BIOTECHNOLOGY IN THE NEWS FOR 2005

Updated Issue Brief on U.S.-EU Trade Dispute over Genetically Modified Crops Released by Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology   Dec. 15, 2005

The new issue brief provides: An overview of the history of the dispute between the U.S. and the EU over GM foods and crops. Estimates of the impacts that the EU de facto moratorium on GM crop approvals has had on U.S. trade A timeline of critical events relevant to U.S.-EU agricultural biotechnology trade issues. A status report of GM crops and food in the EU and a summary of current EU regulations and its approval process.

Americans’ Knowledge of Genetically Modified Foods Remains Low;
Majority Are Skeptical About Animal Cloning

Nov. 5, 2005 -- The Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology -- A recent survey on genetically modified (GM) foods revealed that Americans' knowledge of genetically modified (GM) foods and animals continues to remain low, and their opinions reflect that they are particularly uncomfortable with animal cloning. The survey also shows that religious and ethical concerns play a significant role in consumer attitudes towards cloning, and that a significant majority of consumers believe that the government should include ethical and moral considerations when making regulatory decisions about cloning and GM animals.

GM crops: the global socio-economic and environmental impact — the first nine years 1996–2004 -- By PG Economics Limited

Field Evaluation of the Impact of Corn Rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)-Protected Bt Corn on Ground-Dwelling Invertebrates

Environmental Entomology 2005, vol. 34, no. 5, pp. 1325 - 1335 -- Oct. 2005 - Researchers found that the Bt corn had no adverse impacts on the abundance of the animals collected, but insecticide applications decreased the populations of ladybird beetles, green lacewings, and damsel bugs, while increasing populations of the corn leaf aphid.

Herculex® XTRA Receives U.S. Regulatory Approval

DES MOINES, IOWA, AND INDIANAPOLIS, IND, Oct. 31, 2005 - Dow AgroSciences LLC and Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., the trait's developers, recently received registration from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for Herculex XTRA Insect Protection. This action gives the companies the ability to offer this trait in corn hybrids to U.S. growers for 2006 planting. Herculex XTRA contains both the Herculex I Insect Protection and Herculex RW Rootworm Protection traits. Herculex I protects the corn plant against European and southwestern corn borer, western bean cutworm, black cutworm and fall armyworm and Herculex RW protects the plant against western, northern and Mexican corn rootworm.

Product Use Guide for Herculex Rootworm

Insect Resistance Management Requirements for Herculex® RW .

Herculex RW Receives U.S. Regulatory Approvals

Indianapolis and Des Moines, Iowa (October 5, 2005) – Corn growers who have been fighting corn rootworms can now protect their corn with the Herculex® RW Rootworm Protection trait in 2006.

The Corn Next Door: Can Organic and Biotech Crops Coexist?

In 2000, public officials in Boulder County, Colo., were faced with calls from organic farmers, environmentalists, and others to ban genetically modified (GM) crops. GM opponents worried that pollen drifting from transgenic corn fields could "contaminate" their organic cousins. They decided to appoint a panel that would draw up a "good neighbor" policy to help organic and GM growers peacefully coexist on the county's large stretch of public land. Those involved in forging the coexistence plan - which county officials believe to be the first such effort in the United States - say things have gone smoothly so far, with no disputes over buffer zones or GM-tainted organic corn. It offers, they say, proof that organic and GM farms can be good neighbors.

EU prepares for busy timetable on GMO votes, Friday, May 13, 2005

BRUSSELS - The European Commission has scheduled several meetings of EU ministers and member state experts in the coming weeks to debate approving new genetically modified (GMO) crops and foods, items include. May 17th vote by EU food safety experts on GMO maize known as 1507 made by Pioneer Hi-Bred International and Mycogen Seeds for use in industrial processing, including in animal feed., May 19th Debate will focus on application to approve Monsanto's GMO maize known as MON 863 for use as an ingredient in processed foods; and also Pioneer/Mycogen's 1507 maize for use in food for human consumption. Neither application relates to cultivation.  June 6, Possible discussion on  Pioneer/Mycogen application to approve 1507 maize for growing. If approved, this would be the first "live" GMO to be authorized for cultivation in the European Union since 1998.
 

USDA Issues Two Biotechnology Reports, May 9, 2005, Washington, DC

The US Department of Agriculture has released two reports on biotechnology developed by USDA's Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture. The first report on "Global Traceability and Labeling Requirements for Agricultural Biotechnology-Derived Products: Impacts and Implications for the United States" discusses the proliferation of mandatory biotechnology traceability and labeling requirements in other countries; how different segments of the United States food and feed supply chain are addressing those requirements; and marketplace issues and tools that are relevant to these developments.

