Engineered DNA Found in Crop Seeds

The Washington Post ^ | February 24, 2004 | Rick Weiss

[neverdem]

Tests Show U.S. Failure to Block Contamination From Gene-Altered Varieties

Much of the U.S. supply of ordinary crop seeds has become contaminated with strands of engineered DNA, suggesting that current methods for segregating gene-altered seed plants from traditional varieties are failing, according to a pilot study released yesterday.

More than two-thirds of 36 conventional corn, soy and canola seed batches contained traces of DNA from genetically engineered crop varieties in lab tests commissioned by the Union of Concerned Scientists, a Washington-based advocacy group.

The actual amount of foreign DNA present in U.S. seeds appears to be small, and most engineered genes getting into the seed supply are among those that regulators have deemed safe for consumption, the report acknowledges.

[farmfriend]

Rights, farms, environment ping.
Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from this list.
I don't get offended if you want to be removed.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Do you use Atrazine (Roundup) or other products like it ?

[mrsmith]

I can't imaginer why you put this in "Constitution/Conservatism".

Still I'm intrigued: if the engineered genes run off to other plants are the patents on them still enforceable?

[Gunslingr3]

deserve a ping?

[the Real fifi]

Lying nonscientists.. See ActivistCash.com--It must be fundraising time--they are having a presser a day on one eviro hoax after another.

[neverdem]

I was just about to repost the article after getting an error message saying "no data" or some such nonsense. When I then saw the article I thought you posted it at first. LOL

[Carry_Okie]

The one thing we don't need is roundup resistent weeds.

[neverdem]

I can't imaginer why you put this in "Constitution/Conservatism".

I consider it a conservative idea that business should make progress and profits.

[farmfriend]

Do you use Atrazine (Roundup) or other products like it ?

I don't farm. I was an agricultural lobbyist.

[neverdem]

Still I'm intrigued: if the engineered genes run off to other plants are the patents on them still enforceable?

IIRC, Beelzebubba is a patent attorney. Perhaps he'll address your other question.

[farmfriend]

I also post these types of articles under that catagory.

[blam]

"I don't farm. I was an agricultural lobbyist."

What are your thoughts on the GM products? Good - Bad?

[gaijin]

When use of the telephone started growing, people said it would spread TB. Why? Well, the other party is talking directly into your face right? I mean, just look at that receiver...!

After the Wright Brothers made their historic flight, the NYT came out with long editorials by scientists reputable in that day giving detailed explanations regarding why flight by mankind would violate the laws of physics; it was deemed impossibleand fanciful.

You can look it up to this day.

[gaijin]

GM'ing crops make them hardier, more resistant to pests --PERFECT for African conditions; GM crops would save millions of African kids.

To activists, though, that would bring a screeching halt to ever-reliable famines that plague that continent. In time, their nagging and harping would be like the sound of windchimes in midwinter, and then they'd have to go out, cut their hair and PRODUCE SOMETHING --YUCK!

[gaijin]

Oh, here's something else; ever wonder what % of US food is somehow GM...?

70%. Yep.

Do you feel sick?

[Eala]

in lab tests commissioned by the Union of Concerned Scientists, a Washington-based advocacy group.

Hmmm... let's just take a little gander into how those tests were commissioned...? Just to be sure it's all done cleanly and independently, without any idea by the testers of the "expected" outcome...? No "lynx-hair plantings"...?

[Atlas Sneezed]

Still I'm intrigued: if the engineered genes run off to other plants are the patents on them still enforceable?

---

Bio is not my subspeciality, but it is fair to assume that if the patent sequence is generally claimed in the patent, then it may apply for other organisms in which it appears. But if the sequence for hybrid sweet corn appears in a pig, the patent probably wasn't written to cover it.

Then again, I may be wrong, and a Freeper biotech specialist may enlighten us.

[AFreeBird]

Bio is not my subspeciality, but it is fair to assume that if the patent sequence is generally claimed in the patent, then it may apply for other organisms in which it appears.

So DNA from an altered plant makes its way into DNA of a "normal" seed through no fault or manipulation of the farmer or anyone, and that farmer sells his "normal" seed to someone else and the GM company who own the patent on the DNA in question could sue the farmer for violating their patent?

Se, this is why I don't like the idea of companies owning patents on DNA (especially if it's mine).

DNA has this funny way of getting around.

[farmfriend]

The Grange supports GM crops with caution.

Biotechnology Policy, Research and Application to Agriculture

1. The National Grange supports a federal policy to allow the use of biotechnology in agriculture. We recognize that genetic engineering of plants and animals has already had a positive impact on increasing the availability of food, decreasing the environmental impact of agriculture and creating foods that are safer, longer-lasting, more nutritious and better tasting. We further support continued research on biotechnology and genetic engineering, including further scientific research into non-human cloning. We support an approval process for genetically modified plants and animals which utilizes science based decision making to assure the safety of agricultural products. To that end, the National Grange philosophically supports the efforts of National Science Foundation (NSF) concerning their Plant Genome Initiative.

2. The National Grange supports legislation that provides that patented plants and livestock that have been developed through biotechnology (gene-splitting, cloning, genetic engineering, etc.) will be made available to farmers by provisions that will not result in a concentration of the patented livestock in the hands of a few large firms and will not interfere with their availability to all farmers.

3. The Grange urges the FDA, EPA, USDA, and other national farm organizations to publicize the safety of GMO's to help reduce the resistance to the use of this technology.

I personally support the efforts of people like Dr. Wambugu.