Soil & Health
Association of New Zealand Inc (est 1941) Healthy
Soil - Healthy Food - Healthy People |
New Zealand's leading source of information on Organics & Sustainable Living
Pointless field trials cost us millions
Elvira Dommisse, PhD compiled a submission to ERMA on Application GMF06002 for the Soil & Health Association and PSGR (Physicians and Scientists for Global Responsibility). The submission asked ERMA to decline the application to field-trial genetically engineered Alliums: onions, shallots, spring onions, leeks and garlic. Onions are our fourth biggest horticultural export crop. Why fund this trial when two decades of research have failed to produce a good GE onion cultivar? Why field-test GE onions that have already cost the NZ tax payer millions, when the results will be rejected worldwide, including by our two key export markets, Europe and Japan? Hundreds of Allium cultivars are grown worldwide. These vary greatly in flavour, colour, sweetness, pungency, dry matter, keeping qualities and disease and drought resistance. This source of genetic diversity has always been used to breed new cultivars with desired characteristics. Breeding can now be sped up using (non-GE) DNA markers. The quality of the Allium characteristics also depends on the composition of the soils. Both pungency and sweetness (which are not mutually exclusive) are influenced by the chemical characteristics of the soil in which onions are grown (www.floridata.com/ref/A/alli_cepa.cfm). Why not experiment with soil conditions instead of using GE? Grown in soils rich in organic matter, essential minerals and beneficial macro-and micro-organisms, onions are more resistant to disease and are richer in beneficial phytochemicals. This application talks of GE Alliums engineered to be “healthier”. Why? Garlic already has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties, reduces the risk of stomach and colon cancers, lowers cholesterol, thins the blood and may help prevent high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke (Braun and Cohen, 2007; Yeager, 1998). Onions are known to raise beneficial cholesterol, lower blood pressure, decrease the risk of cancer, relieve congestion and reduce inflammation. They are a rich source of potent antioxidants (flavonoids), with the flavonoid quercitin being particularly effective against heart disease (Yeager, 1998). An ERMA report has revealed that CFR’s glyphosate-tolerant GE onions, grown in a field trial since 2003, are susceptible to rot diseases and thrips infestations.1 Disease has also occurred in GE glyphosate-tolerant plants overseas. At least five published studies have shown that glyphosate applied to Roundup Ready soybeans inhibits the uptake of minerals essential to good plant health. The resulting mineral deficiencies are likely to have caused various problems, including increased disease susceptibility and inhibition of photosynthesis (Motavalli, et al., 2004; Neumann et al., 2006; King, et al.,2001; Bernards,M.L, 2005; Gordon, B., 2007). Poor yields resulted in CFR importing GE seed from Seminis1 now owned by Monsanto. The seed was from onions grown in the US, thus defeating the purpose of the field trial “under NZ conditions”, effectively turning it into a data-gathering exercise for Monsanto, funded by the NZ public. Protecting producers When onions flower in this trial, “insect-proof” cages will be put over the top of them. However, pollen could still escape from the GE Allium inflorescences and contaminate conventional onions. Alliums are normally insect-pollinated (bees and flies), but pollination expert Dr Brad Howlett, said this: “The role of small arthropods (which can escape through the mesh of the proposed pollination cages), wind and gravity in onion pollination is considered minor.....to my knowledge, studies have not examined the relative contribution of small arthropods, wind and gravity to onion seed set, rather grouping them together as minor contributors to pollination” (Crop & Food Research Report No 2131). The application said pollen is not likely to travel more than 1000m from the GE plot. But, says Dr Howlett, wind and wind-borne small insects carrying pollen, e.g. thrips, can travel any distance. Pine tree pollen has been detected at 600km from its source (Sing et al, 1993). Advising local Allium growers after GE planting has occurred, would be negligent and too late. Bees love to forage on onion flowers. Transgenic proteins found in Canadian honey sold to the EU caused exports to Europe to drop 55% (Smyth et al., 2002). At the ERMA hearing on August 12 in Christchurch, it was announced that bees will no longer be used as pollinators of the GE onion flowers in the pollination cages. This will be left to lab-raised flies. However, this does not stop the flies getting loose if the cages are accidentally knocked over, or the bees getting to the GE pollen if the same thing happens. The application claims that the risk of horizontal gene transfer (HGT), that is, transfer of GE DNA from the plants to soil micro-organisms, is negligible. This claim has been discredited by recent research and is regarded as a real risk (Heinemann and Traavik, 2004; Lerat et al., 2005; Lerat et al., 2007; Babic et al., 2008). Harmful effects of GE food GE food crops engineered with harmless proteins have caused cellular, organ, blood or immunological abnormalities in laboratory animals: potatoes (Ewen and Puzstai, 1998); peas (Prescott et al., 2005); soybeans (Malatesta, 2002, 2003; Vecchio et al., 2004); and crops as reviewed in Pryme and Lembcke (2003). Rats fed GE potato developed precancerous digestive tract cell growth, inhibited development of brain, liver and testicles, partial atrophy of the liver, enlarged pancreases and intestines, and immune system damage (Puzstai, 2002). Disruption to functional DNA will always happen with the GE process. This results in disruption to cellular pathways, so that new toxins, carcinogens and allergens can be formed in transgenic plant cells (Schubert, 2002). Toxicity Glyphosate-tolerance will again be engineered into Alliums. Glyphosate, Roundup’s active ingredient, is the second most commonly-used herbicide in the US. CFR has previously claimed it is ‘essentially non-toxic to mammals’ and ‘environmentally friendly.’ In fact it is toxic to human placental cells within 18 hours, at concentrations lower than those used agriculturally. Toxicity increases when accompanied by Roundup additives (Richard et al., 2005). It is also lethal to worms and amphibians (Relyea, 2005a; 2005b; 2005c). Already, increased glyphosate residues in GE soy and possibly the glyphosate breakdown product, AMPA, which accumulates in transgenic soybeans, are thought to contribute to increased allergies to soy (Benbrook, 2004; Duke et al., 2003; Sandermann, 2006). Symptoms identified in a UK soy allergy study include those related to glyphosate exposure (Cox 2004; Townsend, 1999). The future? A UK study reviewed over 400 scientific papers that found organic food contained higher levels of vitamin C and minerals like calcium, magnesium, iron and chromium (Soil Association, 2000 ISBN 0 905200 80 2). Organically-grown onions and other crops have 20-40% more antioxidants than their conventional counterparts (Leifert et al, in press). Before we concentrate too much on the genetics, we should remember that it’s not just what you grow, it’s the way that you grow it! References: Full submission and references on: http://www.psgr.org.nz/index.php/submissions/24-environmental-risk-management/28-crop-and-food-application-gmf06002 1. ERMA report on GMF03001 GE onions
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Soil & Health
Association of New Zealand Inc (est 1941) Healthy
Soil - Healthy Food - Healthy People |
