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May 2014 GLOBAL STATUS OF GMO AND NON-GMO CROPS (PART 1) The author takes you behind the latest, most blatant scientific disinformation campaign to show how GMO crops have remained a minority sector in food production and shrinking from overwhelming consumer rejection; in contrast, non-GMO sectors are rapidly taking over the global food market. (First of a two-part article) By Dr. Mae-Wan Ho Scientific disinformation on GMO plumbs new depths Scientific disinformation on GMOs is rife; more so and more blatant than any other area where science has become enmeshed with corporate profit. The battle to reclaim people’s food rights intensifies worldwide as the failures and hazards of GMOs can no longer be concealed behind the relentless propaganda. Within the past 18 months, learned societies, science journals and sundry scientist have joined the fray, spreading false claims that the scientific debate is over and GM food is proven safe, that GM crops are a great success with more miracles on the way, and needed to feed the world. This most recent global disinformation campaign has been carefully orchestrated. Anne Glover, a molecular biologist at St. Andrews University in Scotland, was appointed the European Commission’s first chief scientific advisor in 2012, and since then, used a series of interviews with EurActiv news network to promote GMOs. In an open letter addressed to Glover, Dr Brian John of GM-Free Cymru wrote: “Your claim that there is no evidence of adverse GMO impacts is a lie.” He referred to a recent list compiled by GM Free USA consisting of more than 1400 scientific papers on various adverse health and environmental impacts of GM crops and related pesticides, and a statement signed by nearly 300 scientists declaring there is no consensus on the safety of GMOs. And ISIS has produced our own comprehensive report on the health and environmental hazards of GMOs especially in the light of the new genetics, recommending individuals, families and local communities everywhere to institute their own ban on GMOs. John’s timely letter was released just before Glover went on a mission to sell GMOs to Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. On 14 March, five plant scientists published a report for UK’s Council for Science and Technology, which advises the Prime Minister, recommending a new programme of “independent research to field test ‘public good’ GM crops,” to “support innovations to benefit consumers and the environment.” It also calls for the current “stringent” regulations of GMOs to be relaxed. Sir Mark Walport, UK’s chief scientific advisor took the opportunity to warn that “people will go unfed” without GM crops. As Geoffrey Lean reminds us, the current drive results from secret meetings of EU prime ministerial representatives called by European Commission president José Manuel Barroso, which decided to “speed up” the spread of GM and overcome public opposition. Barroso subsequently appointed Glover as his scientific adviser. The report was another travesty, and clearly a desperate, last ditch attempt to foist GM crops on the world. All five supposedly “independent” plant scientists who authored the report turn out to be mouthpieces of the biotech companies and funded by them. Sir David Baulcombe at Cambridge University works as a consultant for Syngenta, which gives his department research funding. Syngenta’s GM maize GA21 could go into UK farms as early as next spring. Jonathan Jones at Sainsbury Laboratory, the centre of Britain’s GM research, is part-funded by former Labour science minister, Lord Sainsbury, one of UK’s biggest GM supporters with shares in the industry. Jim Dunwell at University of Reading was a founder member of biotech industry-funded group CropGen, its mission “to make the case for GM crops and food.” The two remaining authors are John Pickett at Rothamsted Research and Pere Puigdomenech at Universities of Cambridge and Barcelona. Rothamsted is heavily involved in GM research, listing Aventis, Dupont, Novartis, and Syngenta as partners. Puigdomenech was co-chair of the 7th International Plant Molecular Biotechnology Congress sponsored by Monsanto, Bayer, and Dupont, and has close links with the Sainsbury Laboratory, the John Innes Centre, and Rothamsted Research Station. If there is any remaining doubt, the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) – a developer and facilitator if not supporter of GMOs despite its role as regulator – has just released an economic review of GM crops based on cultivation since 1996, and paints a much less rosy picture. Despite the rapid rise in the adoption of GM corn, soybean and cotton by farmers in the country, questions persist over their economic and environmental impact, the evolution of herbicide resistant weeds and consumer acceptance. So much so that the study concludes: “it is not clear that the first generation GE seeds will benefit farmers indefinitely.” We need to look behind the hype and falsehoods at the real global status of GMO versus non-GMO crops. Global acreage and adoption of GMO versus non-GMO crops According to Industry funded group ISAAA (International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications) – GM crops grew by 5.2 m ha to 175.2 m ha in 2013, a modest 3% increase. GM crops are still confined to 27 countries (one less than in 2012), 19 developing, 8 industrialized. Latin American, Asian and African farmers collectively grew 95 m ha (54% total) compared with 81 m ha grown in industrialized countries (46%). Herbicide tolerance (HT) crops – vast majority glyphosate tolerant – occupy 100 m ha, insect resistant 26 m ha and 45 m ha stacked HT and insect resistance. The country with the most GM crops is still the US, where three crops, corn, cotton and soybean, make up the bulk of the 169 m acres (68.4 m ha) planted. This represents 39% of global area – a startling 84.4% of the GM area in industrialized countries -- and half of the country’s cultivable land. HT soybean comprises 93% of all planted soybean and HT corn accounted for 85% of corn acreage while HT cotton is 82% of all cotton. Insect resistant Bt cotton comprises 75% of cotton, and Bt corn 76% of corn. The global area of agricultural land (FAO statistics 2009) includes 1381.2 m ha arable land (under cultivation of annual crops), 148.4 m ha permanent crops (orchards and vineyards), and 3355.7 m ha permanent pastures (natural grasses and grazing for livestock such as meadows and pastureland). The first two are cultivable land totalling 1529.6 m ha. (The total croplands in 2013 is closer to 1600 m ha, see below).There are 196 countries in the world. Thus, GMO crops occupy 11.45 % of cultivable land globally, compared with non GMO crops, which occupy 88.55 %. While GMO crops are confined to 27 countries, non GMO crops are grown in practically all 196 countries, and several countries have imposed explicit bans on GMOs within the past year, adding to dozens that have already done so. In October 2013, Federal judge Jaime Eduardo Verdugo banned GM corn in Mexico citing an imminent threat to the environment and ruling that transnationals like Monsanto and Pioneer are banned – under pains of criminal charge – from releasing any transgenic maize as long as collective action lawsuits initiated by citizens, farmers, scientists and civil society are working their way through the judicial system. One such lawsuit mounted by Accion Collectiva is intended to make Mexico GMO-Free. France has explicitly banned the cultivation of Monsanto’s GM maize MON 810 and is seeking permanent ban on planting any GM crop. Poland announced a complete ban on growing MON 810 in February 2014. Italy has already imposed its ban on the same in August 2013. Russia is preparing a bill to restrict imports of GMOs and completely ban the cultivation of GM crops in the country. In Australia, the Tasmania state government announced that the statewide ban on GMOs would continue indefinitely. In the United States, Big Island Hawaii has led the way in imposing a ban on testing and cultivation of GMOs. Towards the end of March 2014, the Karnataka government banned the sale of Bt and hybrid seeds from Mahyco – Monsanto’s Indian partners – following reports of crop failures of nearly 50% in 7 states, with losses amounting to Rs 230 crore (> US$49.3 million, 1 crore = US$214,431). The state government is pursuing legal action as well as banning and blacklisting Mahyco from supplying Bt seeds in the state. In addition, hundreds of GM free regions exist worldwide in practically all countries, with thousands of local governments, and tens of thousands of smaller areas. – Third World Network Features. -ends-
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