In
This Issue:
UK
Study Disproves Super Weeds Myth
A ten-year
survey conducted by a team in the UK showed that genetically modified
(GM) crops do not survive well in the wild, and are no more likely
to invade other habitats than their unmodified counterparts. "Problem
plants have attributes that are totally different from crop plants," says
Michael Crawley, an ecologist at Imperial College, London, and the
leader of the team that conducted the experiment. "No matter
what you do to an oilseed rape or wheat plant, it won't become a
problem." As published in Nature, Crawley's team planted experimental
plots to corn, sugar beet as well as varieties of oilseed and potato.
The GM crops were planted alongside unmodified crops in 12 sites
in UK. The plants did not become self-seeding, self-sustaining populations,
nor did they spread onto neighboring unplanted areas. GM and non-GM
plants both did badly - within four years all plots of maize, beet
and rape had died out. Only one plot of potatoes lasted the full
decade, and all the survivors are unmodified. The study will help
to allay fears that GM plants will be super-weeds, either in their
own right or by breeding with unmodified plants. ¨
Way
of Communicating Biotech Affects Perception
A person's
feelings about genetically modified foods depend on how their benefits
and potential risks are explained to him. The words used, and the
way they're used, color his perceptions. Dr. Steven B. Katz, associate
professor of English at North Carolina State University, reviewed
many case studies, both in the U.S. and abroad, of controversial
subjects - such as biotechnology - that have been slowed or completely
halted by public opposition. Katz forwarded several observations: ˇ Public
resistance, at least in part, has been traced to communication problems
- flawed rhetorical choices and faulty assumptions by scientists
about the role of language, emotion and values in communicating with
the media and public. ˇ Syntax, diction and the arrangement of ideas
in communication all seem to play significant roles in determining
its effect. Even when a paper is 'clearly written,' word choice,
style and order of presentation can have an effect on the public's
reception, understanding and acceptance of communication concerning
biotechnology. ˇ Sacrificing accuracy for general comprehension -
though necessary - can also complicate matters if the communication
about the benefits and risks of science, such as biotechnology, is
not built on the concerns, knowledge and values of the audience.
Scientists must have an understanding of their audience. Communication
where an expert does all the talking will "often devalue the
listener or audience because the listener or audience is given no
opportunity to provide input ask questions or make decisions," Katz
said.¨
New
UK Trial Sites Announced
Michael
Meacher, the UK environment minister, has announced 58 major new
GM test field sites for oilseed rape and beet. The new trial sites
will test the seeds of Monsanto and Aventis GM varieties and will
be planted at the end of March in 19 English and two Scottish counties.
Meacher explained that "the purpose of these trials is to provide
systematic answers to the question as to whether the planting of
herbicide tolerant GM crops, and the use of weedkillers associated
with them, will cause any detriment to wildlife. They are not about
the safety of GM technology. All the evidence collected will be sifted
by an independent committee, and the results made public". ¨
Golden
Rice in India Too
Aside
from the Philippines, India is a beneficiary of a special technology
transfer agreement that has been drawn up to facilitate the transfer
of the genetically modified rice rich in vitamin A, known as "Golden
Rice." Under the agreement, the technological know-how would
be made available to India's Department of Biotechnology and the
Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR), on the condition
that the technology be used for "humanitarian" purposes.
This step will allow the required testing processes using local rice
varieties. Scientists say that it will take at least three years
for Golden Rice to be field tested and another two years before they
are available to farmers.¨
Plant
Genomics Project Launched in Pakistan
A long-term
research project on plant genomics has been launched in Pakistan
to develop plant genomics techniques for rice, wheat and horticultural
crops. The project was jointly initiated by the Pakistan Agricultural
Research Council (PARC) and the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission
(PAEC), two major R&D organizations in the country. In Pakistan,
the National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering
(NIBGE) at Faisalabad, a PAEC establishment, is the only centre where
research into plant genomics, particularly related to cotton, has
been taken up in an organized manner. ¨
EPO
Approves Patent for GM Crops
The European
Patent Office (EPO) has approved a patent for GM plants resistant
to the herbicide glufosinate (LibertyŽ). The patent EP 275957 was
initially filed in 1987 by Aventis and was granted in 1993. However,
the environmental group Greenpeace lodged objections to this patent
award. According to Aventis spokesman Gerhard Waitz, Greenpeace had
argued that the gene in question could not legitimately be patented
because it occurs in nature and had been isolated using known methods.
On the other hand, the company argued that the gene was modified
and could not be found in nature in this form. Modifying a gene occurring
in nature is an invention and can therefore be patented. Aventis
already markets rapeseed in Canada that has been bioengineered to
resist glufosinate, a herbicide sold under the brand name Liberty.
It also markets Liberty-resistant corn in the United States. ¨
GMO
Debate to be Overtaken by Genomics, Says Goodman
Genomics
promises a long-lasting and favorable impact on agriculture worldwide,
according to University of Wisconsin-Madison biologist Robert Goodman.
Talking at the annual meeting of the American Association for the
Advancement of Science, Goodman forecasts a world of change as scientists
use the maps of the genomes of key plants and animals, giving them
unprecedented access to the genetic instructions that govern life.
The new knowledge, he says, could significantly enhance the traditional
and far-less controversial practices of crop and livestock improvement
through breeding. "From a scientific perspective, the public
argument about genetically-modified organisms, I think, will soon
be a thing of the past," Goodman says. "The science has
moved on and we're now in the genomics era." The potential of
genomics to do good, especially in developing countries, is enormous,
Goodman argues. And he expresses hope that the polarizing issues
and mistakes that have dogged GMO technology can be avoided. "Researchers
in public institutions in developing countries need this technology," he
argues, "and, more to the point, they themselves can use it
- if arrangements are put in place to make useful genomic sequences
and technologies generally available." He cited the fact that
the rice genome, now completely mapped, has the potential to spark
significant increases in production and begin to eliminate some of
the human health and environmental problems associated with industrial
agriculture. For example, by building resistance to insect pests
into crops, scientists may help curb excessive use of chemical pesticides
that now take a huge environmental and human health toll in the developing
world.¨
Korea
to Enforce Labeling of GMO Products
A new
regulation on genetically modified organisms takes effect March 1
in Korea. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF),
the rule requires retailers of genetically modified beans, corn,
and bean sprouts to label packing material or lay signs beside them
identifying them as genetically modified if they are not packed.
After a guidance period during the first six months, a retailer who
falsely tags a genetically modified product will be fined up to 30
million won (US$ 24,000), or imprisoned for up to three years. Those
who fail to label GMO products will receive a correctional fine of
up to 10 million won. The National Agricultural Products Quality
Management Service under the MAF will directly investigate any violators
of the regulation. ¨ |
