>This article is online at:
>http://cnn.com/TECH/science/9809/03/promiscuous.weed.ap/index.html
>
>Plant Scientists Find Risk in Genetic Engineering
>-------------------------------------------------
>September 3, 1998
>Webposted at 12:10 PM EDT
>
>(AP) -- A weed altered by scientists to resist an herbicide also has
>developed far greater ability to pollinate other plants and pass on its
>traits, raising the possibility of "superweeds" impervious to
>weedkillers.
>
>The findings also have heightened environmentalists' fears about the
>dangers of genetic engineering.
>
>Joy Bergelson, a professor of ecology and evolution at the University of
>Chicago, said the findings show that genetic engineering can substantially
>increase the chances of "transgene escape," or the spread of certain
>traits from one plant to another.
>
>Her study was published in today's issue of the journal Nature. Charles
>Margulis of Greenpeace said the results confirm fears that genetically
>engineering cotton and soybeans to survive spraying with herbicides to
>make weed-control easier will force farmers to spray heavier doses of
>herbicides or use types that are less environmentally safe.
This morning UK government regulations came in force which require half a million food outlets - restaurants, cafes etc, to declare whether their ingredients contain GM food such as soya or maize. Yes - 500,000.
GreenPeace is already onto loopholes in this: saying that it does not cover things like added tomato sauce which may in itself contain GM material. The government has signalled that it will incorporate this too, because it is aware how strongly public opinion is running on this issue in the UK, and Europe.
There is an enormous gap here with consciousness in the USA. Unless the public there takes on board the same message, we are in for a very big trade war. Presumably US citizens think they have got so much land that a bit of GM pollen floating about is unlikely to cause much harm.
Of course agricultural policy has long been a source of conflict between Europe and the USA, but these new regulations are more effective than tariff barriers in cutting off large areas of trade to US agricultural capital.
We must try to make sure the conflict is not handled on terms of nationalist resentment but through democratic reasoning. That should include trying to get the citizens of both the US and of Europe also to hear the voices of third world farmers and consumers, who cannot afford the new GM technology, and will be crushed in the technological race. We should not be Luddite, but this whole subject needs to be brought under social control, on a global basis.
Chris Burford
London