Franken Foods: RUSSIAN SCIENTISTS CALL FOR TOUGHER CONTROLS OVER GMO's

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GMW: RUSSIAN SCIENTISTS CALL FOR TOUGHER CONTROLS OVER GMO's

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Sat, 16 Apr 2005 07:39:29 +0100

 

 

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surveys indicate that 75 percent of the Russians would not want

transgenic foods in their diets.

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RUSSIAN SCIENTISTS CALL ON TOUGHER CONTROL OVER GMO's

Novosti, 2005-04-14

http://en.rian.ru/rian/index.cfm?prd_id=160 & msg_id=5502928 & startrow=1 & date=2005-\

04-14 & do_alert=0

 

MOSCOW, April 14 (RIA Novosti's Olga Sobolevskaya) - Russian scientists

have called for tougher control over the use of transgenic organisms,

emphasizing that the effect of such organisms on the human system

remains unclear.

 

" There's a need for serious legislative regulation of the use of

genetically modified organisms (GMOs), " Mikhail Sokolov, of the Russian

Academy of Agricultural Sciences, pointed out at a panel discussion

Thursday.

 

Most of the GMOs found in Russia are of foreign origin. Among the most

widespread genetically modified crops are soybeans, potatoes, maize,

beetroots, and colza. One million tons of genetically modified maize and

half a million tons of soybeans are shipped into this country every

year. Genetically modified tomatoes, zucchinis, and melons find their way

in, as well. Overall, the amount of GMO foods imported by Russia has

grown 100-fold in the past three years, scientists say.

 

But, according to Sokolov, the long-term effect of GMOs on the human

body has not been thoroughly explored yet. Some studies suggest that such

foods may cause allergy and mutation.

 

GMOs are extremely dangerous for all life forms, although their

negative impact may or may not be immediately apparent, contends

ecologist

Alexei Yablokov, President of the Russian Center for Environmental

Policies.

 

Yablokov's point could be corroborated by findings of a three-year

study

 

conducted by the British Ministry of Agriculture. This study shows that

biodiversity of areas in the immediate vicinity of fields planted with

genetically modified crops has decreased 30 percent. Small wonder,

then, that so many members of the research community should support

the GMO

moratorium imposed by the European Union in 1998.

 

One other indicative fact is a statement made by the NATO Committee on

the Challenges to Modern Society in the Belgian city of Liege last

year, in which it warned of the danger of genetic terrorism. GMOs may

well

be used asa genetic weapon, committee experts warned.

 

Last October, Russia's National Association of Genetic Security and

representatives of over 30 public, political and scientific organizations

signed an open letter to President Vladimir Putin, calling his

attention to the mounting threat posed by GMOs to the nation's biological

security.

 

Genetically modified foods have been pouring into the Russian market in

alarmingly large numbers lately, taking advantage of regulatory lacunas

and the lack of control over transgenic products, the letter said.

 

On June 1, 2004, Russia officially adopted European standards for

marking foods with genetically modified ingredients. Products where such

ingredients account for more than 0.9 percent shall now be marked as

GMOs,

against the previous bottom limit of 5 percent.

 

More often than not now, however, these standards are ignored. " Natural

produce typical of Russia is being replaced with genetically modified

imports, " the activists point out in their open letter.

 

In the meantime, sociological surveys indicate that 75 percent of the

Russians would not want transgenic foods in their diets.

 

 

 

 

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