesday. It contains some shocking statisticsindicating how little the American public knows about geneticallyengineered foods.The research project was conducted by the Food Policy Institute inRutgers, the State University of New Jersey. It was funded by the U.S.Department of Agriculture. The study reflects a telephone survey of1,200 randomly selected people. A previous study was conducted by theFood Policy Institute in 2001. Some of the findings include: * When asked directly, the vast majority of Americans (94%) agree thatGM ingredients should be labeled as such, a 4% increase from 2001.* Only half of the respondents (52%) were aware that geneticallymodified food products are currently for sale in supermarkets.* Despite the prevalence of such foods, only one-quarter of Americansbelieve that they have eaten them.* Forty-three percent had heard or read "not much" or "nothing at all"about genetic engineering or biotechnology, while 45% had heard or read"some." Only 12% had heard or read a "great deal" about it.* When asked how often they discuss the topic of biotechnology orgenetic modification, almost two-thirds (62%) of the respondentsreported that they had never discussed it at all. Of the 38% whoreported having at least one conversation about biotechnology, 89% haddiscussed it "occasionally" or "only once or twice," while only 11% ofthis group had discussed it "frequently." Overall, only 20% of theentire sample had a conversation about the topic more than once ortwice.* Reactions to the technology depends on what it is called. The termbiotechnology evokes the most positive responses, while geneticmodification is perceived most negatively and genetic engineering ismost often associated with cloning.We have posted the entire 32-page report titled "Public Perceptions ofGenetically Modified Foods: A National Study of American Knowledge andOpinion" on our web site. It is a rather large PDF document, so it maytake a minute or two to load, depending on your Internet connectionspeed:http://www.thecampaign.org/survey101503.pdfPosted below is an article about the survey from Reuters titled "Most USconsumers unaware of GM crops in food-study."Craig WintersExecutive DirectorThe Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered FoodsThe CampaignPO Box 55699Seattle, WA 98155Tel: 425-771-4049Fax: 603-825-5841E-mail: labelWeb Site: http://www.thecampaign.org Mission Statement: "To create a national grassroots consumer campaignfor the purpose of lobbying Congress and the President to passlegislation that will require the labeling of genetically engineeredfoods in the United States."*************************************************************** Monsanto Overhauling BusinessesBy ANDREW POLLACKThe New York TimesPublished: October 16, 2003Monsanto, the world's leading agricultural biotechnology company, saysit is abandoning efforts to produce pharmaceuticals in geneticallyengineered crops to focus on businesses that could pay off sooner. The company, based in St. Louis, said that its decision was not relatedto the controversy that has surrounded such efforts. Rather, it said,the move was part of a broader overhaul announced yesterday that wouldresult in layoffs of 7 to 9 percent of its work force, or as many as1,200 people. Scientists are experimenting with putting genes into plants that causethe plants to produce proteins for use as drugs, like growth hormone orvarious monoclonal antibodies. This approach, called pharming orbiopharming, is not done commercially yet but may prove to be cheaperthan the current method of producing such drugs in genetically modifiedanimal cells grown in vats. Pharming has attracted opposition not only from the environmental groupsthat usually oppose genetically modified foods, but from food companies,which worry that pharmaceutical-containing corn might wind up in cornflakes, forcing product recalls and undermining public confidence in thesafety of the food supply. Such concerns were stoked by a couple of incidents last year in whichpharmaceutical-containing corn developed by ProdiGene, a small biotechcompany, intermingled with food crops, though the problem was discoveredbefore any of the food was eaten. Regulations have since been tightenedin a way that could make it more difficult to growpharmaceutical-containing corn - the crop Monsanto was concentrating on- in the Corn Belt.In a conference call with analysts yesterday, Hugh Grant, the chiefexecutive, said that the decision was based on the "uncertainty of thelonger-term reward from a highly capital-intensive business." He saidthe company was trimming research and development spending and focusingon projects that had a nearer-term payoff. Bryan W. Hurley, a spokesman for Monsanto, said in a subsequentinterview that the move was "purely a business decision" unrelated tothe controversy. The company's plant-based pharmaceutical division,known as Monsanto Protein Technologies, employed about 70 people. Monsanto remains committed to genetically modified crops, he said. Thecompany is suffering from generic competition to its Roundup herbicideand is focusing more than ever on seeds and biotechnology. The company said yesterday that it would trim its work force, largely inthe agricultural chemical business. It also said that it would exit theEuropean breeding and seed business for wheat and barley, though it willcontinue to develop genetically engineered wheat resistant to itsRoundup herbicide. It announced a loss for its fourth quarter of $188 million, or 72 centsa share, largely because of a settlement of a lawsuit tied todecades-old pollution in Alabama. Revenue rose 10 percent, to $1.31billion.