Fwd: EU vote postponed + Vatican GMO conference

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" News Update from The Campaign "

EU vote postponed + Vatican GMO conference

Wed, 12 Nov 2003 05:47:44 -0600

 

News Update From The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods

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Dear News Update Subscribers,

 

The vote on Monday by the European Union (EU) about whether or not to

allow new genetically engineered food to be imported was postponed until

December.

 

According to a European Commission spokesman, " A fierce discussion took

place today. " When asked to predict the outcome of the December vote,

she said, " I can't do that. People do get quite worked up about this. "

 

The first two articles posted below will provide further details on the

meeting that took place on Monday in Brussels.

 

Articles three and four discuss a recent two-day conference on genetic

engineering held by the Vatican titled " GMO: Threat or Hope. "

 

It appears the Vatican conference was dominated by supporters of

biotechnology. However, there was vocal opposition as the two articles

will explain.

 

Craig Winters

Executive Director

The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods

 

The Campaign

PO Box 55699

Seattle, WA 98155

Tel: 425-771-4049

Fax: 603-825-5841

E-mail: label

Web Site: http://www.thecampaign.org

 

Mission Statement: " To create a national grassroots consumer campaign

for the purpose of lobbying Congress and the President to pass

legislation that will require the labeling of genetically engineered

foods in the United States. "

 

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EU Postpones Decision on Allowing GM Foods

10.11.2003

http://www.dw-world.de Deutsche Welle

 

After contentious debate, the European Union has put off decision that

would allow genetically modified sweetcorn to return to store shelves.

The EU is under pressure to end its ban on GM foods, but consumers are

wary.

 

In Brussels on Monday, environmentalists placed a giant inflatable

tomato in front of EU buildings, driving home their message that

genetically modified (GM) foods should have no place on European store

shelves or in farmers' fields. That message got through to members of a

committee studying the possibility of allowing biotech crops into the

EU, who decided more time was needed before making a decision on

authorizing the import of a genetically modified sweetcorn. The

committee postponed the decision until December.

 

" A fierce discussion took place today, " said European Commission

spokesman Reijo Kemppinen, who briefed reporters about the debate that

took place in an EU specialist committee set up to examine giving the

green light to GM foods and crops.

 

The debate was over whether to allow Bt-11 maize, marketed by the Swiss

agrochemicals company Syngenta, to be imported into the EU as a food

product to be eaten from the can. While a dossier laying out the pros

and cons of importing the maize into Europe has been ready for months,

the EU's executive commission had been waiting for Monday's debate to

see where member countries fall on the issue and to gauge the public

mood concerning the issue.

 

The mood does not seem to be improving. Surveys show 70 percent of

Europeans oppose GM foods and crops.

 

Five-year ban

 

An unofficial ban has been in place since 1998, when the EU approved its

last batch of GM food products. The next year, France and Germany led

calls for a de facto moratorium on new GM food approval and won the

backing of several other EU states. They formed a minority block that

has been able to block any vote on a new approval.

 

But the EU is under pressure from other trading partners, including the

United States, Canada and Argentina, to drop the ban. The U.S. filed a

complaint with the WTO this year, saying the moratorium is illegal and

without any scientific foundation. Farmers in the U.S. say it costs them

millions of dollars a year in lost sales.

 

For the planned December vote, the European Commission will need a

qualified majority of members states to approve or reject the Bt-11

maize. A 'yes' vote next month would put an end to the unofficial

blockade and clear the way for a variety of new GM products. France is

seen as playing a crucial vote, since Paris was part of the most vocal

anti-GM campaigners. However, it has been softening is opposition to

biotech food over the past several months.

 

Strong opposition

 

But opposition to GM crops among European consumers continues to run

high. Genetically modified foods are popularly referred to as " Franken

Food " and consumers say they are extremely wary about buying food

products whose genes have been spliced in laboratories. Retailers say

they see no reason to offer more GM foods for sale until demand rises.

 

Farmers, even those not specifically opposed to biotech crops, are also

reluctant to go the biotech route, since sowing land with GM seeds is an

economic gamble few are willing to take in the current environment.

Others do not trust the science.

 

" I'm afraid we simply don't have enough information to make the right

decision. I'm also concerned that the tests we have so far are not

conclusive enough to judge the long-term consequences, " said Carsten

Fedder, a farmer who chooses to grow a conventional rapeseed crops, even

though several GM varieties have built-in insecticides.

 

Proponents of GM foods say the fear among consumers is unfounded, since

other countries, namely the U.S., have been growing and eating biotech

crops for years. They point to the many advantages modern genetic

technology can provide, such as maize varieties which flourish even in

the midst of drought or picture-perfect tomatoes that are extremely high

in vitamin content. Scientists are even exploring creating foods that

contain agents that are helpful in preventing diseases like uterine

cancer.

 

" We've basically shown that a potato can produce a vaccine, " said Sophie

Biemelt, a researcher the Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant

Research in Gatersleben. " One could imagine one day getting vaccines

from the food you eat. "

 

But such arguments have thus far failed to sway a majority of Europeans.

