green peace m contiero alde conference 31 march 2011

8/7/2019 Green Peace M Contiero ALDE Conference 31 March 2011

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Greenpeace European Unit

JUSTIFYING RESTRICTIONS ON THE

CULTIVATION OF GMO CROPS?ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST

European Parliament

31 March 2011

Marco ContieroGreenpeace European Unit

[email protected]


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Reasons to oppose GMOs

1. Facts vs myths

2. Risks

3. Environmental impacts

4. Expensive

5. Boost corporate control

6. Hinder available solutions

7. Consumers rejection

8. Legal requirements


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2. Risks

Prone to unintended and unpredictable effects

1. Complex regulation mechanisms of genes

2. Complex interaction with plants metabolism

3. Complex interactions plants genes and its environment

4. Inserted genes may

- disrupt the plant's own genes

- be unstable in their new environment

- function differently than expected (producing diff. protein)

5. Fragments and Rearrangements


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GE Product Fragments and Rearrangements Reference

Monsanto Roundup ReadySoyaResistant to glyphosateherbicide

2 additional unintended fragments 534 bp1 segment of unidentified DNA One of the fragments and the unidentified DNA

are transcribed to RNA, one step away fromcreating an unintentional protein

Monsanto (2000)Windels et al. (2001)Monsanto (2002)

Syngenta Bt11Resistant to European Cornborer (Bt Cry1Ab) andglufosinate herbicide

Rearrangements of insert, truncations andunexpected insertions

Unexpected stop signal T35 Possible contamination by Bt176 Possibly extra copies of genetic insert

Moens & de Schrijver(2003a)

Syngenta Bt176Resistant to European Cornborer (Bt Cry1Ab) andglufosinate herbicide

1. Glufosinate resistant insert: At least 4fragments of the insert are present (Dossierdescribes 2 copies).

Possible rearranged fragment of bacterial vector Stop signal (T35S) missing1. Bt insert: At least 5 copies (dossier states 2-5

copies)

Moens & de Schrijver(2003b)

Monsanto Mon810Resistant to European Cornborer (Bt Cry1Ab)

Probable rearrangement at 3 end - explainingthe partial loss of the inserted gene.

Hernndez et al.(2003)


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3. Environmental impacts

Insect-resistant crops:

1. Toxicity to non-target organisms and beneficial insects.

2. Threats to soil and river ecosystems

3. Development of insect resistance

Herbicide tolerant (HT) crops:

1. Toxic effects of herbicides on ecosystems.

2. Increased weed tolerance to herbicide

3. Loss of native flora and other biodiversity.4. Effects on soil-plant system (e.g. microbial community,

manganese uptake).


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Soya and herbicides (Glyphosate)

Source: Pengue, "Transgenic Soybean in Latin America", and Nature Protection Center (CeProNat)

Year

Millio n

of

Liters

Use of Glyphosate in Argentina from 1991 to 2007


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Slide 79

4. Expensive - for the industry


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IAASTD - World Bank, FAO, UNDP, UNEP, UNESCO, WHO

(400 scientists 4 year process 11 million Euro)

In developing countries especially, instruments such as patents

may drive up costs, restrict experimentation by the individual

farmer or public researcher while also potentially undermining

local practices that enhance food security and economicsustainability

Expensive - for farmers

Contamination

230 contamination accidents (www.GMcontaminationregister.org)

Unauthorised Bayer LL601 rice

Unauthorised BASF Amadea potato


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Syngenta

BASF

DuPo

nt

Monsanto

Bayer

Dow

Source: ETCGroup

5. Corporate control

GM Cropsmarket

100%


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Syngenta

BASF

DuPo

ntMonsan

to

Other

Bayer

Dow

Syngenta

BASF

DuPo

nt

Monsanto

Bayer

Dow

Global AgrochemicalMarket

Source: ETCGroup

5. Corporate control

GM Cropsmarket

100%

74%


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Owners of the SeedMarket

Source: ETCGroup


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Agro-ecology

UN Report Human Rights Council [United Nations ,Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, 2011]

- Agroforestry

- Water harvesting

- Integration of livestock into farming systems

- Integrated nutrient management

J. Pretty analysis 286 sustainable agriculture projects (57 poor countries)

- Average crop increase 79 %

- Supply critical environmental services

UNCTAD UNEP analysis [UNEP-UNCTAD, 2008] UK Foresight Report (40 projects, 20 African countries)

- Average crop increase in Africa 116% and

- Average crop increase in East Africa 128%

Can double

food

production

in 10 years

6. Hinder sustainable solutions


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Climate-smart farming?

