Gene juggling

Since the beginning of the year the EU has been flooded with new applications to import, market or grow previously unapproved GM crops. In an attempt to force an end to the 4 year de facto EU moratorium on the approval of new GM crop varieties, the six global Gene Giants: Bayer CropScience, Syngenta, Monsanto, Pioneer Hi-Bred (Dupont), Dow AgroSciences and BASF have made 19 new applications. These applications have either been made by the biotech companies themselves or in conjunction with subsidiary or partner seed companies.

In the late 1990s European consumers inconveniently turned round and rejected GM crops, and the EU effectively stopped processing applications for new GM crops. Ever since, the biotech companies and GM producing countries, led by the US, have been trying to find a way of overcoming this European problem. For over a year the US has been threatening to launch a WTO action against the EU on this issue. However, they do not want a trade war with Europe over GM at present (they have got their work cut out getting backing for a war on Iraq). It appears that the GM companies, by submitting so many applications at once, are trying to force the situation on their own. Either they will succeed in breaking the moratorium themselves or if it remains intact they will have set up the necessary conditions for a trade war to happen at a more convenient date in the future.
Should the biotech companies be successful in breaching the moratorium it will profit them in 2 ways. Firstly, many of the applications are for the import into the EU of new types of GM soya and maize for use in food and animal feed; success with these would expand the market for GM crops imported from the US, Argentina and Canada.
Many of the current applications are for the cultivation of new varieties of GM crops in the EU. At present, with the exception of a single type of Syngenta GM maize, which received approval, before the moratorium came into effect, no GM crops are grown within the EU. Of particular interest in the UK are applications for part C consents for cultivation made by Bayer CropScience, Monsanto and Syngenta. These applications cover all the GM oilseed rape and sugar beet varieties that have completed UK national seed listing trials. Syngenta has followed up the new application by planting 5 new national seed listing and research and development trials of their GM herbicide tolerant sugar beet. Once granted, part C consents would also mean the end of any obligation on the part of a GM company to make public the location of their GM trials.

It has recently been revealed that the UK government intends to start processing the 19 new applications immediately. This has prompted widespread outcry from GM campaigners. The government on one hand is saying that no decision on the commercialisation of GM crops has yet been taken, but at the same time it is taking active steps towards the commercial growing of GM crops. This is happening before either the GM Public Debate has taken place or the results of the farm-scale trials have been published. The results of both of these processes were supposed to determine whether or not commercial growing of GM crops would take place in the UK. ‘What is the point in proceeding if decisions are already made?’ said Clare Devereux, spokesperson for lobby group Five Year Freeze and member of the GM public debate’s steering board. “If the Government allows these GM crops to be approved before the public debate ends it will be a slap in the face for democracy” said Dr Sue Mayer, GeneWatch’s director.