  |
 December 5, 2001 |
|
|
|
|
|
              |
The lastest edition of the science journal "Nature" reported the findings of two scientists, David Quist and Ignacio H. Chapela, who found extensive genetic contamination of maize in remote areas of Mexico. The varieties discovered showed traits common to Monsanto and Novartis brands of genetically altered maize. The remote location suggests that cross-pollination may have taken place over considerable distance. Mexico has had a moratorium on the planting of genetically modified crops for three years. According to the article, "Our results demonstrate that there is a high rate of gene flow from industrially produced maize towards populations of progenitor landraces. As our samples originated from remote areas, it is expected that more accessible regions will be exposed to higher rates of introgession." Larry Bohlen, a scientist and spokesperson for Friends of the Earth said, "The planting of engineered maize must be banned -- the way that pollen travels, there is no other way to protect the origin of maize, conventional maize plantings or organic maize plantings." According to Bohlen, "the biotech industry has been grossly irresponsible in designing crops that are genetically polluting the planet. They have contaminated the very origin of maize on which so much of agriculture is based and have put other crops at risk." Pete Riley of Friends of the Earth said, "These findings are deeply disturbing and highlight the huge gamble the biotech industry is taking with nature. The long-term implications of allowing [genetically modified] crops to contaminate wild plants are unknown and will be impossible to reverse. This is why governments around the world should halt the dangerous experiment of growing [genetically engineered] crops outside." According to Friends of the Earth, other centers of origin that are of risk of genetic contamination are soy in China, rice in Thailand, and potatoes in the Andean region, as well as wild relatives of canola and beets in Europe. |
Wild Maize Contaminated with Genetic Engineering