Farmer Carsten Fedder said he prefers the genetics that nature gave his

potatoes, or the rye that he also grows. If he chose to grow the

generically modified version of the grain, he would have higher yields,

such as American farmers enjoy. Still, Fedder, whose children influence

his views, insists he is not concerned.

 

" The market here in Europe is large enough, really. As long as it's

protected against genetically modified seeds, our opportunities are

good, " he said.

 

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EU delays vote on lifting bio-engineered food ban

 

10 November 2003

EU Business

 

The European Union postponed Monday a vote on a request to import

genetically-modified (GM) foodstuffs and thus end a five-year ban on

such products, as demanded by the United States and others.

 

The European Commission announced that a vote will be held in December,

after a number of EU countries sought " clarification " before taking a

decision on the admission of a bio-engineered form of sweetcorn.

 

The environmental group Greenpeace welcomed the delay. " There is no

benefit from GM tinned sweet corn, only environmental and health

concerns, " said Eric Gall of Greenpeace.

 

" It is not a one month delay that is required but a rejection of this

authorisation. "

 

The bloc's decision is being closely watched by its trade partners,

notably by the United States which claims that the de facto ban violates

global trade rules.

 

The EU introduced a moratorium on GM foodstuffs in 1999, at the

initiative of five countries -- France, Italy, Greece, Denmark and

Luxembourg, who were later joined by Belgium and Austria.

 

After political pressure failed, the United States, Canada and Argentina

asked the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in August to rule over the de

facto EU moratorium.

 

That action came just weeks after the commission introduced two new

directives on GM foodstuffs, which it said would open the way to lifting

the five-year-old moratorium on the import and cultivation of

bio-engineered food.

 

One directive required that foods and animal feed be labelled if they

contain at least 0.9 percent of GM ingredients; the other required that

GM foods' origin can be traced. The two directives passed into EU law in

October.

 

Monday's test involved a commission proposal to allow the import a form

of sweetcorn, known as Bt-11, by Swiss firm Syngenta. The insect- and

herbicide-resistant strain is currently sold in the United States.

 

Experts from the 15-nation bloc's member states discussed the issue with

the commission in Brussels, but a vote on the issue was put off until

December, said a commission spokesman.

 

" A short debate took place where member states sought clarifications on

the text, " said a spokesman, adding that the vote is expected during the

week beginning December 8.

 

" It's totally reasonable. They've only just had the first discussion, "

added spokeswoman Beate Gminder. " We obviously want to give people the

opportunity to reflect on this. "

 

Public opinion in Europe remains largely hostile to GM foods.

 

British field trial data announced last month showed dramatic effects on

wildlife from two of the three GM crops tested. The research came on the

back of a nationwide consultation that revealed high levels of public

mistrust of the technology and its consumer benefits.

 

Greenpeace urged Brussels to focus on " European consumers, farmers and

the food industry and take action to ban the cultivation of

genetically-modified organisms, for which there is already evidence of

irreversible contamination of our food and of our agriculture.

 

" It would be a shame to authorise this maize for the sole purpose of

appeasing the US administration and the WTO. Member States should rather

make clear that narrow corporate interests promoted by the WTO will not

be allowed to decide which environmental and health standards the EU

will apply. "

 

The commission spokeswoman declined to predict the outcome of the

December vote. " I can't do that. People do get quite worked up about

this, " she said.

 

Copyright 2003 AFP

 

***************************************************************

 

Vatican concludes conference on biotech foods with discussion of moral

implications

 

NICOLE WINFIELD, Associated Press Writer

Tuesday, November 11, 2003

 

VATICAN CITY (AP) - The Vatican concluded a two-day conference on

genetically modified organisms Tuesday with a discussion of the moral

implications of tinkering with creation by splicing genes to make new

plants and animals.

 

Supporters of the new technologies said they offer great promise to

mankind and deserve to be encouraged, while critics said biotech foods

will not alleviate world hunger. The two camps clashed at a

Vatican-sponsored conference entitled " GMO: Threat or Hope. "

 

The Vatican is expected to make a pronouncement on genetically modified

organisms in the future, based on the data gathered during the seminar.

Some participants have questioned whether the Vatican was getting a

balanced view, since speakers in the pro-biotech camp dominated the

discussions, reflecting the views of its organizer, Cardinal Renato

Martino.

 

Martino has spoken out about the potential benefits of genetically

modified foods in alleviating world hunger -- a prime concern of the

Vatican.

 

Martino has said the Vatican's aim was to find some common ground for

the benefit of mankind, particularly the poor.

 

The issue of poverty and hunger is a major concern for the Vatican,

which rejects arguments that limiting family size by using contraception

is one way to improve food security in the developing world.

 

But two Jesuits, the Rev. Roland Lesseps and the Rev. Peter Henriot,

said in a joint paper to the conference that endorsing the use of

genetically modified organisms disturbed " the awesome goodness of God's

creation. "

 

Lesseps and Henriot, who both are based in Zambia, said church teachings

requiring respect for human rights and the natural world mandated that

the Vatican take a precautionary approach concerning GMOs.

