Monsanto abandons GM canola in S Africa

[Donnachaidh]

http://www.gmwatch.org/latest-listing/1-news-items/12423-monsanto-abandons-gm-canola-in-s-africa

1.RELIEF AS MONSANTO ABANDONS GM CANOLA IN SOUTH AFRICA
2.GM Sorghum: Africa's Golden Rice
3.Report calls for stricter labelling of food
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1.RELIEF AS MONSANTO ABANDONS GM CANOLA IN SOUTH AFRICA
Biosafety in South Africa - Media Releases
Johannesburg, 11 August 2010
http://www.biosafetyafrica.net/index.html/index.php/20100811326/RELIEF-AS-MONSANTO-ABANDONS-GM-CANOLA-IN-SOUTH-AFRICA/menu-id-100026.html

The African Centre for Biosafety (ACB) is relieved to learn that Monsanto has withdrawn its application to conduct GM canola field trails in South Africa.

GM Canola is predominantly grown in the USA, Canada and Australia. The global market for GM canola, used principally for cooking oils and animal feed, is estimated to be worth $300 million.

The ACB objected to Monsanto's field trial application in September 2009 when the ACB raised serious concerns that the field trials would pose unacceptable environmental risks, including gene flow into wild populations. The South African biosafety authorities were of a similar opinion, and twice requested that Monsanto provide additional biosafety information. Monsanto's decision to withdraw its application clearly indicates it could not provide sufficient safety assurances.

A recent study by the University of Arkansas in the US corroborates these fears. In North Dakota, (a large GM canola growing area), 80% of the wild canola plants studied have developed herbicide resistance by crossing with GM varieties. Studies in both Canada and Japan have come to similar conclusions. Although GM Canola is not grown in Japan, transgenic oil seed rape, a close relative of canola was found in areas adjacent to the ports where it is imported.


More at the link --

[JohnyCanuck]

1. Yay for South Africa +1 n/t

[gateley]

2. Yes - I hope they come to their senses here. nt

[JohnyCanuck]

3. Silly South Africans, don't they want superweeds too?

Hey, GM Crops Are Great — If You Like Superweeds, That Is

The gospel of high-tech genetically modified (GM) crops is not sounding quite so sweet in the land of the converted. A new pest, the evil pigweed, is hitting headlines and chomping its way across Sun Belt states, threatening to transform cotton and soybean plots into weed battlefields.

In late 2004, “superweeds” that resisted Monsanto’s iconic “Roundup” herbicide, popped up in GM crops in the county of Macon, Georgia. Monsanto, the US multinational biotech corporation, is the world’s leading producer of Roundup, as well as genetically engineered seeds. Company figures show that nine out of 10 US farmers produce Roundup Ready seeds for their soybean crops.

Superweeds have since alarmingly appeared in other parts of Georgia, as well as South Carolina, North Carolina, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky and Missouri, according to media reports. Roundup contains the active ingredient glyphosate, which is the most used herbicide in the USA.

snip

In 2007, 10,000 acres of land were abandoned in Macon country, the epicentre of the superweed explosion, North Carolina State University’s Alan York told local media.

The perfect weed

Had Monsanto wanted to design a deadlier weed, they probably could not have done better. Resistant pigweed is the most feared superweed, alongside horseweed, ragweed and waterhemp.

snip

Indeed, according to Monsanto press releases, company sales representatives are encouraging farmers to mix glyphosate and older herbicides such as 2,4-D, a herbicide which was banned in Sweden, Denmark and Norway over its links to cancer, reproductive harm and mental impairment. 2,4-D is also well-known for being a component of Agent Orange, a toxic herbicide which was used in chemical warfare in Vietnam in the 1960s.

http://www.france24.com/en/20090418-superweed-explosion-threatens-monsanto-heartlands-genetically-modified-US-crops