NOAH-Genteknologi Tilbage
Ny hemmeligholdt EU-rapport viser
katastrofale konsekvenser ved brug af Monsanto’s sprøjtegift
Pressemeddelelse
København, 13. oktober
1999
Britisk fjernsyn kunne tirsdag aften bringe nyheden om, at verdens mest brugte ukrudtsmiddel, glyphosat slår gavnlige insekter og edderkopper ihjel (se Independents artikel nedenfor). Kilden er en hidtil hemmeligholdt EU-rapport og opdagelsen kan medføre, at Roundup og andre sprøjtegifte med aktivstoffet glyphosat forbydes i hele EU.
Bo Normander, civilingeniør
fra NOAH-Genteknologi udtaler:
"EU-rapporten må afgjort
opfattes som at være et enormt slag mod den amerikanske biotek-gigant
Monsanto, hvis vigtigste aktiv er salg af sprøjtegiften Roundup
og de dertil designede gensplejsede afgrøder. Med rapporten ser
det nu ud til, at denne afsporede landbrugsform har fået sit endelige
dødsstød. Det er absolut glædeligt."
NOAH og andre miljøorganisationer og en række forskere har gennem flere år argumenteret imod de sprøjtegifts-afhængige gen-afgrøder - såsom Roundup- og Basta-resistent soja, majs og roer. Dette med henvisning til en række negative konsekvenser overfor miljø og sundhed. "Vi håber på, at de videnskabelige facts nu er så omfattende, at et forbud mod glyphosat vil blive indført i nær fremtid." siger Bo Normander.
NOAH-Genteknologi har tidligere beskrevet miljøkonsekvenserne ved Roundup-resistente afgrøder bl.a. i en 5-siders rapport som kan læses på /gentek/genroe.html. Her fremgår det bl.a. at glyphosat er fundet overalt i det danske vandmiljø herunder i 4 drikkevandsboringer.
Jette Rank, lektor ved Roskilde
Universitetscenter har tidligere beskrevet glyphosat/Roundups potentielt
kræftfremkaldende egenskaber (se /miljosk/roundup.html).
Nye svenske undersøgelser skulle i følge britisk fjernsyn
bekræfte dette.
-----------------------
MONSANTO WEEDKILLER ‘WIPES OUT
BENEFICIAL INSECTS’.
By Paul Lashmar, INDEPENDENT UK
12/10/1999 P11
THE WORLD'S biggest-selling weedkiller, the chemical glyphosate, is facing a European ban after a confidential European Union report showed that it also kills beneficial insects and spiders. A ban would be a blow to the US group Monsanto, which produces most of the world's supply, usually under the name Roundup. It is central to the group's production of genetically engineered seeds, as Roundup-ready seeds are able to withstand the weedkiller.
Research at Orebro hospital in Sweden also suggests a higher risk of a cancer called non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in those exposed to glyphosate. In Channel 4 News tonight it is revealed that a confidential EU report says glyphosate should not be approved for use in Europe. EU advisers believe more research is needed.
At the moment each European state can decide which weedkillers it approves, and all have approved glyphosate. But with EU harmonisation on pesticide and herbicide expected in the next two years, advisers have begun evaluating which should be prohibited.
The report, one of several that will form the basis of harmonisation, reviewed evidence and concluded that after glyphosate is used on crops, "harmful effects" on arthropods "cannot be excluded". It says the chemical should not be included on a list of approved substances pending more study.
David Buffin of the Pesticides Trust, which campaigns against pesticide use, said glyphosate presented a high risk to certain insects and spiders considered beneficial because they kill harmful crop pests. "If you are knocking off the beneficials, it may result in an increase in the insect pests and you have to go in with a fairly invasive insecticide," said Mr Buffin.
Monsanto said it would be "improper"
to comment, but the company said that the World Health Organisation had
said glyphosate was not carcinogenic.