Fwd: USDA Proposes First-Ever Industrial GE Crop

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USDA Proposes First-Ever Industrial GE Crop

 

 

Dear Celia,

 

USDA is poised to deregulate the

world’s first genetically engineered (GE) industrial

crop. Similar to GE pharma crops that use corn for

producing drugs, Syngenta’s “Event 3272” is

genetically engineered to use corn for energy (ethanol)

production and not for food. This unprecedented,

industrial application of a GE technology poses a variety of

environmental, health, and economic risks that must be carefully

evaluated to determine whether the widespread use of this GE

industrial corn crop should be allowed on farms across our

nation.

In a “business as usual” move, USDA has

fast-tracked the commercialization of this GE industrial corn

and has forgone conducting a full Environmental Impact Study

(EIS), as required by law. Instead, USDA is basing its

decision to approve the industrial GE corn upon a cursory and

incomplete Environmental Assessment (EA) that falls woefully

short of the thorough review the public expects before a new GE

crop is approved. Moreover, USDA has failed to acknowledge

that this GE technology requires even greater scrutiny since it

transforms a ubiquitous food crop —corn— into an

industrial crop — ethanol— making it no longer fit

for human consumption.

The Obama Administration’s USDA must complete a full

EIS to address these concerns. The agency is accepting

public comments only until January 20, 2009.

Event 3272 corn:

 

Raises serious environmental and human health

concerns. It contains an exotic enzyme derived from

“thermophilic” (heat-loving) microorganisms living

near deep sea hydrothermal vents. This enzyme might be

capable of causing food allergies in people who inadvertently

consume this corn. Humans have never been exposed to this

form of alpha amylase before (no history of safe use).

 

While meant for fuel and not food, this corn will enter

the food supply. USDA admits that if Event 3272 corn

is intentionally or accidentally diverted into the food supply,

it could negatively impact food quality. But instead of

reviewing the foreseeable negative impacts of biological

contamination to organic and conventional corn from this

unprecedented new industrial crop, USDA has improperly relied on

Syngenta, the creator of the GE corn, to protect non-industrial

corn from contamination. If we learned anything from the

StarLink episode, it is that voluntary, industry-led agreements

to curtail contamination do not work in the real world.

 

Is not needed “to help the U.S. meet its goals for

ethanol production” as USDA has erroneously suggested.

Ethanol production from corn surpassed the 2012 target (7.5

billion gallons) in 2007 (8.2 billion gallons)! And with

10 billion gallons of ethanol produced in 2008, we’re well

on the way to achieving the mandate for 2022 without the

introduction of Event 3272 corn.

Is engineered for fuel, not food. The dramatic

worldwide surge in food prices last year – which has

already pushed 100 million more of the world’s poor into

hunger and poverty – has caused a radical rethinking of

how biofuels are produced, especially the use of corn for

ethanol. Food experts from academia to the World Bank have

decried the massive diversion of corn from food to fuel, blaming

it for at least part of the steep price increases in food

staples like corn, wheat and rice. Event 3272 corn will

only exacerbate this situation.

Tell USDA to halt this approval until a full EIS has been

completed that addresses the human health, environmental, and

economic impacts this industrial corn presents. USDA is

accepting public comments until January 20th—Send your

comment today!

 

 

 

Send a letter to the following decision maker(s):

 

Docket No. APHIS-2007-0016

 

 

Below is the sample letter:

 

Docket No. APHIS-2007-0016

Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],

Docket No. APHIS?2007?0016,Regulatory Analysis and Development,PPD, APHIS, Station 3A?03.8, 4700River Road, Unit 118, Riverdale, MD20737?1238.I am writing regarding Docket No. APHIS-2007-0016, Syngenta Seeds, Inc.; Availability of Petition and Environmental Assessment for Determination of Nonregulated Status for Corn Genetically Engineered To Produce an Enzyme That Facilitates Ethanol Production. I strongly oppose commercial introduction of Event 3272 corn unless and until a full Environmental Impact Study (EIS) addresses and resolves the serious human health, environmental, and economic issues that Event 3272 raises. Syngenta's "Event 3272" corn is genetically engineered to facilitate easier conversion to ethanol, and is not meant for human consumption. This first-ever industrial GE corn presents a multitude of serious health, environmental, and economic concerns that have not been adequately assessed in USDA's cursory and incomplete Environmental Assessment (EA).

