Wednesday, July 29, 2009
It is time for agricultural biotech companies that produce genetically-modified (GM) seeds to end their restrictions on independent research, write the editors of Scientific American, one of the nation’s leading science journals. They point out that through restrictive end-user agreements, corporations like Monsanto, Pioneer and Syngenta are able to veto efforts by independent researchers to examine GM seeds in the laboratory to determine if they are safe for humans and the environment.
Scientific American understands that one of the primary reasons for the end-user agreements is to protect the intellectual property of the seed companies. But too often business executives use the contracts to prevent critical assessments of their products.
“Although we appreciate the need to protect the intellectual property rights that have spurred the investments into research and development that have led to agritech’s successes, we also believe food safety and environmental protection depend on making plant products available to regular scientific scrutiny,” wrote the publication’s editors. “Agricultural technology companies should therefore immediately remove the restriction on research from their end-user agreements. Going forward, the EPA should also require, as a condition of approving the sale of new seeds, that independent researchers have unfettered access to all products currently on the market. The agricultural revolution is too important to keep locked behind closed doors.”
It is estimated that up to 45% of the corn and 85% of soybeans grown in the United States are genetically engineered, according to the Center for Food Safety. Furthermore, the Center calculates that 70-75% of processed foods on supermarket shelves, everything from sodas to condiments, contain GM ingredients.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Do Seed Companies Control GM Crop Research? (Scientific American)
Genetically Engineered Food (Center for Food Safety)
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