Quick, quiet genetic corn approval questioned

[ensho]

http://www.montrealgazette.com/technology/Quick+quiet+genetic+corn+approval+questioned/1829307/story.html


The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has quietly approved a new genetically engineered corn with eight different insect- and weed-fighting traits, but farmer and environmental groups in Canada say the approval was rushed and environmental risks ignored.


Developed through a research agreement between Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences, SmartStax corn is unique in that it “stacks” eight different genetically engineered traits that will allow corn to tolerate certain weed- and insect-killing products made by the two companies.


Each of the eight traits has been individually approved by the CFIA, but opponents are concerned there might be unintended consequences when the traits are combined.


“You’d think that a combination of eight GE traits would trigger an environmental assessment, but the CFIA has (provided) no public record of their evaluation,” said Lucy Sharratt, co-ordinator of the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network.

-snip-

Farmers who grow insect-resistant corn have to plant regular corn around it in an area equal to 20 per cent of the GE cornfield. This is to delay the evolution of insect resistance to the toxins in the GE corn, which would then necessitate the use of stronger pesticides.
-snip-
------------------------

and in the grocery store we are not allowed to know which corn is modified and what products contain it.

Monsanto and Dow rule

[valerief]

1. Don't they just feed this to the animals we eat anyway? Monsanto sucks.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. Related question: Are Kellogg's Corn Flakes made with GM corn?

It's not like the box has a warning label.

[Eric J in MN]

3. Any corn in a supermarket is probably GM unless...

...there is an "organic" label indicating otherwise.

[HopeHoops]

4. Organic doesn't mean it isn't GM.

The US standard doesn't forbid it and even GM corn can be grown with fully organic methods.

[Eric J in MN]

5. From a government website

------------------------------------------------------------

link

Excluded methods. A variety of methods used to genetically modify organisms or influence their growth and development by means that are not possible under natural conditions or processes and are not considered compatible with organic production. Such methods include cell fusion, microencapsulation and macroencapsulation, and recombinant DNA technology (including gene deletion, gene doubling, introducing a foreign gene, and changing the positions of genes when achieved by recombinant DNA technology). Such methods do not include the use of traditional breeding, conjugation, fermentation, hybridization, in vitro fertilization, or tissue culture.
------------------------------------------------------------