International updates on coexistence – January to March 2007
Global
- The annual report by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA) found that global plantings of GM crops grew by 13% last year, bringing the total area of GM crops to 102 million ha. The number of farmers planting GM crops grew to 10.3 million, up from 8.5 million in 2005.
- A paper from PG Economics (Dorchester UK) assesses the impact GM technology is having on global agriculture from both economic and environmental perspectives. The analysis in the paper shows that there have been substantial net economic benefits at the farm level from GM, amounting to $5 billion (USD) in 2005 and $27 billion for the ten year period. The technology has reduced pesticide spraying by 224 million kg and as a result, decreased the environmental impact associated with pesticide use by more than 15%.
- A study by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) found that the economic benefits of GM crops are made mainly from savings on herbicides, pesticides and machinery, rather than from higher yields. For example, in the US, farmers of HT soybeans reported net savings in weed control, tillage, labour and machinery costs, as well as a small increase in yield, which outweigh the higher seed. However, the study suggested that complying with certain coexistence guidelines in some EU countries could increase GM maize farmers’ costs.
- A paper from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) suggested that targeting traits to local production conditions, local varieties and consumption preferences might lead to greater acceptability of GM bananas in developing economies. Other factors include the appropriate design of biosafety regulatory frameworks, consumer attitudes toward biosafety risk, and potential challenges of marketing transgenic products in domestic and foreign markets.
- The corn (maize) variety MON863 has been grown commercially in the USA and Canada since 2003, and has been approved for import and food use in New Zealand since 2004. It is also approved for food use in Australia, the EU, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, Russia and Mexico. On 15 March 2007 NZFSA became aware of a study conducted by the CRIIGEN research group claiming to have found differences indicating liver and kidney toxicity in rats fed MON863 corn. This study was commissioned by Greenpeace and involved the re-analysis of a 90 rat feeding study which was published in the June 2005 edition of the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology. Monsanto has called into question the statistical analyses of the reinterpretation. NZFSA’s resident toxicologist has reviewed the CRIIGEN study and is of the opinion that the re-analysis confirms the original finding of FSANZ and other regulatory authorities, that MON863 corn poses no greater risk to consumers than non-genetically modified corn. NZFSA has also commissioned the New Zealand Institute of Environmental Science & Research Limited (ESR) to evaluate the CRIIGEN reinterpretation and provide an independent expert opinion.
Africa
- The South African Government has turned down an application by the Agriculture Research Council to conduct field trials on genetically modified cassava, saying it wants scientists to first show the plants are stable in contained greenhouse experiments. The cassava has been engineered to improve its starch content for industrial purposes such as biofuel production, and is not intended for animal feed or human consumption.
- South Africa declined a GM maize variety intended as biofuel, because it hadn’t been demonstrated to be safe for human or animal consumption if it accidentally entered the food or feed chain.
Europe
- A model developed by the Reading University (United Kingdom (UK)) Centre for Agri-Environmental research suggests that switching to herbicide tolerant (HT) GM maize would have only a limited effect on the habitat of wild birds, insects and other plants. The scientists argued that the decline in farmland bird populations are more likely to be affected by the loss of food and nesting habitats in cropped areas of farms.
- Researchers at the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Cambridgeshire, UK found little evidence of a cumulative effect on plant and insect biodiversity resulting from continuous cropping of HT maize on the fields used previously for the UK’s farm-scale evaluations of different GM crops.
- The results of a field-scale trial conducted at the Martin Luther University at over 30 sites in Germany have demonstrated that coexistence between Bt and non-Bt maize is possible; levels of the Bt transgene in non-Bt maize can be kept below 0.9% (the EU threshold for requiring food and feed labelling). The report recommend separating non-GM and GM maize with a 20 metre wide “pollen barrier” of non-GM maize (although the data suggested that 10 metres would be sufficient to meet the 0.9% labelling threshold).
- The EU Council of Ministers in December 2006 rejected the European Commission's attempt to order Austria to drop its ban on two transgenic corn varieties. The commission sought to overturn the bans earlier last year, but the EU environmental ministers rejected that effort as well. The commission's latest proposal responded to the recent World Trade Organization ruling against the EU's biotech regulatory regime, which criticized bans by six member states on transgenic crops previously approved by the EU.
- On 20 February 2007, the EU environmental ministers voted down the European Commission’s proposal for Hungary to repeal its prohibition on the use and sale of GM corn variety “MON 810”. The proposal was rejected by a qualified majority of Member States with UK, Finland, Sweden and the Netherlands supporting it and Romania abstaining.
- The French agriculture ministry was cited as saying it has authorised 13 field trials for GM organisms (12 for maize and 1 for tobacco) in 2007, adding that the EU directive on the deliberate release of GMOs will be adopted by decree "before the end of March". A 14th field trial for GM potatoes was rejected.
