GM giant 'will threaten seed supplies'
URL: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_965000/965208.stm
Tuesday, 10 October, 2000, 23:12 GMT 00:12 UK
BBC News
By environment correspondent Alex Kirby
Four groups concerned at the potential impact
of genetically-modified (GM) plants say a
planned new company will threaten farmers in
developing countries.
They believe Syngenta, to be formed by a
merger of AstraZeneca and Novartis, could
make it impossible for farmers to save seeds
from one year to the next.
The groups also suspect Syngenta may
develop new GM technologies which would
make farmers dependent on it in other ways.
They want the new company to promise not to
put farmers at risk in the ways they fear.
But Syngenta's chief executive officer
designate, Michael Pragnell, accuses the
groups of misunderstanding and
misrepresenting the new company's GM
policies.
Dependence
The four groups are the British development
agency ActionAid, GeneWatch UK, the Berne
Declaration, based in Switzerland, and the
Swedish Society for Nature Conservation.
In a report, Syngenta: Switching off farmers'
rights?, they say Syngenta will be "the world's
largest agribusiness".
The report says both
AstraZeneca and
Novartis have been
accused in the past of
working on GM crops
which would force
farmers into a
continuing dependence
on the companies'
products.
"The most famous are
'terminator seeds' -
seeds modified to grow
plants which produce infertile seed.
"Farmers have always saved seed, and 1.4
billion people still rely on them as their primary
seed source.
"'Terminator' means farmers would have to buy
new (patented) seed or chemicals which will
switch off the sterility each year."
The report says "terminator" seeds are just
one example of a range of GM techniques
known as "genetic use restriction technologies"
(Gurts).
These work by controlling the traits of GM
crops with the application of special chemicals:
because the plants' natural traits are said to
have been betrayed, the techniques have
been called "traitor technology".
Disregarded
The report acknowledges that both
AstraZeneca and Novartis promised publicly
not to commercialise the terminator patents
they owned.
But it says both companies "have broken
commitments" not to develop the technology.
The authors say: "Investigations in this report
show that research and development around
terminator and traitor seeds has continued
since those promises were made.
"We have uncovered 11 new patents held by
both companies which allow for genetic
modification of staple crops which will:
produce disease-prone plants (unless
they are treated with chemicals)
control crop fertility
control when plants flower and sprout
control how crops age."
The report says Syngenta will have the single
largest interest in Gurts of all the global GM
companies.
The four groups are
asking the new
company to promise
not to develop any
crops using terminator
technology, and not to
conduct traitor
technology field trials
until the results of
assessments of its
impact are available.
They want
governments to agree
a global ban on terminator plants, and say
Syngenta should promise not to develop plants
with weakened disease resistance, or where
saving seeds would depend on the use of a
chemical.
Premature
But the accusations levelled at Syngenta have
been rejected as ill-informed by the new
company's chief executive officer designate,
Michael Pragnell.
"The latest analysis of patents conducted by
ActionAid is flawed because it misinterprets
the application of the technology and its
potential benefit," he said.
"Both Zeneca Agrochemicals and Novartis have
reaffirmed their commitment not to introduce
any technology in developing countries where
seed germination is prevented.
"Syngenta believes that the responsible
research and development of new crop
technologies, and their application through
sustainable agriculture and integrated crop
management practices, will ultimately be of
immense benefit to agriculture in the third
world.
Mr Pragnell said GM seeds would account for
just 2% of Syngenta's proforma sales in 1999.
"Syngenta recognises that there is currently
some public concern, notably in Europe, about
the use of new crop technologies," he said.
"This is expressed through a number of groups
including political parties, consumer
organisations, campaigning bodies and some
government organisations.
"Syngenta intends to be a participant in the
public debate. However, all those who
participate in this public debate have a
responsibility not to misrepresent."