THIRD WORLD NETWORK BIOSAFETY INFORMATION SERVICE 

Dear Friends and Colleagues 

Re: USDA Opens the Door for New Generation of GE Herbicide-Resistant Crops 

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved the first of a new generation of genetically engineered (GE) crops resistant to more toxic herbicides, by way of ‘FG72’ soy made by Bayer CropScience. FG72 is resistant to the herbicide isoxaflutole (IFT), which is the major ingredient in the Balance herbicides the company markets. 

The GE IFT soybeans are being promoted as the means to counter the problem of widespread infestation of weeds resistant to the herbicide glyphosate, as a result of the first-generation of Roundup Ready crop systems sold by Monsanto. 

Ironically, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies IFT as a “probable human carcinogen” based on studies which showed the development of liver and thyroid tumors in rats and liver tumors in mice that were fed low levels of the chemical over time, and developmental (fetal) toxicity in rabbits. IFT is also toxic to many aquatic organisms, wild plants and crops including vegetables through direct application, water contamination, or spray drift. 

IFT is presently used on around 7% of the US’s corn fields. The Center for Food Safety (CFS) projects at least a four-fold national increase in the use of this toxic herbicide from the introduction of FG72. “Bayer’s new GE soybeans represent the next wave in agricultural biotechnology – crops that dramatically increase famers’ use of and dependence on toxic herbicides….(and) will likely drive the evolution of ever more intractable weeds resistant t multiple herbicides,” says Bill Freese of CFS (Item 1).

 Herbicide-resistant (HR) crops comprise about 90% of U.S. biotech crop acreage. Sixty per cent of GE crops (10 of 17) are herbicide-resistant and herbicides comprise two-thirds of the pesticide market in the country. USDA data shows conclusively that herbicide use has increased substantially where HR varieties are dominant. 

Similar new generation HR crops awaiting approval are 2,4-D-resistant corn and soybeans by Dow AgroSciences and dicamba-resistant soybeans and cotton by Monsanto. 2,4-D was used in the formulation of Agent Orange. Both herbicides have been linked to cancer as well as host of other adverse health impacts. 

In the wake of the approval of FG72, GeneWatch UK has raised the alarm over the possibility of this new wave of GE crops entering the British food system if the EU also approves them.  “Consumers can look forward to increasing residues of herbicides in the food they eat, unless Britain takes a stand and opposes imports and supermarkets keep these products off the shelves" says GeneWatch UK Director, Dr Helen Wallace (Item 2). 

With best wishes, 

Third World Network

131 Jalan Macalister

10400 Penang

Malaysia

Email: twnet@po.jaring.my

Website: https://biosafety-info.net/ and http://www.twn.my/

Item 1 

New Genetically Engineered Crop Will Sharply Increase Use of Toxic Pesticide, “Probable Human Carcinogen”

Biotech Industry Inaugurates New Era of Pesticide-Promoting Agriculture

(by the Center for Food Safety) 

Washington D.C. (August 29, 2013) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has quietly approved the first of a new generation of genetically engineered (GE) crops resistant to more toxic herbicides. The first crop to pass the low regulatory bar was a Bayer soybean variety genetically engineered to withstand direct application of the herbicide isoxaflutole (IFT), which according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a “probable human carcinogen.” 

“Bayer’s new GE soybeans represent the next wave in agricultural biotechnology – crops that dramatically increase famers’ use of and dependence on toxic herbicides,” said Bill Freese, science policy analyst at Center for Food Safety (CFS). 

IFT is presently a minor corn pesticide, used on just 7% of the nation’s corn. In detailed scientific comments submitted to USDA, CFS projects at least a four-fold rise in national use of this toxic herbicide thanks to these new GE soybeans, and a host of related human health and environmental harms. 

Dubbed FG72, these GE soybeans were developed by Germany-based Bayer CropScience, the second-largest agrichemicals firm in the world. Bayer is also the maker of Balance herbicides, the major commercial formulations of isoxaflutole (IFT). Bayer is marketing the soybeans as a false solution to massive weed resistance spawned by first-generation Roundup Ready crop systems sold by Monsanto. 

IFT has many of the qualities that make a pesticide harmful: toxicity, persistence, presence in surface and groundwater sources of drinking water, and environmental impacts. IFT is an EPA-designated “probable human carcinogen” based on induction of liver and thyroid tumors in rats, and liver tumors in mice, that were fed low levels of the substance over time. It also exhibited developmental (fetal) toxicity in rabbits. IFT and its primary breakdown product DKN persist in the environment, and have been found in over three-fourths of samples tested from Iowa rivers. IFT is toxic to many aquatic organisms, and to wild plants and many crops (e.g. vegetables) that can be harmed by direct application, water contamination, or spray drift.

IFT is so toxic that three corn-growing states – Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota – rejected the Bayer-EPA label for this herbicide as insufficiently protective of human health, the environment, and neighboring crops susceptible to drift damage from this potent herbicide. Thus, IFT is not registered for use in those states. 

