Guest guest Posted April 4, 2002 Report Share Posted April 4, 2002 Wednesday, April 03, 2002 10:59 PM GM-free nations fall to Monsanto > GM-free nations fall to Monsanto > By Geoffrey Lean and Sue Branford > 31 March 2002 > http://news.independent.co.uk/world/environment/story.jsp?story=280214 > > > Genetically modified foods are poised to slip back into Britain after major > advances by Monsanto in countries that have so far refused to grow them. > > Last week, India lifted a four-year ban on growing GM crops to allow > production of three bio-engineered types of cotton and hinted that it will > also give the go-ahead to GM foods such as soya and corn. > > And earlier this month, the Brazil's commission on GM foods recommended the > immediate authorisation of GM crops and foods, despite a similar ban. The > recommendation would particularly benefit Monsanto, which has been lobbying > hard for approval to grow pesticide-resistant soya. > > Brazil and India have been important sources for British and European firms > that have been forced to drop GM materials from food and animal feeds. If > bio-engineered crops now sweep through the two countries, companies will > find it hard to find non-GM supplies. > > Brazil, for example, is the world's second biggest producer of soya. The > first and third biggest, America and Argentina, already grow GM varieties, > and the three countries together account for 80 per cent of soya production. > > Monsanto's victories are a blow for environmentalists who had thought their > success in turning consumers against GM foods in Europe and Japan would have > global repercussions. As consumers refused to buy, the argument went, > exporting countries would be forced to grow GM-free crops in order to reach > their markets. Eventually even America would come under pressure to change > course. > > Now environmentalists fear firms and supermarkets will be forced to buy GM > ingredients again, restricting choice to consumers. > > The blow is all the more bitter because their strategy had seemed to be > working. Over the past two years, Brazil has increased its share of world > soya trade from 24 to 36 per cent, while the US share fell from 57 to 46 per > cent. > > As a result, many Brazilian farmers' leaders want to keep the ban. " Three > quarters of our exports go to countries that don't accept GM, " said Agide > Meneguette, president of the Farming Federation of Parana, the country's > second largest soya-producing state. " It is beginning to look foolish to > switch to GM crops. " > > The recommendation to lift the ban has yet to be approved by the full > parliament, but President Fernando Henrique Cardoso is determined to push it > through. Earlier this month, the anti-GM environment minister, Jose Sarney > Filho, resigned. > > Monsanto refuses to comment beyond saying that it " remained committed to > bringing the benefits of biotechnology to Brazilian farmers " . > > > > Changing Planet news service is the socio-metaphysical-political-science-spirituality list that doesn't hold back any punches and demands that you think for yourself in determining truth. > On the web at changingplanet/ To learn more about the group, please visit To to this group, simply send a blank e-mail message to: - To change status to digest: -digest To change status to normal: -normal You are receiving this email because you elected to . To Post: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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