[Gen-Streitfall] Presseschau 31.8.03

[Sabine und Karsten]

Hallo, anbei eine Auswahl der neuesten internationalen Genfood-Nachrichten. Besucht doch mal die Attac–Streitfall-Website unter www.attac.de/gentechnik. 
Gruß, Sabine Altmann, Attac Marburg

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THE WEEKLY WATCH NUMBER 38, 30. Aug 2003
=====================================================

WTO TOLD TO CLEAR OUT VESTED INTERESTS 
Friends of the Earth has called on the head of the World Trade 
Organisation to "purge the organisation of vested interests" ahead of 
the transatlantic trade war on GM foods and crops. ... Friends of the Earth is 
particularly concerned about the role of the deputy director-general, 
Rufus Yerxa. Previous to this post Yerxa worked for the GM giant 
Monsanto as European general counsel and later as international counsel. 
Monsanto, who finance the Bush administration, seek to benefit 
enormously should GM crops be accepted world-wide. Friends of the Earth 
has written to the WTO Director General, Dr Supachai Panitchpakdi, 
asking him to guarantee that Yerxa, or anyone else connected to the 
biotech industry, will not play any role in this dispute. 
http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=1369 

CANADA: 
GM FOOD FEARS HURTING CANADA, SAYS LEAKED PAPER 
While governments in the UK and New Zealand toy with the idea of GM crop 
commercialisation, a recent Canadian government paper, marked "secret", 
warns that GM crop commercialisation in Canada has put its multibillion 
dollar agri-food industry at risk: "Consumers are becoming more worried 
that they can't distinguish between GE and non-GE products.” ...
"there is no broad market acceptance (domestic and international) of 
genetically engineered (GE) products. ...”
http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=1368 

CANADIAN FARMERS DON'T WANT GM WHEAT 
Nearly 90 per cent of Canadian farmers say they would not grow GM wheat 
if they had the option, according to a survey conducted by University of 
Manitoba researchers earlier this year. ...The wheat board, the Agricultural Producers 
Association of Saskatchewan, and other farm and rural groups have taken 
out large newspaper ads urging Monsanto to withdraw its federal GM wheat 
application. The organic-food industry fears GM wheat will contaminate 
their fields and make it impossible to grow organic wheat. 
Saskatchewan's organic canola industry disappeared after the 
introduction of GM canola several years ago. 
http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=1362 

A quote on the case of Percy Schmeiser, the Canadian farmer whom 
Monsanto successfully sued for having its GM seed on his land, 
notwithstanding the possibility that the GM pollen blew in from a 
neighbour's crop (the case goes to appeal at the Canadian Supreme Court 
in January 2004): "It's an absurd situation, akin to someone dumping junk on 
your land and then accusing you of stealing it". - Brian Helweil, 
agricultural expert with the Worldwatch Institute, based in Washington 
http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=1372 


GB:
BLAIR FORCED TO SCALE BACK HIS PLAN TO INTRODUCE GM FARMING 
Tony Blair is drastically scaling down his plans to introduce GM farming 
in Britain, according to an article in The Independent on Sunday, in the 
wake of the official inquiry into the events leading to the death of Dr 
David Kelly, the microbiologist and weapons inspector who operated in 
Iraq. Senior officials at the centre of the issue concede that the Prime 
Minister has accepted that it would be politically "too risky" to force 
through widespread commercial planting of GM crops in the teeth of 
public opposition, following the catastrophic collapse in public trust 
following the Iraq War and Dr David Kelly's apparent suicide. 
...
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/environment/story.jsp?story=436640 
http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=1355#

INDIA: 
PERFORMANCE OF BT COTTON: 
Yet another report from India on the first commercial crop shows the 
economics of cultivating Bt cotton are not in favour of farmers. The 
seed is about four times more expensive than the good local hybrids... 
... Yield/acre of Bt cotton was lower than non-Bt cotton and the cotton 
was of poorer quality thus fetching a lower price per quintal. 
The net result was significantly poor results from Bt cotton...
In fact, 60% of the farmers cultivating Bt cotton were not even able to 
recover their investment and incurred losses. 
Full text: http://www.genecampaign.org/btcotton.html 
Press release: http://www.genecampaign.org/cotton.html 

