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Safety Concerns Warnings of Long-Term Risks Arising from Genetic Engineering of Rice by YIN PUMIN

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Safety Concerns Warnings of Long-Term Risks Arising from Genetic Engineering of Rice by YIN PUMIN Nation UPDATED: February-26-2010 NO. 9 MARCH 4, 2010 Safety Concerns Warnings of long-term risks arising from genetic engineering of rice By YIN PUMIN NEW RESEARCH: Technicians check genetically modified pest-resistant rice in the Experimental Base on Rice of the Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences )WU YILONG) The approval of two types of genetically modified (GM) pest-resistant rice for widespread production in China has generated safety concerns among some experts. On November 27, 2009, the Ministry of Agriculture issued biosafety certificates for GM rice strains Huahui 1 and Bt Shanyou 63, developed by Huazhong Agricultural University in Wuhan, Hubei Province. "The issuing of biosafety certificates has complicated implications as it is the first time a major grain producer is endorsing the use of GM technology in a food staple," said Xue Dayuan, a professor of biotechnology with Minzu University of China based in Beijing. Impact on health and environment Fang Lifeng, spokesman of Greenpeace China's GM program, warns possible long-term risks of GM rice should be taken into consideration. Fang said GM rice may potentially cause serious public health and environmental problems. "Once the GM rice gets into the food chain on a large scale, it will have a very big impact on food safety, environmental safety and biological diversity," he said. GM organisms contain genetic material that has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally. Genetic modification allows selected individual genes to be transferred from one organism to another, and also between non-related species, to create advantages, said Fang. Such methods are used to create genetically modified plants, which are then used to grow modified food crops. Two major issues concerning the engineering of rice are a tendency to provoke allergic reactions and the uncertainty of gene transfers. Fang outlined examples of the long-term risks of GM food since it first appeared on the market in 1994. In 2008, the immune systems of laboratory mice that consumed GM corn were found to be abnormal. These substances have never before been an integral part of human or animal diet and therefore their health consequences for consumers, especially over the long term, are currently unknown, according to an article published in the International Journal of Biological Sciences. "If the substance is killing pests, will it hurt us if we eat it every day?" asked Jiang Gaoming, a professor with the Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. "Scientists cannot predict all possible threats of harm GM technology may pose to human beings. It's probably too soon to really know if GM crops are a good idea," said Yuan Longping, who has been dubbed the Father of Hybrid Rice in China. "Rice is the most important staple food for the Chinese people. We firmly oppose the technology being put into mass production, and its commercialization in a rush, as health risks have not yet been ruled out," Fang said. "To ensure food supply, we have options with no potential health risks such as biological agriculture," he said. Another concern is the potential environmental consequence of modified genes escaping from GM rice to unmodified crop counterparts through cross-pollination. "GM organisms can spread through nature and interbreed with natural organisms, thereby contaminating non-GM environments and future generations in an unforeseeable and uncontrollable way. Their release is 'genetic pollution' and is a major threat because GM organisms cannot be recalled once released into the environment," Fang said. Several escapes of seed have occurred around the world, including releases of unapproved GM crops such as rice and corn into human consumption streams. For example, in 2006, the European Union halted imports of U.S. rice when an unapproved strain was found in the food supply. Other widely cited environment concerns include the susceptibility of non-target organisms to the gene product, and the potential capability of GM plants to introduce modified genes into wild populations, leading to a loss of biodiversity. Lu Baorong, a biodiversity researcher with Fudan University in Shanghai, is concerned too about gene flow from GM rice to its wild or weedy relatives. Wild rice plants are non-domesticated strains, and weedy rice, which is characterized by its seed scattering and dormancy, is thought to originate from rice crops as a result of mutations. Lu's team and another group have shown that the rate of gene flow from GM strains to wild and weedy rice is 3-18 percent and 0.01-0.5 percent, respectively. "What is most worrying is that such gene flow is cumulative," said Lu. This could threaten the biodiversity of wild rice, which provides a valuable gene pool for rice breeders. China possesses about 75,000 varieties of rice, making it the country with the richest genetic diversity of rice in the world. The introduction of GM rice could lead to the loss of wild species and also encourage more troublesome weeds. "Biological diversity must be protected and respected as the global heritage of humankind, and one of the world's fundamental keys to survival," Fang said. Exports and IP rights Mass planting and commercialization of GM rice may affect Chinese exports of crops because of strict restrictions on GM crops in many other areas, including European Union countries, Xue said. Since 2005, GM rice variety Bt Shanyou 63 has been the subject of controversy. The unapproved variety had been found to be illegally sold and planted in Hubei Province, contaminating Chinese rice products exported to Europe and Japan. A controversy arose when the European Union's executive body, the European Commission, said in July 2009 that China needed to tighten export controls on rice products, such as baby food, because shipments might contain traces of the Bt 63 strain, which is not authorized in the European Union. Others say GM crops are the intellectual property (IP) of the developers, which are almost exclusively large chemical corporations. Although Chinese researchers involved in GM rice studies claim they own IP rights to GM rice breeds, Fang argues that China does not own full rights. Fang said China did not own full rights for any of the eight GM rice strains for which applications are under way for commercial planting or being researched, in connection with at least 28 foreign patented technologies. "These IP rights are mainly held by Monsanto, DuPont of the United States and Bayer of Germany, three large-scale transnational bio- corporations," he said. At least 11 foreign patents are associated with the two GM rice lines that have been given biosafety certificates by China's Ministry of Agriculture. China will be susceptible to huge IP costs when it starts mass commercialization of GM technology, Fang said. Under IP rights, farmers are not allowed to plant their own leftover seed from GM crops but instead must purchase it from developers. "This will lead to that most of the world's seed supply being under the control of a few business institutions," said Fang. A 2008 Friends of the Earth report called Who Benefits From GM Crops says, "The majority of GM crops are not destined for hungry people in developing countries, but being used to feed animals, generate biofuel and produce highly processed food—mainly for consumption in rich countries. GM crops have not increased food security for the world's poor. None of the GM crops on the market is modified for increased yield potential and research continues to focus on new pesticide-promoting varieties that tolerate application of one or more herbicides." Zhang Hongliang, a professor at Minzu University of China, said if the Chinese commercialization of GM crops fails it could cause crucial damage and even if it succeeds, China's agriculture will be under the control of Western countries because of their ownership of IP rights. .
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