> >GOOD NEWS:
> >
> >1. Portugal Cans Corn
> >2. First S.African retailer bans GM foods
> >3. PEOPLE POWER BLOW TO GM FOOD
> >4. Monsanto's caterers ban GM foods: Off the Monsanto
menu
> >
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> >
> >Portugal Cans Corn
> >
> >On the 27 of December 1999 the Portuguese Agriculture
Ministry signed
> >into law a suspension that effectively stops all GE-corn
from being
> >commercially grown in Portugal next season. There had
been two
> >approvals (Novartis and Monsanto varieties) and 15 more
were
> >expected. There was a single year of GE corn production
in Portugal
> >(1999), with a total area of about 1300 hectares (about
0.5% of all
> >cultivated corn). This U-turn follows strong NGO
pressure and rising
> >consumer awareness in the last few weeks. Reasons
appointed for the
> >decision include the precautionary principle and the
present
> >inability to accurately and independently monitor the
impacts of the
> >releases. Corn growers had previously voiced some
concern about the
> >decreased market value of GE or mixed corn production.
> >
> >For further info use the contact below:
> >Margarida Silva
> >Quercus
> >Portugal
> >T +351 (22) 558 0048
> >F +351 (22) 509 0351
> >msilva@esb.ucp.pt
> >
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> >
> >First S.African retailer bans GM foods
> >
> >S.Africa's Woolworths bans GM foods CAPE TOWN, Dec 21
(Reuters)
> >
> >South African retail chain Woolworths said on Tuesday it
had decided to
> >remove all known genetically modified (GM) foods
from its shelves until
> >they were proven safe. The decision, taken after a
meeting between
> company
> >management and members of the South African Federation
Against Genetic
> >Engineering (SAFEAGE), makes Woolworths the first South
African retailer
> to
> >take that stance. "The
> >current situation with regard to GE (genetically
engineered) food in
> South
> >Africa is unsatisfactory," Woolworths said in a
statement. "Woolworths
> have
> >stated their intention to remove genetically engineered
food from their
> >shelves."
> >
>
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> >
> >Fri, 24 Dec 1999
> >
> >The Express (UK)
> >
> >PEOPLE POWER BLOW TO GM FOOD
> >BY JOHN INGHAM AND LUCY JOHNSTON
> >
> >THE biotech revolution is in danger of failure in the
face of consumer
> >power, one of the world's top investment banks has
warned.
> >
> >In a new body blow to the beleaguered industry, Credit
Suisse First
> Boston
> >says the commercial development of genetically modified
organisms is
> >suffering from "negative momentum". It says
food manufacturers are
> running
> >scared of GM crops, and that key questions about the
technology may not
> be
> >answered for several years.
> >
> >Analysts warn in a series of briefings that the issue is
out of control
> for
> >big business and government. "If anyone is in
control it appears to be
> >environment and consumer groups."
> >
> >The Express has been leading the campaign for public
choice over GM foods
> >and tighter controls on GM crops since summer 1998.
> >
> >We have called for all food to be clearly labelled and
for delays on
> >commercial planting until independent research has
proved they are safe
> for
> >the environment.
> >
> >Credit Suisse compares GM technology with nuclear power.
It says both are
> >scientifically sound but warns: "No one is building
new nuclear plants
> >today."
> >
> >After surveying consumer reaction, it says: "The
march of progress with
> GM
> >crops no longer appears inevitable to us."
> >
> >The bank's analysis will cause fresh alarm among
investors who have
> already
> >seen the share values of some biotech firms fall.
> >
> >In the past year shoppers in Britain and Europe have
overwhelmingly
> >rejected GM food. Even US consumers are now
beginning to rebel amid
> fears
> >about the long-term consequences.
> >
> >The reports are all the more damaging because Credit
Suisse's clients
> have
> >included some of the world's top biotech firms. They
follow similar
> >warnings by the influential Deutsche Bank earlier
this year.
> >
> >Friends of the Earth claimed last night that the City
was turning its
> back
> >on biotech firms.
> >
> >Spokesman Adrian Bebb said: "Time is running out
for the biotech
> industry.
> >"One of the world's biggest financial advisers
appears to have little
> faith
> >in it."
> >
> >The newly announced merger between biotech giant
Monsanto and a Swedish
> >firm is seen as further evidence that the GM
revolution is running out
> of
> >steam. In the past 14 months Monsanto shares have
nearly halved in
> value.
> >
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> >
> >BBC Online Wednesday, 22 December, 1999, 00:10 GMT
> >http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_574000/574245.stm
> >
> >Monsanto's caterers ban GM foods
> >GM Foods: Off the Monsanto menu
> >
> >By Environment correspondent Alex Kirby
> >
> >A company responsible for providing catering services
for the
> biotechnology
> >company Monsanto has banned some genetically-modified
ingredients.