“What’s so incredible is that the U.S. and world media have entirely missed the biotechnology industry’s game plan, even though the facts couldn’t be plainer,” said Freese. 

Herbicide-resistant crops make up roughly 90% of U.S. biotech crop acreage. Sixty percent of pipeline GE crops (10 of 17) are herbicide-resistant (HR). Herbicides comprise 2/3 of U.S. pesticide use, and USDA data show conclusively that herbicide use has increased substantially where HR varieties have become dominant. 

“Generation One herbicide-resistant (HR) crops are Monsanto’s Roundup Ready (RR) varieties, resistant to the herbicide glyphosate. Skyrocketing use of glyphosate with RR crops has made biological deserts of our fields,” said Freese. 

Glyphosate has virtually wiped out milkweed, the Monarch butterfly host plant, in many Midwestern corn and soybean fields, and this is an important factor in the precipitous decline in Monarch populations in North America. Glyphosate formulations are extremely toxic to frogs, and likely one cause of the worldwide decline in amphibian populations. 

“Roundup Ready crop systems have also driven an epidemic of glyphosate-resistant weeds found in half of farmers’ fields. These resistant weeds are now serving as pretext and marketing ploy to sell farmers on the new wave of ‘next-generation’ herbicide-resistant crops that fill the industry’s product pipeline,” added Freese. “It’s quite ironic that supposedly ‘cutting-edge’ biotechnology is taking American agriculture a half-century and more backwards into a more toxic past,” continued Freese. 

Dow AgroSciences is awaiting USDA approval of 2,4-D-resistant corn and soybeans. 2,4-D is one of the oldest herbicides, introduced in the 1940s. It formed part of Agent Orange used in the Vietnam War. Medical scientists have linked 2,4-D exposure to an often fatal immune system cancer in farmers; and there is suggestive evidence linking 2,4-D and related chlorophenoxy herbicides to adverse reproductive impacts. CFS projects that 2,4-D use in agriculture will increase four-fold or more, to well over 100 million lbs./year, if Dow’s crops are approved. 

“It’s not only Dow. The pipeline includes Monsanto soybeans and cotton resistant to dicamba, which was introduced in the 1960s,” said Freese. Epidemiological studies have found evidence linking dicamba to increased risk of cancer in farmers, while other studies show potential developmental and neurotoxicity. BASF, another chemical company, has soybeans resistant to a class of herbicides known as imidazolinones, one member of which (imazethapyr) has been linked to bladder and colon cancer. Syngenta has soybeans resistant to HPPD inhibitors, a class of herbicides that includes isoxaflutole and which inhibit a liver enzyme with potentially toxic consequences. Most of these crops will come “stacked” with resistance to glyphosate and glufosinate. 

“The biotech industry is bringing on a veritable ‘herbicide Armageddon,’ with ever increasing use of herbicides on HR crops that will likely drive evolution of ever more intractable weeds resistant to multiple herbicides.” “Don’t listen to the industry hype,” Freese concluded. “Biotechnology means toxic, unsustainable agriculture. We need to evolve our agriculture beyond antiquated, pesticide-promoting GE crops towards cutting-edge agroecological techniques for managing weeds instead of eradicating them. Organic agriculture is one path, low-input systems that minimize pesticide use is another.” 

This article can be downloaded from: http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/soypr_full_82913_96812.pdf

Item 2

GeneWatch UK PR: Second generation of GM crops resistant to more toxic weedkillers expose industry’s diversionary PR strategy

30th August 2013  

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has quietly approved the first of a second generation of GM crops resistant to more toxic weedkillers (1). These crops will be imported to Britain in food and feed, if this is approved by the EU. The crops have been approved amid a global media blitz of stories making unsubstantiated promises about the benefits of theoretical future GM crops such as GM oranges, GM wheat and Golden Rice, placed as ‘science’ stories to distract from the real plans of the GM industry. 

"Selling more weedkillers with GM crops that are resistant to them is the way the GM industry gets its profits. Second generation GM crops will be more of the same but with more toxic weedkillers and more environmental harm", said Dr Wallace "Most experimental GM crops never reach the market and do not deliver on their promises, despite a third of a century of R and D and billions of dollars of investment. But they make great PR for the GM industry which likes people to believe that these are the crops that would be on the market if the EU had weaker regulations. In reality, US regulation is virtually non-existent and blanket spraying with more toxic weedkillers is what they’re going to get". 

The first second-generation GM crop to be approved is a Bayer soybean variety genetically engineered to withstand direct application of the weedkiller isoxaflutole (IFT), which according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a "probable human carcinogen". Other crops awaiting USDA approval are Dow AgroScience’s maize and soybeans, resistant to 2,4-D (one of the ingredients in Agent Orange) and Monsanto’s soybeans and cotton, resistant to dicamba. The US Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has recently doubled the allowed levels of glyphosate (brandname RoundUp), used on Monsanto’s existing RoundUp Ready GM crops, entering the food chain (2). 

