1.Brazilian illegal transgenic cotton fields will be destroyed
2.GM trial destructions in Germany
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1.Brazilian illegal transgenic cotton fields will be destroyed
Brazil, Posted: Jun 21, 2006 http://www.monsantowatch.org
The Brazilian National Biosafety Commission (CNTBio) decided to destroyed the illegal transgenic cotton plantations.
Yesterday, the Brazilian National Biosafety Commission (CNTBio), decided to recommend the chemical and mechanical destruction of the illegal transgenic cotton plantations in addition to a field survey for a period of six months of the fields where the crop will be destroyed.
The Ministry of Agriculture (MA) had informed the National Biosafety Commission that it had prohibited the cultivation of sixteen thousand hectares of plantations sowed with smuggled GE cotton seeds in more more than twenty exploitations in the States of Mato Grosso, Goias, Bahia, Mato Grosso do Sul and Minas Gerais. The MA estimates that this year total surface of "authorized" GE cotton will be of two hundred thousand hectares.
For the moment, the only transgenic cotton variety authorized by the CNTBio is the Bollgard from the multinational Monsanto which is resistant to the insects. However, since the month of May of this year, the services of the MA have detected, others Bollgard varieties as well as Round Ready ones, also produced by the amercian multinational.
The destruction of the illegal cotton fields will be carried out by application of a drying chemical and gridding of all the crops found on the fields that will then be incorporated in the organic material of the soil.
More information. Etienne Vernet. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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2.Field destruction is not a victimless crime
Losses to breeders and farmers cost millions
FROM: Today in AgBioView from www.agbioworld.org: June 22, 2006 [excerpts only]
SOURCE: Federated Association of German Plant Breeders Press Release (translated)
- Bundesverband Deutscher Pflanzenzüchter e.V., June 8, 2006 http://www.bdp-online.de/pressetxt.php?id=60
The destruction field trials of genetically modified plants by militant opponents of green biotechnology is creating great distress among scientists and plant breeders.
...The damage caused by the destruction of the field trials is considerable. Uprooted and destroyed plants do not represent the loss of ordinary crops, but rather the loss of valuable breeding material which contributes to the development of new varieties and new technologies. The immediate physical damages inflicted by the destruction of outdoor field trials amounts to EU250,000 to EU300,000. The value of the research imperiled by destruction of any individual field trial runs into the millions.
Things are little different for seed certification tests.... If an evaluation for the certification of a new variety is lost, damages ranging into the millions result for the seed developer and with it, an entire year of market opportunity.
"We appeal to attentive citizens who understand injustice, and who share our rejection of the use of force against persons and property to press a political argument. We are very grateful for the civil courage of vigilant residents near the location of the recent raid in Baden-Wuerttemberg, who reported the destruction to police. With support of the public, hopefully expressed by the press, television and politicians, it will become clear to the opponents that this form of argumentation will be ineffective."