The Campaign: News Updates Index February 2001

February 2001
headlines and summaries

(For archives, see bottom)

February 28

Australia: GM canola has an edge on 'purity premiums' - ABARE -- Reuters

US farmers could find GM wheat a tough sell -- Agence France Presse

Mexico: Gruma denies GM corn allegations -- Reforma/Infolatina

Japan: Traders fret Japan's StarLink review may drag on -- Reuters

February 27

Gene-spliced wheat stirs global fears / Buyers spur grain before it's planted -- Washington Post

February 26

GE parties fight to finish -- New Zealand Herald

Europe becoming two-tier GM/non-GM market - Toepfer -- Reuters

China: Government mulls labels for genetically modified food -- Reuters

American corn growers reach out to European Union on GMOs -- American Corn Growers Association press release

February 25

Biotech moths set to battle their own / Science: The first field trial of gene-altered insects aims to reduce population of pests -- AP

February 24

Up with weeds -- Washington Times editorial

February 23

Escaped farm salmon raise alarm in Maine -- Boston Globe

U.S. looks to bio-based products to help farmers -- Reuters

US farmers may have to live with EU crop rules -- Reuters

Aventis asks Japan to approve StarLink for feed -- Reuters

EU trade officials disappointed as US signals tough approach -- Bloomberg

February 22

Biotech firms told: Don't dismiss emotional concerns -- Scripps Howard News Service

Japanese millers state opposition to GM wheat -- Reuters

Directive to allow controlled release of GMOs -- Irish Times

Jews for 'GE-less' -- Metro, Silicon Valley's weekly

February 21

Bush may hire biotech coordinator -- Boston Globe

Japan, U.S. to tighten screening of American corn imports for StarLink -- AP

Monsanto seeks to ease biotech wheat concerns -- Reuters

Future is bleak without GM food -- Canberra Times column

58 percent of Americans favor biofood labels - industry survey -- Reuters

UC-Berkeley prof advocates alternatives to biotech -- Daily Californian

Tokyo govt planning new labels to identify GM food -- Daily Yomiuri

StarLink troubles growing -- Cedar Rapids Gazette (Iowa)

Genetically modified animal feed makes its way into the food chain -- Kathimerini, Greece's international English language newspaper

Agriculture: Transgenics lose ground, but refuse to give up -- IPS

February 20

Feelings about biotech depend on how the tale is told -- Daily University Science News

Some biotech upstarts fizzle against native plants -- New York Times

Argentine GM crop approval seen buoyed by EU decision -- Reuters

Biotechnology in the front line -- BBC

More U.S. consumers expect biotech benefits / Mixed feelings, but not major concern over labeling -- International Food Information Council press release

Shanghai builds agricultural gene bank -- People's Daily

February 19

Gene technology unsafe says ex-proponent -- New Zealand Herald

Cute, cuddly ... controversial / Ethical, safety issues arise as scientists try to bioengineer better food animals -- San Francisco Chronicle column by Tom Abate

February 18

Victory for 'our name GM sites' campaign -- Independent

February 16

Phil Lempert, 'America's supermarket guru' warns: GMO labeling - the FDA isn't listening! -- Supermarket Guru press release

Debate over genetically modified food gets an educational home on the web -- AAAS press release

Aventis says gets European patent for GM plants -- Reuters

Food activist's trial wraps up -- Montreal Gazette

Trader Joe's line of bread mix has bioengineered corn -- San Francisco Chronicle

Ralph Nader doesn't like the taste of the biotechnology revolution -- Canadian Press

Monsanto sues Nelson farm: A North Dakota family's frustrations with genetically engineered soybeans -- Cropchoice News

Steer clear of GM labels -- National Post (Canada) column by Neville Nankivell

February 15

France leads move to maintain EU moratorium on GMOs -- Reuters

European biotech firms face hurdles -- AP

EU approves strict safeguards for biotech crops -- Wall Street Journal

Canadian panel concludes GM crops need more 'rigorous' testing -- AgWeb.com

Australians growing more accepting of gene modified foods -- Australian General News

Tricon's profits still hurt by taco shell flap -- Bloomberg News

USA: Europe crop law conditions dismay biotech companies -- Reuters

February 14

Protection from food technology sought -- Boston Globe

Europe OKs new biotech food rules -- AP

Researchers, producers divided over safety of genetically modified crops -- Canadian Press

'Setback' for GM fish -- BBC

Study: GM trout not always the biggest and best -- Reuters

Montreal activist against genetically modified foods fights mischief charge -- Canadian Press

February 13

Consumers want engineered food labeled / Shoppers express 'outrage' that product choices aren't clear, FDA reports -- Washington Post

Farmers favor altered seeds -- New York Times

Euro-row ignites over GM crops -- BBC

Monsanto says 2001 profits are due to rise / Earnings: Weedkiller sales and cost-cutting should compensate for a slowdown in bioengineered crops -- Los Angeles Times

Food labeling proposal put on back burner -- Denver Post

EU parliament debates food rules -- AP

Farmers warned: Avoid biotech corn -- AP

Forget about labels, just eat what Ottawa puts in front of you -- Globe and Mail (Canada) column by Clayton Ruby

Scientists rebuke critics of golden rice / Biotech rice can benefit developing world -- Agbioworld press release

Controversy continues over transgenic produce in Indonesia -- AP

Italy's scientists demand GM freedom -- BBC News

February 12

Grains of hope / Golden rice and other genetically engineered crops could revolutionize farming and help solve world hunger. Protesters fear they could also destroy the environment. -- Time Asia

Aventis fires top managers in wake of StarLink episode / StarLink has become an embarrassing lesson -- Wall Street Journal

