1.US Hopeful Of Agreement Over GM Crops
2.EU fails to approve GM soybean, ministers to decide
3.Leading German dairy brand claims GM-free breakthrough
4.Comment on the animal feed issue by GM-free Ireland
NOTE: Incisive comments on the animal feed issue - item 4.
EXTRACT: ...in 2007, a million citizens of EU member states signed a petition demanding mandatory labelling of GM-fed meat, poultry and dairy produce, based on the fundamental right to information for consumer choice.
In 2008, leading EU retailers began extending their existing GM food bans to exclude such produce. 43 European Regions have since adopted Quality Agriculture non-GM strategies to add value to their meat and dairy produce, which may now carry a GM-free label in Germany.
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1.US Hopeful Of Agreement Over GM Crops - US Ambassador To EU
By Matthew Dalton
Dow Jones Newswires, 30 September 2008
http://www.lloyds.com/CmsPhoenix/DowJonesArticle.aspx?id=406712
BRUSSELS -- U.S. hopes to come to an agreement with the European Union over genetically modified crops, without the need to involve the World Trade Organization, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union said Tuesday.
In an interview with Dow Jones, U.S. Ambassador Kristen Silverberg said the US "continue to try to resolve" a dispute between the U.S. and the E.U. over Europe's rules on genetically modified organisms without filing a complaint at the WTO and that there were "ongoing conversations."
The WTO has previously said the E.U.'s restrictions on genetically modified crops violate trade rules.
The E.U.'s strict regulations on genetically modified crops severely limit the import of some crops such as new biotech soybeans likely to be planted in the U.S.
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2.EU fails to approve GM soybean, ministers to decide
By Jeremy Smith
Reuters, 29 September 2008
http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSTRE48S5H020080929
BRUSSELS - European Union biotech experts clashed on Monday on whether to authorize imports of a genetically modified soybean made by Monsanto, leaving the final decision to EU farm ministers, the EU executive said.
The soybean, a second-generation GM product known by its code number MON 89788, is designed to resist glyphosate Roundup Ready herbicides and also produce increased yields for farmers.
Monsanto's application for EU approval is for use in food and feed, not for cultivation in Europe's fields.
Europe's livestock and feed manufacturing industries have a keen interest in the EU authorizing more soybean imports since they depend heavily on shipments of soy products -- beans, meal -- as a source of protein-rich and high-quality feed.
EU countries only produce a minimal amount of soybeans in terms of overall EU consumption, so imports are crucial. Soybean meal is the primary source of protein for the EU animal feed market, representing more than 60 percent of vegetable protein. [see GM-free Ireland's comments on these claims - item 4]
Rapeseed meal is the second source of raw material for feedmakers but its protein content is much lower, between 30 and 35 percent. However, it has the advantage of mainly being produced in Europe.
After Monday's inconclusive vote by the national EU experts, the application will now be sent to ministers for discussion.
However, if the ministers disagree after three months and fail to muster enough consensus under the EU's weighted voting system either to approve or reject the application, the European Commission -- the EU executive -- will issue a default approval.
"As a result of today's inconclusive vote, the Commission will now transmit the dossier to the Council (of EU farm ministers) for a decision," the Commission said in a statement.
"If the Council does not reach a position within three months, the proposal will be sent back to the Commission for final adoption," it said.
Diplomats said 12 states voted in favor: Belgium, Britain, Bulgaria, Denmark, Spain, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands and Czech Republic. Six were against: Greece, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Hungary, Austria and Poland.
The rest, apart from absentees Lithuania and Malta, abstained in the vote.
EU law allows for rubberstamp GMO authorizations when ministers cannot agree after a certain time. Since 2004, the Brussels-based European Commission has approved a string of GM products, nearly all maize, in this way, outraging green groups.
That happened earlier this month with another modified soybean, developed and marketed by Bayer CropScience and known by its codenumber A2704-12
While the EU has now approved a string of GM products by default rubberstamp, it does not yet allow the presence of any other GMO on EU territory, even in tiny amounts, until the EU approval for that specific GM product is granted.
(Editing by Michael Roddy)
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3.Campina brand claims GM free breakthrough
By Neil Merrett
Food Navigator, 1 Oct 2008
http://www.foodnavigator.com/Publications/Food-Beverage-Nutrition/DairyReporter/Industry-markets/Campina-brand-claims-GM-free-breakthrough
Campina says it has committed to a new feed scheme for one of its leading German dairy brands as part of a wider commitment to removing genetically modified (GM) organisms from across its portfolio of products.
