Trend: Serious GM canola pollution in Kashima port, Ibaraki Prefecture

News

• GM crop farming draft regulation adopted in Germany (Deutsche Welle 2004/06/18)
• EU member states reject GM approval repeatedly (Forbes 2004/06/28)
• GM blue rose by Suntory & Florigene
• Current situation on GM wheat
• GM crop multinationals down to four
• GM crop developer leaves the UK (Financial Times 2004/6/30)
• GM trees cut down in Finland (Reuters 2004/6/24)
• Japan-USA company to develop BSE resistant cow (New Scientist 2004/6/4)
• US promotes GM cotton in West Africa (AFP 2004/06/20)
• Argentina approves GM maize? (Ag Professional 2004/06/25)
• Major UK supermarket switching over to NON-GM milk (The Times 2004/06/01)
• New GM labelling regime in Russia (CNS News 2004/06/07)
• FAO's International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGR) comes into force (Crop choice news 2004/06 28)
• Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology panel grants first approval for preimplantation diagnosis

Trend: Increased GM crop field trials, but cancellations continue

News

• No more GM canola cultivation in Australia (Sydney Morning Herald 2004/05/13, ABC 2004/06/03)
• Monsanto's GM soybean cultivation again?
• EU Commission OKs GM maize (Guardian 2004/05/20)
• Syngenta to block Monsanto's GM seeds monopoly?
• Field trials on herbicide tolerant GM turf (AP 2004/04/10)
• Herbicide tolerant GM alfalfa for Japanese animal feed? (Record Searchlight 2004/04/18)
• Supreme Court rules on Schmeiser case
• UK BSE: Human infections higher than expected (Independent News, 2004/5/21)
• Meeting held to oppose worsening of the organ transplant law
• Council for Science and Technology Policy postpones conclusion on human embryo
• MEXT and MHWL set up committee to look into the handling of genetic information
• MEXT approves experiment on GE human ES cells

Feature: The Situation with GM Wheat in North America (Part Two)

Trend: GM crops field trials begin in various locations

News

• Monsanto suspends GM wheat (See: "The Situation with GM Wheat in North America")
• Allergenic GM rice briefing held
• GM canola trial causing a stir in Australia (ABC News online 2004/04/04)
• Environmental deterioration by GM soy (The Guardian Weekly 2004/04/22)
• No GM maize approval by EU agri ministers
• Political football on GM food in Northern Ireland
• Growing GM free communities in UK (FoE UK 2004/04/22)
• Philippine Govt allows GM crops (The Philippine STAR 2004/04/20)
• Reviewing BSE blanket testing

Feature: The Situation with GM Wheat in North America (Part One)

Trend: US approves large scale GM 'pharm' rice cultivation? (Los Angeles Times, 2004/3/20)

News

• UK approves GM maize commercial farming (Guardian, 2004/3/10)
• Australia approves GM canola field trial (The Sydney Herald, 2004/3/19 and others)
• Africans continue to reject GM imports (New York Times, 2004/3/20
• Nippon Paper Industries to go ahead with GM eucalyptus field trial (Nikkei Biotech, 2004/3/29)
• Application for GM wheat in New Zealand (Greenpeace New Zealand, 2004/3/17)
• GM pig used as chicken feed in Canada (Polaris Institute, 2004/2/4)
• Assessment on biodiversity impact starts in Japan
• Illegal practices by Monsanto in Indonesia? (Reuters, 2004/3/22)
• MHLW, intensive discussion regarding the use of aborted foetuses
• Heated discussions over human embryo in Cabinet Office Council for Science and Technology Policy

Trend: Spread of GM pollution confirmed in US (Washington Post 2004/02/24)