 

Event 3272 corn contains an exotic enzyme derived from "thermophilic" (heat-loving) microorganisms living near deep sea hydrothermal vents. Syngenta's alpha amylase is generated at extremely high levels in the corn kernels themselves. Humans have never been exposed to this form of alpha amylase before(no history of safe use). We know some versions of this enzyme (from fungi) cause respiratory allergies, which are closely related to food allergies. And Syngenta's corn-embedded enzyme has two characteristic properties of food allergens: it's extremely resistant to breakdown by heat, and it tolerates somewhat acidic conditions. Thus it will likely survive food processing and may withstand gastric juices intact, which means a higher likelihood of triggering allergic reactions.There's no doubt Event 3272 will enter the food supply. Corn cross-pollinates at great distances, and there are absolutely no requirements to plant this industrial corn away from food-gra

de corn. Instead of reviewing the foreseeable negative impacts of biological contamination to organic and conventional corn from this industrial crop, USDA has improperly relied on Syngenta to protect non-industrial corn from contamination. If we have learned anything from the StarLink episode, it is that voluntary, industry-led agreements to curtail contamination do not work in the real world. StarLink was a GE corn variety only approved for animal feed, not the human food supply. Despite grower agreements and voluntary stewardship measures, it massively contaminated the food supply, costing farmers, food companies, and taxpayers millions of dollars in recalls and lost sales. This experience, along with other contamination episodes, showed us that weather, pollen flow, and basic human error are simply unavoidable once GE crops are released in the open environment. To approve another non-food corn crop based solely on Syngenta's word that they will police themselves

is irresponsible and ignores the realities of farming, food production, human error, and basic ecology. Thus far, none of our major corn export markets have cleared Event 3272 for import and any corn shipments contaminated with Event 3272 are likely to be rejected by Japan, Korea and other GE-sensitive markets.APHIS claims that Event 3272 corn is needed "to help the U.S. meet its goals for ethanol production." Congress set certain targets for ethanol production in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. This is the sole reason given for the supposed need for Event 3272 corn. However, ethanol production from corn surpassed the 2012 target (7.5 billion gallons) last year in 2007 (8.2 billion gallons)! And with 10 billion gallons of ethanol produced in 2008, we're well on the way to achieving the mandate for 2022 without the introduction of Event 3272 corn. Of course, the dramatic worldwide surge in food prices last year--which has already pushed 100 million more of the world's poor into hunger and poverty--has caused a radical rethinking of biofuels. Food experts from academia to the World Bank have decried the massive diversion of corn from food to fuel, blaming it for at least part of the steep price increases in basic staples like corn, wheat and rice. In 2007, U.S. farmers devoted a full 23% of the 13 billion bushel corn harvest to ethanol production. In 2008, the percentage rose to 30%.Event 3272 poses unacceptable risks to human health, the environment, and the economic well-being of family farmers. It is not needed to meet U.S. biofuels production targets. And even if it were, the food crisis makes painfully clear what should have been obvious all along: that diverting stupendous quantities of staple food crops (e.g. 30% of U.S. corn) to feed automobiles has dramatically increased the price of not only corn, but all primary staple crops, and is driving hunger th

roughout the world.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

Celia Browne

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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What's At Stake:

 

USDA is poised to deregulate the world's first genetically engineered (GE) industrial crop. Similar to GE pharma crops that use corn for producing drugs, Syngenta's "Event 3272" is genetically engineered to use corn for energy (ethanol) production and not for food. This unprecedented, industrial application of a GE technology poses a variety of environmental, health, and economic risks that must be carefully evaluated to determine whether the widespread use of this GE industrial corn crop should be allowed on farms across our nation.

In a "business as usual" move, USDA has fast-tracked the commercialization of this GE industrial corn and has forgone conducting a full Environmental Impact Study (EIS), as required by law.Instead, USDA is basing its decision to approve the industrial GE corn upon a shorter assessment that falls woefully short of the thorough review the law requires before a new GE crop is approved. Moreover, USDA has failed to acknowledge that this GE technology requires even greater scrutiny since it transforms a ubiquitous food crop--corn--into an industrial crop --ethanol--making it no longer fit for human consumption.

