FEED - August 2009
Contents
1. FDA announces administration's support for antibiotic restrictions
2. GE crops grown in a third of southeast wildlife refuges
3. Canada, Europe resolve some GE trade issues
4. Experts agree: If done right, biofuels bring benefits
5. GE seed manufacturers stifle independent research
1. FDA announces administration's support for antibiotic restrictions
The Obama administration is prepared to combat antibiotic resistance by setting limits on the nontherapeutic use of medically valuable antibiotics in agriculture, according to Joshua Sharfstein, the deputy commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Antibiotics are added to the feed and water of animals that are not sick to promote growth and prevent diseases caused by overcrowded conditions in CAFOs (confined animal feeding operations), a practice that leads to antibiotic resistance. Dr. Sharfstein announced the new FDA policy at a July congressional hearing on the Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (PAMTA). The administration is considering ending the use of clinically valuable antibiotics for growth promotion and feed efficiency and restricting over-the-counter use of antibiotics. The announcement, which stunned the animal agriculture industry, reverses decades of agency policy. UCS scientist Margaret Mellon also testified at the hearing. For more information, read Dr. Mellon's testimony, a summary of PAMTA, or a New York Times article and editorial about the new FDA policies.
| "The evidence connecting the routine use of antibiotics in livestock with antibiotic-resistant illness in humans is clear and compelling. This policy is very welcome news." ~ Margaret Mellon, Food and Environment Program Director |
2. GE crops grown in a third of southeast wildlife refuges
Farmers are opting to grow genetically engineered (GE) crops on a third of national wildlife refuges in the southeastern United States, in spite of federal laws mandating that refuges be managed to benefit wildlife—not farmers. GE varieties may be planted in refuges only as a last resort when conventional varieties are not available, and only after a full environmental and public review. Yet the permits granted to grow these varieties cited farmer preference or profitability as the reason for growing the engineered varieties, and none of the refuges undertook the required reviews. See our May FEED story about a federal court decision banning GE crops in a Delaware wildlife refuge. Read more about GE crops on southeastern refuges from the nonprofit Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility.
3. Canada, Europe resolve some GE trade issues
Some trade barriers limiting exports of GE crops from Canada to Europe have been lifted, following a World Trade Organization ruling that Europe’s restriction on GE imports from 1984 to 2004 was illegal under a trade agreement. The European Union (EU) has approved all GE seeds that were under dispute and agreed to meet twice a year to discuss agricultural biotechnology and market access. Canada has agreed to drop the trade complaint that it lodged about GE exports six years ago. Though the situation is not fully resolved, the EU hopes to work out similar compromises with the United States and Argentina to further dissolve barriers to GE exports to Europe. Read more from The New York Times.
4. Experts agree: If done right, biofuels bring benefits
In a new article in the journal Science, 11 world experts from diverse fields assert that biofuels—fuels produced from biological material like plant biomass—can have climate benefits, but only under certain circumstances. The authors stated that biofuels must be produced from renewable sources like crop residues and municipal waste, rather than from food crops like corn and sugar, and their production must not compete with food production. Controversy over biofuels has raged since they gained prominence as a solution to the climate problem, but "society cannot afford to miss out on the global greenhouse-gas emission reductions and the local environmental and societal benefits" these fuels can bring, the authors wrote. Read the abstract.
5. GE seed manufacturers stifle independent research
A leading scientific magazine has criticized Monsanto and other major producers of biotech crops for limiting scientists' work on GE varieties. The editors of Scientific American recently spoke out against the companies' user agreements that forbid anyone from using GE seeds for independent research. The user agreements prevent anyone from assessing the qualities of engineered seeds, determining whether they perform as advertised, comparing them with other varieties, or evaluating their possible impact on human health or the environment without permission from the company. In many cases the companies blocked the publication of studies that were unfavorable to GE crops after they had initially given permission for the studies to be done. Read the Scientific American editorial or a related story from The New York Times.