Agroforestry

Fertilizer trees (Faidherbia albida)-Transfer nitrogen to the soil

- Enhance crop production

- Increase resilience of the system

- Store carbon

- Reverse leaf phenology (leaves fell rainy

season and grow dry season)

Malawi: increased maize yields by280%

World Agroforestry Centre


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Crop enhancement


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1. Increases stress tolerance (Drought tolerance regulated up to 60 genes)

2. Respects species barriers (All genes incorporated present within natural gene pool)

3. Fewer safety concerns (backcrossing and introgression long history of safe use)

4. Much cheaper

i. Bacterial blight rice (28 genes confer resistance) [Xieyou 218 China; Tubigan 7 Phillippines; Pusa 1460 and RP BIO 226 India]

ii. Low Amylosericecooking and processing quality [Cadet and Jacinto in the U.S.]

iii. Drought tolerant rice [MAS 946-1 India saves 60% water]

iv. Salt resistant rice [BR11 and BR28 Bangladesh]

v. Flood resistant rice [Swarna-Sub 1 India/Bangladesh; Samba Mahsuri and CR1009 India; IR64 Philippines; TDK1 Laos; BR11 Bangladesh]

vi. Drought tolerant ZM521 maize [conventionally-bred by CIMMYT]

vii. Drought tolerant Drysdale and Rees wheat [Graingene JV]

viii. Wheat stem rust (Ug99) [fungus spreading across Africa]

Crop enhancement

Marker Assisted Selection


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7. Consumers rejection


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8 l i


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Evaluate and consider long-term effects of GMOsDirective 2001/18 Annex II

Assess GMOs effects on the receiving environmentDirective 2001/18 Annex II

Consider diverging scientific opinionsReg. 178/2002 Art. 30(4)

Identify scientific uncertaintyComm. Decision 2002/623

8. Legal requirements

Risk assessment


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2008 Council Conclusions

1. Improve the implementation of the legal framework

2. Assess long-term impacts of GM plants and effects on non-target organisms

3. Take full account ofspecific regional and local characteristics of Member States

4. Assess the environmental consequences of changes in the use of herbicides

5. Ensure systematic and independent research on the potential risks of GMOs &

give independent researchers access to all relevant material


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Concerns on MON810 maize

[i] Prasifka, P.L., Hellmich, R.L., Prasifka, J.R. & Lewis, L.C. 2007. Environmental Entomology36:228-233.

[ii] Andow, D.A. and A. Hilbeck. 2004. Bioscience 54: 637-649.[iii] Obrist, L.B., Dutton, A., Romeis, J. & Bigler, F. 2006. BioControl51: 31-48.

[iv] Baumgarte, S. & Tebbe, C.C. 2005. Molecular Ecology14: 25392551.

[v] Stotzky, G. 2004. Plant and Soil266: 77-89.[vi] Zwahlen, C. Hilbeck, A. Gugerli, P. & Nentwig, W. 2003. Molecular Ecology12: 765-775.

[vii] Rosi-Marshall, E.J., Tank, J.L., Royer, T.V., Whiles, M.R., Evans-White, M., Chambers, C., Griffiths, N.A., Pokelsek, J. & Stephen, M.L. 2007. PNAS41: 1620416208.

[viii] Bhn, T., Primicerio, R., Hessen, D.O. & Traavik, T. 2008. Archives of Environmental Contamination and ToxicologyDOI 10.1007/s00244-008-9150-5.

[ix] Chilcutt, C.H. and B.E.Tabashnik. 2004. PNAS101:7526-7529.

[x] Andow, D.A. 2001. GE organisms: assessing environmental and human health effects. Letourneau, D.K. and B.E. Burrows (eds.) Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

[xi] Rosati, A., Bogani, P., Santarlasci, A. Buiatti, M. 2008. Plant Molecular BiologyDOI 10.1007/s11103-008-9315-7.

[xii] Nguyen, H. T. & J. A. Jehle 2007. Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection 114: 820-87.

- Proven adverse effects on NTO (including indirect and long-term effects[i] [ii] [iii] )

- Proven adverse effects on soil health[iv] [v] [vi]

- Proven adverse effects on aquatic ecosystems[vii] [viii]

- Causes insect resistance to the toxin it produces (Bt).[ix] [x]

- Laboratory tests submitted use the pure version of Bt toxin produced by bacterianot the one produced by the plant.[xi] (invalidating MON810 environmental safety tests)

-Strong variations in Bt toxin levels produced by MON810 (locations, time, even

between plants on the same field).[xii]

39 scientists + 36 peer reviers

8 Legal requirements


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"Union policy on the environment shall aim at a high level of protection Itshall be based on the precautionary principle and on the principles that

preventive action should be taken,"

Article 191 Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of fullscientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-

effective measures to prevent environmental degradation.

1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development

Decision-makers faced with an unacceptable risk, scientific uncertaintyand public concerns have a duty to find answers. Therefore, all these

factors have to be taken into consideration."

Commission Communication on the precautionary principle COM(2000)1

8. Legal requirementsRisk management


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Thank You

green peace m contiero alde conference 31 march 2011

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