- On 20 March 2007, the EU Standing Committee for the Food Chain and Animal Health voted in favour of a 0.9% threshold for five GM varieties that are no longer commercially available ("first-generation" GM crops that are no longer sold by Bayer, Monsanto and Syngenta, but have been replaced with improved varieties). Since the companies no longer market these crops anywhere in the world, they are not seeking renewal for EU market approval. However, the Commission has recognised that "minute traces" of these five GM products "might remain present in food or feed products for a certain period of time".
- The European Commission has authorised the placing on the market of three herbicide tolerant oilseed rape varieties. This decision is valid for 10 years and covers the use of the oilseed rapes for imports and processing into animal feed or for industrial purposes. It includes measures to be taken by the company who developed the GM oilseed rapes to prevent any damage to health and the environment in the event of accidental spillage. Processed oil derived from these GM oilseed rapes has already been approved for food use in 1999 and 2000 in the EU.
- In February 2007 Russia approved two biotech corn varieties for use in animal feed. Russia's Federal Agency for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Control (Rosselkhoznadzor) approved the two events, bringing the total number of biotech events approved in Russia for feed use to six.
- The UK Food Standards Authority (FSA) has won a Judicial Review brought in February by Friends of the Earth regarding the application of EU law in handling the issue of the unintended presence of unauthorised GM rice in the US long grain rice supply. The FSA defended the challenge on the basis that the UK complied fully with its obligations under EU law.
Asia
- The South Korean government was cited as saying that all products with GM organisms must be clearly labelled as such.
- The plan, which goes into effect on 29 June 2007, is an expansion of current identification requirements. Under the current rules, it is only mandatory to identify genetically modified beans, bean sprouts, corn and potatoes.
- In January 2007, Sri Lanka's Ministry of Health introduced labelling regulations that require all products containing more than 0.1% GM material to be clearly labelled as such by sellers or importers. Breach of the regulations attracts a fine of up to 10,000 rupees (US$100). Negative labelling, e.g. 'GM-free' or 'non-GM', is allowed under the terms of the new regulations.
- China has rejected the commercial release of a pest-resistant GM rice due to a lack of safety-related data, although the rice was approved for “experimental production”.
- A study by the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) indicated an increasing level of awareness among farmers and consumers about the benefits of genetically improved crops, and a high level of acceptance when it comes to rice. The study showed 66 percent of the 739 respondents affirmed their acceptance of GM rice and are willing to sell, plant or buy it.
- A survey of 1100 consumers in 11 cities along China’s eastern coast (including Beijing and Shanghai) found that at least 60% were willing to buy GM foods without price discounts. At the other end of the spectrum, however, 20% refused to buy GM foods at all, and respondents were willing to pay a price premium between 25 and 53% for non-GM soybean oil and between 42 and 74% for non-GM rice.
Australia
- The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE) considered both market acceptance of GM canola and the costs of keeping GM and non-GM grains separate in handling and storage in a report released in March: “GM Grains in Australia: Identity Preservation”. Identity preservation is the process by which a crop is grown, handled, delivered and processed under controlled conditions to assure the customer that the crop has maintained its unique identity from seed producer to end user. ABARE has reported that any requirement to keep non-GM canola separate from GM canola throughout the supply chain would impose manageable (on average 4-6%) costs on Australia’s canola industry, mostly at the farm gate. A reasonable level of cleaning of the grain receival system between handling different types of grain should prevent significant levels of unintended presence of GM material in non-GM canola and other grains. The greatest potential source for the unintended presence of GM material is likely to be in the seed supply used for planting the crop.
- Researchers at Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) have recommended that scientists and food manufacturers test new products derived from novel technologies for positive perception by consumers. They say that potential benefits of GM are not often recognized by consumers, because the benefits of the early GM (first generation) products were producer oriented.
New Zealand
- Auckland Regional Council voted on 19 Februray 2007 to oppose the release of GM organisms in the field or as food in the Auckland region, largely in response to public submissions on the Council’s annual plan. The Council stated that the decision is a symbolic decision that acknowledges that Central Government, not regional and local government, has responsibility for developing and enforcing decisions about genetically modified organisms.
- An application was received from Monsanto Australia Limited to amend the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code to approve food derived from a genetically modified (GM) high lysine corn LY038 (briefings 06/08 and 06/67 refer). In its Final Assessment Report FSANZ recommended that high lysine corn line LY038 be approved for food use in New Zealand and Australia. The Ministerial Council considered the Final Assessment Report on 12 February 2007. The New Zealand Minister for Food Safety sought a first Review of Application A549 on the grounds that approval of the application would not promote consistency between domestic and international food standards. Specifically, the Minister was of the opinion that the FSANZ Guidelines for the Safety Assessment of Genetically Modified Foods were not clear on the selection or use of an appropriate comparator to serve as a conventional counterpart food and ought to be revised to elaborate on this. FSANZ has completed its first Review of the Application, and NZFSA is currently considering this review.
