Churches oppose 'terminator' technology
Spero News, May 15, 2006 (Online)

The general secretary of the World Council of Churches, Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, called upon churches and ecumenical partners to take action to stop 'terminator technology'. "Applying technology to design sterile seeds turns life, which is a gift from God, into a commodity. Preventing farmers from re-planting saved seed will increase economic injustice all over the world and add to the burdens of those already living in hardship," stated Kobia.
"Terminator technology locates food sovereignty, once the very backbone of community, in the hands of technologists and large corporations. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that 1.4 billion people depend on farmer-saved seed as their primary seed source," explains the WCC general secretary.
Full item: http://www.GEinfo.org.nz/062006/01.html

Individuals could pay for GE contamination
NewsTalkZB, May 28, 2006 (New Zealand)

There are concerns individuals could end up paying for GE contaminations. The Green Party says it has received a memo indicating New Zealand insurance companies are moving to deny cover for any harm resulting from genetic engineering.
GE Free NZ says under the current law, if the Environmental Risk Management Authority okays a GE project, the public will pick up the tab if there is a problem. Spokesman Jon Carapiet says ERMA needs to have the power to demand those using GE organisms get insurance or failing that, pay a bond to ensure there is money available to pay for potential disasters. [He] says most studies show the public does not want GE in the environment, yet ironically they might end up paying for it.
Full item: http://www.GEinfo.org.nz/062006/02.html

X-SCID gene therapy substantial cancer risk
Salk Institute, April 26, 2006 (USA)

New studies conducted at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies show that the only human gene therapy treatment to date considered to be largely successful, is riskier than realized. Their findings appear in this week's issue of Nature.
The researchers discovered that the healthy copy which replaces the defective gene can promote cancer development. This is the same gene being given to patients with X-linked severe combined immune deficiency (X-SCID) - known as the "bubble boy" syndrome.
Although replacement of IL2RG can cure X-SCID, the scientists, led by Inder Verma, Ph.D., professor in the Laboratory of Genetics, urge caution in the use of such therapy on the basis of their new findings. "The bottom line here is that if you replace a gene that has multiple effects, you have to know more about its regulation and its ability to affect other genes, and that requires extensive preclinical work and a much more careful analysis," Verma says.
In the studies leading up to the human clinical studies, mice were studied post-transplant for less than 6 months, which is a traditional research protocol. The Salk research team, however, allowed the mice to live through their natural life span - about one-and-a-half years. One-third of the animals developed lymphoma at an average of 10 months of age.
Full item: http://www.GEinfo.org.nz/062006/03.html

Argentina will sue Monsanto over GMO soy
Planet Ark, May 18, 2006 (Argentina)

Argentina will sue Monsanto in Spain and possibly France for the company's detention of Argentine soy shipments in Europe, stemming from a conflict over biotech soy
royalties. At stake is nearly US$2 billion in annual trade.
Since mid-2005, Monsanto has filed lawsuits against soy importers in several European countries and has stopped shipments of Argentine soymeal at ports in an effort to enforce its patent rights on Roundup Ready soy in Europe.
Monsanto has no patent in Argentina but nearly all local farmers plant Roundup Ready seeds. Some farmers buy certified seed, but many others buy contraband or legally extract and reuse the GMO seeds on their farms for free.
Full item: http://www.GEinfo.org.nz/062006/04.html

German firm may abandon GM potato trials
Unison, May 24, 2006 (Ireland)

The German chemical firm that received permission to grow GM potatoes in Co Meath is reportedly considering abandoning the trials. The Environmental Protection Agency decided earlier this year to let the trials to ahead on a farm in Arodstown, despite intense opposition to GM food in Ireland.
However, reports this morning said BASF was now considering cancelling its plans to grow the crops due to the stringent restrictions being imposed by the EPA.
Full item: http://www.GEinfo.org.nz/062006/05.html

