GM Food Debate Ignites in U.S.
Published: Wednesday, December 01, 1999
In the U.S., FDA has begun a dialogue with the public about bioengineered foods. Meetings were held in Chicago and Washington, DC, in November and will be held Dec. 13 in Oakland, CA. Written comments will be accepted until Jan. 13. Call Janet McDonald at 510.337.6845 or visit foodsafetynow.org.
At the Chicago meeting FDA Commissioner Jane Henney, M.D., heard requests from both side of the debate that FDA begin making public the scientific data that biotech firms give the agency about the safety of their inventions. About 100 anti-GM foods protesters staged a demonstration outside the hearing.
Meanwhile, British and American law firms have launched a series of class actions in which they are demanding millions of dollars in damages from biotechnology companies. The actions, taken on behalf of farmers in the U.S., the European Union (E.U.), Central America and India, allege anticompetitive behavior in the seed market. A key issue will be the principle, backed by the U.S. government, that GM foods are “substantially equivalent” to non-GM foods and therefore do not need to be tested for safety.
On the defense, agribusiness giant Monsanto (MTC) is facing pressure from Wall Street to sell off its agricultural chemicals business in the wake of the campaign against GM food. Investors and analysts have increasingly become worried as European public opinion against GM foods has spread around the world.