*************************************************************** Most US consumers unaware of GM crops in food-studyBy Randy Fabi, ReutersWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Despite the omnipresence of biotechnology in U.S.agriculture, the vast majority of Americans believe they have nevereaten genetically modified food and want them labeled, said agovernment-sponsored study released Wednesday.A study by Rutgers' Cook College found most Americans know very littleabout GM food, and that only 26 percent believe they have ever eatensuch products. About 80 percent of processed food in the United Statescontain some GM ingredients, mostly corn or soybean products."Most Americans have no idea that foods with genetically modifiedingredients are already for sale in the United States," said WilliamHallman, lead author of the study. "But bottom line, if you eatprocessed foods, you're probably eating GM ingredients."About 80 percent of this year's U.S. soybean crop and 40 percent of thecorn crop were from GM seed.The United States is the world's largest producer of crops that aregenetically modified to make them resistant to pests, or to withstandherbicides used to kill nearby weeds.But the United States does not require labels on GM food, which could beone reason for the scant consumer knowledge, the study said.Funded by the U.S. Agriculture Department, the study reflects atelephone survey of 1,200 randomly selected people.About 94 percent said they would want GM food to be labeled, the studysaid.However, the authors said the respondents' position on GM food labelingwere unclear. Before being asked about their opinions on GM foods, mostrespondents said no additional information on food labels werenecessary."Most Americans have yet to firmly make up their minds about GM foods.This has not changed from two years ago," the study said.Although consumer awareness in the United States remains low relative tothe 2001 survey, the study said Americans know more about GM foods thanEuropeans -- one of the most vocal opponents of the technology.10/15/03 00:00 ET Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 17, 2003 Report Share Posted October 17, 2003 " News Update from The Campaign " Two important U.S. news items Fri, 17 Oct 2003 07:01:37 -0500 News Update From The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods ---- Dear News Update Subscribers, We have two important news items to share with you. MONSANTO ABANDONS PHARM CROPS According to an article in Thursday's edition of The New York Times, Monsanto is " abandoning efforts to produce pharmaceuticals in genetically engineered crops... " Monsanto claims this move was " purely a business decision " and had nothing to do over the controversy over these crops. The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods has stated repeatedly that if the biotech industry moves forward with the commercial development of pharmaceutical drugs in corn, it is only a matter of time before the food supply gets contaminated with drugs. Several studies have recently documented how easy genes move around in the environment. Perhaps Monsanto finally realized that if genes from their pharmaceutical crops got into the food supply, it could be devastating for the company? The New York Times article titled " Monsanto Overhauling Businesses " is posted below. NEW SURVEY SHOWS 94% OF U.S. WANTS LABELING One of the most detailed surveys on genetically engineered foods ever produced was released on Wednesday. It contains some shocking statistics indicating how little the American public knows about genetically engineered foods. The research project was conducted by the Food Policy Institute in Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. It was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The study reflects a telephone survey of 1,200 randomly selected people. A previous study was conducted by the Food Policy Institute in 2001. Some of the findings include: * When asked directly, the vast majority of Americans (94%) agree that GM ingredients should be labeled as such, a 4% increase from 2001. * Only half of the respondents (52%) were aware that genetically modified food products are currently for sale in supermarkets. * Despite the prevalence of such foods, only one-quarter of Americans believe that they have eaten them. * Forty-three percent had heard or read " not much " or " nothing at all " about genetic engineering or biotechnology, while 45% had heard or read " some. " Only 12% had heard or read a " great deal " about it. * When asked how often they discuss the topic of biotechnology or genetic modification, almost two-thirds (62%) of the respondents reported that they had never discussed it at all. Of the 38% who reported having at least one conversation about biotechnology, 89% had discussed it " occasionally " or " only once or twice, " while only 11% of this group had discussed it " frequently. " Overall, only 