from Claire Robinson, WEEKLY WATCH editor
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Dear all:

During the past several months, the US has grown into a hotbed of opposition to the genetically engineered and cloned products approved by the supposed regulators at the FDA. This week is no exception, with the FDA being petitioned by prominent organizations and individuals to withdraw approval for Monsanto's GM bovine growth hormone, rBGH.

There's news too of how ice cream supremos Ben & Jerry's joined a march to the Capitol to oppose FDA's approval of cloned livestock and their milk products entering the food supply. The US's largest milk company is also saying "No!" to cloned cows.

And US rice farmers, understandably fearful of losing their export markets, are fiercely opposing field trials of GM rice. (THE AMERICAS)

Meanwhile in Europe, environment ministers have once again foiled the attempts of the pro-GM European Commission to force Hungary to lift its ban on Monsanto's discredited GM maize MON810. And a judge has spelt out the mistakes made by the UK's industry-friendly Food Standards Agency in its handling of GM rice contamination (EUROPE).

In India the ministry of commerce is calling for GM free zones (ASIA); and Africa is being threatened by GM bananas and biofuels (AFRICA).

Some classic GM lobbyists are exposed in LOBBYWATCH.

Finally, watch out for some great QUOTES OF THE WEEK, including a real jaw-dropper from Monsanto.

Claire [email protected]
www.gmwatch.org / www.lobbywatch.org

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CONTENTS
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THE AMERICAS
AFRICA
ASIA
EUROPE
AUSTRALASIA
BIOFUELS
LOBBYWATCH
ONLINE RESOURCES
QUOTES OF THE WEEK

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THE AMERICAS
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+ MONSANTO MERGER ANGERS BLACK FARMERS
A national black farmers group in the US says a proposed merger between Monsanto and Delta and Pine Land will create a monopoly and force black farmers out of the business. The National Black Farmers Association represents 80,000 members, predominantly small planters.
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=7566

+ MONSANTO MERGER THREATENS ORGANIC COTTON
Organic cotton could become more difficult to come by if the Monsanto and Delta and Pine Land merger goes ahead says a new report. With more GM varieties, the risk of contamination of organic and conventional crops will almost certainly increase. The merger could also exacerbate rapidly increasing seed prices. Another concern is that Delta and Pine along with the USDA own patents to the highly controversial Terminator technology.
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=7570

For the Center for Food Safety study http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/pubs/CFS-CTA%20Monsanto-DPL%20Merger%20Report%20-%20Final.pdf

+ U.S. RICE FARMERS TAKE A HARD LINE
The Rice Producers of California (RPC) have released a market study that documents the powerful opposition to GM rice in key export destinations. RPC want a ban on not just commercial GM rice but any outdoor planting.
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=7552

The Rice Producers of California (RPC) retained Bryant Christie Inc. to evaluate the potential for market acceptance of GM rice in the four markets which account for about 40% of California's annual rice crop.

EXTRACTS from the report:
[JAPAN] ...efforts to commercialize GM rice in the US could result in the loss of the Japanese market to US rice.

[KOREA]...the majority of Korean rice trade members interviewed for this report opposed the purchase of GM rice. This sentiment is also shared by Korean consumers...

[TAIWAN]...the Taiwanese rice trade members interviewed for this report were reluctant to accept imports of GM rice...

[TURKEY]...it may be possible to locate a Turkish buyer for GM rice, [but] the results also indicate that consumers might reject GM rice...

[CONCLUSION] ...it would appear that the rice trade in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and to a lesser extent Turkey has little interest in importing GM rice at this time, even in situations involving cost advantages and full regulatory approval of GM rice.
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=7564

The full report
http://www.calriceproducers.org/RPC_GM_Rice_Report_2.pdf

Executive summary
http://www.calriceproducers.org/BCI_executive_summary.pdf

+ COALITION WANTS TO STOP GM ALFALFA
A coalition of farmers, environmentalists and food safety organizations plans to ask a federal judge in California to halt the sale of Roundup Ready alfalfa seed. The request follows a decision released two weeks ago in which U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer in San Francisco ruled that the U.S. Department of Agriculture failed to follow environ