English translation from An Ukrainian article from:
"Golos Ukrayiny" ("The Voice of Ukraine")
The newspaper of the Supreme Council of Ukraine
No. 41 (2043) Friday March, 5 1999
Taming of the garden's Jinn
A real war flared up in Ukraine. At the highest level. Sometimes even in
the same ministry it is possible to hear inconsistent opinions on this
point. The apple of discord has appeared to be a potato. But not a usual
potato. Two years ago, a batch of genetically modified potato resistant to
Colorado bugs, was delivered to the country by the American company
"Monsanto".
The Independent 4.4.99
EU plans for large scale GM disaster
By Marie Woolf, Political Correspondent
EUROPEAN governments are drawing up contingency plans for a nuclear
fallout-style emergency involving genetically modified organisms.
A five-point Emergency Response Plan has been formulated by the European
Commission, designed to cope if genetically modified plants result in
widespread illness or the death of wildlife. The draft directive, set to
be adopted by ministers across Europe, includes plans to "decontaminate"
affected areas and destroy plants and animals exposed to GMOs. The plan is
designed to prevent a human health disaster and stop genetically modified
plants breeding wildly with native species.
The proposed five-point plans are similar to those used in the case of
accidental nuclear leaks and will be a requirement of any new application
to release genetically modified organisms once the law comes into force.
........
next article posted by jim@niall7.demon.co.uk (jim mcnulty)
Africa Warned About Biotech Seeds
Africa News Service
Publication Date: April 07, 1999
Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - African governments may be duped into endorsing the
use of genetically engineered food crops as a solution to food problems in
the continent, agro-scientists have warned.
Scientists from the Nairobi-based International Centre of Insect Physiology
and Ecology claimed that genetically engineered technology, being fronted
by a leading international agro-industry giant, [ Monsanto ] was a plan to
force farmers into the expensive biotech seeds.
In a report, they pointed out that the African farmers were simply being
taken off one trend mill (pesticides) and set on a new one by
biotechnicians who are stockholders or technology driven.
The report, released by the centre, accuses the agro-industry, led by
Monsanto, of targeting developing countries through publicity that claims
that "biotechnology is one of tomorrow's tools in our hands today. Slowing
its acceptance is a luxury our hungry world cannot afford."
It says that with tightening rules on biotech activities in Europe, Africa
was now being targeted by many biotech companies for testing of transgenic
crop varieties under the pretex that Africa needs these solution
immediately.
The centre's director general, Dr. Hans Herren, said in the report that the
trend towards a quasi-monopolisation of funding in agricultural development
into a narrow set of technologies was dangerous and irresponsible.
"It is only too obvious to concerned scientists, farmers and citizens alike
that we are about to repeat the mistakes of the insecticide era even before
it is behind us," he warned.
The scientists were also worried about this "profit-to-use trendmill"
latest development which ensures that a given transgenic crop variety will
not germinate in the second season forcing the farmer to buy new seeds
every season. (Copyright 1999 Panafrican News Agency.) Distributed via
Africa News Online by Africa News Service.
(Copyright 1999 Africa News Service)
_________________________________________________________
Richard Wolfson, PhD
Consumer Right to Know Campaign,
for Mandatory Labelling and Long-term
Testing of all Genetically Engineered Foods,
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 as well as previous
genetic engineering news items. Subscription fee to genetic engineering
news is $35 for 12 months, payable to "BanGEF" and mailed to the above
address. Or see website for details.
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