NEW ZEALAND: 
PUBLIC OPPOSITION GROWING TO LIFTING OF GE BAN 
New Zealand opinion has swung heavily against releasing GM organisms 
into the environment, according to a survey. A nationwide survey of 801 
people found that 68.6 per cent want to extend the present three-year 
ban on releasing GMOs from containment, just two months before the ban 
is due to end on October 29. 
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2636825a7693,00.html 
http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=1354 

Also from the antipodes comes a great radio programme, 'Behind the 
Biotechs'. Listen to it on the net: 
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/telegraph/audio/telegraph_28082003_2856.ram 

The programme looks at "the power the biotechs wield in the GM debate 
from the Oval office to the farmer in the paddock." And it features the 
investigative journalist Andy Rowell, and Julie Newman of the Concerned 
Farmers Network. Well worth a listen. 

SOUTH AFRICA
TO ACCEDE TO TREATY FOR SAFETY ON GMOS 
The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEAT) has announced that it 
will accede to the Cartagena Protocol, which allows South Africa to ban 
imports of GMOs if there are reasons to believe that they may cause 
danger to environment, health or socio-economic conditions. The 
Cartagena Protocol has already been ratified by 51 countries, two thirds 
of which are developing countries. 
http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=1359 


SPAIN:
GM crops in Spain don't deliver promises, but harm farmers and the environment. 

A new study published by Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace 
demonstrates that the growing of GM crops in Spain is causing 
contamination of organic crops, producing low yields and its benefits 
are grossly overstated. The report is also highly critical of the 
Spanish Government for failing to control or monitor the situation. 

Spain is the only country in the European Union where GM crops are grown 
on a commercial scale: since 1998, an estimated 25,000 hectares are 
planted each year with a GM corn variety (Bt176) sold by the Swiss 
biotech company Syngenta. The corn has been engineered to resist the 
European corn borer, a potentially harmful insect for maize. 
...
*A study by IGTA shows that from 1998 to 2000, in most cases there were 
no differences between conventional and GM crops regarding corn borer 
attack. This indicates that the corn borer survives the toxin produced 
by the GM plant, which poses a risk of resistance developing. This not 
only creates an economic problem to farmers, but also an environmental 
problem, since heavier and more environmentally damaging pesticides will 
be needed to fight the "armed" insects. 

*The first cases of organic crops contaminated by GMOs have been 
discovered in northern Navarra by the Council of Organic Farming in 
Navarra (CPAEN). The organic certificate was withdrawn and farmers 
suffered losses because their product could no longer be labelled organic. 

*Studies have shown that the yields for the GM crop are substantially 
lower than comparable conventional varieties. For example, one study 
reported that in 1999 the GM corn yielded 25% less then the top yielding variety. 
...
http://www.tierra.org and http://www.greenpeace.org/espana_es 
http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=1360

ILLINOIS, USA: 
INDUSTRY STRUGGLES WITH GM CORN 
U.S. seed companies, farmers and grain handlers are struggling with how 
to keep GM corn from mixing with non-biotech crops. Some in the industry 
say changes aren't happening fast enough to keep up with the increasing 
use of GM crops. They fear problems similar to what happened with 
StarLink in 2000, when GM corn not approved for human consumption was 
accidentally mixed with other crops. The resulting scare triggered food 
recalls and caused a worldwide drop in corn prices...
http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=1370 

