And there have been a number of responses regarding my comments on the registration of plants native to third-world companies on the part of Western biotech firms. The American company that was trying to register Basmati rice is a Texan concern called Rice Tech .

And again, Kaye Noble found all sorts of interesting things about the growing penetration of genetically modified (GM) plants in US agriculture. One vexing problem faced by farmers whose lands adjoin those of people using GM plants is natural pollination; the American courts don't seem to care that the non-GM farmer's crops can acquire GM genes through wind or the activities of bees, and try the farmers for theft. One would expect that the cases will to be thrown out at some level, but the problem is much more than just a legal hassle. Terra Prima, a certified organic producer based in Wisconsin, had its corn chips declared industrial and banned in Norway because its corn supplier (who is also organic) is down wind of someone who is not, and his plants were fertilized by wind-driven GM pollens. In this case, the modification was (we are told) benign to humans -- the plants manufacture a toxin that kills their insect parasites. But the GM is not benign to the environment -- insects who eat the pollens that settle downwind of the GM fields also die, and in many cases they are not insects one would want dead. The effects on the ecosystem could be profound. Equally worrisome, the USDA and Delta & Pine Land Co (a cotton grower being bought by Monsanto) have jointly designed and patented a terminator sequence that causes the seeds of GM plants to become infertile. What would happen if this gene sequence were transferred, especially in a developing country? Monsanto has recently stated it has no intention of using the terminator technology, but people and companies can change their minds.

This may all come to a head soon, because the EEU appears determined to require labeling laws that say if foods contain genetically modified plant or animal (genetic modification is becoming pervasive in many areas, including milk production and soybeans, so this is not as moot a point as you might think). Agribusiness is trying to block the provisions on the grounds that they're a form of protectionism, but I expect American consumers will be just as interested in finding out about GM products. Turns out they're common in baby foods, among other things, and I can say from personal experience that this is not reassuring to a parent.

This just in: A Canadian judge condemns a farmer for... being down wind of a GM field.

A presto,
Kyle Phillips
Webweaver, About Italian Cuisine

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