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UK GOVERNMENT ALLOWS PLANTING OF GM CORN
The
United Kingdom has given the go-signal for the planting
of genetically modified (GM) corn. Margaret Beckett,
Britain's environment secretary, said that the
government approved in principle the commercial
cultivation of herbicide tolerant corn. The first GM
corn crop for cattle feed will be grown in spring 2005.
Beckett stated that the science-based decision took into
account “safety, human health and the environment,” and
was based on the three-year Farm Scale Evaluations which
concluded that biotech corn had less negative impact on
the environment than conventional varieties. London’s
Financial Times quoted Prof Julia Goodfellow, chief
executive of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences
Research Council, as saying that "GM technology has
great potential benefits for both the public and
producers. It is right that we assess each application
of this technology case-by-case based on the scientific
evidence while taking into consideration the
understandable concerns regarding the use of this
relatively new technology".
In
related developments, the British Medical Association (BMA)
backed the government’s decision to allow the planting
of GM corn. David Carter, chairman of the BMA’s Board of
Science, explained that it was necessary to “move away
from the hysteria that has so often been associated with
GM foods.” The BMA released its report where it reversed
its 1999 position for an “open-ended” moratorium on
biotech crops. This time it concluded that it agreed
with the Royal Society’s 2002 findings that the risks to
human health from biotech foods are “negligible.” Aside
from the UK, only Spain has allowed the growing of GM
crops on a commercial scale in Europe. See the Financial
Times at
http://news.ft.com/home/uk/.
For
more of the British Medical Association,
visit
http://www.bma.org.uk.
Breakthrough Technology Can Substitute DNA Segments
(SRC:Inside Iowa State -- ATH:Teddi Barron)
Researchers at Phytodyne, an Iowa State University "spin-off
company," are working to develop a new genetic
modification technology that, according to this article,
"could revolutionize agriculture." Phytodyne's
proprietary new technology, Genome Editor, is a gene
targeting system based on a naturally occurring process
called homologous recombination that can be used to
precisely substitute one DNA segment for another within
a cell. The article says that Genome Editor can delete,
add, or modify any gene with "surgical precision" in
many crop plants. It can also be used to modify
multiple genes that work together to confer complex
traits such as improved nutritional quality and better
"oil profiles." Although the technology has been used
before in both human and fruit fly studies, Dan Voytas,
Phytodyne's CEO and co-founder, says that Phytodyne
scientists are the first to use it successfully in
plants. Voytas says Genome Editor is more precise and
efficient than decades-old "hit-or-miss" technology
currently used to modify plant genomes. Phytodyne "has
seen results" that are up to one million times more
efficient at gene targeting than current methods.
Voytas anticipates that Phytodyne will implement the
Genome Editor technology in two crops with the next two
years. The article can be viewed online at the link
below.
http://www.iastate.edu/Inside/2004/0227/phyto.shtml
Chile Biotechnology Forum Concludes
(SRC:UNIDO Press Release -- ATH:n/a)
This press release reports that over 1,400 participants
gathered March 2-5 in Concepcion, Chile, for the first
Global Biotechnology Forum. Participants at the forum,
which was organized by the U.N. Industrial Development
Organization (UNIDO) and the government of Chile,
discussed biotechnology-related challenges faced by
developing countries and countries with economies in
transition. Forum participants examined biotechnology's
role in these countries and in meeting the needs of the
poor. They also discussed biotechnology's impact on the
environment, trade, and public perceptions. The forum
identified key barriers to the development of
biotechnology in the developing world, including: 1)
inadequate scientific, technical, and research
capabilities; 2) the absence of entrepreneurial skills
and public investment in the field; 3) the presence of
intellectual property (IP) barriers; and 4) different
biosafety regulations and difficult market access. The
forum also opened a dialog meant to develop proposals
and initiatives for action, such as: 1) the
establishment of a multi-stakeholder forum for informed
dialog on biotechnology and its benefits for the
developing world; 2) the creation of a network and
database on biotechnology activities in developing
countries, including global market and technology
information for partnership facilitation; 3) enhancement
of capacity-building activities; and 4) an assessment of
IP legislation on biotechnology.
In his closing address, UNIDO Director-General Carlos
Magarinos called on the U.N. and other international
organizations to put their biotechnology expertise and
activities to greater effect through increased
interagency cooperation. Participants at the forum
included leading biotechnology experts and scientists,
delegates from over 80 countries, and representatives
from intergovernmental organizations, NGOs, industry,
and the media. [According to a related article (IPS
News; March 9), the environment at the forum was
generally one of acceptance of genetically modified (GM)
foods, and the anti-GM group Consumers International
(CI) said it was the only civil society organization
with representatives attending the forum. Forum
participants called for "democratizing biotechnology,"
and from opening address to closing ceremonies, the
article says the forum "underscored" the need to
"revitalize and reorient" international aid in support
of developing biotechnology in the poorest countries.]
The press release can be viewed online at the link
below.
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2004/dev2465.doc.htm
Biotech Events
April
8
- 10
Seeds of Change: Intellectual Property Protection for
Agricultural Biotechnology
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA
Email:
kesan@law.uiuc.edu
URL:
http://www.ipagcon.uiuc.edu/
April 19 – 23
Introduction to biosafety and risk assessment for the
environmental release of genetically modified organisms
(GMOs): Theoretical approach and scientific background.
Italy, Trieste
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