=====================================================Freitag 29. August 2003, 14:49 Uhr
WTO startet Prüfung des EU-Einfuhrverbots von Biotech-Produkten 
=====================================================Genf (Reuters) - Die Welthandelsorganisation (WTO) hat am Freitag mit einer Untersuchung des umstrittenen Einfuhrverbots für die meisten gentechnisch veränderten Lebensmittel in die Europäische Union (EU) begonnen. Die USA, deren Bauern wegen des Verbots Millionen-Exporteinbußen beklagen, werfen der EU einen Verstoß gegen internationale Handelsregeln vor. 
Das Prüfverfahren der WTO kann bis zu 18 Monate dauern. Die USA haben gemeinsam mit Kanada und Argentinien bei der WTO eine Aufhebung des EU-Einfuhrverbots beantragt. Die EU weigert sich seit 1998, den Anbau gentechnisch veränderter Pflanzen und deren Verwendung in Lebensmitteln zuzulassen. Sie erkennt darin keine Verletzung der Welthandelsregeln. 
Allerdings hatten die EU-Agrarminister vergangenen Monat Regeln für die spezielle Kennzeichnung genveränderter Lebensmittel beschlossen, was als wichtiger Schritt für eine mögliche Aufhebung des Einfuhrverbots angesehen wurde. Nach US-Auffassung gibt es keine wissenschaftlichen Beweise für Gesundheits- oder Umweltprobleme im Zusammenhang von gentechnisch veränderten Produkten. Die US-Bauern beklagen, dass ihnen durch die restriktive EU-Politik jährlich Exporteinnahmen über 300 Millionen Dollar entgehen
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Freitag 29. August 2003, 13:43 Uhr
Gen-Streit zwischen USA und EU beschäftigt nun auch die WTO 
=====================================================(AFP) Der Streit um den von der Europäischen Union verhängten Importbann gegen Gen-Nahrung beschäftigt nun auch die Welthandelsorganisation (WTO). Die WTO werde Vorwürfe der USA, Kanadas und Argentiniens prüfen, die EU-Praxis sei unzulässig, sagte ein Sprecher der US-Vertretung bei der WTO am Freitag in Genf. Die drei Beschwerdeführer hatten Mitte August die Einsetzung eines Streitschlichtungsausschusses beantragt.

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Freitag 29. August 2003, 16:15 Uhr
WTO: US-Klage gegen EU-Anbaustopp von Gen-Pflanzen 
=====================================================
Hamburg/Wien (pte) - Heute, Freitag, haben Vertreter der US-Regierung bei der Welthandelsorganisation WTO http://www.wto.org die Einrichtung einer Streitfall-Kommission durchgesetzt. Streitpunkt ist das seit 1999 bestehende vorläufige Verbot der Zulassung von genetisch veränderten Pflanzen. Die USA drohen bereits seit Mai mit der Einrichtung einer solchen Kommission, berichtet Greenpeace Österreich http://www.greenpeace.at heute, Freitag. Die Umweltorganisation sieht in dem Vorstoß der Amerikaner einen weiteren Versuch den Widerstand der europäischen Verbraucher gegen Gentechnik in Lebensmitteln brechen zu wollen. Bisher konnte die EU die Einberufung eines Streitfall-Panels noch abwenden. "Mit der Klage vor der WTO ignoriert US-Präsident George Bush nicht nur die Interessen der Verbraucher, sondern auch internationales Umweltrecht", so Ulrike Brendel, Gentechnik- Expertin bei Greenpeace http://www.greenpeace.de . Nach einem UN-Abkommen zur biologischen Sicherheit, dem so genannten Biosafety-Protokoll, haben Länder ausdrücklich das Recht, genmanipulierte Organismen aus Gründen der Vorsorge abzulehnen. Das Protokoll wurde von über 100 Staaten, nicht jedoch von den USA, unterzeichnet. Greenpeace fordert unter anderem, dass beim kommenden Ministertreffen im mexikanischen Cancun, das vom 10. bis 14. September stattfindet, die WTO solche internationale Umweltabkommen anerkennt. "Das Biosafety-Protokoll darf nicht durch die WTO-Klage ausgehebelt werden", so Brendel.In der EU werden derzeit nur in Spanien genetisch-veränderte Pflanzen angebaut: Seit 1998 wird der genmanipulierte Mais Bt-176 des Schweizer Konzerns Syngenta angebaut. Greenpeace kritisiert in diesem Zusammenhang bereits eine Verunreinigung von spanischem Öko-Mais. Die betroffenen Landwirte haben daraufhin ihre Öko-Zertifizierung verloren. Auch in Deutschland wurden im vergangenen Jahr drei illegale Äcker mit Bt-176 entdeckt. Biosafety-Protokoll: http://www.biodiv.org/biosafety/protocol.asp 

