--Foot-and-Mouth continues to exert pressure for change.  -  Jeffrey
good news for british

<The British Environment Minister called for a radical rethink of farming
<practices once the foot-and-mouth epidemic is under control. He
<suggested
<that farming should be more localised, less internationalised, less
<dependent on chemicals and fertilisers and more organic. Reuters
   http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=10380

bad news for other countries
when Europe or the wheat board of canada  refuse genetically modified foods
, it is time to convinced other markets
especially the one's most desperate  for foods , if not so rich.
jean-claude

>The full text of the leaked report is available through the GeneWatch UK
>website's press releases:
>http://www.genewatch.org/press.html
>There is no mention of Canada in the leaked report.
>TJK
>-------------
>MONSANTO'S 'DESPERATE' PROPAGANDA CAMPAIGN REACHES GLOBAL PROPORTIONS
>
>A confidential internal report leaked to GeneWatch UK reveals that
>Monsanto is involved in a global campaign to promote GM foods by
>influencing which experts get on international scientific committees,
>promoting their views through supposedly independent scientists and
>gaining influence with key decision makers in government departments in
>developing countries.
>
>Monsanto's ten page internal report, headed 'company confidential',
>summarises the activities of its Regulatory Affairs and Scientific
>Outreach teams for May and June 2000.
>
>It describes developments in the regulation of GM crops in 20 countries
>world-wide and Monsanto's efforts to influence them. The countries include
>Japan, Bulgaria, Thailand, Mexico, Brazil and Korea as well as the USA and
>the European Union.
>
>"The leaked report shows how Monsanto are trying to manipulate the
>regulation of GM foods across the globe to favour their interests," said
>Dr Sue Mayer, GeneWatch UK's Director. "It seems they are trying to buy
>influence with key individuals, stack committees with experts who support
>them, and subvert the scientific agenda around the world."
>
>"The scale of their campaign shows just how desperate Monsanto is to save
>its business," said Dr Mayer. "The report shows that they have virtually
>given up trying to influence the debate here in the UK, having failed to
>convince the public of their case. But it is worrying that Monsanto has
>clearly stepped up activity elsewhere, particularly in developing
>countries. And whilst Monsanto often claim they want to listen and engage
>in dialogue, it is quite clear from this leaked report that this is just
>window dressing for a behind-the-scenes campaign to promote their products
>come what may. Governments and scientists are going to have to take
>precautions against such pressure if they are not to lose even more
>consumer confidence."
>
>The following extracts from the leaked internal paper illustrate how
>pervasive the Monsanto campaign is:
>
>"Global: Scientific outreach and Ag Regulatory was instrumental in
>assuring that key internationally recognized scientific experts were
>nominated to the FAO/WHO expert consultation on food safety which was held
>in Geneva this past month. The consultation and final report were very
>supportive of plant biotechnology, including support for the critical role
>of substantial equivalence in food safety assessments, antibiotic
>resistance markers used in these products, and the reservation of animal
>feeding studies to address specific questions rather than for routine
>safety"
>
>"Thailand: A GMO detection lab was established by the Ministry of Public
>Health to develop methods to certify exports to Europe. The lab director
>Dr. Pakdi is a key player in international CODEX activities and has
>requested Monsanto's assistance to train technicians and provide reference
>samples. Cooperation with this request is likely given the importance of
>the lab and Dr. Pakdi's position."
>
>"Global: Contacts were made with the directors of Poison Control Centers
>(PCC) in many countries which should be especially useful to facilitate
>rational regulation because the Poison Center directors are relied upon
>heavily by state and local agencies;...an editorial was drafted by Dr John
>Thomas, (Emeritus Professor of U.Texas Medical School in San Antonio) to
>place in a medical journal as the first in a planned series of outreach
>efforts to physicians; a meeting was held with Prof. David Khayat, an
>internationally well known cancer specialist, to collaborate on an article
>demonstrating the absence of links between GM food and cancers..."
>
>"Global: Monsanto representatives were successful at the recent Codex Food
>Labelling Committee meeting on maintaining two labelling options for
>further consideration by the committee."
>
>
>The full text of the leaked document is available on the GeneWatch UK
>website: http://www.genewatch.org
>
>NOTES
>1.The FAO is the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation
>2.The WHO is the UN's World Health Organisation.
>