Rural NZ supports GM-free production
Rural News, October 26, 2005 (New Zealand)

The most recent poll, conducted for the Sustainability Council, on public attitudes to GMOs shows rural and urban dwellers equally support the concept that New Zealand should remain a GM Free food producer. The overall result was that 74.5% of New Zealanders would support the nation's food production remaining GM Free. Rural responses showed fractionally higher support at 75.5% while urban respondents were marginally lower at 74.1%. These August figures compare with 70.1% support when the same question was put two years ago.
The August DigiPoll survey also reported that 79% New Zealanders would support the current policy of zero tolerance to GM contamination of seed imports. It further found 77% support for zero tolerance to GM contamination of crops in the field, once informed that this too is the current policy. Rural and urban support was again quite close - within 2% of the overall result.
Full item: http://www.GEinfo.org.nz/112005/01.html

One-fifth of human genes patented
National Geographic News, October 13, 2005 (USA)

A new study, reported in the journal Science, shows more than 4,000 genes, or 20 percent of the almost 24,000 human genes have been patented in the United States, primarily by private firms [62%] and universities [28%].
"Gene patents give their owners property rights over gene sequences - for example in a diagnostic test, as a test for the efficacy of a new drug, or in the production of therapeutic proteins," Fiona Murray, a business and science professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a co-author of the study.
"While this does not quite boil down to owning our genes, these rights exclude us from using our genes for purposes that are covered in the patent," she said.
"You can find dozens of ways to heat a room besides the Franklin stove, but there's only one gene to make human growth hormone," said Robert Cook-Deegan, director of Duke University's Center for Genome Ethics, Law, and Policy.
"If one institution owns all the rights, it may work well to introduce a new product, but it may also block other uses, including research," he said.
In cases where there are a lot of patents surrounding one area of research, the scientific costs of gene patents - financial and otherwise - can be extremely high.
Full item: http://www.GEinfo.org.nz/112005/02.html

Aus: new GM contamination confirmed
AAP NewsWire, October 26, 2005 (Australia)

The state government is concerned up to 150,000 hectares of the state's canola crop could be affected [by] the latest GE contamination of West Australian crops.
WA Agriculture Minister Kim Chance said "It is either a malicious act, or unbelievable sloppy practice, but either way we will be investigating".
Three lines of commercial seed - Grace, Stubb and Beacon - had tested positive in Victoria, sparking fears WA's crops had also been contaminated. The seeds, which account for 38 per cent of WA's sowing, had been contaminated with GM material known as Topaz, Chance said. The government fears large swathes could be affected.
Full item: http://www.GEinfo.org.nz/112005/03.html

Harvesters unhappy GM protocols not established
ABC, October 14, 2005 (Australia)

Contract harvesters are angry that protocols acceptable to all parties have not been established for dealing with canola crops contaminated with GM material.
They say with harvest just around the corner, there is no protection against liability claims should they be accused of transporting contaminated material from farm to farm.
President of the Australian Grain Harvesters Association, John Murphy, says it is worrying that no-one knows for sure which crops might contain contaminated material.
"It's getting close to harvest, the liability of us contaminating someone else' property is a major worry to us as an industry and that is why we have been attempting to get a protocol that is acceptable," he said.
Full item: http://www.GEinfo.org.nz/112005/04.html

GE organisms out of control in Romania
Romanian Daily, October 11, 2005 (Romania)

At a Greenpeace press conference, Monsanto's former Romanian general manager, Dragos Dima, warned that massive illegal cultivation of GE crops threatens farmers and the economy and authorities have totally lost control over GM organisms.
During a research tour, Greenpeace discovered illegal growing of GE soya in ten counties of the country's 42. Officially half the soya planted in 2005 is registered to be GE. However, according to representatives of farmers' associations, up to 90% of soya is GE.
Dima said: "Such a huge surface of uncertified GM soya is not tolerable due to lack of monitoring and control systems. I left the company because I expressed my concerns regarding the introduction of GM technology in Romania. I believed that neither Romania nor the company were ready and able to monitor and control the GM technology. Unfortunately, the management has not listened to my concerns and the situation today shows a total lack of control over GM technology."
Full item: http://www.GEinfo.org.nz/112005/05.html

Disappointing biotech
British Medical Journal;331:895-897, October 15, 2005 (UK)

We assessed the biotech medicines approved by the European Medicine Evaluation Agency from 1995 to 2003.
Summary points:
Only a small proportion are therapeutically innovative.
Most new products were variations on existing drugs.
Evaluation of these substances was not always based on rigorous methodological criteria.
The promises of good tolerability of biotechnology substances have not been met - most are no less toxic than conventional drugs.
One clear difference between conventional and biotechnology drugs is cost. Those produced by biotechnology are generally more expensive, and this deserves evaluation.
In conclusion, the promises of biotechnology substances to be more effective and less toxic than conventional drugs have been only partially fulfilled. Many of the substances produced so far have contributed little to innovation in medicine.
Research News: Full item: http://www.GEinfo.org.nz/112005/06.html

GM crop 'ruins fields for 15 years'
The Independent, October 9, 2005 (UK)

GM crops contaminate the countryside for up to 15 years after harvest[ing], new government research shows. The findings cast a cloud over prospects of growing the modified crops in Britain, suggesting that farmers who try them for one season will find fields blighted for a decade and a half.
Financed by GM companies and Margaret Beckett's Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the report effectively torpedoes the Government's strategy for introducing GM oilseed rape to this country.
The study, published by the Royal Society, examined five sites across England and Scotland where modified oilseed rape has been cultivated, and found significant amounts of GM plants growing even after the sites had been returned to ordinary crops. It concludes that the research reveals "a potentially serious problem associated with the temporal persistence of rape seeds in soil."
Full item: http://www.GEinfo.org.nz/112005/07.html

WTO ruling on EU GMO laws delayed
American Soybean Association, October 10, 2005 (USA)

A World Trade Organization dispute panel ruling on the EU's alleged moratorium on market authorizations for new genetically modified products is being put off until after the WTO's Hong Kong ministerial conference in December. The panel has informed the EU and the three complainants in the dispute - the United States, Argentina, and Canada - that its preliminary ruling, which had been due October 10, will now be postponed until the first week of January 2006.
The panel, established in 2003, has been asked by the 3 co-complainants to rule on what they claim is the EU's de-facto moratorium on the approval of products containing GMOs.
Full item: http://www.GEinfo.org.nz/112005/08.html

Peruvian farmers move to end terminator seeds
Inter Press Service, October 11, 2005 (UN)

A United Nations moratorium at present blocks commercialisation of terminator seeds. But a group of countries led by Canada have challenged the UN safety regulation.
Peruvian indigenous leaders are urging the UN to expose the dangers of Terminator technology and uphold the moratorium. They also demand that indigenous people have a say in the process equal to the influence of the agribusiness lobby.
Convention on Biological Diversity officials acknowledged the input from the Peruvian farmers was one of the strongest they have received so far, said Michel Pimbert from the International Institute for Environment and Development.
The indigenous farmers reported that Peruvian farmers and small farmers worldwide ''are dependent on seeds obtained from the harvest as a principal source of seed to be used in subsequent agricultural cycles."
The farmers also showed that Terminator would increase the reliance of farmers on big agribusiness which is already patenting seeds traditionally owned by indigenous people.
They warned that in Peru alone, 2,000 varieties of potato could be put at risk by Terminator. Peru gave the potato to the world.
Full item: http://www.GEinfo.org.nz/112005/09.html