Genetically modified (GM) crops pose a significant threat to the environment through pollution by GM pollen and the consequent flow of modified genes into the wider plant community. However, GM crops may also pose hazards to the ecology of soil. This briefing identifies four main areas of concern:
Centres of diversity are places where the special interrelation between our crop plants and their wild relatives is still apparent. In such places, tens of thousands of varieties of rice, potato, maize, or other food staples are still grown and used by local people. Centres of diversity are the basis not only for food security, but also for cultural traditions.
Conventional rape seed (canola) from Canada sold by Advanta has become contaminated with Monsanto Roundup Ready Rape. The contamination happened by cross-pollination to a batch of conventional hybrid rapeseed sold as Hyola 38, Hyola 330 and Hyola 401. The GM variety is Monsanto's RT73 (also known as GT73) and resistant to Monsanto's weedkiller 'Roundup'.
Following the publication today, Monday 10 September of a review by the Government's advisory body for the farm scale trials of GM crops, Greenpeace today renewed its call for the programme to be cancelled. The report identifies gaps in scientific research as well as political, ethical and commercial issues which need to be resolved before the commercial growing of GM crops in Britain should begin.
The report by the Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission entitled 'Crops on trial' makes ten recommendations including: a wider debate on GM crops regarding the ethics of genetic modification; preserving the ability of organic growers to retain their organic status; preserving consumer choice for food free from GM contamination including organic foods; identifying adequate separation distances between GM crops and non GM crops.
Dr Doug Parr, Chief Scientific Advisor Greenpeace, said '"We've always felt that these trials were a fig leaf to cover the Government's embarrassment at having failed to be in tune with legitimate public concerns. The AEBC report points out that there are unanswered questions about ethics, risk and uncertainties, agricultural policy, the effects on organic farming, consumers right to choose and the social and economic impacts associated with potential commercialisation of CM crops. If the Government wants to show that it isn't in the pocket of the biotech giants it needs to hold this wide debate and stop the farm-scale trials programme "
Editors notes: (1) Paragraph 25 of the report says 'Whilst the FSE (Farm Scale Evaluations) are expected to produce useful data which can contribute to the decision about weather or not the crops involved should be commercialised, we are clear that they are not a sufficient condition for reaching those decisions'.
Further information: Contact: Greenpeace press office: 0207 865 8255
Open field trials of genetically modified (GM) rice containing human genes are being carried out in the heart of the California's traditional rice growing region, according to Greenpeace. The experiment is being carried out to produce pharmaceuticals.
Volunteers from the international environmental group marked out the field with giant syringes to highlight the risk of growing drug-producing GM crops outdoors. No special effort to protect the environment and the food chain had been made.
New doubt is cast today on Monsanto's genetically modified soya, as research is for the first time published in a peer-reviewed science journal, showing further unknown 'gene fragments' in the soya [1].
On Monday 30th July 2001, Greenpeace erected a large concrete sculpture of Brazil's federal constitution in front the of the Ministry of Agriculture in Brasilia to remind Minister Marcus Vinicius Pratini de Moraes that he is not legally authorised to approve the commercial growing of Monsanto's genetically modified (GM) Roundup-Ready soybeans. The Minister had announced last week that he would issue a permit for such growing in due time before Brazil's planting season in September 2001.
Five British Universities were revealed to be conducting research to develop genetically modified (GM) fish for human consumption, in a report in a Sunday's newspapers.
According to the Independent on Sunday, figures from government departments show they have spent £.6m on research to create fast-growing fish for commercial farming, much of it in Third World countries. A further £57,000 has been spent in Britain by the European Commission. Universities conducting the research include Southampton, Stirling, University of Wales, Aberdeen and Edinburgh (1).
Greenpeace today wrote to the Government informing them that, following legal opinion, it considers the planting of this winter's farm scale trials of GM oil seed rape (OSR) unlawful. The letter has been sent John Prescott, Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions and to Nick Brown, Minister for Agriculture [1].
Greenpeace today attacked as irresponsible Government plans to plough ahead with open air GM trials despite the knowledge that GM pollen will inevitably contaminate surrounding countryside.
The Government announced 25 new sites to trial winter oil seed rape engineered to be resistant to the herbicide glufosinate ammonium, which is ordinarily banned for winter use. The announcement coincides with the release of a House of Commons Agriculture Select Committee report on the cross-contamination of non-GM crops by GM pollen in Canada earlier this year.
Open field trials of genetically modified (GM) rice containing human genes are being carried out in the heart of the California's traditional rice growing region, according to Greenpeace. The experiment is being carried out to produce pharmaceuticals. 
