News and Analysis • Volume 8 • Number 6 • 4th April 2008

GMO Roundup: Benin, Kenya Limit Exposure to GM Crops, Mexico Moves to Test Maize Varieties, Brazilian Biofuel Producers Look to GM; French GM Maize Ban Upheld

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Benin, Kenya limit exposure to GM crops

The government of Benin recently announced that it will renew a moratorium on the import, marketing and use of GM varieties for another five years. The moratorium was first introduced in 2002 in response to the possibility of GM products entering the market from African states belonging to the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA). Benin did not, and does not yet have the necessary regulatory framework to deal with biotechnology and biosafety.

Meanwhile, the Kenyan government recently suspended the sale of maize from South Africa, after lab results presented by civil society groups indicated that samples of the maize were contaminated by MON810. Raising some doubt as to the authenticity of the initial results, Chagema Kedera, director of the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service, said the government would be conducting additional testing.

Greenpeace officials defended the test results. Jan van Aken, an official with Greenpeace said “we participated, together with Kenyan NGOs, in the sampling, testing and shipping of the material, and we supported the testing financially.”

A draft Kenyan biosafety law addressing, among other issues, the contamination of traditional seeds has yet to pass.

Mexico moves to test maize varieties

In Mexico, final regulations were put into place 25 March to allow limited cultivation of GM maize. Under the rules, farmers would not be allowed to grow GM maize on lands determined to be “centres of origin” of maize, areas where corn strains only found in Mexico are grown. Corn, which originates in Mexico, was first cultivated over 9000 years ago.

The new rules nevertheless met with resistance from farmers and environmental groups, which have been opposed to GM maize ever since the Mexican Congress first took a decision in 2004 to allow the growing of the crops. Farmers in southern Mexico fear cross-pollination with Mexican varieties, and Victor Suarez, leader of a group of small farmers said “this is a step in the government’s intention to bow to pressure from Monsanto to allow the contamination of Mexico’s native corn.” Farmers in northern Mexico on the other hand generally see GM corn as an opportunity for Mexico to increase corn yields and cut down on US imports. Such imports increased again after barriers were lifted at the end of a 15-year phase-in period under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) at the beginning of this year (see Bridges Trade BioRes, 25 January 2008, http://www.ictsd.org/biores/08-01-25/story4.htm).

Brazilian biofuel producers look to GM

Brazilian biotech companies Alellyx and Genomics and Sugar Technology Center (CTC) are in the process of developing a GM sugar cane variety for use as cellulosic ethanol. The companies recently announced that the sugar cane would be modified to produce more ethanol and sugar, and could be developed within three to five years.

However, both the increasing production of biofuels and the approval of GM crops have met with significant resistance in Brazil.

Camila Moreno of Terra de Direitos said of biofuels, they “have become a bargaining tool and are the central focus for Brazil’s economic and political aspirations internationally, while they exacerbate social and environmental problems domestically,” and have resulted in an “expansion of monocultures under corporate-controlled industrial agricultural systems [which] determine access and control over common natural resources and is at the root of nearly all socio-environmental conflicts in Brazil.”

The conflict between agribusiness and farmers’ groups was evident after Brazil’s recent approval of two GM corn varieties (see Bridges Trade Biores, 22 February 2008, http://www.ictsd.org/biores/08-02-22/story2.htm), with activists invading a Monsanto research building in Santa Cruz das Palmeiras, Brazil.

The biotech companies are hoping that the approval process for cane will be easier than that for other crops since cane is not directly used for food or animal feed, although many blame the increasing cultivation of raw materials for biofuels on increasing global food prices.

France’s top legal authority upholds GM maize ban while parliament considers new law

Meanwhile, the French State Council, the country’s top legal authority, upheld a controversial temporary government ban on the use of a genetically-produced strain of maize, MON810 (see Bridges Trade BioRes, 25 January 2008, http://www.ictsd.org/biores/08-01-25/story4.htm) by rejecting an injunction filed by seed makers and farmers.

Environmental and consumer groups welcomed the decision. In a statement, Greenpeace welcomed “the fact that the challenges of protecting our citizens and the environment have been judged more important than the private interests of a handful of multinationals and the pro-GMO lobby.”

A judge presiding over the case said “(those seeking the injunction) have no foundation to demand the suspension of the decrees banning commercial sowings of MON810 maize.” A spokeswoman for the Council added that “there are no serious doubts as to the legality of the decisions.”

Luc Esprit, head of France’s maize grower’s association AGPM said “we are deeply disappointed but that is the decision and we acknowledge it.”

The ruling is being appealed. However, a new decision will not be handed down in time for France’s maize planting season, meaning MON810 will not be grown in France in 2008.

In the meantime, France’s parliament has begun debating a proposed law which governs GM crops, something the EU has required member states to develop since 2001. According to France’s environment minister, Jean-Louis Borloo, the purpose of the law is to govern issues related to the use of GM crops, not to determine whether GM crops can be used, a decision within the province of the EU. Farm minister Michel Barnier said that the proposed law could allow for greater use of GMOs and that France supports further research into the safety of GMOs.

France’s main farm union is in support of the debate and the legislation. Environmental groups and members of France’s Green Party, on the other hand, are staunchly opposed to a law that would allow the use of GM crops. Noel Mamere, a member of the Green party said “we are going to fight with determination, like dogs, against the proposed law.”

“Mexico Approves Rules to Begin Planting GM Corn,” Reuters, 25 March 2008; “French Farmers Lose Bid to Overturn GMO Corn Ban,” Agence France Presse, 19 March 2008; “French State Body Upholds Decision on GM Crop Ban,” Reuters, 19 March 2008; “Soaring Corn Prices Test Japanese Distaste for GMO,” Reuters, 17 March 2008; “Brazil Wrestles with Decision on GM Corn, Seed Patenting,” Intellectual Property Watch, 17 March 2008; “Brazil Peasant Women Invade Monsanto GMO Facilities,” Reuters, 7 March 2008; “Food & Energy Sovereignty Now: Brazilian Grassroots Position on Agroenergy,” Upside Down World, 6 March 2008; “Brazil GMO cane research advances, waits for OK,” Reuters, 4 March 2008; “Brazil GMO Firm Seeks Cellulosic Ethanol from Cane,” Reuters, 4 March 2008; “French Parliament Kicks Off Debate on New GMO Law,” Reuters, 2 April 2008; “Benin Renews Moratorium on GMOs,” Checkbiotech.org, 18 March 2008; “Sale Ban for Gene Modified-Link Maize Seed,” Daily Nation, 30 March 2008.