News

• Brazil No.1 exporter of soybeans
• European Commission approves Syngenta's Bt11 maize
• Allergenic GM rice to be tested on animals (Nikkei Biotech 2004/02/16)
• GM maize harmful for humans? (The Guardian 2004/02/27)
• GM "pharm" rice to be grown in California? (Independent 2004/02/01)
• Monsanto's GM sweet potatoes fail in Africa (New Scientist 2004/02/07)
• Japanese laws concerning biosafety take effect
• Japan to ratify FAO International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGR)
• Japanese CRO Association to formulate guidelines for clinical tests on food (Nikkei Biotech 2004/2/2)
• NIAS opposition to GE planting regulations (Nikkei Biotech 2004/2/16)
• China relaxes restrictions on GM crop imports (ENN News Story, 2004/2/25)
• Mendocino County, California, bans GMOs (Reuters, 2004/3/4
• LDP Investigation Committee completes revised law on organ transplants
• Council for Science and Technology Policy holds symposium for interim report on human embryo
• MEXT fast-tracks a new program using human ES cells

Trend: GM soybean accounts for 55% of world total soybean area

News

• Monsanto gains Indian wheat patent (Guardian 2004/1/31)
• Brazilian province agrees to pay Monsanto patent fee (Agriculture Online News 2004/1/28)
• Monsanto suspends sale of GM soy seeds in Argentina (Reuters 2004/1/18)
• Canada abandons GM wheat project with Monsanto
• Schmeiser vs. Monsanto trial begins in Supreme Court of Canada
• German gov't permits GM crop
• Belgian gov't, No to GM canola
• USDA reviews GM crop farming rules (Washington Post 2004/1/23, and others)
• Source of avian influenza?
• Ibaraki Prefecture announces GM crop cultivation restriction guidelines
• MHLW reports on three serious cases in gene therapy
• New GM food safety evaluation standards approved
• Two further GMO-GMO varieties approved
• GM crops result in increased pesticide use (Guardian 2004/1/8)
• US National Academy of Sciences: containment of GM not possible (NAS News 2004/1/20)
• Gene inserted into fish sperm (Kyodo Tsushin 2004/1/27)
• Resumption of gene therapy using retrovirus
• Tokyo University Professor Yusuke Nakamura refuses debate with citizens

Trend: Lifting the import ban on bovine embryo from BSE-affected countries

News

• 300 cloned cattle on the table!
• StarLink contamination still continues
• Prevention of global warming by GM tree? (Reuters 2003/12/09)
• GM crop rejection at Tanzania Congress (SciDev.net 2003/11/28)
• Chinese woman sues Nestle for GM ingredient (Swiss news 2003/12/17)
• GM open-air trial prohibition ends in Thailand? (Bangkok Post 2003/12/14)
• The first GM-free community in US? (Laura Hamburg 2003/12/22)
• Suntory Ltd. strengthens GM flower business (Nikkei Biotech 2003/12/08)
• Experimental transplant of pig GM liver onto baboon (Nature 2003/12/18)
• Fertilization by sperm cell from ES cell (Nature 2003/12/10)
• Discussions begin on amendment of guidelines for human ES cell research
• Interim report on handling of human embryos issued
• MHLW holds hearing on handling of deceased fetuses
• Increased dependence on GM for biodegradable plastics.
• Monsanto manipulates prices of GM seeds (Guardian 2004/1/7)

Trend: Outlook for GM crops and food in 2004

News

• GM food moratorium to continue in EU (Citizens Intelligence Watch 2003/11/10)
• Africa targeted as GM crop market (Nature 2003/11/20)
• UK National Trust makes GM Free declaration (Friends of the Earth Press Release 2003/11/15 etc)
• Vatican divided on GMO debate (AP 2003/11/17)
• GM-Free-Communities increasing in UK (Friends of the Earth 2003/11/03)
• "Substantial Equivalence" denied
• GM onion field trials applied for in New Zealand (NewZealand News 2003/11/04)
• Brazil after removal of GM soy ban (Agriculture online news 2003/11/05)
• GM wheat will be threat to corn producers (CropChoice News 2003/11/02)
• Secret document expressing concern for Canadian GM crops disclosed (The Guardian 2003/11/13)
• BSE increasing in UK again? (The Guardian Weekly 2003/11/27)
• Doubt about GM crop environmental experiment in UK (I-SIS 2003/11/12)
• Draft standards presented to of Food Safety Commission GM panel
• MHLW establishes committee to appraise environmental impact of gene therapy