Save our Seeds

Monsanto, controlling the market for GMOs worldwide, announced increased sales of 5,5 billion US $ (2003: 4,9 bn). Income rose from 68 to 267 million US $. However, US farmers wonder why their soybean yields did not raise since the mid 90ies.</p><p><a href="http://olympics.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=businessNews&storyID=6430714">Reuters: Monsanto Posts Loss, Herbicide Sales Drop</a></p><p><a href="http://www.newfarm.org/features/0904/soybeans/index_print.shtml">Newfarm: Genetic modification targeted as possible cause for flat yields</a></p><p><a href="http://www.monsanto.com/monsanto/layout/media/04/10-06-04.asp">Monsanto: Report for fiscal year 2004</a>

'We need to have European rules on coexistence,' Peter Gaemelke, president of COPA, the European farmers unions associatio, said. 'We have a free internal market - the rules of production should be the same... we still do not have clear guidelines on how to handle GMOs, since important rules on seeds and coexistence are missing.'<a href="http://www.agbios.com/main.php?action=ShowNewsItem&id=5922">Reuters: EU farm union calls for bloc-wide GMO crop rules</a>

Germany`s two national legislative bodies are at loggerheads over genetically modified plant legislation and a phalanx of science and industry tries to water down the revised law, which was introduced by Ag minister Renate Kuenast and improved by the Parliament.</p><p><a href="http://www.biomedcentral.com/news/20040923/02">The Scientist: Angry GM stalemate in Germany</a></p><p><a href="http://www.inpharma.com/news/printNewsBis.asp?id=55208">BASF threatens transfer of plant research abroad</a>

While the Thai government recently overturned a decision of its prime minister and revoked approvals form GM field tests, India and China have embraced GM cotton on commercial level and may be heading for GM food crops soon. An interesting background report.</p><p><a href="http://www.dawn.com/2004/10/04/ebr5.htm">The Dawn</a>

In a clear victory for Indian farmers, the European Patent Office has revoked the patent on Indian Nap Hal wheat variety following a legal opposition filed by Greenpeace at the EPO in February.</p><p><a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/india_en/news/details?item_id=606622">Greenpeace press release</a>

"Personally" he was in favour of seed purity standards at the detection level of 0,1% Stavros Dimas, who will be in charge of proposing GM seed labelling legislation soon, told members of the European Parliament at his inaugural hearing. He said "We should stick to your position, the position of this commitee, 0,1%, detection level".</p><p><a href="http://www2.europarl.eu.int/omk/sipade2?PUBREF=-//EP//TEXT PRESS NR-20040929-1 0 DOC XML V0//EN">European Parliament: Official report on the hearing</a></p><p><a href="http://www.europarl.eu.int/hearings/commission/2004_comm/default_en.htm">European Parliaments Commission investiture web-page</a>

Pacific Seeds has developed new practices that directly check GM contamination in maize by planting American seeds in glasshouses, then weeding out contaminated breeding stock while still supplying a price-competitive product.</p><p><a href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3595563&thesection=news&thesubsection=dialogue">New Zealand News - Dialogue -<i>Simon Terry:</i> New rules help to keep food pure</a>

Genetically engineered grass developed for use on golf courses and modified to resist weedkillers can spread its modified genes as far as 21 kilometers U.S. government researchers report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.</p><p><a href="http://www.biomedcentral.com/news/20040923/03">The Scientist: GM gene crosses species</a></p><p><a href="http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N2163434.htm">Reuters</a></p><p><a href="http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=624&ncid=753&e=4&u=/ap/20040921/ap_on_sc/gmo_grass">Yahoo</a></p><p><a href="http://www.iht.com/articles/539914.html">Herald Tribune</a>

The EUs standing Committee on genetically modified organisms today failed to agree on the approval of a new GM maize variety by Monsanto. The variety contains a Bt strain to kill a root worm. There had been serious questions about the food safety after rats fed with Mon 863 showed significant health impacts. A similar approval of Mon 863 in New Zealand is strongly contested there.</p><p><a href="http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6281996">Reuters: EU fails to agree</a></p><p><a href="http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/europe_halts_controversial_20092004.html">Friends of the Earth: Europe halts controversial GM maize</a></p><p><a href="http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6266023">Reuters: EU readies for another clash over GM</a></p><p><a href="http://www.saveourseeds.org/downloads/fact_sheet_mon_863.htm">Fact sheet and documents on Mon 863</a></p><p><a href="http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/SC0409/S00056.htm">New Zealand: Demand to recall Mon 863</a>

The Commission will establish a new EU advisory group of stakeholders including farmers, the food industry, retailers, consumer organisations and others to advise the Commission on food safety policy. It will consist of up to 45 members from EU-level associations reflecting the Commission`s "farm to fork" approach. Applications of European Groups to participate are due by September 30.</p><p><a href="http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/committees/advisory/index_en.htm">Decision in all languages and application contact</a>