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Richard Wolfson <rwolfson@concentric.net>: GE news
--------- Begin forwarded message ----------
From: Richard Wolfson <rwolfson@concentric.net>
To: info@natural-law.ca
Subject: GE news
Date: Mon, 29 Sep 1997 17:56:26 -0400
Message-ID: <l03102801b055d47a922d@[206.173.215.68]>
HERE ARE TWO NEWS STORIES THAT RECENTLY CAME OUT OF A EUROPEAN
NEWSLETTER:
UNHAPPY FARMER
A Canadian farmer recently phoned in to take part in a radio
programme (CBC September =9197) discussing labelling of GM crops. He went
on
to say how unhappy he was with the Roundup Ready Canola that he was in
the
process of harvesting. He reported that he was only getting 15 bushels
per
acre, after getting 30 the week before from the fields seeded with
conventional canola. He had seeded RR Canola because he =91wanted to
clean u=
p
this field=92. The problem with that was that the weeds the Roundup were
guaranteed to clean up were still there.
On top of that, he said, he had grown some RR canola the year before and
kept it segregated, but this year the industry told him not to bother
segregating the RR canola because it had been approved in Japan and
Europe.
Now they tell him that the European and Japanese buyers don't want it,
approved or not, because the public don't want it - but now it is all
mixed
in with his regular canola!
The radio station was CBC Regina, the show was on air from 1-2 p.m. local
time, on Sept. 2nd and the host was Lindy Thorsen. Peter McCann, an
industry
front man (pres. of AgWest Biotech, a publicly funded industry lobby
group)
was a guest on the show as was Brewster Kneen, who is an anti-ge
campaigner.
BRAZIL SAYS NO
Brazilian agriculture officials will meet on October 2nd to discuss
Brazil's
ban on imports of soybeans containing GMOs. At present, the entry into
Brazil of any soybeans containing genetically modified material is
prohibited; providing a source of GM-free processed soybeans for other
countries. Brazil itself has said that the main reason for the ban is
that
some third countries who are significant buyers of the processed soybean
do
impose restrictions on such products.
Without imports of U.S. soybeans, which some say could total around 2
million tons, sources say the Brazilian [soya bean], crushing industry
could
shut down for several months, potentially from Nov. 1997 to Feb. 1998,
when new-crop supplies come on line. Brazil's own GE free soya beans
were
in such high demand this year that they sold out in record time.
** Brazil is under immense pressure from the US to end its ban, please
send
as many faxes as possible to the Brazilian Agriculture Minister, Arlindo
Porto, before October 2nd, urging him not to give in. Explain to him the
US
strategy and tell him that Europe doesn=92t want transgenic soya from the
US
and that Brazil shouldn't be pressured into buying something that nobody
else wants. His fax number is: +55-61-225 9046. If you have the time fax
Brazilian press also. For their details email:
martin.rickinger@apis.com.br
he would also like to hear about any faxes that you send to Arlindo
Porto.
_________________________________________________________
Richard Wolfson, PhD
Campaign for Mandatory Labelling and Long-term
Testing of all Genetically Engineered Foods
Natural Law Party, 500 Wilbrod Street
Ottawa, ON Canada K1N 6N2
Tel. 613-565-8517 Fax. 613-565-1596
email: rwolfson@concentric.net
Our website, http://www.natural-law.ca/genetic/geindex.html
contains more information on genetic engineering.
To receive regular news on genetic engineering and this
campaign, please send an email message with 'subscribe GE'
in the subject line to rwolfson@concentric.net To
unsubscribe, please send the message 'unsubscribe GE'
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
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