first it was Shapiro. This technology only brings grief to its promoters:
1. Aventis Fires Top Managers
2. Industry mobilizes to modify Mexico's labeling measures
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Aventis Fires Top Managers In Wake of StarLink Episode
By VANESSA FUHRMANS
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL February 12, 2001
Aventis SA fired the head of its U.S. crop-science division and two other top managers, according to people close to the company, the first such ousters at the company after traces of its genetically modified StarLink corn, not yet approved for human consumption, were discovered in taco shells and other food products late last year.
Company officials confirmed that Maurice Delage, president of Aventis CropScience USA, left the company Friday, along with Ed Makowski, vice president of market development, and Karen Weiner, general counsel. While the company wouldn't attribute their departures directly to the StarLink episode, people close to the company said Alain Godard, chairman of Aventis CropScience world-wide, asked for their resignations to "restore confidence" in the wake of debacle. "This is an opportunity to move forward with new management," a spokeswoman said.
Once considered a potential blockbuster for Aventis CropScience, StarLink has become an embarrassing lesson in how difficult it is to regulate genetically modified products. U.S. regulators allowed Aventis to license the technology to seed companies, even though it wasn't yet approved for human consumption, on condition that it be used only for livestock or industrial purposes. But somewhere along the commercial chain that includes seed distributors, farmers and elevator operators, small amounts of StarLink became mixed with the U.S. food-corn supply, triggering recalls of taco shells by food producers, a drop in U.S. corn exports and the withdrawal of StarLink from the U.S. market.
The blunder already has cost Aventis 100 million euros ($91.9 million) -- the amount it set aside in the fourth quarter of last year to buy up last year's StarLink crop to prevent further contamination and fund other measures. But company officials say the amount could be several times that much. Last month, Aventis's U.S. crop-science division signed a binding agreement with 17 state attorneys general to reimburse farmers who lost money growing the corn. Reached at his home in Morrisville, N.C., near Aventis CropScience's U.S. headquarters, Mr. Delage declined to comment on his departure from Aventis CropScience. A former executive at Agrevo, Hoechst AG's agricultural-sciences business before it merged with Rhone Poulenc to form Aventis last year, Mr. Delage had been with the company for more than 20 years. Ms. Weiner also declined comment. Mr. Makowski couldn't be reached for comment.
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2. Industry mobilizes to modify Mexico's labeling measures
(February 12, 2001 -- Cropchoice news)
The U.S. agricultural industry is pressuring Mexico not to implement mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods.
The Mexican Senate added a provision to the country's general health code that would require such labels. The Mexican Chamber of Deputies will review and act on the measure next month.
Possibly fearing that consumers in yet another market might not buy its transgenic fare, 20 U.S. agriculture groups sent a letter to Secretary of State Colin Powell in which they asked that President Bush air their concerns when he visits Mexico in March. --- "Greenpeace has identified a weak point in the strategy of using Golden Rice for reducing vitamin A-deficiency" Ingo Potrykus, 10 Feb 2001
There is a terrific collection of fully referenced quotes in the following Greenpeace document (available as a pdf file via http://www.greenpeace.org/~geneng/).
'Genetically Engineered Pro-vitamin A ‘Golden Rice’ Reality vs. Fiction' very effectively contrasts what is known about Golden Rice with the deceitful way in which it is being promoted by pro-GM politicians, scientists, agbiotech companies and media outlets.
Because many in the media will be unwilling to expose a spin campaign in which they themselves are implicated, it is of the greatest importance that this document is distributed as widely as possible.
Download, print and send to everone you know!