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from Andy Rees, the WEEKLY WATCH editor
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Dear Weekly Watchers,

Welcome to WW39 bringing you all the latest news in brief in the week the Biosafety Protocol came into force, permitting countries to reject GMOs.

Marking the event at a UK parliamentary meeting on Thursday, Africa's chief negotiator for the Protocol described the U.S claim that Africa would accept GM food if only Europe did as "rubbish". (see SETBACKS TO THE GM LOBBY)

And why would anyone accept GMOs when, as Professor Caroline Saunders from Lincoln University's agribusiness and economics research unit reported this week, *GM CROPS HAVE NOT BENEFITED PRODUCERS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD!* (see SETBACKS TO THE GM LOBBY)

That, of course, does not for one moment stop them being desperately pushed by Monsanto, the U.S. or the WTO, which the U.S. is using - as Ethiopia's Dr Tewolde Egziabher points out - to try and intimidate developing countries and undermine the Biosafety Protocol. (see QUOTE OF THE WEEK)

At the WTO meeting in Mexico this week Oxfam staged a "protest breakfast" with leaders of the main industrialised countries, with huge fibreglass heads, playing with GM food labelled "wholly unfair subsidised surplus product."  In the Mexican port of Veracruz, meanwhile, potesters chained themselves to the anchor of a ship carrying 40,000 tonnes of the genetically modified and heavily subsidized U.S. corn that is not only damaging Mexico's biological diversity but the livelihoods of millions of its farmers. (see HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK)

A WTO protest in southern India this week saw angry farmers ransack a Monsanto facility.  And no wonder!  An official report just released from the government of the Indian State of Andhra Pradesh detailed the extent to which farmers who bought into Monsanto's promises on Bt cotton had been betrayed.  In some parts of the State the net income resulting from Monsanto's Bt seeds was between five and seven times less than from indigenous non-Bt varieties.  A slew of other reports have produced similar findings.  One from the government of the State of Gujarat concluded Monsanto's GM cotton is simply "unfit for cultivation and should be banned". (see REPORT OF THE WEEK 2)

If you don't like George Bush using the WTO to force-feed the world GMOs, 'BITE BACK -- WTO HANDS OFF OUR FOOD!' (see our CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK).

Please circulate widely!

Andy <[email protected]>
www.ngin.org.uk

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WEEKLY WATCH  number 39 - CONTENTS
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SETBACKS TO THE GM LOBBY
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
REPORT OF THE WEEK 1 - People's Report on GM Crops
REPORT OF THE WEEK 2 - Andhra Pradesh government on Bt cotton
ARTICLE OF THE WEEK 1 - THE GM BOMB
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
FACTS OF THE WEEK
RESOURCES OF THE WEEK
FAIRYTALES FROM THE GM LOBBY - "You were very good today!"
HEADLINES OF THE WEEK
CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK - Bite Back!
SUBSCRIPTIONS

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SETBACKS TO THE GM LOBBY
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NO POINT TO GM, SAY ACADEMICS:
A new study from Lincoln University, New Zealand shows that release of GM crops will have no financial benefit for producers.  Professor Caroline Saunders from Lincoln University's agribusiness and economics research unit says GM food releases have not benefited producers anywhere in the world, and economic modelling shows the situation for NZ is no different.
http://onenews.nzoom.com/onenews_detail/0,1227,218948-1-7,00.html

U.S. SLAMMED FOR "GROTESQUE MISREPRESENTATION" OF AFRICA'S NEEDS:
Africa's chief negotiator for the Biosafety Protocol has said that the idea promoted by the U.S. that Africa would accept GM food if Europe did is "rubbish". In the week in which the Biosafety Protocol came into force, Dr Tewolde Berhan Gebre Egziabher told a UK parliamentary meeting that the U.S. WTO action against Europe over GM imports are seen as a message to Africa not to reject GM foods or face WTO reprisals. Africa led negotiations in the Biosafety Protocol, he points out, which permits countries to reject GM if they deem it risky. "They would not have done so if they wanted unregulated GM foods.  Hunger in Africa is caused by problems of storage, distribution and economic factors," says Dr Tewolde, "GM cannot address this". He was supported by former UK Environment Minister Michael Meacher who accused the United States of "grotesque misrepresentation" in its portrayal of Africa as wanting GM foods. He also condemned the US pressure on Europe to accept GM through accusations of causing hunger in Africa.

COURT ALLOWS ITALY & OTHER COUNTRIES TO BAN GM FOODS:
The European Union's high court has ruled that Italy and other EU member states can place temporary bans on GM foods if they suspect the foods pose a threat to public health or the environment.  The ruling stems from a dispute between the Italian government and biotech giant Monsanto.
http://www.just-food.com/news_detail.asp?art=55312
http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2003/09/08/daily21.html

INDIAN FARMERS RANSACK MONSANTO FACILITY:
Angry farmers in southern India stormed a building that formerly housed the global biotech giant, Monsanto.  More than 40 farmers ransacked the corporation's former Bangalore facility on Thursday, after staging noisy demonstrations.  They were protesting after more than 70 farmers committed suicide in the last three months - deaths being partly blamed on Monsanto's GM crops.  According to eyewitnesses, the farmers damaged furniture and windows, and shouted slogans demanding Monsanto close down its operations in India.  According to reports, the police arrested somewhere between 15-30 farmers after Thursday's incident.  A leader of the Karnataka State Farmers Association told the BBC the attack was a warning to Monsanto to leave India.  The farmers' association had also torched several farms in the state where Monsanto's new cotton crop was being trialled.  Ranjana Smetacek, a spokeswoman for Monsanto India said, "We had our research facility at the campus (which was) ransacked today... One of the greenhouses, where we grow plants for research, was destroyed... We have lost valuable plants and the result of lot of work by our researchers.  We are seriously concerned by today's attack."  The protesters said GM seeds were environmentally hazardous and could contaminate the genes of native varieties through cross pollination, impoverishing the farmers. "We timed the attack to draw the attention of those attending the World Trade Organization meeting in Cancun, Mexico."
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=1418
Pictures at  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/3099938.stm
See also: Brazil activists target Monsanto,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/2961284.stm
SEE ALSO: REPORT OF THE WEEK 2, for why Indian farmers are so angry

UK FACES BIG SETBACK OVER GM CROP RULES:
The Financial Times says Tony Blair's h

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