GM foods to be banned from Moscow schools
Itar-Tass, May 15, 2006 (Russia)

Foodstuffs containing GM products will be banned from Moscow schools and pre-school childcare centers, follow[ing] an instruction issued by Mayor Yuri Luzhkov.
"Scientists have not fully studied the effects of GM products on the human body yet. The city authorities have decided to take precautions to protect the city's population, in particular, youngsters, from the unfavorable effects the use of such products may have," the source said.
Full item: http://www.GEinfo.org.nz/062006/06.html

Codex: discussions heat up on animal biotech
Bridges Trade BioRes, Vol. 6 No. 10, June 2, 2006

Codex members have been developing draft guidelines for the conduct of food safety assessments of foods derived from GM animals. Although the[y] are based on text adopted in 2003 for GM plants, there are particular differences in the animal case and non-food safety issues that some countries argue need to be taken into account in the new standards.
The EU argued that given GM animals have attracted even more public concern than GM plants, governments should be given the explicit authorisation from Codex as an international standard-setting body to take into account moral, ethical and other public concerns regarding animal biotech.
Delegates also agreed to re-open negotiations on an annex to the guideline which describes legitimate measures to address GM allergenicity concerns.
Full item: http://www.GEinfo.org.nz/062006/07.html

Biotech grower upsets just about everybody
Associated Press, May 14, 2006 (USA)

In its quest to genetically engineer rice with human genes to produce a treatment for childhood diarrhea, tiny Ventria Bioscience has made an astonishing number of powerful enemies spanning the political spectrum.
Anheuser-Busch Inc. and Riceland Foods Inc., the world's largest rice miller, were among the corporate interests that pressured the company to abandon plans to set up a commercial-scale farm in Missouri's rice belt last year.
US rice farmers in particular fear that customers in lucrative, biotechnology-averse countries like Japan will shun US crops if biopharming is allowed to proliferate. "We just want them to go away," said Bob Papanos of the Rice Producers Association.
The company has applied to the Food and Drug Administration to approve the protein powder as a "medical food" rather than a drug. That means Ventria wouldn't have to conduct long and costly human tests. Instead, it submitted data from scientific experts attesting to the company's powder is "generally regarded as safe." There is no requirement to label any food products in the US as containing GE ingredients.
The company also has ambitious plans to add its product to infant formula, a $10 billion-a-year market.
Full item: http://www.GEinfo.org.nz/062006/08.html

EU backs Poland's GM crop ban
Food Navigator, May 10, 2006 (EU)

Poland's controversial ban on the use of 16 varieties of GM maize has been backed by the European Commission, despite warnings the law broke EU rules.
The Commission authorised the ban, which also prohibits the use of around 700 non-GM maize varieties in Poland, after it was given unanimous approval by EU member states.
Poland's government, which passed the ban in the country's parliament last week, used cultivation rules set out in a 2002 EU Directive to justify its stance.
The clause says any Member State can ban crop varieties that are not suitable for growing on its land. Poland said both the GM and non-GM maizes had a long growing cycle and, because of the country's climate, would not reach the necessary ripeness needed for harvesting.
Full item: http://www.GEinfo.org.nz/062006/09.html

German politician supports re-think on GE corn
Sueddeutsche Zeitung (Translated), May 24, 2006 (Germany)

Several days ago, the Bavarian Farmers Union (BBV) changed it's hitherto lenient position on transgenic technology. The union is urging its members to "avoid planting transgenic corn". According to an assessment by the BBV, transgenic technology currently offers "no benefits" to farmers.
According to the BBV it appears that the CSU-party is also changing its policy regarding green transgenic technologies.
CSU general secretary, Markus Soeder, emphasized his opposition to outdoor experiments with transgenic plants. Research has to continue of course, [he] said, "but outdoor experiments are problematic, as long as the long term environmental effects of these experiments are unforeseeable."
Full item: http://www.GEinfo.org.nz/062006/10.html