> >
> >We have taken the decision to remove, as far as is
practicable, GM soya
> and
> >maize from all food products served in our restaurant
> >
> >The company, Sutcliffe Catering, is owned by Granada
Food Services and is
> >responsible for catering at some of Monsanto's UK
premises.
> >
> >Environmental campaigners said the measure showed
Monsanto's caterers had
> no
> >confidence in the company's GM products.
> >
> >Friends of the Earth spokesman Adrian Bebb said:
"The public has made its
> >concerns about GM ingredients very clear.
> >
> >"Now it appears that even Monsanto's own catering
firm has no confidence
> in
> >this new technology."
> >
> >Friends of the Earth has obtained a statement made by
Granada's quality
> >systems director, Mike Batchelor, and dated 15 September
1999.
> >
> >It says: "In response to concern raised by our
customers over the use of
> >GMFs [genetically-modified foods], and to comply with
government
> >legislation, we have taken the decision to remove, as
far as is practicable,
GM soya and maize from all food products served in our
restaurant".
"We will continue to work with our suppliers to replace GM
soya and maize
with non-GM ingredients without impairing quality or performance.
"To maintain customer choice we will sell retail products,
such as
confectionery, that are packaged and labelled by the manufacturer
as
containing GM soya and maize, where it is appropriate.
"We have taken the above steps to ensure that you, the
customer, can feel
confident in the food we serve."
Belief in choice
Monsanto's spokesman, Tony Coombes, said that Sutcliffe Catering
ran the
canteens at the company's High Wycombe headquarters.
Protest reached the gates of Downing Street
"We believe in choice. At our Cambridge restaurant there is
a notice which
says that some products may contain GM ingredients, because our
staff are
happy to eat products sprayed with fewer chemicals."
Friends of the Earth called the news "a tremendous victory
for consumers".
A survey by the group last May found that 24 out of 30 leading
food
manufacturers operating in the UK said they had removed GM
ingredients and derivatives, or were doing so.
Unhappy legislators
Caterers at the House of Commons serve food that avoids GM
ingredients "in
response to the general unease about such foods expressed by
significant
numbers of our customers".
At the Welsh and Scottish Assemblies, caterers also have a policy
of
avoiding GM ingredients, and the European Parliament has banned
them too.
Friends of the Earth say that by the end of the year all the UK's
leading
supermarkets will have removed GM ingredients from their own
label food, and
are phasing out GM derivatives as well. Many restaurant chains
are following suit
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Firm's own canteen bans GM products
Date: 23/12/99
London: It must be the final insult. Having led the way in
promoting
genetically modified (GM) food, the food technology
giant Monsanto has suffered the indignity of having GM products
banned in its own
staff canteen by the caterers, who say the move is "in
response to concern
raised by our customers".
Friends of the Earth gleefully welcomed the "vote of no
confidence" in the
new technology, while Monsanto, already
reeling from worldwide financial fears for its GM future,
complained that
the decision removed choice for its employees.
The canteen at Monsanto's main UK offices, in Buckinghamshire, is
run by an
outside contractor. Its parent company,
Granada Food Services, said in a statement it was working
"to remove, as
far as is practicable, GM soya and maize
from all food products served in our restaurant".
It would continue to sell products such as confectionery that
were packaged
and labelled by manufacturers as having
GM ingredients, "where it is appropriate".
Friends of the Earth said: "The public has made its concerns
about GM
ingredients very clear. Now it appears that even
Monsanto's own catering firm has no confidence in this new
technology."
The Guardian
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=====================
"Genetic engineering bypasses conventional breeding by using
artificially
constructed parasitic genetic elements, including viruses, as
vectors to
carry and smuggle genes into cells. Once inside cells, these
vectors slot
themselves into the host genome. The insertion of foreign genes
into the host
genome has long been known to have many harmful and fatal effects
including
cancer of the organism." - Dr Mae Wan-Ho, geneticist,
and scientific adviser
to the Third World Network.
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Bob Phelps
Director
Australian GeneEthics Network
PO Box 2424, Fitzroy MC 3065 Australia
Tel: (03) 9416.2222 Fax: (03) 9416.0767 {Int Code (613)}
email: geneethics@acfonline.org.au
(Bob Phelps)
WWW: http://www.zero.com.au/agen
"If it is left to me I would certainly not eat it (GE
foods). We are
putting new things into food which would not have been eaten
before.
The effects on the immune system are not easily predictable and I
challenge anyone who will say that the effects are
predictable."
Professor Arpad Pusztai
(fired for speaking out)
"During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes
a
revolutionary act."
George Orwell
"Non-cooperation with injustice is a sacred duty."
Mahatma Gandhi
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil, is that good
people (men)
do nothing."
Edmund Burke
"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint.
When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a
communist."
Dom Helder Camera
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed
citizens can
change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever
has."
Margaret Mead
>When spiders unite, they can tie down a lion.
Ethiopian proverb
"Knowing is not enough, you must also act"
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