20% of the entire sample had a conversation about the topic more than once or twice. * Reactions to the technology depends on what it is called. The term biotechnology evokes the most positive responses, while genetic modification is perceived most negatively and genetic engineering is most often associated with cloning. We have posted the entire 32-page report titled " Public Perceptions of Genetically Modified Foods: A National Study of American Knowledge and Opinion " on our web site. It is a rather large PDF document, so it may take a minute or two to load, depending on your Internet connection speed: http://www.thecampaign.org/survey101503.pdf Posted below is an article about the survey from Reuters titled " Most US consumers unaware of GM crops in food-study. " Craig Winters Executive Director The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods The Campaign PO Box 55699 Seattle, WA 98155 Tel: 425-771-4049 Fax: 603-825-5841 E-mail: label Web Site: http://www.thecampaign.org Mission Statement: " To create a national grassroots consumer campaign for the purpose of lobbying Congress and the President to pass legislation that will require the labeling of genetically engineered foods in the United States. " *************************************************************** Monsanto Overhauling Businesses By ANDREW POLLACK The New York Times Published: October 16, 2003 Monsanto, the world's leading agricultural biotechnology company, says it is abandoning efforts to produce pharmaceuticals in genetically engineered crops to focus on businesses that could pay off sooner. The company, based in St. Louis, said that its decision was not related to the controversy that has surrounded such efforts. Rather, it said, the move was part of a broader overhaul announced yesterday that would result in layoffs of 7 to 9 percent of its work force, or as many as 1,200 people. Scientists are experimenting with putting genes into plants that cause the plants to produce proteins for use as drugs, like growth hormone or various monoclonal antibodies. This approach, called pharming or biopharming, is not done commercially yet but may prove to be cheaper than the current method of producing such drugs in genetically modified animal cells grown in vats. Pharming has attracted opposition not only from the environmental groups that usually oppose genetically modified foods, but from food companies, which worry that pharmaceutical-containing corn might wind up in corn flakes, forcing product recalls and undermining public confidence in the safety of the food supply. Such concerns were stoked by a couple of incidents last year in which pharmaceutical-containing corn developed by ProdiGene, a small biotech company, intermingled with food crops, though the problem was discovered before any of the food was eaten. Regulations have since been tightened in a way that could make it more difficult to grow pharmaceutical-containing corn - the crop Monsanto was concentrating on - in the Corn Belt. In a conference call with analysts yesterday, Hugh Grant, the chief executive, said that the decision was based on the " uncertainty of the longer-term reward from a highly capital-intensive business. " He said the company was trimming research and development spending and focusing on projects that had a nearer-term payoff. Bryan W. Hurley, a spokesman for Monsanto, said in a subsequent interview that the move was " purely a business decision " unrelated to the controversy. The company's plant-based pharmaceutical division, known as Monsanto Protein Technologies, employed about 70 people. Monsanto remains committed to genetically modified crops, he said. The company is suffering from generic competition to its Roundup herbicide and is focusing more than ever on seeds and biotechnology. The company said yesterday that it would trim its work force, largely in the agricultural chemical business. It also said that it would exit the European breeding and seed business for wheat and barley, though it will continue to develop genetically engineered wheat resistant to its Roundup herbicide. It announced a loss for its fourth quarter of $188 million, or 72 cents a share, largely because of a settlement of a lawsuit tied to decades-old pollution in Alabama. Revenue rose 10 percent, to $1.31 billion. *************************************************************** Most US consumers unaware of GM crops in food-study By Randy Fabi, Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Despite the omnipresence of biotechnology in U.S. agriculture, the vast majority of Americans believe they have never eaten genetically modified food and want them labeled, said a government-sponsored study released Wednesday. A study by Rutgers' Cook College found most Americans know very little about GM food, and that only 26 percent believe they have ever eaten such products. About 80 percent of processed food in the United States contain some GM ingredients, mostly corn or soybean products. " Most Americans have no idea that foods with genetically modified ingredients are already for sale in the United States, " said William Hallman, lead author of the study. " But bottom line, if you eat processed foods, you're probably eating GM ingredients. " About 80 percent of this year's U.S. soybean