Teken tegen patenten op chimpansees
TestBiotech: "Today in Berlin a new report was published presenting a critical assessment of the consequences of the commercial cultivation of genetically engineered plants in the US. The first genetically engineered plants were created 30 years ago in Europe and the US. Commercial growing in the USA began almost 20 years ago, but in the EU, acceptance of these crops is much lower. Nevertheless, companies are asking for further authorisations for cultivation, including in the EU. In the light of this development, past experience in the USA was assessed and recommendations made for the future handling of this technology in the EU. Some of the principal findings are:
Consequences for farmers
Because the weeds have adapted to the cultivation of the genetically engineered plants, farmers are experiencing a substantial increase in both working hours and the amounts of herbicide they require. Cultivation of insecticide-producing plants have led to “an arms race in the field” against the pest insects, which have adapted quickly. Genetically engineered plants have been created to produce up to six different toxins. Costs for seeds have increased dramatically, without there being a substantial increase in yields or significant savings in the amounts of spray required.
Impact on the seed market
The seed industry in the USA is largely dominated by agrochemical industries such as Monsanto, Dupont and Syngenta. In future, it has to be expected that developments in the USA will be strongly influenced by the interests of agro-chemical companies pushing for the cultivation of genetically engineered plants.
Consequences for producers who avoid genetically engineered crops
Contamination with non-authorised genetically engineered plants has already caused billions of dollars worth of damage in the USA.
Consequences for consumers
Consumers are exposed to a whole range of risks regarding unintended substances from plant metabolism, from residues from complementary herbicides and from the properties of additional proteins produced in the plants. As yet, there is no way of monitoring the actual effects that consumption of these products might have.
Effects on the environment
The cultivation of genetically engineered plants is closely associated with a substantial increase in the amounts of herbicide required. In addition, there is also an increase in environmental exposure to certain insecticides. In particular, the cultivation of herbicide-resistant plants leads to a reduction in biodiversity. Genetically engineered rapeseed has already managed to escape from the fields into the environment from where it cannot be withdrawn, and from where it evades any adequate control."
Rapport: 30 years of genetically engineered plants - 20 years of commercial cultivation in the United States: a critical assessment (pdf)
In de VS worden door multinationals als Monsanto ook processen gevoerd tegen boeren waarvan beweerd wordt dat ze hun zaden zelf verzamelen uit de eerste oogst van hun legaal gekochte GMO-zaad, iets wat Monsanto niet toestaat.
NaturalNews: "Monsanto drags over 400 U.S. farmers to court over GM seed patents
According to that report titled "Seed Giants vs. U.S. Farmers," which readers can view here, Monsanto alleges seed patent infringement in 144 lawsuits against 410 farmers and 56 small farm businesses in at least 27 states, as of January of this year.
Combined, Monsanto, Syngenta and DuPont hold more than half - 53 percent - of the global commercial seed market, which the groups claim in their report has led to a massive increase in the price of seed: Between 1995 and 2011, the groups say the average cost of planting a single acre of soybeans rose a whopping 325 percent, while corn seed prices climbed a staggering 259 percent.
Monsanto especially says that seed patents are a form of biological patent and that means the company's seeds - which are genetically modified to ward off bugs and weeds, though some strains of each are becoming increasing resistant to them - are legally protected inventions or discoveries in biology, HuffPo reported.
"In the case of Monsanto, that often means patents on genetically modified seeds," said the web-based newspaper. "In recent years, these and other companies have taken farmers to court for alleged seed patent infringement - meaning they planted seeds without paying for them."
For the record, farmers have, for centuries, harvested seeds from the current years' crop so they could plant again next year; Monsanto and the others have, in essence, made that time-tested practice illegal with a product that, according to reports, is not living up to advertised standards of resistance.
That doesn't matter to Monsanto and the other Ag-giants, but it does matter to the U.S. Supreme Court, because the issue of patent infringement becomes less clear when you consider that these farmers are growing subsequent crops with seeds they initially purchased legally - even if the ag-giants consider such subsequent planting a crime.
In the case of Bowman, he allegedly replanted second-generation seeds for years, though he initially purchased them legally from a licensed Monsanto distributor. He didn't purchase new seeds each crop year, and because of that, Monsanto says he essentially stole their product. The company has managed to win a string of victories in lower courts."
CommonDreams: "Family Farmers Mobilize in Ongoing Battle Against Monsanto
Group heads to federal appeals court to be free from "legal threats and intimidation" from genetically modified giant"
DeWereldMorgen: "Niemand weet beter dan de imker hoe intensief alles wat bloeit door insecten wordt bezocht. Bijen - gaande van honingbijen, solitaire bijen tot hommels - horen daarbij. Ze staan voor 80 tot 85 procent in voor de bestuiving van wilde- en cultuurplanten. Via het stuifmeel van genetisch gemanipuleerde planten zullen ze dus in belangrijke mate bijdragen tot de verspreiding van ggo-materiaal in cultuurgewassen en in de vrije natuur.
Als men, in het onderzoek naar een mogelijke coëxistentie tussen velden met ggo-gewassen en gangbare of biologische velden, de invloed van bijen en insecten in rekening brengt, dan wordt het overduidelijk dat coëxistentie zonder meer niet mogelijk is.
In ieder geval is het duidelijk dat de imker nooit op enige schadevergoeding zal kunnen rekenen bij contaminatie van de honing."
TestBiotech: "Lawsuit filed against EU authorisation of genetically engineered soybeans
The European Network of Scientists for Social and Environmental Responsibility (ENSSER), the Society for Ecological Research, the foundation Manfred-Hermsen-Stiftung for Nature Conservation and Environmental Protection, the Foundation on Future Farming, the non-profit organisation Sambucus and Testbiotech are challenging a decision made by the EU Commission to authorise a new genetically engineered Monsanto soybean at the European Court of Justice. The soybeans will be mostly sold and grown in Brazil under the brand name Intacta, the harvest will be imported to the EU for use in food and feed. This product is a unique combination of two traits in soybeans: The plants express an insecticidal protein and are resistant to the herbicide glyphosate, commonly known under trademarks such as Roundup. According to the plaintiffs, the European Food Safety Authority EFSA has not carried out the risk assessments for the genetically engineered soybean as legally required. Therefore, the EU Commission should not have given its permission for marketing of the products derived from these plants.
The reasons given to the court for challenging the decision are, in particular, (1) the conclusion that this soybean can be regarded as equivalent with soybeans from conventional breeding, (2) there has been no investigation of combinatorial effects, (3) flawed examination of allergenic risks and (4) there is no obligation for monitoring health effects at the stage of consumption."