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aus der Greenpeacepresseerklärung vom 29. August 2003 
=====================================================
Jetzt amtlich: WTO verhandelt US-Klage gegen EU-Anbaustopp von Gen-Pflanzen 
Was Europa dann droht, belegt neuer Report zu Gen-Mais in Spanien 

Hamburg, 29. 8. 2003 - Heute haben Vertreter der US-Regierung von der 
Welthandelsorganisation (WTO) in Genf endgueltig die Einrichtung einer 
Streitfall-Kommission durchgesetzt. …

"Mit der Klage vor der WTO ignoriert US-Praesident Bush nicht nur die 
Interessen der Verbraucher, sondern auch internationales Umweltrecht", 
sagt Ulrike Brendel, Gentechnik- Expertin bei Greenpeace. Laut des UN- 
Abkommens zur biologischen Sicherheit (Biosafety-Protokoll) haben 
Laender ausdruecklich das Recht, genmanipulierte Organismen aus 
Gruenden der Vorsorge abzulehnen. Das Biosafety-Protokoll, das von 
ueber 100 Laendern unterzeichnet wurde, erkennt dabei ausdruecklich 
die moeglichen Gefahren der Gentechnik fuer die menschliche Gesundheit 
und die Umwelt an. Die USA haben das Biosafety-Protokoll nicht 
unterzeichnet. Greenpeace fordert, dass die WTO auf ihrem naechsten 
Ministertreffen im mexikanischen Cancun (10. bis 14.9.) internationale 
Umweltabkommen wie das Biosafety-Protokoll anerkennt und unterstuetzt. 
Das Biosafety-Protokoll darf nicht durch die WTO-Klage ausgehebelt 
werden. 

In Europa werden nur in Spanien Gen-Pflanzen kommerziell angebaut. 
Dort waechst seit 1998 genmanipulierter Mais (genannt Bt-176) des 
Schweizer Konzerns Syngenta. Doch ein neuer Report von Greenpeace und 
von Friends of the Earth belegt nun, dass Spanien den falschen Weg 
eingeschlagen hat. "In Spanien tobt das totale Chaos. Gen-Mais gelangt 
unkontrolliert auf benachbarte Felder und in die Lebensmittel", so 
Brendel. 

Es gibt keine verlaesslichen Zahlen darueber, welche Mengen Gen-Mais, 
wo und von wem angebaut werden. Bei Tests von spanischem Oeko-Mais 
wurden bereits Verunreinigungen durch Gen-Mais bestaetigt. Die 
betroffenen Landwirte verloren ihre Oeko-Zertifizierung und 
Absatzmaerkte. Zudem enthaelt der angebaute Gen-Mais Bt-176 ein so 
genanntes Antibiotika-Resistenzgen. Werden diese Gene ueber die 
Nahrung aufgenommen, koennen sie sich auf krankheitserregende 
Bakterien im menschlichen Darm uebertragen und Immunitaet gegen 
Antibiotika hervorrufen. Die Britische Aerztevereinigung fordert 
deshalb ein Verbot solcher Gene im Essen. In Deutschland deckte 
Greenpeace letztes Jahr drei illegale Aecker mit Bt-176 auf. 

Greenpeace fordert, Verbraucher und Landwirte muessen sich auch 
weiterhin gegen Gentechnik entscheiden koennen. Von 
Verbraucherschutzministerin Renate Kuenast (Gruene) verlangt die 
Umweltorganisation daher ein oeffentliches Gen-Kataster, strenge 
Ueberwachungen und klare Haftungsregelungen. Dabei muss das 
Verursacherprinzip gelten: Wer gefaehrliche Gen-Pflanzen produziert, 
muss fuer die Schaeden aufkommen. 


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Greenpeace Activist News, Vol. 3, No. 8, 28 August 2003
=====================================================
FRANKENFOOD AND THE WTO 

The world's governments will be gathering for the World Trade Organisation's 5th Ministerial Conference in Cancun, Mexico, from 10 to 14 September. Greenpeace is going to this meeting to push for trade rules that reflect the environmental, social and economic priorities of the world's citizens, not just the world's corporations. 

