The project focus: Risks of genetically engineered plants
Wednesday, 16 November 2016
A new project dealing with the risks of genetically engineered plants was set up this week during a workshop in Zürich, Switzerland. The project is independent of the interests of the biotech industry. The experts from the public sector and civil society agree that current regulatory practise as applied in risk assessment of genetically engineered plants in Europe is not sufficient to safeguard the protection of health and the environment.
Initiator of an appeal for the cultivation of genetically engineered rice is chief scientific officer of a company profiting from the production of genetically engineered plants
7 November 2016 / In June 2016, more than 100 Nobel Prize laureates signed an appeal in favour of the cultivation of so-called Golden Rice. Initiated by Sir Richard Roberts, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1993, it targets and criticises anyone against the release of genetically engineered plants. For many years now, Roberts has been the chief scientific officer of New England Biolabs. Big corporates such as Monsanto, Syngenta and Dow AgroSciences are all clients of New England Biolabs.
Warning against the uncontrolled spread of synthetic gene constructs in native populations
26 October 2016 / In a joint letter, a number of organisations are demanding that the German government takes action against the uncontrolled spread of genetically engineered organisms. In the letter they focus specifically on so-called gene drives. Gene drives are currently under discussion because their release into native populations might possibly cause the extinction of whole species. Once released, these organisms can cause irreversible damage in ecological systems – and there are no known measures that can be taken to withdraw them from the environment.
Problems regarding genetically engineered organisms still not solved
23 October 2016 / Testbiotech is warning that the existing text of CETA and the additional written declarations are so far not sufficient to safeguard freedom of choice or the precautionary principle. As far as it is known, there is still no mandatory labelling or comprehensive risk assessment for genetically engineered organisms foreseen in the agreement that would meet current EU standards. CETA might be signed by EU and Canada on 27 October 2016.
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