The second report on "Preparing for the Future" analyses the factors that will shape the use of biotechnology in the future. It identifies predictable trends and key uncertainties that could drive the future in different directions.

 

FAO Report - "Biotechnology: Several developing countries now have well-developed programmes" 6 May 2005, Rome

A recent report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) shows that several developing countries have well-developed biotechnology programs. The preliminary assessment, entitled “Status of Research and Application of Crop Biotechnologies in Developing Countries,” is available online, and is based on a review of information in the FAO database on Biotechnology in Developing Countries (FAO-BioDeC).

EC LISTS ACCEPTED GM PRODUCTS

The European Commission (EC) has recently released a list of 26 genetically modified (GM) products that have legally been on the European market, even before the European Union's (EU) new legislative framework for authorizing GM food and feed went into effect. The list aims to clarify exactly which GM products are legally permitted to be sold in the EU,

Syngenta Statements on Bt 10 - April 15, 2005

Bt10 maize is genetically modified maize that was inadvertently planted in very small amounts as Bt11 maize between 2001 and 2004. The proteins expressed by Bt10 and Bt11 are identical, with the Bt gene in a different location in the maize genome; this has no impact on the safety of the maize.

Recent surveys show that Americans know very little about genetically modified foods

Thursday, April 7, 2005

Recent surveys show that Americans know very little about genetically modified foods. They are unaware that 80 percent of the soybeans and 40 percent of the corn grown in the United States, plus much of the canola and cottonseed oil on grocery shelves, is genetically modified.

BLUE ROSE BLOOMS

Roses are available in red, white, pink, and yellow, but the Holy Grail of rose breeders has always hitherto remained the color blue. Blue roses have long been synonymous with the impossible, for despite all efforts at conventional breeding, a true blue rose would need to create a blue pigment called delphinidin, whose gene is not functional in roses.

SUNTORY Ltd of Japan, in cooperation with Florigene Ltd of Australia, however, recently unveiled the world's first blue roses, created using techniques in genetic modification. Since 1990, both companies have been transferring the genes necessary to create delphinidin from other flower species such as petunia. In the process, Moondust, the world's first blue carnations, were developed and eventually commercialized.

The blue rose is the product of genetic modification of roses through insertion of a gene from the pansy.

Regulating transgenic crops sensibly: lessons from plant breeding, biotechnology and genomics - Nature Biotechnology 23, 439 - 444 (2005) Published online: 6 April 2005;

 

Using studies of regulatory processes used for genetically modified crops over the years, the researchers proposed the following to streamline the current regulatory process: Deregulate the transgenic process, where the product, and not the process, should be evaluated; Rationalize the basis for transgenic regulation, since some molecules, such as the 35s promoter of the cauliflower mosaic virus, have already been consumed by humans at much higher levels than those in transgenic plants; Exempt selected transgenes and classes of transgenic modification from regulation, such as RNAi, use of nontoxic proteins to modify plant development, well-studied marker genes that impart antibiotic resistance, and selected marker genes that impart reported phenotypes; Create regulatory classes in proportion to potential risk; and eliminate the event-specific basis of transgenic regulation.
 

Preparing for the Future A report prepared by the USDA Advisory Committee On Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture 4/5/05

 

CIMMYT Sows Second Field Trial of Promising Transgenic Drought Tolerant Wheat

 

In March, CIMMYT scientists continued their pursuit of drought tolerant wheat with the second field trial of transgenic lines carrying the DREB gene, given to CIMMYT by Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS). The gene, obtained from Arabidopsis thaliana, a relative of wild mustard, exhibited considerable promise in its initial field trial in 2004, and in earlier greenhouse trials (see September 2004 E-news).

 

Graph of Biotech Crops around the World from 1996-2004 - from International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications

 

 

HIGHLIGHTS of ISAAA Briefs No. 32-2004 Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops: 2004

 
In 2004, the global area of biotech crops continued to grow for the ninth consecutive year at a sustained double-digit growth rate of 20%, compared with 15% in 2003. The estimated global area of approved biotech crops for 2004 was 81.0 million hectares, equivalent to 200 million acres, up from 67.7 million hectares or 167 million acres in 2003. Biotech crops were grown by approximately 8.25 million farmers in 17 countries in 2004, up from 7 million farmers in 18 countries in 2003. In 2004, 5% of the 1.5 billion hectares (3.7 billion acres) of all global cultivable cropland was occupied by biotech crops. Further information about ISAAA can be obtained from its website http://www.isaaa.org.