Fwd: GM food safe? Series Part 4 Syngenta s Spanish GM Trojan Horse

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18 Jan 2004 11:19:12 -0000

GM food safe? Series Part 4 Syngenta s Spanish GM Trojan Horse

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The Institute of Science in Society

Science Society Sustainability

http://www.i-sis.org.uk

 

General Enquiries sam

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ISIS Director m.w.ho

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Syngenta’s Spanish GM Trojan Horse

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Spanish-grown Bt maize ends up in animal feed and Syngenta is arguing for

co-existence of GM and non-GM crops. Dr. Mae-Wan Ho reports.

 

Syngenta registered two GM maize hybrids in the Commercial Varieties Register in

Spain in 1998. Since then, only one, Bt176, has been grown. In 2003, however, 5

new Bt hybrids were registered, one each from Syngenta, Monsanto, Limagrain,

Nickerson and Pioneer.

 

 

Bt 176 was planted on 20 000 hectares in 1998, and kept to that level, “because

of voluntary agreement from Syngenta Seeds to limit seed availability”,

according to a paper produced by the company in Barcelona, Spain. This

represents some 4-5% of all Spanish maize crops, with higher than average in

Cataluña (13%), Aragón (11%), Castilla-La Mancha (9%) and Madrid (9%).

 

 

Syngenta claims that the GM maize is well accepted by small farmers in areas

like Cataluña and Aragón, which are most infested by insect pests, but the

late-maturing characteristic of Bt176 has resulted in its absence in some of the

more important maize-growing areas such as Castilla y Leon.

 

 

In 2001/02, a high-average year for maize crop in Spain, 497 000 hectares were

planted, 417 000 dedicated for use as grain and 80 000 hectares for silage.

Spain is the third largest grain maize producer in Europe, after France

(1.18mHa) and Italy (1.15mHa). Spain accounted for 11% total EU area planted and

13% of EU production in 2001/02.

 

 

But Spain’s maize production is insufficient for home use. Of the 7.2 thousand

metric tons of maize used in 2001-02, 4.2 were home grown, and 1.5 each imported

from Argentina and from France. More than 80% of the total maize available is

used for animal feed.

 

 

Because Bt176 is considered “substantially equivalent” to conventional grain, it

is mixed with conventional grain, unless the conventional grain is specifically

labelled “non-GM”. This has meant that practically all the GM maize has gone

into the animal feed processing industry.

 

 

In view of the recent incidents in Hesse, Germany, where a dozen cows died from

eating the same GM maize (see “Cows ate GM maize and died”, this issue), farmers

should be extremely wary in sourcing their animal feed.

 

 

Syngenta is using the Spanish example as a showcase for co-existence of GM and

non-GM plantings, which is fallacious. First of all, there is no guarantee that

the level of GM planting will remain the same, particularly in view of the 5

extra GM hybrids being registered in 2003. Second, contamination of organic

maize has already been detected, reportedly at less than 1%. Syngenta is arguing

that only shows zero threshold level demanded by the organic industry is

untenable.

 

 

Source

******

 

Alcalde E. Co-existence of GM maize in Spain. Syngenta Seeds S.A. Balmes 117,

08008 Barcelona, Spain

 

http://www.ogm-debats.com/presse/documents/communiques/doc_alcalde.pdf

 

 

 

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