 

" Nature is not just useful to us humans, but is valued and loved in

itself, for itself, by God in Christ, " Lesseps and Henriot said in

prepared remarks.

 

Lesseps, who has a doctorate, is a senior scientist at the Kasisi

Agricultural Training Center in Lusaka. Henriot is director of the

Jesuit Center for Theological Reflection.

 

A Vatican endorsement of biotech foods likely would draw praise from the

United States, where biotech companies have been at the forefront of

extolling the virtues of genetically modified organisms, which can be

made to resist insects or disease.

 

But it would no doubt ruffle feathers in Europe, which has imposed a

moratorium on growing or importing genetically modified organisms

because of fears about their environmental and health risks, and in

African countries such as Zambia, which has rejected biotech food aid.

 

Greenpeace science adviser Dr. Doreen Stabinsky also challenged

Martino's argument, telling the conference that genetically engineered

crops were not alleviating world hunger and posed environmental risks.

 

For example, Argentina harvested enough wheat during its 2001 economic

crisis to meet the needs of both China and India, but many of its own

people still went hungry, she said.

 

" There is no direct relationship between the amount of food a country

produces and the number of hungry people who live there, " Stabinsky said

in prepared remarks.

 

Rather, political and economic issues over hundreds of years have

contributed to world hunger, she said. The problem will be solved only

by addressing inequalities in land distribution, improving access to

markets and dealing with cheap imports of staple foods, she said.

 

Italy's health minister, Girolamo Sirchia, told a press conference that

the technology offers hope to mankind.

 

" There is no data that shows that transgenic foods are harmful to one's

health, " Sirchia said. " Four-fifths of humanity doesn't have enough food

or medicine. Science favors the development of humanity and health. "

 

Dr. Harry Kuiper, a food safety expert at Wageningen University in the

Netherlands, said current methods adequately ensured the safety of

genetically modified foods, even if questions remained about the

" unexpected effects " of modification.

 

" Scientists and colleagues, we think we have the methods to identify

unexpected effects using new technologies, " he said. " And although I

must say there is no 'zero risk' in life -- everything is risky -- we

can provide with our methods a very high level of safety assurance. "

 

Thandiwe Myeni, a small-scale South African farmer and chairwoman of the

Mbuso Farmers' Association, said she had a positive experience with

genetically modified cotton. The genetically modified seeds cost more

than regular ones, but she saves money by using less pesticide and

harvesting bigger crops.

 

" We need this technology, " she told a press conference after speaking to

the symposium. " We don't want always to be fed food aid. "

 

" We want access to this technology so that one day we can also become

commercial farmers. "

 

***************************************************************

 

African priests criticise Vatican GMO conference

 

ROME, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Organisers of an international Vatican seminar

on genetically modified foods came under fire from their own on Tuesday

when priests from Africa said it should have included more Church

members critical of the crops.

 

The development seminar, attended by experts from the United States,

Europe, Asia and Africa, was meant to help the Vatican decide whether

GMOs (genetically modified organisms) will get its backing -- a decision

that could affect the views of millions of Catholics.

 

At a concluding news conference Cardinal Renato Martino, president of

the Vatican's Council for Justice and Peace, which deals with

development, said the seminar had shown GMOs " should not be abandoned,

even if they still need a lot of cures. "

 

Earlier, two Jesuit priests questioned the make-up of the seminar.

 

" We are concerned that several voices of Church leaders around the world

are not represented on these panels, " they said said in a joint written

presentation.

 

They said the assertion that GMO crops would lessen the problem of world

hunger through increased productivity " is open to direct challenge. "

 

The priests were Roland Lesseps, senior scientist at the Kasisi

Agricultural Training Centre in Lusaka, Zambia, and Peter Henriot,

director of Lusaka's Jesuit Centre of Theological Reflection. Both

Americans have worked in Africa for years.

 

They pointed to recent statements by Church leaders in the Philippines,

Brazil and South Africa, which they said had expressed " deep concerns

based on practical experiences " and were not reflected at the seminar.

 

In their paper, the priests quoted Pope John Paul, who has said the

world was not ready to assess the biological disturbance that could

result from what he called " unscrupulous development of new forms of

plants and animal life. "

 

INDUSTRIAL AGRICULTURE

 

The two priests said the current design of commercially promoted GMOs

was based on an industrial model of agriculture that favours large farms

at the expense of family farms.

 

They said it would " introduce a serious dependency of small-scale and

mostly poor farmers on large multinational corporations for seeds and

complementary necessities. "

 

They said there also was a risk that alternative agriculture, such as

organic farming, would be severely limited.

 

The two-day gathering had already come under fire on its opening day

from two speakers, including one from the environment group Greenpeace,

which said it was biased with scientists who favour GMOs.

 

Vatican organisers and scientists rejected such assertions.

 

Organisers said all sides would be taken into consideration when the

Vatican position was eventually formulated.

 

11/11/03 20:32 ET

 

 

 

 

 

 

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