'This so-called manifesto is yet another attempt by big business to extend yet further their control over food production through the patenting of GM seeds; the aggressive marketing of GM varieties globally, the contamination of non-GM crops and the steady stream of misinformation to consumers regarding the benefits of this technology.'

1.GMOs will not improve agriculture or benefit consumers
2.Why they want AgBiotech to go Europe
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1.GMOs will not improve agriculture or benefit consumers say leading consumer organisations
For immediate release

London and Berlin: Two leading consumer rights organisations today condemned the ABIC2004 Manifesto, which aims to promote the rapid adoption of crops based on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Europe.

Consumers International, which has 230 member organisations in 115 countries, and the Federation of German Consumer Organisations (VZBV), Germany’s umbrella organisation representing 38 consumer groups, said that the manifesto was a thinly disguised call for uncritical state and commercial support to push the GMO agenda in Europe despite widespread consumer resistance.

The organisations were speaking on the eve of the Agricultural Biotechnology International Conference (ABIC 2004), being held in Cologne, Germany, from 12-15 September. This is the first time the conference has been held outside Canada under the theme 'Ag Biotech goes Europe'. The conference will have keynote speakers from the EU and US governments alongside representatives from some of the world's largest agribusinesses.

Edda Mueller, Executive Director of VZBV, said that the Manifesto claims to be based on scientific principles and an open dialogue with the public but ignores the concerns of consumers and farmers about the safety of GMOs. She said: 'The evidence so far shows no clear benefits of GM foods to the consumer, yet the biotech industry is asking consumers to foot the bill. Consumers should not have to subsidise the extra costs incurred by the biotech industry for controlling and safety measures. The Manifesto is a farce as it does nothing to substantiate the claim that Europe’s 500 million consumers will in any way benefit from the widespread use of GMOs.'

Julian Edwards, Director-General of Consumers International said: 'This so-called manifesto is yet another attempt by big business to extend yet further their control over food production through the patenting of GM seeds; the aggressive marketing of GM varieties globally, the contamination of non-GM crops and the steady stream of misinformation to consumers regarding the benefits of this technology.'

The global voice for consumers u La voix des consommateurs à travers le monde u La voz global para la defensa de los consumidores
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2.Why they want AgBiotech to go Europe
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=4204

ABIC2004: AgBiotech goes Europe! - may well have already turned up unsolicited in your inbox. This brings news of a "high level conference" which "aims to bring 'AgBiotech back to Europe'".

"High-ranking speakers and decision-makers" are promised from BASF, Bayer, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, and AfricaBio.

Curiously, ABIC appears to have few European connections. Here are its directors - most of whom seem to connect to Canada, and the prairie city of Saskatoon in particular.

*Bernard Laarveld - Chair: ABIC Foundation. Head of Department of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Saskatchewan, Canada. Dr. Laarveld actively supports economic and corporate development for the Saskatoon biotech community. Also co-founder of Minerva Animal Health Corporation Inc.

*Ashley O'Sullivan - President and CEO Ag-West Biotech, Saskatoon, Canada. Previously worked for Monsanto Canada.

*Armand Lavoie - Saskatoon, Canada. Vice President Western Canada of Foragen Technologies Management Inc.

*Lawrence B. Schook - Chicago, Illinois, USA.
President and CSO Pyxis Genomics which has operations in Canada and U.S.

*Graham Scoles - Associate Dean. College of Agriculture, University of Saskatchewan, Canada. Teaching and research in area of plant biotech.

*Gerry Brown - Director, Business Development Branch, Saskatchewan Research Council. Experience of broad range of corporate environments including small biotech company and Esso/Exxon family.

*Paula Fitzgerald - Executive Manager of Agrifood Awareness Australia

*Peter Welters - founder of Phytowelt GmbH, formerly known as "Biotechnology & Molecular Biology"

*Roger Kemble - President of Syngenta Biotech, Inc. (SBI), Research Triangle Park, NC, USA. Also worked for Allelix Inc. (in Canada) and Pioneer Hi-Bred, prior to Syngenta.

*Hartmut Thomas - Germany. (Tagged on at end with no other details supplied!)

Information taken from: http://www.abic.ca/ABIC%20Foundation%20Board%20of%20Directors.html

You can see why this crowd want agbiotech "to go Europe!" As it says of ABIC's Chairman:

"Dr. Laarveld actively supports economic and corporate development for the Saskatoon biotech community."