WEEKLY WATCH number 169 (31/3/2006)

from Claire Robinson, WEEKLY WATCH editor
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Dear all:

We'd like to apologise to any subscribers who didn't receive our last WEEKLY WATCH. If you want to see the WATCH you missed, then all our list messages are archived here: http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive.asp

This week we have a disturbingly high number of stories about GM contamination of conventional and organic crops. They give the lie to the claims of industry and governments worldwide that coexistence between GM and conventional and organic farming is possible.

There's good news on Terminator - the existing moratorium was reaffirmed in spite of the attempts of industry and its Australian, Canadian and New Zealand government patsies to overturn it (CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY).

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

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CONTENTS
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CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (COP8)
EUROPE
THE AMERICAS
ASIA
AUSTRALASIA
LOBBYWATCH
CORPORATE TAKEOVER OF SCIENCE
COMPANY NEWS

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CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (COP8)
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+ TERMINATOR SEEDS DEFEATED AT GLOBAL CONFERENCE
The delegates of the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP8) in Curitiba, Brazil have decided to keep the de facto moratorium of Terminator field trials and commercialization. This announcement caused relief amongst indigenous peoples, local communities and civil society organisations. There had been long-lasting and strong lobby work by these organizations against attempts, led by Australia, Canada and New Zealand, to overturn the moratorium.

Benedikt Haerlin, director of Save our Seeds and Foundation on Future of Farming, commented: "This victory marks the beginning of the end of Terminator technologies... because it has been won by a uniquely broad and diverse coalition of peasants, farmers, social movements and environmental organisations who are supported by the vast majority of delegates.

"Five hundred thousand farmers in India, 120 scientists in Italy, protesters all over the world, recently staging protests in Delhi and London in front of the New Zealand embassies, indigenous communities around the globe, environmental and consumer organisations from all continents say: sterility will never be a valid concept to maintain and enhance biodiversity and sustainable agriculture, to feed the world and to maintain food sovereignty.

"One argument of the industry was that Terminator was needed to make GMOs safer. Our response is: You should never release seeds that need to be made sterile in order not to threaten the environment. We are confident that this sends a clear message to governments around the world to ban Terminator now, once and forever."

Said Francisca Rodriguez of Via Campesina, a worldwide movement of peasant farmers, "This is a momentous day for the 1.4 billion poor people world wide who depend on farmer saved seeds."
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=6376
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=6374

+ INTERNATIONAL DELEGATION'S SOLIDARITY VISIT TO OCCUPIED SYNGENTA FIELDS
On 22 March, an international delegation of people attending COP8 and related events in Curitiba, Brazil made a solidarity visit to the illegal GM field trials on a Syngenta testing station near Iguacu National Park, currently occupied by about 600 members of the powerful landless movement in Brazil, the MST.

The regional court had given the MST until 22 March to leave, and in theory they could now be evicted. However, the visiting delegation believe an eviction is unlikely, as the governor of the state of Parana is himself unhappy with the illegal trials, and has said he will send his police forces to destroy them.
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=6377

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EUROPE
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+ LABOUR PEERS' CASH FOR PRO-GM INFLUENCE IN GOVT
"Cash for GM?" is the question being posed by Scottish National Party (SNP) Member of the Scottish Parliament Rob Gibson after the publication of the Labour Party loans shows that some of the most prominent backers of the party are also some of the biggest proponents of GM technologies.

Mr Gibson is worried that science and agriculture polices are being decided by a few high-profile, rich and unelected peers.

Lord Sainsbury is one of the Labour Party's biggest donors. He has been a peer since 1997 and as government science minister, he is also a major investor in biotech. Lord Drayson gave GBP1.1 million to the party and was granted a peerage from Tony Blair in 2004.

Lord Drayson is tipped to become Lord Sainsbury's successor as science Minister. When he still headed his biotech company and was also head of the Bioindustry Association, Lord Drayson financially supported the pro-GM Science Media Centre as well as participating in the Pro-GM lobby group Sense About Science. The other GM link is Sir Christopher Evans of Merlin Biosciences, known in some quarters as the "Biotech King".

Mr Gibson said, "Just these three people show that the Labour Party are deeply indebted to these people and therefore are allowing biotech and GM entrepreneurs shape the lives of millions of people throughout the UK.

"I am deeply worried about these connections and the power that unelected but monied people can have to shape people's lives and the future of the environment. The miracle cures and crops that were pro


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