Fwd: The Royal Society Report + Monsanto closes Europe office

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" News Update from The Campaign "

The Royal Society Report + Monsanto closes Europe office

Thu, 16 Oct 2003 07:02:22 -0500

 

News Update From The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods

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Dear News Update Subscribers,

 

On Thursday, The Royal Society in the United Kingdom released their

long-awaited report on the environmental effects of genetically

engineered crops.

 

The report was made up of eight lengthy papers printed in the journal

" Philosophical Transactions Of the Royal Society: Biological Sciences. "

 

As anticipated from leaks over the past few weeks, the report shows that

genetically engineered rapeseed (also known as canola) and sugar beet

are harmful to the environment.

 

Genetically engineered corn (also know as maize) was reported to be less

harmful to the environment than regular corn. However, there is

speculation that the corn field tests were not accurate because the

neighboring fields were sprayed with a highly toxic chemical named

Atrazine. Many countries in Europe have banned Atrazine including

France. So the insects may have found the genetically engineered corn to

be favorable to the more toxic neighboring corn fields sprayed with

Atrazine.

 

Posted below are two articles about the new report. The first article is

from Reuters called " Trials show two GM crops harm environment. " The

second article from the BBC is titled " GM trials give mixed results. "

 

The Campaign has set up a special web page where you can read the

lengthy Press Release from The Royal Society and access all eight

reports:

http://www.thecampaign.org/ukcroptrials.php

 

In related news, Monsanto announced on Wednesday that they are closing

their European cereal business headquarters. Posted below are two

articles on this development. The first from The Guardian is titled

" Monsanto to quit Europe. " The second is from The Independent titled

" Crops giant retreats from Europe ahead of GM report. "

 

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. "

 

***************************************************************

 

Trials show two GM crops harm environment

Thu October 16, 2003 05:34 AM ET

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Field trials into the effects of herbicide-resistant

genetically modified crops on their local environment have shown that

GMO rapeseed and sugar beet are more harmful to wildlife than

conventionally grown plants, scientists say.

 

In contrast, some groups of wildlife fared better in fields grown GM

maize, the scientists said.

 

" Growing conventional beet and spring rape was better for many groups of

wildlife than growing GM herbicide-tolerant beet and spring rape, " the

scientists concluded in a report published on Thursday.

 

" Some insect groups, such as bees and butterflies, were recorded more

frequently in and around the conventional crops because there were more

weeds to provide food and cover, " they said.

 

But in GM maize fields, local wildlife was much less affected,

 

" There were more weeds in and around the GM herbicide-tolerant maize

crops, more butterflies and bees around at certain times of the year,

and more weed seeds, " the Scientific Steering Committee said after more

than three years of testing.

 

The results of world's largest-ever experiment into the effects of

transgenic crops on local ecology, laid out over eight peer-reviewed

papers, should bring the government a step closer to a decision on

whether or not to give the go-ahead for commercial plantings.

 

It is expected to make up its mind later this year or early in 2004.

 

***************************************************************

 

GM trials give mixed results

 

BBC NEWS

Thursday, 16 October, 2003

 

The biggest environmental-impact study of genetically modified crops

conducted anywhere in the world has produced largely mixed results.

 

Scientists tested three biotech crops and found the cultivation of two -

an oilseed rape and a beet crop - to be more harmful to many groups of

wildlife than their conventional equivalents.

 

The production of a third biotech plant - a maize - was shown to be

kinder to other plants and animals than the normal crop.

 

The results of the trials will be used by the UK Government, along with

other information, to make a decision on whether or not to allow the

engineered plants to be commercialised in the country.

 

The outcome of the £6m three-year study conducted at some 60 sites

across Britain was reported on Thursday in eight lengthy papers in the

journal Philosophical Transactions Of the Royal Society: Biological

Sciences.

 

The head of the research team, Dr Les Firbank, said: " The results are

clearly important to the debate about the possible commercialisation of

GM crops.

 

" But, they also give us new insights that will help us conserve

biodiversity within productive farming systems. "

 

Field management

 

The so-called farm-scale evaluations (FSEs) set out to look at a narrow

set of issues related to the impact on the environment of

herbicide-tolerant GM crops.

 

These plants can be sprayed with a particular weedkiller and still

prosper while other " pest " plants in the field are killed.

 

The FSEs tested the idea that the alternative management practices

involved in the production of these crops would make no difference to

biodiversity in the field.

 

The scientists' work rejects this.

 

They grew the GM plants and their conventional equivalents side by side,

and then observed the wildlife in among the crops and at the field

margins.

 

Birds and bees

 

The FSEs showed that some insect groups, such as bees (in beet crops)

and butterflies (in beet and rape), were recorded more frequently in and

around the conventional crops because there were more weeds to provide

food and cover.

 

There were also more weed seeds in conventional beet and rape crops than

in their GM counterparts.

 

Such seeds are important in the diets of some animals, particularly some

birds. However some groups of soil insects were found in greater numbers

in the GM beet and rape crops.

 

In contrast, growing GM maize was better for many groups of wildlife

than conventional maize. There were more weeds in and around the biotech

maize crops, more butterflies and bees around at certain times of the

year, and more weed seeds.

 

" The results of these Farm-Scale Evaluations reveal significant

differences in the effect on biodiversity when managing genetically

herbicide-tolerant crops as compared to conventional varieties, " Dr

Firbank said.

 

" One of the key points to remember is that the results are only

applicable to the three crops studied, and only under the regimes of

herbicide usage which were employed. "

 

Next decision

 

The trials, which tested GM oilseed rape and maize produced by Bayer

CropScience, the UK arm of German biotech giant Bayer BAYG.DE AG, and

sugar beet made by US agrochemicals producer Monsanto, did not

investigate the plants' impact on human health.