crop and 40 percent of the corn crop were from GM seed. The United States is the world's largest producer of crops that are genetically modified to make them resistant to pests, or to withstand herbicides used to kill nearby weeds. But the United States does not require labels on GM food, which could be one reason for the scant consumer knowledge, the study said. Funded by the U.S. Agriculture Department, the study reflects a telephone survey of 1,200 randomly selected people. About 94 percent said they would want GM food to be labeled, the study said. However, the authors said the respondents' position on GM food labeling were unclear. Before being asked about their opinions on GM foods, most respondents said no additional information on food labels were necessary. " Most Americans have yet to firmly make up their minds about GM foods. This has not changed from two years ago, " the study said. Although consumer awareness in the United States remains low relative to the 2001 survey, the study said Americans know more about GM foods than Europeans -- one of the most vocal opponents of the technology. 10/15/03 00:00 ET NEW WEB MESSAGE BOARDS - JOIN HERE. Alternative Medicine Message Boards.Info http://alternative-medicine-message-boards.info The New with improved product search Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 17, 2003 Report Share Posted October 17, 2003 News Update From The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods ---- Dear News Update Subscribers, We have two important news items to share with you. MONSANTO ABANDONS PHARM CROPS According to an article in Thursday's edition of The New York Times, Monsanto is " abandoning efforts to produce pharmaceuticals in genetically engineered crops... " Monsanto claims this move was " purely a business decision " and had nothing to do over the controversy over these crops. The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods has stated repeatedly that if the biotech industry moves forward with the commercial development of pharmaceutical drugs in corn, it is only a matter of time before the food supply gets contaminated with drugs. Several studies have recently documented how easy genes move around in the environment. Perhaps Monsanto finally realized that if genes from their pharmaceutical crops got into the food supply, it could be devastating for the company? The New York Times article titled " Monsanto Overhauling Businesses " is posted below. NEW SURVEY SHOWS 94% OF U.S. WANTS LABELING One of the most detailed surveys on genetically engineered foods ever produced was released on Wednesday. It contains some shocking statistics indicating how little the American public knows about genetically engineered foods. The research project was conducted by the Food Policy Institute in Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. It was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The study reflects a telephone survey of 1,200 randomly selected people. A previous study was conducted by the Food Policy Institute in 2001. Some of the findings include: * When asked directly, the vast majority of Americans (94%) agree that GM ingredients should be labeled as such, a 4% increase from 2001. * Only half of the respondents (52%) were aware that genetically modified food products are currently for sale in supermarkets. * Despite the prevalence of such foods, only one-quarter of Americans believe that they have eaten them. * Forty-three percent had heard or read " not much " or " nothing at all " about genetic engineering or biotechnology, while 45% had heard or read " some. " Only 12% had heard or read a " great deal " about it. * When asked how often they discuss the topic of biotechnology or genetic modification, almost two-thirds (62%) of the respondents reported that they had never discussed it at all. Of the 38% who reported having at least one conversation about biotechnology, 89% had discussed it " occasionally " or " only once or twice, " while only 11% of this group had discussed it " frequently. " Overall, only 20% of the entire sample had a conversation about the topic more than once or twice. * Reactions to the technology depends on what it is called. The term biotechnology evokes the most positive responses, while genetic modification is perceived most negatively and genetic engineering is most often associated with cloning. We have posted the entire 32-page report titled " Public Perceptions of Genetically Modified Foods: A National Study of American Knowledge and Opinion " on our web site. It is a rather large PDF document, so it may take a minute or two to load, depending on your Internet connection speed: http://www.thecampaign.org/survey101503.pdf Posted below is an article about the survey from Reuters titled " Most US consumers unaware of GM crops in food-study. " Craig Winters Executive Director The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods The Campaign PO Box 55699 Seattle, WA 98155 Tel: 425-771-4049 Fax: 603-825-5841 E-mail: label Web Site: http://www.thecampaign.org Mission Statement: " To create a national grassroots consumer campaign for the purpose of lobbying Congress and the President to pass legislation that will require the labeling of genetically engineered foods in the United