In
This Issue:
Europe
Sees New Biotech Food Policy
European
Union Agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischler says that Europe is
moving toward a new policy on biotech foods that will address food
safety concerns. This new policy will allow the advancement of biotechnology
into the marketplace.
In a press
conference at a World Agricultural Forum World Congress in St. Louis,
Fishchler stressed that ""Europe is very much in favor
of new technology and biotechnology " and that "there is
a huge sensitivity for food safety."
The EU
Agriculture Commissioner said that a proposal outlining traceability
as well as labeling standards and requirements for genetically modified
(GM) crops and foods would be completed in the next 30 to 60 days.
This will be presented to the EU member states for deliberation and
ratification.
Commenting
on tolerance levels for products containing genetically modified
material, Fischler opined that 1% would be "acceptable." He
also added that backlog due to registration applications for GM food
products will eventually break down despite the ongoing controversy. ¨
Bush
Declares National Biotech Week
The US
Senate passed a bipartisan resolution declaring May 13 to 20, 2001
as National Biotechnology Week in recognition of biotechnology's
importance to research and in the development of medical, agricultural,
industrial and environmental products.
President
George W. Bush subsequently released a proclamation for the same
event. The proclamation highlights the fact that "The field
of biotechnology is important to the quality of our lives, the protection
of our environment and the strength of our economy. We must continue
to be leaders in the pursuit of knowledge and technology, and we
must be vigilant to ensure that new technologies are regulated and
used responsibly towards achieving noble goals."
Tim Hutchinson,
founder and co-chairman of the Senate Biotechnology Caucus said that
he hoped that public officials, community leaders, researchers, professors,
and school teachers would actively promote understanding of biotechnology
in their communities and classrooms.
The full
text of the proclamation is available at http://usinfo.state.gov
Taiwan
to Increase Biotech Funding
China
Times Interactive reports that Taiwan's Executive Yuan will commit
NT$10 billion to biotechnology research this year. This sum will
increase by 25 percent annually. Premier Chang Chun-hsiung was quoted
to have said that after Taiwan joins the World Trade Organization,
it will dedicate itself to biotechnology, what he described as the
latest "green industry." Chang made the remarks during
a tour of an agricultural reform farm in Taoyuan, northern Taiwan
where he was oriented on biotechnology initiatives.
Chang
hopes that Taiwan's biotechnology sector will be recognized in the
same matter as its local semiconductor industry. Lee Chien-chuan,
vice chairman of the Council of Agriculture, reported to the premier
that biotechnology will "improve traditional production techniques
and upgrade the quality of life."
Aventis
Dumps Biotech Rice Without EPA Approval
A total
of 4.75 million pounds of genetically modified rice in the US is
being moved to a landfill for burial after its approval for human
consumption still remained pending with the Environmental Protection
Agency. The GM rice is dubbed "LibertyLink" because it
is resistant to Liberty herbicide, a weedkiller commonly used on
corn and canola.
The rice,
the first to be genetically enhanced by Aventis CropScience, says
that it was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and the
US Department of Agriculture. Without the EPA approval however, it
can not be marketed for human use.
Margaret
Gadsby of Aventis explains that existing Experimental Use Permits
granted by the EPA requires Aventis to ensure that LibertyLink Rice
is destroyed or stored in such a way to prevent its use until the
EPA grants the final approval. Hence, all clearances must be in place
before this rice could be used in the US. Additional international
clearances would be necessary before this rice could be exported.
Reacting
to requests that this rice be used for humanitarian concerns instead
of being destroyed, Aventis explained that as a routine part of its
development process it must destroy certain crops to ensure the health
and safety of the food supply. ¨
Plant
Society Statement of Plant Biotech
The Executive
Committee of the American Society of Plant Physiologists/American
Society of Plant Biologists (ASPP/ASPB) approved a position statement
on biotechnology. It states that the "ASPB believes strongly
that, with continued responsible regulation and oversight, biotechnology
will bring many significant health and environmental benefits to
the world and its people." The Society has over 6,000 members.
The complete
text of the position statement is available at http://www.aspp.org/
aspb-statement-on-genetic-modifi.htm
GM
Crop Trial Abandoned
Supply
Chain Initiative on Modified Agricultural Crops or Scimac has been
pressured to abandon a genetically modified crop trial in the UK
due to fears from groups that it would threaten a nearly organic
research center. The trial was planned for Wolston, near the Henry
Doubleday Research Association Ryton Organic Garden in Warwickshire.
Scimac
released a statement that the trial was a "direct response" to
a request from Michael Meacher, the minister responsible for the
UK's Government's trials program. Meacher was reportedly concerned
that the project could damage public confidence in future GM trials
and in the organic site.
Scimac,
however said that it " has consistently maintained that there
was no legal or scientific basis not to proceed with this trial,
and no risk to the organic status of Ryton Organic Gardens."
For his
part, Meacher was quoted as saying that "Scimac has responded
positively to public concerns which has restored greater confidence
in the farm-scale evaluation program." He added that he remained
strongly committed to the completion of the program "because
Britain urgently needs an independent test on the impact of GM technology
on the environment."
Major
Hurdles in Agbiotech Are Public Perception/Regulations
Unlike
other agricultural technologies, biotechnology faces a major hurdle
- that of public perception. Hence, the future of US agricultural
biotechnology may well be dictated by consumers worldwide, so says
Hendrik Verfaille, president and chief executive of Monsanto Co.
He added that winning consumer trust was crucial.
Verfaille
was joined by participants at the World Agriculture Congress in St.
Louis, Missouri, in calling for the establishment of science-based
global regulatory policies and more cooperation in sharing technology
between industrial and developing countries. It was noted that part
of the difficulty in establishing successful transfers of biotechnology
is that biotech does not fit neatly into regulatory structures that
are often decades old. "No one is sure what to do with the new
technology", said former US Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman.
Argentina
Sets Up Biotechnology Panel
Argentina,
one of the world's major grain and oilseed producer, has set up a
National Advisory Commission to encourage the use and development
of biotechnology products. The commission is composed of national
and international specialists in biotechnology. It will deal with
research and development, approve trials and new products, and work
on international trade negotiations, i.e. elimination of barriers
on GM goods.
The South
American country hopes that it could compete with countries that
do not subsidize agriculture by producing products more cheaply.
Presently, GM- Round Ready soybean seeds account for nearly 90% of
its total soy harvest. In addition, the US Department of Agriculture
estimates approximately 20% of Argentina's 2000-01 corn crop is planted
with biotech products. Argentina's Agriculture Secretary Marcelo
Regunaga says that the rapid acceptance of biotechnology by Argentine
farmers means the country has doubled its grain and oilseed output
over the past ten years. "We think biotechnology has a fundamental
role in this," he concludes. |
