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March 1999

Altered Crops Will Get Safety Review
21/3/99, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The U.S. National Academy of Sciences is beginning an urgent study of the benefits and potential risks of genetically engineered crops with an eye toward recommending changes in government regulations.

Monsanto And Zeneca Announce Global Agreement For Touchdown On Roundup Ready Crops
18/3/99, Monsanto Company (Press Release)
Monsanto Company and Zeneca Agrochemicals today announced a long-term license agreement on undisclosed terms under which Zeneca will test, develop and register "Touchdown" herbicide products for use on or over the top of Roundup Ready soybeans, corn and cotton in the United States. Under the agreement, Zeneca, once it has obtained U.S. Environmental Protection Agency registration, will sell Touchdown herbicide for application on or over the top of these crops.

Monsanto Responds To Incorrect News Reports In Brazil
18/3/99, Monsanto Company (Press Release)
A Greenpeace press release issued on March 17, 1999 alleging that Monsanto has withdrawn its request for Brazilian registration of Roundup Ready soybeans is absolutely incorrect.

Novartis Warns Of GM Ban Disaster
17/3/99, The Express
British farmers face ruin if the ban on the commercial planting of genetically modified crops is extended until 2001, Swiss drugs giant Novartis warned yesterday. Novartis, one of the companies at the forefront of GM research, also attacked the "irrational emotions" aroused by the debate over so-called "Frankenstein foods" and claimed the controversial technology was safe.

Monsanto's Genetic Engineering Technology
16/3/99, All Things Considered (National Public Radio)
In recent years, one company, Monsanto, has led the way in a new technology for developing food crops--genetic engineering. The company's executives say that the new genetically engineered crops Monsanto is developing could help feed the world and preserve the environment.

Your Right To Information
4/3/99, The Express (Letter to the Editor)
I write to complain about the inaccurate Opinion column about the labelling of genetically modified food ("Hard to swallow", Express, March 3).You say that "Although the Government is to introduce new regulations later this week, they will apply only to food sold in restaurants and fast-food shops". This is untrue.

The Risky Nature Of Organics
3/3/99, Investor's Business Daily
Some prominent food scientists and analysts are now saying that organic food is actually riskier than food grown with chemicals because of the way it is fertilized.

A Defence of Modern Biotechnology
1/3/99, OECD Observer
Within the developed world, food has never been safer, life expectancy never longer. Yet scares, recently over mad cow disease and now over genetically modified food, have pushed biotechnology high on the popular and political agendas in several countries, with accompanying regulatory battles, public showdowns and trade disputes.