We have launched a weblog to keep you updated on what is going on in Cancun this September, and we encourage you to read it, react to it, and take action by sending your comments to Cancun! 

http://weblog.greenpeace.org/wto/ 

Greenpeace's major focus in Cancun will be opposing the spread of genetically engineered food. 

On 13 May the US government declared a global war on consumers, farmers and the environment when it filed a complaint in the World Trade Organisation against the European Union's de facto moratorium on genetically modified organisms (GMOs). However, the fact is the moratorium was due to be lifted within months anyway. 

So why the rush? 

The real target of US aggression against GMO restrictions is the EU's new comprehensive GMO labeling laws. 

The WTO case is the first step in a worldwide campaign to promote Frankenfood, so people everywhere should be concerned. 

To find out more, please join the more than 7000 people who have participated in our cyberaction here: 

http://act.greenpeace.org/ams/e?a=859&s=gen
 
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Biotech Activists (biotech_activists at iatp.org), 27.8.03
=====================================================
SOUTH AFRICA:
Government hand's out free GM seeds to farmers

       The Department of Agriculture has been handing out free genetically
modified (GM) maize seeds to small-scale farmers as a means of spreading
the controversial crops in South Africa. Thoko Makhanya of Safeage 
said yesterday agricultural extension officers were giving away 
free GM seed in KwaZulu-Natal, while Monsanto, the multi-national seed giant, 
was giving away free GM seed in the Eastern Cape.

       The issue under discussion was the draft Biodiversity Bill which
has dropped a section that dealt with genetically modified organisms
(GMOs). This meant the Department of Environment Affairs would relinquish
its control over GMOs, which would be controlled by the Department of
Agriculture under the Genetically Modified Organisms Act.

       The groups submitted that this act was flawed. They said the
Department of Agriculture, which promoted GMOs, should not also be the
government agent which oversaw safeguards against the risks associated
with GMOs.

       Elfrieda Pschorn-Strauss of Biowatch said the government was under
enormous international political pressure to push GMOs: "This GM
technique is patented, companies own it. Farmers sign an agreement
that they will not save seed for  the next year's crop. They have to buy 
seed again the next year from these companies."

       While commercial farmers could afford this, most poorer farmers
could not. About 90% of small-scale farmers in Africa saved seed from one
year to the next. "This is a critical issue. With GM crops, small-scale farmers will
become completely reliant on and controlled by big foreign companies for
their food supply," Pschorn-Strauss said.

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Dispute Settlement Body 18 August 2003 
US, Canada and Argentina request panel to examine EU moratorium on biotech 
products 
=====================================================
The US, Canada and Argentina introduced their first-time panel requests.
They all stated that, regarding EC-level measures, the moratorium 
maintained since October 1998 on the approval of biotech products had 
restricted the imports of agricultural and food products. Regarding the EC 
member State-level measures, the complainants said that a number of EC 
member States maintain national marketing and import bans on biotech 
products even though those products have already been approved by the EC. 

... The US emphasized that the EC procedures, as written, are 
not the focus of the US complaint. It is the EC's application of its 
measures governing the approval of biotech products. ...

Argentina added that agricultural products account for over half of 
Argentina's total exports, and that it is the second largest producer and 
exporter of biotech products in the world. Argentina said that the EC's 
behaviour discourages the introduction of the biotech process, and that it 
is particularly detrimental because EC has the ability to influence other 
WTO members. 

In response, the EC expressed surprise and disappointment at the panel 
requests. The EC said that it had repeatedly made clear that the approval 
of genetically-modified organisms and genetically-modified food was 
possible in the EU, that a number of applications were being examined and 
decisions would be taken shortly. The EC further pointed out that 18 GMOs 
and 15 food products derived from GMOs have been approved and that these GM 
products are imported each year by the EC. 

...The EC emphasized that every country should be free to make its 
own decisions and to determine the appropriate level of protection for its 
citizens. The EC concluded by saying that it could not agree to the 
establishment of a panel.
http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news03_e/dsb_18aug03_e.htm
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