WEEKLY WATCH number 215
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from Claire Robinson, WEEKLY WATCH editor
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Dear all:

The regulatory noose is tightening on the biotech industry.

In the big story of the week, the Supreme Court in India has placed stringent new conditions on GM crop trials that could make them all but impossible to conduct. (SUPREME COURT BATTLE HOTS UP)

Germany too is cracking down on Monsanto's GM corn by issuing requirements that the company seems unlikely to be able to fulfill. (EUROPE)

And there's also a call for the GM alfalfa ban imposed in the United States to be extended to Canada. (THE AMERICAS)

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

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CONTENTS
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EUROPE
COSTS OF CONTAMINATION
THE AMERICAS
ASIA
FOOD SECURITY
SUPREME COURT BATTLE HOTS UP
NEW RESEARCH
COMPANY NEWS
LOBBYWATCH
BIOFUELS
CAMPAIGN OF THE WEEK

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EUROPE
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+ DE FACTO BAN ON GM CORN IN GERMANY
The German government has imposed much stricter regulations on Monsanto regarding the sale of GM corn (maize) seeds. According to the leading German newspaper, Der Spiegel, the new rules are tantamount to an outright ban.
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=7854

+ NETHERLANDS REFUSES CORN FROM U.S.
The Netherlands will either return or burn a US shipment of GM corn that lacks clearance from European authorities, the Dutch food safety authority said. They also say they will increase import checks in the light of the discovery. Described as 'GM-free' on official documents, the GM contamination was identified in corn samples taken from a ship by Greenpeace.
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=7865
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=7854

+ TONY BLAIR TO QUIT
Tony Blair is to finally stand down as Britain's Prime Minister in the next few weeks. Under Blair the UK has been the only European Union country to consistently vote to oppose all other countries' national bans on specific GM crops and foods. According to Blair's former Environment Minister, Michael Meacher, "Tony's natural mates are his big business friends."
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=7861

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COSTS OF CONTAMINATION
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+ CONTAMINATION SHOWS FOOD SAFETY TRUMPS PRICE
An article by the editor of the food industry portal FoodProductionDaily.com says recent contamination scandals, including illegal GM rice from China that ended up in the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Poland, Spain and Cyprus, have shown that cheap ingredients are not cheap at all.

He notes that, "While the ingredients may have seemed cheap to processors at the time, they ended up costing a lot in terms of the subsequent withdrawals, the loss of consumer confidence in brands, increased regulatory scrutiny, and the effort it took some companies to search for alternate sources."
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=7844

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THE AMERICAS
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+ RABOBANK - LESS U.S. RICE FARMING DUE TO GM
According to a report from Rabobank, rice acreage in the US in 2007-08 is likely to decline due to concerns over the effects of GM contamination, which has already led to the loss of a major share of the EU market.
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=7866

+ PROTESTS IN BOSTON
Several hundred lively protesters led by a marching band and giant puppets marched through Roxbury to protest the Biotech Industry Organisation (BIO) conference in Boston and the Boston University Bio-Terror Lab. View pictures at http://boston.indymedia.org/feature/display/199290/index.php

+ AMERICANS NOT COMFORTABLE WITH GM FOODS
A poll commissioned by BIO to coincide with its Boston conference (see above) shows that less than half of all Americans view GM foods in a positive light, and more than half American women find GM foods troubling.
http://business.bostonherald.com/businessNews/view.bg?articleid=198965

+ NINE MASSACHUSETTS TOWNS VOTE AGAINST GM
Since May 1 nine towns in Western Massachusetts have passed resolutions at their annual Town Meetings opposing genetic engineering of food and crops. "The success of these resolutions at town meetings this year reflects a deepening opposition to genetic engineering in Massachusetts and across New England," said Ben Grosscup of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Massachusetts.
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=7847

+ MORE