GMO Corn Monsanto 810

[recyclinage]

Corn GMO Monsanto 810: HCB and Afssa give their opinions. The High Council for Biotechnology (HCB) and the French Food Safety Agency (Afssa) have issued two opinions on the possible new crop authorization in the French fields of genetically modified corn GMO MON 810.

While the cultivation of genetically modified corn GMO MON 810 from the firm Monsanto has been prohibited in France since 2008, the High Council for Biotechnology (HCB) and the French Agency for Food Safety (Afssa) have given two opinions on its possible new authorization for cultivation in French fields.



The Ministers of the Environment, Higher Education and Agriculture had seized the High Council of Biotechnology (HCB) and the French Agency for Food Safety (Afssa), on September 23, 2009, so that they assess, the notice of renewal of the authorization to cultivate genetically modified corn GMO MON810 on French soil published by EASA on June 30, 2009 "in the light of the questions raised by France as part of its safeguard clause. "



These two opinions respond to an analysis of the answers given by the European Food Safety Agency (AESA, for European Food Safety Authority EFSA) to questions asked by the French Authorities and twelve member states, concerning the request for renewal of the authorization for the placing on the market of food and food ingredients produced from genetically modified Mon810 maize, animal feed consisting of and / or containing Mon810 maize, and seeds for their cultivation.



The High Council for Biotechnology (HCB) and the French Food Safety Agency (Afssa) have issued two opinions on the possible new crop authorization in the French fields of genetically modified corn GMO MON 810.



The opinion of the High Council of Biotechnology (HCB) takes up in particular the main questions asked by France concerning the impacts of the cultivation of GMO MON 810 maize on the environment, and in particular its impacts on non-target invertebrates, on the appearance resistance among pests and questions about the effectiveness of the proposed management measures.



The High Council for Biotechnology (HCB) and the French Food Safety Agency (Afssa) also highlight the subject of the protocols and statistics used for the tests.



The questions raised on the environmental impacts of GMO MON 810 maize appear to be mainly linked to its insecticide function. According to the High Council for Biotechnology (HCB) and the French Food Safety Agency (Afssa), these questions "show the need to strengthen the networks for monitoring the unintended effects of agricultural practices on ecosystems. "



“Active research on biotechnologies in France is therefore essential: it must target characteristics of broad ecological and agronomic interest, and shed light on the positive and negative impacts, including socio-economic. "

For Afssa, “corn carrying the MON 810 transformation event and their derived products have the same level of health safety as conventional varieties of corn and their derived products. "



According to the High Council for Biotechnologies (HCB), "to the statistical question formally asked by Monica Frassoni, European parliamentarian (European Commission, May 06, 2009):" Can the Commission certify that the transgenic corn MON 810 is not toxic, "up to the normal statistical risk" that is to say: Can we reject, and at what risk, the null hypothesis H0 (zero) "the control group and the test group are different", for each of the parameters studied? If so: can the Commission produce the calculations for this assertion? ”, EASA does not provide an answer on these points. With regard to toxicity studies, EASA refers to the article by Hammond et al. (2006). This study does not make it possible to demonstrate the existence of an effect of concern for health, nor to demonstrate rigorously (in the sense of inferential statistics) the absence of such an effect. "



The socio-economic recommendations associated with the scientific opinion analyze the advantages and disadvantages of the cultivation of GMO corn MON 810 according to several references: chemical insecticide treatment, parasitic attack or not, other prevention and control methods. They provide "an essential light for public decision", say the ministers.



French ministers now want the Council conclusions ", voted unanimously by the member states in December 2008 to strengthen community scientific expertise, to be implemented quickly and for a one-year progress report to be presented. . "

[Christophe]

MON810: the new French ban does not seem to satisfy anyone

The government announced on March 16 a new ban on the cultivation of genetically modified MON810 maize. This late decision raises the question of the early sowing of this maize and their legal status.
(...)

Suite: http://www.actu-environnement.com/ae/ne ... 15241.php4

[sen-no-sen]

In fact it is rather necessary to speak of pseudo-prohibition, because for a prohibited variety there are a multitude of others which are authorized.
Almost 30% of cattle are fed with GMOs!