Background - October 29, 2004
Monsanto's Roundup Ready (RR) soya was one of the first genetically engineered (GE) crops to be commercialised. However, since commercialisation there have been a series of discoveries of irregularities and unexpected effects with the RR soya. In addition, the supposed benefits such as reduced herbicide application, and the benign nature of the associated herbicide, Roundup, have proved unfounded.
Ripening soya beans in field near Harbin.
RR soya has been engineered to make the plant resistant to the
herbicide glyphosate. Glyphosate is marketed under the trade name
'Roundup', which is also manufactured by Monsanto. Roundup can now
be used to kill weeds in soya bean crops without harming the soya
bean plants themselves.
It was first approved for planting in the US 1994 and
subsequently in Canada, Argentina and Mexico. In 1996, RR soya was
grown commercially for the first time by farmers in the US and
Argentina. It was granted market approval (for import and
processing into non-viable soya bean fractions only) in the EU and
in Japan in 1996.
Consent to allow the growing and/or import of RR soya was based
on information provided by Monsanto. Government authorities in
several countries have accepted this information from Monsanto and
given consent for its commercial use. However, since the mid 1990s
there have been a series of discoveries of irregularities and
unexpected effects with the RR soya, adding to doubts over its
environmental safety.
Protecting Soya:
The importation of GE soya into a centre of origin and/or
diversity for soya poses the risk of genetic contamination of
valuable soya diversity. China is the centre of origin and the
centre of diversity for soybeans, with more than 6,000 wild soya
varieties, constituting over 90 percent of the global total. GE
soya contamination in China would result in similar ecological and
cultural damage as GE maize contamination in Mexico.
Although China does not allow the commercial growing of GE soya
and has decided to keep its major soya-growing region in the
northeast GE free, contaminated imports obviously present a serious
risk to China's soya diversity. GE soya varieties have been
approved for planting in Canada, the US and Argentina. These
varieties include Bayer's LibertyLink soya (glufosinate tolerant),
Monsanto's Roundup Ready soya (glyphosate tolerant) and DuPont's
soya.
In-Depth:
China
Cyber Wall - Protecting the Homeland of Soya
China - protecting the homeland of Soya
Roundup
Ready Soya - what more can go wrong?
Monsanto & Genetic Engineering - Risks for Investors (Exec
summary)