Three officials leave Aventis -- AP

An option for growers of non-transgenic crops? -- Cropchoice News

Industry mobilizes to modify Mexico's labeling measures -- Cropchoice News

French rebel Bove to fight on against GM food -- Reuters

Protests over modified crops to escalate: CSIS -- Southam News (Canada)

Designer jeans from designer genes / Environmentalists are virtually unanimous in their opposition to biotechnology and gene-splicing because of their potential to harm human health and the environment. Henry Miller explains why they may be barking up the wrong tree -- National Post (Canada) column by Henry Miller

EU set to back tougher laws on genetically modified crops -- Financial Times

Monsanto upbeat on genetically modified seeds -- Financial Times

February 11

Britain faces new harvest of GM crops -- Sunday Times (UK)

EU expected to tighten rules for GM organisms -- Earth Times

Author rethinks biotech / ISU religion professor offers qualified support -- Des Moines Register

Gene cures 'will not help Third World' -- Guardian (UK) column by Robin McKie

EU allows in new flood of GM food -- Observer (UK)

Better beef through biotech / Safeway forms partnerships to develop genetic tests to breed cattle with higher-quality, tastier meat -- San Francisco Chronicle

February 11

More cluttered food labels the issue / Bill would require labels for GM foods; Our view: Label the food that's GM free, for those who care -- Rocky Mountain News editorial

February 10

Talking about the animals -- HealthScout

Greenpeace promises not to halt trials of GM vitamin rice -- Independent (UK)

GM rice promoters 'have gone too far' -- Guardian (UK)

StarLink corn events result in little consumer action -- AgJournal

Colorado legislator proposes GM food label law -- Knight Ridder

February 9

Destiny is in our grasp, say scientists -- Times of London

Bioengineered plants fail in wild -- HealthScout

Militant farmer may face jail time -- AP

Top scientists urge more caution over GM crops -- Independent (UK)

Greenpeace calls biotech ads 'false' -- CBC

Go-ahead for GM insect release -- BBC

Genetically engineered 'golden rice' is fool's gold -- Greenpeace press release

North Dakota, Montana consider moratoriums on Roundup Ready wheat -- Cropchoice News

Colorado state senator introduces bill to label genetically modified foods -- Cropchoice Opinion

Working with the enemy to feed the world -- San Francisco Business Times column by Richard Bensinger

February 8

Frenchman Bove on trial for wrecking genetic rice -- Reuters

GM crops 'unlikely to become super weeds' -- Independent (UK)

GM super-weed fears 'unfounded' -- Telegraph (UK)

U.S. states seek laws to limit new biotech wheat -- Reuters

Greenpeace dumps GM corn at Whitman's EPA door -- Comtex

GMO conflict seen -- Western Producer (Canada)

February 7

GM crops unlikely to be superweeds: study -- Reuters

Organic food industry calls for freeze on GM crops -- Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Study eases fears of modified plants -- AP

Quests build to clone humans / Cloning humans is banned in 23 countries. But scientists are pushing the technology forward -- Christian Science Monitor

Outrage at lack of GM crop 'safety zones' -- Guardian (UK)

Monsanto CEO outlines strategy for next year -- Monsanto press release

GM field trials must use wider buffer zones -- Telegraph (UK)

GM 'super-weed' fears challenged -- BBC

GM food panel serves up a half-baked report -- National Post (Canada) column by Douglas Powell and Shane Morris

February 6

Leaves don't just change color -- CBC

Italy environmentalists urge EU ban on GM soybeans -- Reuters

UK, Italy urge clear meat, animal foodstuff labels -- Reuters

Iowa farmers sue over biotech corn -- AP

North Dakota organic farmers worry about contamination -- Cropchoice News

February 5

Techno-food panel's idea: human guinea pigs -- National Post

Experts want beefed-up rules for Frankenfoods / Panel report says Mad Cow Disease should be a lesson -- Ottawa Citizen

Our genes are doomed / Unless we embrace genetic engineering, we will become a sickly and frail species -- Guardian (UK) column by Johnjoe McFadden

Canadian consumers threatened by GM foods -- CBC

Fighting diseases with bioengineered foods? -- Los Angeles Times column by Phil Lempert

Set up agency to study biotech foods: report -- Montreal Gazette

Farmers face 2001 with continued confidence in biotechnology -- Tomorrow's Bounty press release

Biotech is pushing the possibilities past the breaking point / Society will soon need to decide when to stop -- San Francisco Chronicle column by Tom Abate

Panel makes no recommendations on bio-foods -- Reuters

Scientists tell Canada to be more cautious on GM food -- Reuters

Scientific doubts about GM corn -- BBC

Scientists point out possibility of Roundup Ready wheat crossing with goatgrass weed -- Cropchoice News

February 4

Monsanto beanfeast as BSE crisis bites -- Independent (UK)

Critics of biotechnology are called imperialists -- New York Times

February 3

Breeding genetically docile hogs could save producers billions -- ABC News

February 2

A new screen for bean genes -- Wired News

U. Minnesota GMO conference draws experts, protesters -- Minnesota Daily

From seed to table / Identity-preserved crops could bring big profits to Canadian farmers, but keeping bioengineered products untainted requires special skills -- National Post

European buyers warn U.S. over gene wheat plans -- Reuters

February 1

Japan consumer group says finds StarLink in food -- Reuters

Battle for a GM-free Brazil intensifies -- eCountries.com

GM lobby takes root in Bush cabinet / Biotech firms could have undue influence, say critics -- Guardian (UK)

Clearer biotech rules sought / Policy review now goes to Bush team -- Sacramento Bee

Monsanto GM wheat hot topic at industry gathering -- Reuters

Survey: Farmers violating biotech corn rules -- AP

Scare tactics cloud biotech crops' benefits -- Daily Tarheel (North Carolina)

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