Biotech industry confidence in GM crops ahead of EU clearance rings hollow
Rikki Stancich
13 Sep 04
http://www.ethicalcorp.com

On the heels of the EU's clearance of 17 varieties of GM maize, which can now be grown on an unrestricted basis throughout Europe, speakers at an event organized by the biotech industry urged Europeans to accept the technology as 'safe'.

The speakers suggested that there has been no evidence to date indicating that GM food presents a danger to health, nor do GMOs present any environmental threats.

Both claims are hotly debated by NGOs and environmental groups. Former UK minister for the Environment, Micheal Meacher previously pointed out that there have been no epidemiological studies to support the claim and that have been virtually no independent studies of the health effects of GM.

Instead, biotech firms have carried out the majority of studies focused on the impact of GM products on human health.

Despite direct links not yet having been made, the introduction of GMOs in food has coincided with a doubling in food-derived illnesses over the past seven years in the US.

Furthermore, the UK has reported a 50 percent increase in soya allergies since imports of GM soya began.

Even greater risks are presented with the creation of plants containing pesticides and herbicides, where human exposure to toxic residues can be acute.

According to research, there appears to be a ten percent re-conversion rate of the degraded herbicide back into the original toxic form that takes place in the human gut.

Where environmental effects are concerned, last week's discovery of widespread GM contamination of papaya plantations in Hawaii suggests that there is a very real threat to native, unmodified flora and fauna.

Composite samples from the Big Island and Oahu both revealed GMO contamination. Nearly 20,000 papaya seeds from across the Big Island, 80% of which came from organic farms and the rest from backyard gardens or wild trees, showed a contamination level of 50%.

Oahu's composite of papayas, primarily from organic farms, showed contamination of over 5%, and trace levels of contamination were found on an organic farm on Kauai.

According to Mark Query of GMO-Free Hawaii, "Papaya contamination is a case study in the threat that GMO contamination presents to local agriculture. It is now obvious that coexistence of traditional and GMO crops is impossible."

MON 810 maize has been approved in the EU since 1998 and the 17 varieties of maize derived from this corn are already inscribed in national catalogues. Six are currently listed in France and eleven are listed in Spain.

Commenting on the recent clearance, David Byrne, commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection stated, "The maize has been thoroughly assessed to be safe for human health and environment. It has been grown in Spain for years without any known problems. It will be clearly labelled as GM maize to allow farmers a choice."

According to a leaked communication from Commissioner David Byrne, however, any member state may object to the marketing on their territory of any such GM variety if they consider there is a risk for human health, the environment or agronomic reasons.

Whether the fact that European institutions have changed their stance on GMOs suggests that the public will automatically follow suit remains to be seen.

A survey carried out last week by Which magazine revealed that public opposition to GM food and crops has grown, with 61 per cent concerned about the use of GM in food production.

While several speakers at the conference on GM foods were confident that the European market was ripe for opening, critics have suggested that, even where sufficient research has been carried out, it will take years to overcome consumer wariness toward genetically modified foodstuffs.

Commenting on the green light given to farmers to grow genetically-modified maize, Friends of the Earth Europe's Geert Ritsema said, "Allowing the widespread growing of GM crops before countries have had the chance to put measures in place to protect consumers and the environment is a reckless move that could lead to the widespread contamination of Europe's food, farming and environment and take away people's ability to avoid GM."

According to Friends of the Earth, the Commission's plan to allow GM-contaminated seed contradicts a resolution adopted by the European Parliament in December 2003.

The Parliament called on the Commission and Member States "not to proceed with the approval of the release of any further genetically modified varieties of plants until such time as binding rules on coexistence, backed up by a system of liability based firmly on the 'polluter pays' principle, have been agreed and implemented."