Replies to post #91616 on Biotech Values

[Biowatch]

China to develop GMO seeds, not import them

China says has not allowed imported GMO grain seeds for planting
Tue Mar 2, 2010 8:06pm EST

BEIJING, March 3 (Reuters) - China will accelerate development of its own genetically modified (GMO) crops, seeking to secure food security and international competitiveness, an official from the country's Ministry of Agriculture said...

"We have no choice, either we import large quantities of corn or grow GMO corn. I think the government will choose to grow GMO corn," said Liu.

(Reporting by Chris Buckley and Niu Shuping; Editing by Ken Wills)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idAFTOE62109P20100303?rpc=44

[DewDiligence]

More color on the industrial potato from BASF and the dying
breed of European Luddites mentioned in #msg-47335698.

http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/mar2010/gb2010033_214241.htm

›EU Approves Inedible GMO Potato

March 3, 2010
By Leigh Phillips

The European Commission on Tuesday approved the first genetically modified crop for cultivation in Europe in 12 years, provoking the ire of environmental groups and some member states and cheers from the biotech industry.

The EU executive gave the green light to the growing of the Amflora potato, produced by Germany's BASF (BASFY), the largest chemical company in the world, alongside the entry onto the European market of three GM maize products.

Austria denounced the decision, declaring that Vienna would immediately ban the potato, while Italy's agriculture minister warned that the commission had overstepped its authority.

"We will not allow the questioning of member states' sovereignty on this matter," he said.

In the past, a majority of EU member states has opposed the authorisation of the potato, which is not intended for human consumption. Rather, its starch would be used in industrial processes. Critics say however that the crop could cross with potatoes that humans do eat. [Anything could happen, I suppose, but what is the likelihood? One in a trillion?]

EU health commissioner John Dalli announced the decision saying the EU executive was committed to a "science-based union authorisation system." "It is clear to me that there were no new scientific issues that merited further assessments... All scientific issues, particularly those concerning safety for human and animal health and the environment have been fully addressed."

He added that the delays to approval were inhibiting innovation: "My guiding principle in the context of innovative technologies will be that of responsible innovation. It is innovation that will give our citizens the best guarantee of safety and the strongest impetus for economic growth."

Green groups however are worried that the BASF potato contains a gene that confers resistance to some antibiotics.

While the European Food Safety Authority has given the potato a passing grade on a number of occasions, the World Health Organisation and the European Medicines Agency have warned of the "critical importance" of the antibiotics affected by the Amflora potato, Greenpeace said in reaction to the commission green light.

"Releasing BASF's GM potato into the environment could raise bacterial resistance to life-saving medicines, including drugs used for the treatment of tuberculosis," said the group's agriculture campaigner, Marco Contiero. [See annotation above about probabilities.]

"In six years, [EU Commission President] Barroso has been unable to bury scientific evidence questioning the safety of this GM potato," he continued, but now "health commissioner Dalli has agreed to this cold-blooded approval that flies in the face of science, public opinion and EU law."

In 2001, the EU adopted legislation phasing out products containing antibiotic resistance genes.

BASF for its part was happy with the decision. "After waiting for more than 13 years, we are delighted that the European Commission has approved Amflora," said Stefan Marcinowski, a member of the BASF board.

The company said commercial cultivation of the potato could begin as soon as this year. The potato is intended for industrial processes rather than human consumption. Its starch gives paper a higher gloss, and makes concrete and adhesives stay wet for a longer period of time, reducing the consumption of energy and raw materials.

Europabio, the European biotech industry trade association, said: "Today's approvals represent a step in the right direction and a return to science-based decision making. This is essential if European farmers are to be given the freedom to choose whether or not to cultivate innovative GM crops."‹

[genisi]

A Nature reporter talks to the chief executive of France's national agricultural institute

What it will take to feed the world

http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100414/full/464969a.html

Q: Are GMOs the silver bullets they are often made out to be?

A: It's clear that genetic progress in the past in France and other rich countries accounted for much of the increase in production, so genetics is far from passé; it's still the number-one technique for increasing yields, for example. For Africa to improve its yields, we clearly need new genetically selected varieties, engineered by either genetic modification or classic breeding techniques. For me, GMOs are not a magic bullet, but we should not refuse them a priori. It's critical to look at GMOs on a case-by-case basis. The first generation of genetically modified organisms on the market is not the one that will solve Africa's problems, although one crop, a Chinese GMO cotton that is resistant to bollworm, has proved extremely useful to the population, because it avoids the spraying of dangerous pesticides — the risk–benefit equation is clearly in favour of its use.
We are now at a stage where we have years of extensive research results on the ecological, economic and health aspects of many GMOs. There are GMOs for which the assessment is undisputedly positive, but there are others — in particular some crops engineered to be resistant to this or that herbicide — for which this is not so. For example, some GMOs result in increased use of herbicides, which can lead to concentration of these chemicals in the environment and negative effects. The results are mixed — that's why it is important not to speak of GMOs in general, but case-by-case. Pest resistance is a really promising and important application for genetic selection because there are a lot of health problems in developing countries that have been linked to the spraying of pesticides.