[escepticos] Transgénicos... (de nuevo)

[planetario@...>]

He estado ausente una semana de por aquí, por lo que pido perdón si el tema
ya se ha comentado, pero mando, para información general de los interesados
en el tema de la transgenia, la siguiente nota de prensa que he recibido.
Saludos

javier armentia
-----------------------------------
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---la nota propiamente dicha----
GENE TRANSFER FROM GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS
Posted:  17 June 1999 16:43
KEYWORDS: Agriculture Environment Food Science

The John Innes Centre has today published a research report, commissioned by
MAFF last autumn, on the likelihood and consequences of gene transfer from
genetically modified to organic and other crops.

The report, which is based on a desk study of a substantial quantity of
previously published research in related areas, considers all the routes by
which the mixing of organic and genetically modified crops may occur,
including pollen transfer and the growth of volunteers. It concludes that no
system for the field production of seed can guarantee absolute genetic
purity of seed samples. Very rarely, long-distance pollen transmission or
seed transfer is possible and any criteria for organic crop production will
need to recognise this.

There has always been the possibility of hybridisation and seed mixing
between organic and non-organic crops. Organic farming systems acknowledge
the possibility of spray or fertiliser drift from non-organic farming
systems and procedures are established to minimise this.

The report highlights the need for acceptable levels of the presence of GM
material in organic crops to be defined and for measures to be identified to
underpin this. GM crops will not be released into the environment without
first going through a rigorous and internationally recognised regulatory
process designed to protect both human health and the environment.

Professor Mike Gale FRS, Director of the John Innes Centre, has stated "The
John Innes Centre is widely recognized for its record of research excellence
and the integrity of its research staff. It is undoubtedly for these reasons
that the Centre was chosen to provide a careful, and impartial, scientific
analysis of GM crop use. Plant breeding, including the use of GM technology,
has a vital role to play in securing both the economic and environmental
sustainability of UK and global agriculture in the future, and has the
potential to provide continued benefits for the consumer and industry
alike."

Contact: Dr Ray Mathias
John Innes Centre
sce.mail en bbsrc.ac.uk
01603 452571

Notes for editors
(1) JOHN INNES CENTRE
The John Innes Centre (JIC), Norwich, UK is an independent, world-leading
research centre in plant and microbial sciences. The JIC has over 850 staff
and students. JIC carries out high quality fundamental, strategic and
applied research to understand how plants and microbes work at the
molecular, cellular and genetic levels. The JIC also trains scientists and
students, collaborates with many other research laboratories and
communicates its science to end-users and the general public. The JIC is
grant-aided by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.
(2) MAFF RESEARCH PROJECT
'ORGANIC FARMING AND GENE TRANSFER FROM GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS'
Catherine L. Moyes and Philip J. Dale, John Innes Centre, Colney Lane,
Norwich, NR4 7UH

Executive Summary (Full text may be obtained by e-mail on application to the
John Innes Centre at sce.email en bbsrc.ac.uk)

1. Genetically modified (GM) crops cannot be released into the environment
and used as food, feed, medicines or industrial processing before they have
passed through a rigorous and internationally recognised regulatory process
designed to protect human and animal health, and the environment.

2. The UK body that oversees standards in organic farming, the United
Kingdom Register of Organic Food Standards (UKROFS), has ruled that
genetically modified (GM) crops have no role to play in organic farming
systems. They, therefore, have concerns about the possibility and
consequences of the mixing of GM crops with organic crops.

3. The two main sources of mixing are through pollen and seed. Pollen from
GM crops may pollinate an organic crop. Seed from a GM crop, or plants
established from them, may become mixed with organic crops or their
products.

4. Minimising genetic mixing is an important feature of the production of
all high quality seed samples of plant varieties supplied to farmers.
Extensive experience has been obtained over many decades in the production
of high purity seed samples. Crop isolation distances, and crop rotational
and management practices are laid down to achieve this. These procedures for
the production of seed of high genetic purity could be used for the
production of organic crops.

5. No system for the field production of seed can guarantee absolute genetic
purity of seed samples. Very rarely long distance pollination or seed
transfer is possible, so any criteria for organic crop production will need
to recognise this. There has always been the possibility of hybridisation
and seed mixing between organic crops and non-organic crops. Organic farming
systems acknowledge the possibility of spray or fertiliser drift from
non-organic farming systems, and procedures are established to minimise
this. In practice, detecting the presence of certain types of GM material in
organic crops, especially quantification, is likely to be difficult.

6. Some seed used by organic farmers are currently obtained from abroad.
After January 2001, or a modified deadline thereafter, UK organic farmers
will be required to sow seed produced organically. There is little or no
organic seed produced in the UK at present, so it has to be obtained from
abroad. Seed obtained from outside the UK or the European Union, may have
different seed production criteria. This may make it difficult to guarantee
that it is absolutely free from any GM material.

7. Organic farmers and/or GM crop producers will need to ensure that their
crops are isolated from one another by an appropriate distance or barrier to
reduce pollen transfer if the crop flowers. To reduce seed mixing, shared
equipment will need to be cleaned and an appropriate period of time allowed
before organic crops are grown on land previously used for GM crops.
Responsibility for isolation will need to be decided before appropriate
measures can be implemented. The report highlights the need for acceptable
levels of the presence of GM material in organic crops and measures
identified to achieve this.