"GM crops which are resistant to weedkillers are causing major environmental harm to iconic species such as Monarch butterflies in the United States and a massive growth in superweeds. This can only be exacerbated by these new approvals", said GeneWatch UK Director, Dr Helen Wallace, "Consumers can look forward to increasing residues of herbicides in the food they eat, unless Britain takes a stand and opposes imports and supermarkets keep these products off the shelves". 

Monsanto’s soybeans, oil seed rape, sugerbeet and maize resistant to its weedkiller glyphosate (brand name RoundUp) are the leading GM crops currently in cultivation, but superweeds, which have become resistant to glyphosate due to blanket spraying, have become a major problem for US farmers (3). The second generation of GM crops is intended to tackle this problem by using more toxic weedkillers. However, new superweeds resistant to these weedkillers are also expected to evolve. Blanket spraying with RoundUp is believed to be one of the major causes of a massive decline in Monarch butterflies in the US, due to destruction of the milkweed habitat where they lay their eggs (4).

Herbicide-tolerant GM crops also risk locking poor farmers into a cycle of poverty, where they are forced to pay increasing prices for patented seeds and more weedkillers as superweeds develop. Environment Secretary Owen Paterson is seeking to speed up EU import approvals for GM crops, in the context of the current EU-US free trade agreement negotiations, and to allow low-level contamination of food imports with unapproved GM crops (5). The industry, government and taxpayer-funded scientists have teamed up to promote a hypothetical future generation of supposedly environmentally-friendly GM crops as a deliberate attempt to divert debate away from the products actually entering the market (6). In reality, the pipeline of crops awaiting approval for cultivation in the EU is dominated by herbicide-tolerant crops (7) and the next crop due for approval in food and feed is Smartstax, a joint Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences product that produces six insecticidal proteins and is tolerant to two herbicides (8). 

GM herbicide-tolerant crops currently enter the EU mainly for use in animal feed. Major supermarkets (except Waitrose) recently backtracked on promises to avoid GM feed, by allowing Monsanto’s GM RoundUp-resistant soya to be used in feed for chicken and egg production (9). Meat, milk and eggs fed on GM feed are not labelled. Tesco has also recently started selling a (labelled) GM breakfast cereal to children, containing an insecticide-resistant GM crop called Bt maize (10). 

For further information contact: Dr Helen Wallace (07903-311584).

This article can be downloaded from: http://www.genewatch.org/article.shtml?als[cid]=568537&als[itemid]=573169

Notes for Editors 
(1) Biotech Industry Inaugurates New Era of Pesticide-Promoting Agriculture. Centre for Food Safety. 29th August 2013.http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/2489/new-genetically-engineered-ge-crop-will-sharply-increase-use-of-toxic-pesticide-a-probable-human-carcinogen# 
(2) EPA raises levels of glyphosate residue allowed in food. Washington Times. 5th July 2013. http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/world-our-backyard/2013/jul/5/epa-raises-levels-glyphosate-residue-allowed-your-/ 
(3) Glyphosate-resistant weed problem extends to more species, more farms. Farm Industry News. 29th January 2013.http://farmindustrynews.com/herbicides/glyphosate-resistant-weed-problem-extends-more-species-more-farms 
(4) Reported on: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/apr/18/tracking-causes-monarch-butterfly-decline ; Pleasants JM, Oberhauser KS (2013) Milkweed loss in agricultural fields because of herbicide use: effect on the monarch butterfly population. Insect Conservation and Diversity 6(2):135-144. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1752-4598.2012.00196.x/abstract 
(5) EU trade talks top of mind for ASA. Delta Farm Press. 12th April 2013. http://deltafarmpress.com/markets/eu-trade-talks-top-mind-asa . Divisive debate on genetically modified foods a battleground in US-Europe trade talks. AP. 2nd August 2013.http://www.neurope.eu/news/wire/divisive-debate-genetically-modified-foods-battleground-us-europe-trade-talks 
(6) GeneWatch UK and GM Freeze Press Release: Monsanto meets ministers to push return of GM crops to Britain. Thursday 25th October 2012. http://www.genewatch.org/article.shtml?als[cid]=492860&als[itemid]=571449 
(7) Testbiotech Overview: Genetically engineered plants soon to be authorised for cultivation in the EU March 2013http://www.testbiotech.de/sites/default/files/EFSA_opinions_cultivation_tabled_overview_.pdf Note: Monsanto has since begun withdrawing its applications for cultivation from this list: http://www.testbiotech.de/en/node/884 
(8) EU Commission wants to allow GE maize SmartStax. TestBiotech. 3rd June 2013. http://www.testbiotech.de/en/node/817 
(9) M&S, Co-op and Sainsbury’s say chickens will be fed on GM soya. The Observer. 11th May 2013.http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/may/11/supermarkets-chickens-gm-soya 
(10) On sale in Tesco, GM cereal that makes children hyperactive. Daily Mail. 24th August 2014.http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2401275/Lucky-Charms-On-sale-Tesco-GM-cereal-makes-children-hyperactive.htmlhttp://www.genewatch.org/article.shtml?als[cid]=568537&als[itemid]=573169