The cooperative says that its latest commitment will ensure that only grains sourced from within Germany and the EU, which are guaranteed to be free from GM products, will be used to feed cattle supplying its Landliebe brand of milk.
Within the EU, GM use continues to be met with opposition from both legislators and campaigners over claims that long-term health impacts of consumption are not known. The EU also requires processors to label products with more than 0.9 per cent GM ingredients, a major barrier for industry.
Landliebe commitment
Campina says that the new Landliebe commitment, which comes into place from 1 October, will see the brand relabelled with a logo guaranteeing the products are GM free. The company claim says the claims are already true for all of its brands, though difficult to guarantee.
Group spokesperson Ria van der Peet told DairyReporter.com that the brand had previously used feed grains sourced from outside of Germany, though the group were now only using goods from within the EU.
According to Ria van der Peet, Landliebe is the first German dairy brand to do make such a commitment, which reflects Campina's work with the World Wildlife Fund's (WWF) Green Soya scheme.
She said that the company was moving by 2011 to ensure sustainable sourcing of natural feed for its dairy herds by focusing on composition of livestock nutrition along with outdoor grazing.
"It's a tough target, but we think we can make it," stated van der Peet.
Project cost
In terms of the price for moving towards the new feeding programs, Campina claim that its suppliers will be receiving an additional €0.01 for every litre of milk produced, though these charges would not be felt at consumer level.
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4.Comment on the animal feed issue by GM-free Ireland
30 September 2008
http://www.gmfreeireland.org/news/index.php
The agri-biotech industry propaganda machine has convinced gullible Irish farmers, animal feed importers and feed compounders that they have no choice but to accept more and more GM animal feed. They are also being told that the EU's "zero tolerance" policy for unnapproved GM ingredients must be scrapped to prevent a shortage of animal feed.
Nothing could be futher from the truth.
Ireland is the EU's biggest importer of GM animal feed, widely used to produce non-organic meat, poultry and dairy produce (sold without a GM label). The industrial mass-production of the two main feed crops, GM soya and maize, requires large-scale monocultures and increased use of toxic weedkillers, pesticides and fungicides, with devastating agronomic, health, environmental, economic and social consequences at the far end of the food chain. In South America, soy production for EU livestock has caused the destruction of 21 million hectares of forest in Brazil, 14 million in Argentina, and two million in Paraguay. The Irish cattle, sheep, pig and poultry sectors are eating up the Amazon!
But in 2007, a million citizens of EU member states signed a petition demanding mandatory labelling of GM-fed meat, poultry and dairy produce, based on the fundamental right to information for consumer choice. In 2008, leading EU retailers began extending their existing GM food bans to exclude such produce. 43 European Regions have since adopted Quality Agriculture non-GM strategies to add value to their meat and dairy produce, which may now carry a GM-free label in Germany. The good news is that Ireland's mostly grass-fed beef and sheep consume less GM feed than many of their EU competitors. This gives our farmers a valuable head start in the transition to a GM-free food chain.
Teagasc, the Irish Farmers Association, the Irish Grain and Feed Association - and their friends in government, academia and the media ó must stop spreading the agri-biotech industry lie that non-GM animal feed is unavailable or unaffordable. European maize is abundant and 99% GM-free; Brazil can supply the entire EU market for soy meal from certified sustainable non-GM sources. And peak oil will soon favour local production of feed crops over expensive imports.
Five steps are required for Ireland to kick the GM habit:
*Animal feed importers must stop witholding non-GM feed available to other EU farmers;
*Security of supply requires regional coordination and forward planning;
*A non-GM certification scheme is needed for meat, poultry & dairy produce;
*Our food security requires local self-reliance for food and feed production;
*The Government should require mandatory labelling for meat, poultry and dairy produce from livestock fed on GM animal feed.
*Consumers can take the lead by supporting GM-free farmers and food producers.
Instead of competing in a race to the bottom against cheap GM-fed meat imports, Ireland can become the EU market leader for quality GM-free meat and dairy produce: a unique sellling point for our food, farm and tourism sectors!
The second international Non-GMO soy summit
Irish farmers, feed importers and compounders and food processors seeking certified Non-GMO soya products should participate in the 2nd International Non-GMO Soy Summit which will take place in Brussels on 7 - 9 October 2008.
The event provides an interactive platform for industry members to develop new strategies and alliances to meet the growing demand for non-GMO soy and derivatives and also select the winner of the Summit Development Grant for 2008.
For more information and registration: http://www.nongmosoysummit.com
A report on the 2007 Soy Summit can be downloaded from:
http://www.gmfreeireland.org/feed/documents/GMFI-GM-free-Soya-conf.pdf