2-Plants: US politicans attack BIO's GMO moratorium

[GENET <hmeyer@ngi.de>]

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

TITLE:  VILSACK, GROSS WEIGH IN ON BIOTECH DECISION
SOURCE: Associated Press, by Mike Glover
        edited and sent by Agnet, Canada
DATE:   Oct 24, 2002

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VILSACK, GROSS WEIGH IN ON BIOTECH DECISION

DES MOINES, Iowa - Gov. Tom Vilsack was cited as writing in a letter to the 
Biotechnology Industry Organization that a decision by a biotechnical 
industry group not to grow genetically engineered corn for pharmaceutical 
purposes in states such as Iowa is "a dangerous precedent," adding that "I 
feel this decision by for a pharma-crop ban is a knee-jerk reaction that is 
not fully warranted by the scientific evidence." BIO was cited as saying 
this week that its members had agreed not to grow pharmaceutical crops in 
states where it could contaminate neighboring crops intended for human 
consumption. That includes Iowa, and Vilsack reacted quickly, dashing off a 
letter asking the group for a clarification of its policy. Vilsack was 
quoted as saying, "I support food safety and security, but this decision 
appears to be overreaching. It seems more like an effort to exclude the 
nation's most productive farmers, small businesses and university 
researchers from this emerging industry." Vilsack has said the state could 
have a bright future in developing genetically engineered crops for the 
pharmaceutical industry.


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

TITLE:  EDITORIAL: LIFT THE MORATORIUM A BIOTECH BLACKBALLING OF THE CORN
        BELT IS BASED ON FEAR, NOT SCIENCE
SOURCE: Des Moines Register, USA, edited and sent by Agnet, Canada
DATE:   Oct 25, 2002

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


EDITORIAL: LIFT THE MORATORIUM A BIOTECH BLACKBALLING OF THE CORN BELT IS 
BASED ON FEAR, NOT SCIENCE

Iowa must, according to this editorial, do all it can to persuade the 
biotechnology industry to back away from its moratorium on planting corn 
engineered for pharmaceutical or industrial uses in Midwestern states. The 
editorial says that the voluntary ban is driven by fear, not science. It is 
more sensible to assure exemplary safeguards are in place to prevent 
contamination of corn grown for food than to take an incredible opportunity 
away from an entire region.

The potential of drugs or chemicals extracted from gene-altered plants is 
not entirely understood but it is likely huge. Some Iowa farmers stand to 
benefit enormously by moving away from growing crops for animal feed to 
growing plants designed to produce special proteins for different 
commercial uses. Already being grown in Iowa is biotech corn that contains 
an enzyme that helps people with cystic fibrosis digest food. Manufacturing 
facilities to bring such products to market also could locate here. The 
editorial says that the moratorium was issued because of concerns about 
consumer confidence in the food supply, but with strict regulation and 
ongoing research, fields can be safely isolated so that biotech crops do 
not cross-pollinate with food crops.

Lisa Dry, spokeswoman for the Biotechnology Industry Organization, 
explained that the organization's moratorium is not based on science. "We 
did this because the grain handlers, the grocery manufacturers, the food 
processors, the grain exporters have all begged us not to grow these 
products in commodity corn," she said. "Because we have no track record in 
this new area of pharmaceutical production, the only experience they have 
to draw on is StarLink."

The editorial goes on to say it it is illogical to allow paranoia to 
determine the role Iowa or any other state plays in the development of 
biotechnology. Gov. Tom Vilsack sent a letter on Wednesday to the president 
of the Biotechnology Industry Organization saying the decision was 
"overreaching," that the "policy sets a dangerous precedent for the 
regulation of other biotech varieties." He also asked for clarification of 
the policy.

Senators Tom Harkin and Charles Grassley and the rest of Iowa's 
congressional delegation should join Vilsack in making the very strong case 
for reversing the moratorium. Grassley already is working with experts at 
Iowa State University to do just that. Industry spokeswoman Dry left open 
the possibility that the decision might at some point be re-examined. Iowa 
officials and everyone else with a stake in biotechnology should make every 
effort to see that it is.



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