2-Plants: South Africa commercialises Monsanto's GE soy seed

[GENET <genetnl@xs4all.be>]

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                                  PART I
-------------------------------- GENET-news --------------------------------

TITLE:  SA adds soya to list of modified crops
SOURCE: Business Day, South Africa, by Louise Cook
        http://www.bday.co.za/bday/content/direct/
        1,3523,998592-6078-0,00.html
DATE:   January 8, 2002

------------------ archive: http://www.gene.ch/genet.html ------------------


SA adds soya to list of modified crops

SA IS making giant strides this year in with pushing up its commercial 
plantings of genetically modified crops. In addition to farmers planting 
the first modified white maize crop this year, modified soya bean, used 
mostly for the manufacture of animal and poultry feed, was planted on 750ha 
of land in Mpumalanga this month.

The controversial genetic engineering of crops involves the transferring of 
a gene from one plant species to another in order to boost specific traits 
such as drought resistance or resistance to certain pests. Critics claim 
the science has not been tested sufficiently and that it could be harmful 
to humans and cause damage to the environment.

But for the first time after many years of importing modified soya from 
Argentina and the US under special permits from the health and agriculture 
departments, SA is now able to produce and sell its own.

Kinyua Mbijjewe, a spokesman for Monsanto Africa, a multinational seed 
firm, says SA growers now have an opportunity to "share in the economic and 
environmental benefits of the engineered beans". "Where they are grown 
commercially, the beans have proved their ability to improve yields and 
increase growers' incomes," Mbijjewe said.

Scientists who support modified crops say these have higher yields and are 
more environmentally friendly because their genes are manipulated to resist 
pests. Farmers pay more for the modified seed but do not have to buy 
pesticides and chemicals. Monsanto said the SA executive council for 
genetically modified organisms, government's watchdog over genetic 
engineering, had approved commercial growing of soya but this could not be 
confirmed yesterday.

Soya is the fourth genetically engineered crop to be planted locally in the 
past four years. Yellow maize was the first, followed by cotton and white 
maize.


                                  PART II
-------------------------------- GENET-news --------------------------------

TITLE:  Genetic food battle may be on summit table
SOURCE: Business Day, South Africa, by Louise Cook
        http://www.bday.co.za/bday/content/direct/
        1,3523,999356-6078-0,00.html
DATE:   January 9, 2002

------------------ archive: http://www.gene.ch/genet.html ------------------


Genetic food battle may be on summit table

INDICATIONS are that the world summit meeting in Johannesburg on 
sustainable development may turn into a big battle for supporters and 
opponents of genetically engineered food. The topic is not on the agenda 
yet, but indications are that, due to controversy about the science, it is 
to be picked for debate when the agenda is set later this year.

The United Nations summit on environmental issues, 10 years after the Rio 
Earth Summit, will be one of the this year's biggest international events. 
At least 60000 delegates from governments across the globe are expected to 
attend the event, to be held in and around Johannesburg later this year.

Scientists on both sides of the divide of genetic engineering of crops said 
yesterday that the summit was a "major platform" to promote their views on 
the controversial science. The science boils down to a gene from one specie 
being transferred to another to boost a specific trait.

But the SA Freeze Alliance on Genetic Engineering, which opposes plant 
manipulation, said it had not yet managed to get funding to participate in 
the summit. Spokesman Glenn Ashton said: "Unfortunately, most of our 
(financial) backing comes from overseas. We certainly hope to have this 
sorted out because of the importance of some of the issues that need to be 
debated at the summit." The nongovernmental body opposes the genetic 
engineering of food and crops on the grounds that insufficient research has 
gone into it, and that it is potentially dangerous to human health and the 
environment.

But proponents in favour of genetic engineering and modified crops are 
already gearing up to make their points at the summit. Lobby co-ordinator 
Wynand van der Walt said the summit would be used to take stock of what was 
achieved in the past 10 years to improve sustainable development of the 
earth's natural resources and examine the role biotechnology had played in 
this. "It will be an opportunity to map out the way ahead to ensure that 
sustainable development is taken further and improved."

The summit was due to be held in September, but will be held from August 26 
to September 4 by the United Nations General Assembly to avoid it clashing 
with the first anniversary of the September 11 attacks in the US. 
Environmental Affairs and Tourism Minister Valli Moosa said he was 
confident the move would not have any bearing on SA's logistical 
preparations for the summit as these were "ahead of schedule."


                                  PART III
-------------------------------- GENET-news --------------------------------

TITLE:  SA should ban genetically changed foods
SOURCE: Business Day, South Africa, by Andrew Taynton
        http://www.bday.co.za/bday/content/direct/
        1,3523,999824-6078-0,00.html
DATE:   January 10, 2002

------------------ archive: http://www.gene.ch/genet.html ------------------


SA should ban genetically changed foods

I REFER to your article SA adds soya to list of modified crops, (January 8).

European Union consumers have rejected most genetically modified foods 
based on the scientific "precautionary principle". In the US 11 out of 17 
US Food and Drug Administration scientists warned against commercialising 
genetically modified foods without further health safety testing. The US 
government ignored these warnings, bowed to industry pressure and declared 
genetically modified foods safe.

The main concerns are potential toxicity, allergenicity, lower nutritional 
value and antibiotic resistance, as well as the lack of proper testing by 
the developers of the technology. Unexpected toxic substances have been 
observed in genetically modified bacteria, yeast, plants and animals with 
the problem possibly remaining undetected until a major health hazard has 
arisen. It may take years for the full toxicity to come to light. 
Monsanto's analysis of its own genetically modified Roundup Ready soya 
showed it had 28% more Kunitztrypsin inhibitor, a known antinutrient and 
allergen.

Prof Richard Lacey (Leeds University, UK), who predicted BSE or "Mad Cow 
Disease" more than 10 years ago, believes it is virtually impossible to 
conceive of a testing procedure to assess the health effects of genetically 
modified foods when introduced into the food chain.

SA should ban such foods and embrace healthier and more sustainable 
alternatives of food production.

Andrew Taynton, Linkhills, KwaZulu-Natal



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