Friday, April 27, 2012
GM Soy and pig health
GM Soy linked to health damage in pigs — a Danish Dossier
By GM-Free Cymru (Wales)
April 27, 2012
Introduction
A Danish farming newspaper has caused quite a stir by devoting a sizeable part of its 13 April edition to the discoveries by pig farmer Ib Borup Pedersen that GM soy has a damaging effect both on his animals and on his farming profitability. On the front page of the paper there was a lead story under the headline “Pig farmer reaps gains from GMO-free soy”. On a sidebar the paper referred to Mr Pedersen’s contention that DDT and Thalidomide were minor problems when set alongside GMOs and Glyphosate. In an Editorial Comment on page 2, the paper argued that it would be grossly irresponsible for the authorities to ignore or ridicule the discoveries made by the farmer in his pig farming operations, and it congratulated the authorities for commissioning a new study designed to determine whether stomach lesions and other effects might be associated with GM soy; in the study 100 animals will be fed with non-GM soy and 100 with GM soy in their diets.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
GMM and GMO in Poland?
GMM and GMO in Poland?
By Chancellery of the Prime Minister, Poland
Poland.pl
April 17, 2012
The Polish position on GMO is sceptical. According to the government’s policy, Poland intends to be a GMO-free country - it was stipulated in the government’s position on GMO in 2008.
At the moment, the EU law does not provide a possibility to say a decisive “NO to GMO”, but it allows using so-called exemptions, if human and animal health or life or natural environment is at risk - the Polish Ministry of Agriculture is currently taking advantage of this possibility. As far as maize is concerned, the ministry will introduce a regulation forbidding cultivation of genetically modified maize throughout Poland (MON 810 maize) - the draft version of March 15th has been sent to the public consultation.
The ban is justified by the threat of pollution of areas where bees collect nectar with genetically modified pollen and the resulting damage to Polish bee-keepers. As far as the ban on cultivation of genetically modified potato (Amflora) is concerned, currently there is no evidence proving its harmfulness, so the exemption cannot be applied. It should, however, be pointed out that there is no information that Polish farmers are interested in its cultivation.
Friday, March 16, 2012
France restores ban
France restores ban on GMO maize crops
By Sybille de La Hamaide
Reuters
March 16, 2012
PARIS - France set a temporary new ban on the cultivation of Monsanto’s MON810 genetically modified maize on Friday, after a previous moratorium was annulled by the country’s top court in November.
France said that it was acting conservatively in advance of spring sowings.
“Because of the approach of sowing, the minister of Agriculture decided today to take a conservative measure to temporarily ban MON810 maize on national land in order to protect the environment,” Prime Minister Francois Fillon said in a statement.
France, by far the EU’s largest grain grower, invoked a so-called safeguard clause, reviving a ban put in place in 2008 and overturned by the country’s highest court in November on the basis that it was not sufficiently justified.
The government had immediately said it would “examine all ways” to maintain it despite the decision.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Polish GM seed draft law
Environmentalists challenge Polish GM seed draft law
By Peter Gentle
News from Poland
February 29.2012
Environmentalists demonstrated outside Poland’s parliament building on Tuesday before the first reading of an amended law on GM seeds on Wednesday.
Last August, President Bronislaw Komorowski vetoed a bill that had been criticised for letting genetically modified (GM) crops in through the back door.
The August bill had been prepared after a 2006 law banning GM crops in Poland was referred to the EU Court of Justice for failing to comply with EU policy.
It is against EU law to ban all GM seeds.
Komorowski claimed that the August bill was muddled and “legal junk”, and his veto was applauded by environmentalists.
However, the president is now himself being accused of letting GM crops in through the back door via the current draft law that has been prepared under his auspices.
Opponents of the draft law claim that the specifications are vague, and allow for the import of GM seeds for so-called personal use.
Conservative opposition party Law and Justice, as well the left-wing Democratic Left Alliance are both flatly opposed to GM crops being allowed into Poland.
However, Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated at a press conference on Monday, that although the government was in principle against GM, it remains necessary to find a legal compromise, as EU laws forbid a blanket ban on all GM seeds.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Conflicts on the menu
Conflicts on the menu: A decade of industry influence at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
EarthOpenSource
February 2012
As the European Food Safety Authority celebrates its 10th anniversary, a new report from Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) and Earth Open Source questions the independence of its advice. Conflicts on the menu: a decade of industry influence at the European Food Safety Authority highlights the agency’s reliance on industry data and industry-linked experts and calls for a complete overhaul of EFSA’s operations.
Executive Summary
In 2012 the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) celebrates its 10th anniversary. ESFA has been strongly under attack, and increasingly so in the past few years. In this report Corporate Europe Observatory andEarth Open Source take stock of what there is to celebrate. But the reality is sobering.
Criticism of the way the way EFSA deals with the safety of products like pesticides, food additives, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is widespread and comes from many different sources: civil society groups, Members of the European Parliament, other public institutions, scientists, and, increasingly, the media.
Too often it’s not independent science that underlies EFSA decisions about our food safety, but industry data. EFSA panels base their scientific opinions on risky products like pesticides and GMOs largely on industry-sponsored studies. EFSA has often been found to ignore independent research for unscientific reasons. The agency has issued controversial guidelines for the assessment of pesticides and GMOs that benefit industry, not the public interest. In some cases EFSA even copies wording from industry sources.