PART I
-------------------------------- GENET-news --------------------------------
TITLE:  VILSACK, GROSS WEIGH IN ON BIOTECH DECISION
SOURCE: Associated Press, by Mike Glover
edited and sent by Agnet, Canada
DATE:   Oct 24, 2002
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VILSACK, GROSS WEIGH IN ON BIOTECH DECISION
DES MOINES, Iowa - Gov. Tom Vilsack was cited as writing in a letter to the
Biotechnology Industry Organization that a decision by a biotechnical
industry group not to grow genetically engineered corn for pharmaceutical
purposes in states such as Iowa is "a dangerous precedent," adding that "I
feel this decision by for a pharma-crop ban is a knee-jerk reaction that is
not fully warranted by the scientific evidence." BIO was cited as saying
this week that its members had agreed not to grow pharmaceutical crops in
states where it could contaminate neighboring crops intended for human
consumption. That includes Iowa, and Vilsack reacted quickly, dashing off a
letter asking the group for a clarification of its policy. Vilsack was
quoted as saying, "I support food safety and security, but this decision
appears to be overreaching. It seems more like an effort to exclude the
nation's most productive farmers, small businesses and university
researchers from this emerging industry." Vilsack has said the state could
have a bright future in developing genetically engineered crops for the
pharmaceutical industry.
PART II
-------------------------------- GENET-news --------------------------------
TITLE:  EDITORIAL: LIFT THE MORATORIUM A BIOTECH BLACKBALLING OF THE CORN
BELT IS BASED ON FEAR, NOT SCIENCE
SOURCE: Des Moines Register, USA, edited and sent by Agnet, Canada
DATE:   Oct 25, 2002
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EDITORIAL: LIFT THE MORATORIUM A BIOTECH BLACKBALLING OF THE CORN BELT IS
BASED ON FEAR, NOT SCIENCE
Iowa must, according to this editorial, do all it can to persuade the
biotechnology industry to back away from its moratorium on planting corn
engineered for pharmaceutical or industrial uses in Midwestern states. The
editorial says that the voluntary ban is driven by fear, not science. It is
more sensible to assure exemplary safeguards are in place to prevent
contamination of corn grown for food than to take an incredible opportunity
away from an entire region.
The potential of drugs or chemicals extracted from gene-altered plants is
not entirely understood but it is likely huge. Some Iowa farmers stand to
benefit enormously by moving away from growing crops for animal feed to
growing plants designed to produce special proteins for different
commercial uses. Already being grown in Iowa is biotech corn that contains
an enzyme that helps people with cystic fibrosis digest food. Manufacturing
facilities to bring such products to market also could locate here. The
editorial says that the moratorium was issued because of concerns about
consumer confidence in the food supply, but with strict regulation and
ongoing research, fields can be safely isolated so that biotech crops do
not cross-pollinate with food crops.
Lisa Dry, spokeswoman for the Biotechnology Industry Organization,
explained that the organization's moratorium is not based on science. "We
did this because the grain handlers, the grocery manufacturers, the food
processors, the grain exporters have all begged us not to grow these
products in commodity corn," she said. "Because we have no track record in
this new area of pharmaceutical production, the only experience they have
to draw on is StarLink."
The editorial goes on to say it it is illogical to allow paranoia to
determine the role Iowa or any other state plays in the development of
biotechnology. Gov. Tom Vilsack sent a letter on Wednesday to the president
of the Biotechnology Industry Organization saying the decision was
"overreaching," that the "policy sets a dangerous precedent for the
regulation of other biotech varieties." He also asked for clarification of
the policy.
Senators Tom Harkin and Charles Grassley and the rest of Iowa's
congressional delegation should join Vilsack in making the very strong case
for reversing the moratorium. Grassley already is working with experts at
Iowa State University to do just that. Industry spokeswoman Dry left open
the possibility that the decision might at some point be re-examined. Iowa
officials and everyone else with a stake in biotechnology should make every
effort to see that it is.
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