 

Neither have the trials looked at how GM traits might flow into the

wider environment through pollen spread - although another team will

report on this at a later date.

 

There were protests against the FSEs, and crops in some trial fields

were pulled up.

 

The trial results will now be assessed by Acre (Advisory Committee on

Releases to the Environment), the agency that will advise the government

on their implications.

 

A decision by ministers on whether to commercialise the crops could come

later this year, or early in 2004.

 

The rape tested was a spring variety. A winter rape is also being

investigated and the results of its evaluation will be published next

year.

 

***************************************************************

Monsanto to quit Europe

 

Paul Brown and Mark Oliver

Thursday October 16, 2003

The Guardian

 

Monsanto, the world's largest GM seed company, is pulling out of the

European cereal business in a surprise move that raised hopes of victory

among anti-GM campaigners.

 

The firm, the American pioneer of GM, confirmed yesterday that it is to

close European cereal business headquarters at Trumpington,

Cambridgeshire, which employs 125 people.

 

The decision follows the failure to introduce genetically modified

hybrid wheat to Europe, and the company has decided to cut costs.

 

Monsanto bought the business from Unilever in 1998 at a time of high

optimism for GM, when wheat was considered the big money spinner.

 

The company said yesterday that the growth in hybrid wheat had " failed

to materialise " .

 

Jeff Cox, Monsanto's general manager, said: " We've made great progress

over the past few years in realigning the cereals business to make it

more competitive in a much tougher European seed market.

 

" Our lack of success in hybrids means this is no longer a good strategic

fit for Monsanto. "

 

The company is reorganising its UK herbicide oil seed rape operations.

Breeding stations in France, Germany and the Czech Republic will also be

affected.

 

Monsanto announced its decision on the eve of today's publication of the

results of the government's farm-scale evaluations of GM crops.

 

A mixed verdict on the technology is anticipated in what is being seen

as a crucial part of the government's research into whether to allow

commercial GM crops.

 

It also follows last month's confirmation of unease among the public

when the widest formal public debate ever conducted in Britain found

that an overwhelming percentage of people were uneasy, suspicious or

hostile to GM crops.

 

More than 650 public meetings were held around the country and about

37,000 people responded to questionnaires, with 54% saying they never

want to see GM crops grown in the UK.

 

Pete Riley, of Friends of the Earth, said the firm was " pulling out

after five years with no products to show and no test sites for Monsanto

GM cereals in Britain this year. "

 

***************************************************************

 

Crops giant retreats from Europe ahead of GM report

By Steve Connor, Science Editor

16 October 2003

The Independent (UK)

 

Monsanto, the huge American biotechnology company which has pioneered GM

crops, is withdrawing from many of its European operations and laying

off up to two thirds of its British workers.

 

The announcement came on the eve of the publication of the Government's

GM crop trials today.Tony Blair is thought to be in favour of GM crops,

stressing the need for Britain to be in the vanguard of new industries

that could be worth billions of pounds.

 

But ministers will be under pressure to limit, or scrap, further

development of GM crops in the face of public opposition. One industry

insider said the international biotechnology business was becoming

disillusioned with Europe's anti-GM stance.

 

" If there's no market for something, you go elsewhere, " he said. " The

big companies are looking to China, South-east Asia and South America. "

 

Monsanto said its decision to pull out of conventional cereal crops in

Europe was not related to the continent's moratorium on commercial

growing of GM crops. But a spokeswoman added: " Monsanto is obviously

frustrated by the amount of time it has taken for GM crops to be

accepted in Europe, but this decision is part of a much bigger global

realignment. "

 

Monsanto said it was closing its multimillion-pound research centre in

Cambridge with the loss of up to 80 highly skilled jobs.

 

Employees heard of the decision for the first time yesterday afternoon

even though the plan had been circulating among analysts outside the

company earlier this week.

 

On Tuesday, a company spokesman denied there was any intention to close

some British operations. But 24 hours later Monsanto confirmed that it

was to shut its European cereals business. " This results from a

strategic decision ... to realign the company's core businesses in order

to focus on those projects that will best capitalise on its market and

technological strengths, " a spokesman said.

 

Today the results of the Government's farm-scale trials of three GM

crops will be released. These could give European governments the

ammunition to ban the commercial growing of some varieties if they can

be shown to damage the environment.

 

Last month, a test of public opinion in Britain found that the majority

of people did not want GM food in their supermarkets. In a series of

questions that formed part of the " GM Nation " debate, 85 per cent of

respondents said they believed GM crops would benefit producers rather

than consumers, 86 per cent said they were unhappy with the idea of

eating GM food, 91 per cent said they thought GM crops had a potentially

negative effect on the countryside and 93 per cent said GM was being

driven by profit rather than public interest.

 

Monsanto said its closure could affect up to 80 of its 125 British

employees, who mostly work on the breeding of conventional varieties of

winter wheat, spring wheat and spring barley. Crop breeding centres in

France, Germany and the Czech Republic will also be hit by the cutbacks.

 

Monsanto said it was reducing its global workforce of 13,200 by between

7 and 9 per cent, but the precise number of jobs lost in Britain would

not be announced until the end of the 90-day consultation period

required by law.

 

Jeff Cox, Monsanto's UK general manager, said the company hoped to find

a buyer for its conventional cereals business which could save some of

the jobs.

 

" Monsanto will remain in the UK as a streamlined crop protection and

oilseed rape business, with our flagship plant protection product -

Roundup - continuing to lead the market, " Mr Cox said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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