Bridges Trade BioRes • Volume 1 • Number 2 • 6th December 2001
China-US GMO Deal; Mexican Maize; OECD Conference
China-US GMO Deal; Mexican Maize; OECD Conference
China Endorses GMO Deal With US
In a letter dated 26 November, the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture formally endorsed a deal reached in October with the US regarding China’s regulations on imports of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), according to the office of the US Trade Representative (USTR). The interim deal (see BRIDGES Weekly, 30 October 2001) had been put in place until China issued implementation details for its 6 June GMO regulations. The USTR office welcomed the official endorsement, which they said was needed to increase orders of US soybeans from Chinese importers. The USTR also announced that it was sending its top agriculture negotiator, Allen Johnson, to China in mid-December for further discussions on China’s GMO rules. The release of implementation details, however, has been delayed until further notice, according the China’s Ministry of Agriculture.
Transgenic Components Found In Mexican Native Corn
Native varieties of corn grown in remote regions of Mexico have been contaminated by transgenic DNA, according to a study published in the 29 November edition of the science journal Nature. "This is very serious because the region where our samples were taken are known for their diverse varieties of native corn, which is something that absolutely needs to be protected, " warned Ignacio Chapela, one of the authors from UC Berkeley. Environmental groups called for an immediate moratorium on growing bioengineered crops. "These findings are deeply disturbing and highlight the huge gamble the biotech industry is taking with nature," said Pete Riley of Friends of the Earth. "To my knowledge this is the first time anyone has found transgenic material in wild plants," he added.
The source of the contamination is still unknown, but is likely to have come from multiple pollinations over time, the authors said. The planting of bioengineered corn has been banned in Mexico since 1998 and the nearest known plantings are located 60 miles from the study site. "It’s not clear if the moratorium was poorly enforced, or if the contamination occurred before the moratorium was enacted," said Chapela. Import of bioengineered corn, however, is still allowed. "It’s more likely that the contamination came from food aid brought in to these regions," speculated David Quist, the second author. "A lot of it comes from the United States and a lot of it is transgenic."
OECD Conference discusses LMOs and environment
Environmental assessment of transgenic organisms was the focus of the International Conference "LMOs [Living Modified Organisms] and the Environment", organised by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Raleigh-Durham, USA, on 27-30 November. The Conference aimed to promote dialogue between developed and developing countries in an effort to identify country- and region-specific assessment needs.
In their (draft) summary report of the meeting, the rapporteurs summarise current trends in the development and assessment of LMOs and outline areas of general agreement among participants and some outstanding issues. Regarding the way forward, the report highlights the need for improved environmental assessment methodologies, and for undertaking further scientific investigations. The authors furthermore consider the potential for using international standards as a way to minimise disruption of international trade and "undercutting the capacity of developing countries to use emerging technologies" while allowing all countries to meet their needs.
Additional Resources
Documents of the OECD Conference are available online.
"China says delays issuing details of GMO rules," REUTERS, 3 December 2001; "China endorses deal on GMO soybeans," REUTERS, 4 December 2001; "Transgenic DNA discovered in native Mexican corn, according to a new study by UC Berkeley researchers," UC BERKELEY, 18 November 2001; "Mexican study raises GM concern," BBC, 28 November 2001; "Scientists find GM material in native Mexican corn," REUTERS, 330 November 2001.