North America
- A three-year study by the Department of Entomology, University of Georgia (USA) found no significant differences in numbers of “non-target” arthropods (mostly insects) between Bt and non-Bt cotton fields.
- The US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is clarifying the existing approach for handling situations in which regulated GM plant material becomes mixed at low levels with commercial seeds and grain. This policy is not new, but rather articulates how APHIS currently evaluates and responds to these incidents.
- The policy is that when low-level presence incidents occur, APHIS’s policy responds with actions appropriate to the level of risk, determined by a scientific assessment and warranted by the facts in each case.
- The American Peanut Council, which represents growers, shellers, exporters and manufacturers, is backing the development of GM peanuts that could be less likely to trigger allergic reactions, more nutritious or easier to grow.
- A workshop in the USA co-sponsored by the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology (PIFB) and APHIS heard that GM specialty crops face a higher regulatory burden, due to the relative cost and difficulty of gathering data and information. Participants suggested options that could ease the regulatory burden including the development of tiered risk assessments; regulation revisions; and the development of data and information modules for standardized use with product applications.
- USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) plans to propose amending its regulations governing transgenic plants to allow sharing of confidential business information with authorized state, tribal and federal officials. The proposed amendments, scheduled for publication in March with a comment period ending in May, "would create mechanisms for sharing confidential business information submitted under the regulations pursuant to a permit application or notification, " APHIS noted that: "This action is necessary to facilitate interagency communication and cooperation, to increase the transparency of regulatory decision-making and to maintain rigorous yet appropriate regulation of GM organisms."
- The Hawaiian Senate passed a bill banning the testing and growing of GM taro for 10 years. The University of Hawaii has since voluntarily suspended work on GM Hawaiian taro, although it is continuing research on GM Chinese taro.
- A new fact sheet and web database released on 13 February 2007 by the PIFB reveals that agricultural biotechnology continues to be of interest to state legislatures, particularly with respect to concerns about marketing, economics and liability – issues that historically have not been the focus of federal regulatory efforts. During the 2005-2006 legislative session, 134 pieces of legislation related to agricultural biotechnology were introduced in 33 states and the District of Columbia.
- On 12 March 2007 the US District Court for the Northern District of California issued a temporary injunction restricting the further purchase and planting of “Roundup Ready” GM alfalfa (lucerne) seed across the United States, on the basis that APHIS may not have followed proper processes in approving the alfalfa. These restrictions will be in place until further hearings are held.
- Syngenta Seeds has agreed to pay a $1.5 million penalty to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for selling and distributing seed corn two years ago that contained the variety Bt10, on the basis that it is an unregistered pesticide. While the federal government has concluded that there are no human health or environmental concerns with Bt10 corn, it is still illegal to distribute any pesticide not registered under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, the EPA stressed.
- On 4 March 2007, APHIS issued emergency action notifications (EANs) for Clearfield 131 (CL131) rice due the presence of some GM material. On 22 March 2007 the source of this material was identified as LLRICE604, which is an unapproved HT variety developed by Bayer. Because LLRICE604 is unapproved for use in the USA (it is “regulated”) APHIS’ EANs will stay in place until APHIS can ensure the rice seed has “has gone through a process that eliminates the possibility it can be germinated or grown”.
South America
- Mexico is conducting tests on US rice imports to identify whether they contain the LL Rice 601 strain, a GM variety not approved for human consumption, which was unintentionally present in the US commercial rice supply in 2006. The USA Rice Federation was cited as saying on Wednesday 14 March 2007 Mexican officials had stopped rice shipments at the border and were asking for certification that the grain is free of the GM material.
- The lower Congressional House in Brazil voted, on 20 December 2006, to legalise the use of transgenic cotton harvested in central-western Brazil in 2005/06, to reduce buffer areas for cultivation of transgenic crops around environmental conservation units, as well as for a reduction in the decision-making quorum of the principal biosafety body in Brazil, the Brazilian National Technical Biosafety Commission (CTNBio).
- After lengthy debate, Brazil's National Technical Commission for Biosafety (CTNBio) has failed to authorise commercial sales of Bayer CropScience's Liberty Link corn.
- The Colombian Institute of Agriculture approved 100kg of imported GM corn seed, half designed to resist herbicides and the other half designed to repel insect pests.
Contact for Enquiries
Dr Sharon Adamson
Manager,
Innovation Policy
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
PO Box 2526
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 4 894 0618
Fax: +64 4 4 894 0741
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