States. " *************************************************************** Monsanto Overhauling Businesses By ANDREW POLLACK The New York Times Published: October 16, 2003 Monsanto, the world's leading agricultural biotechnology company, says it is abandoning efforts to produce pharmaceuticals in genetically engineered crops to focus on businesses that could pay off sooner. The company, based in St. Louis, said that its decision was not related to the controversy that has surrounded such efforts. Rather, it said, the move was part of a broader overhaul announced yesterday that would result in layoffs of 7 to 9 percent of its work force, or as many as 1,200 people. Scientists are experimenting with putting genes into plants that cause the plants to produce proteins for use as drugs, like growth hormone or various monoclonal antibodies. This approach, called pharming or biopharming, is not done commercially yet but may prove to be cheaper than the current method of producing such drugs in genetically modified animal cells grown in vats. Pharming has attracted opposition not only from the environmental groups that usually oppose genetically modified foods, but from food companies, which worry that pharmaceutical-containing corn might wind up in corn flakes, forcing product recalls and undermining public confidence in the safety of the food supply. Such concerns were stoked by a couple of incidents last year in which pharmaceutical-containing corn developed by ProdiGene, a small biotech company, intermingled with food crops, though the problem was discovered before any of the food was eaten. Regulations have since been tightened in a way that could make it more difficult to grow pharmaceutical-containing corn - the crop Monsanto was concentrating on - in the Corn Belt. In a conference call with analysts yesterday, Hugh Grant, the chief executive, said that the decision was based on the " uncertainty of the longer-term reward from a highly capital-intensive business. " He said the company was trimming research and development spending and focusing on projects that had a nearer-term payoff. Bryan W. Hurley, a spokesman for Monsanto, said in a subsequent interview that the move was " purely a business decision " unrelated to the controversy. The company's plant-based pharmaceutical division, known as Monsanto Protein Technologies, employed about 70 people. Monsanto remains committed to genetically modified crops, he said. The company is suffering from generic competition to its Roundup herbicide and is focusing more than ever on seeds and biotechnology. The company said yesterday that it would trim its work force, largely in the agricultural chemical business. It also said that it would exit the European breeding and seed business for wheat and barley, though it will continue to develop genetically engineered wheat resistant to its Roundup herbicide. It announced a loss for its fourth quarter of $188 million, or 72 cents a share, largely because of a settlement of a lawsuit tied to decades-old pollution in Alabama. Revenue rose 10 percent, to $1.31 billion. *************************************************************** Most US consumers unaware of GM crops in food-study By Randy Fabi, Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Despite the omnipresence of biotechnology in U.S. agriculture, the vast majority of Americans believe they have never eaten genetically modified food and want them labeled, said a government-sponsored study released Wednesday. A study by Rutgers' Cook College found most Americans know very little about GM food, and that only 26 percent believe they have ever eaten such products. About 80 percent of processed food in the United States contain some GM ingredients, mostly corn or soybean products. " Most Americans have no idea that foods with genetically modified ingredients are already for sale in the United States, " said William Hallman, lead author of the study. " But bottom line, if you eat processed foods, you're probably eating GM ingredients. " About 80 percent of this year's U.S. soybean crop and 40 percent of the corn crop were from GM seed. The United States is the world's largest producer of crops that are genetically modified to make them resistant to pests, or to withstand herbicides used to kill nearby weeds. But the United States does not require labels on GM food, which could be one reason for the scant consumer knowledge, the study said. Funded by the U.S. Agriculture Department, the study reflects a telephone survey of 1,200 randomly selected people. About 94 percent said they would want GM food to be labeled, the study said. However, the authors said the respondents' position on GM food labeling were unclear. Before being asked about their opinions on GM foods, most respondents said no additional information on food labels were necessary. " Most Americans have yet to firmly make up their minds about GM foods. This has not changed from two years ago, " the study said. Although consumer awareness in the United States remains low relative to the 2001 survey, the study said Americans know more about GM foods than Europeans -- one of the most vocal opponents of the technology. 10/15/03 00:00 ET Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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