The Obama Administration's USDA must complete a full EIS to address these concerns. The agency is accepting public comments only until January 20, 2009.

Event 3272 corn contains an exotic enzyme derived from "thermophilic" (heat-loving) microorganisms living near deep sea hydrothermal vents. The enzyme --alpha-amylase--breaks down starches into complex sugars. Syngenta's alpha amylase is generated at extremely high levels in the corn kernels themselves for the purpose of eliminating one step in ethanol production and save a little money. The trouble is that this enzyme might be capable of causing food allergies in people who inadvertently consume this corn. Humans have never been exposed to this form of alpha amylase before. But, we know some versions of this enzyme (from fungi) cause respiratory allergies, which are closely related to food allergies. Syngenta's corn-embedded enzyme has two characteristic properties of food allergens: it's extremely resistant to breakdown by heat, and it tolerates somewhat acidic conditions. Thus it will likely survive food processing and may withstand gastric juices intact, which means a higher likelihood of triggering allergic reactions.

Despite the fact that this GE corn is meant strictly for industrial use, USDA admits that if Event 3272 corn is intentionally or accidentally diverted into the food supply, it could negatively impact food quality. And there's no doubt Event 3272 will enter the food supply. Corn cross-pollinates at great distances, and there are absolutely no requirements to plant this industrial corn away from food-grade corn. Instead of reviewing the foreseeable negative impacts of biological contamination on organic and conventional corn from Event 3272 corn, USDA has merely relied on Syngenta, the creator of the GE corn, to protect non-industrial corn from contamination.

If we have learned anything from the StarLink episode, it is that voluntary, industry-led agreements to curtail contamination do not work in the real world. StarLink was a GE corn variety only approved for animal feed, not the human food supply, because leading allergists said it might cause food allergies. Despite grower agreements and voluntary stewardship measures, it massively contaminated the food supply, costing farmers, food companies, and taxpayers millions of dollars in recalls and lost sales. This experience, along with other contamination episodes, showed us that weather, pollen flow, and basic human error are simply unavoidable once GE crops are released in the open environment. To approve another non-food corn crop based solely on Syngenta's word that they will police themselves is irresponsible and ignores the realities of farming, food production, human error, and basic ecology. Thus far, none of our major corn export markets have cleared Event 3272 for impo

rt and, therefore, any corn shipments contaminated with Event 3272 are likely to be rejected by Japan, Korea and other GE-sensitive markets.

So why is USDA even considering going down this road again? In the draft approval document APHIS claims that Event 3272 corn is needed "to help the U.S. meet its goals for ethanol production." Yet Congress?s targets for ethanol production in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 have already surpassed the 2012 target (7.5 billion gallons) in 2007 (8.2 billion gallons)! And with 10 billion gallons of ethanol produced in 2008, we're well on the way to achieving the mandate for 2022 without the introduction of Event 3272 corn.

The dramatic worldwide surge in food prices last year--which unfortunately has already pushed 100 million more of the world's poor into hunger and poverty--has caused a radical and necessary rethinking of biofuels. Food experts from academia to the World Bank have decried the massive diversion of corn from food to fuel, blaming it for at least part of the steep price increases in food staples like corn, wheat and rice., Unbelievable as it may seem, U.S. farmers devoted a full 23% of the 13 billion bushel corn harvest to ethanol production in 2007 and in 2008, that percentage rose to 30%.

Event 3272 poses unacceptable risks to human health, the environment, and the economic well-being of farmers, and is not needed to meet U.S. biofuels production targets. And even if it were, the food crisis makes painfully clear what should have been obvious all along: that diverting stupendous quantities of staple food crops (i.e. 30% of U.S. corn) to feed automobiles has dramatically increased the price not only of corn, but also of all primary staple crops driving hunger throughout the world.

Tell USDA to halt this approval until a full EIS has been completed that addresses the human health, environmental, and economic impacts this industrial corn presents. USDA is accepting public comments until January 20th--Send your comment today!

 

 

 

Campaign Expiration Date:

 

January 21, 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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