Coba baca berita Reuters ini mengenai sikap AS sudah jelas mengenai GMO menguntungkan pengusaha. Hati-hati kalau memang conference menetapkan seperti yang diinginkan oleh AS. Harry ------------------------------------------------- Wednesday January 19, 10:48 pm Eastern Time US opposes prior notice for GM crop shipments WASHINGTON, Jan 19 (Reuters) - The United States strongly opposes any attempt to require exporters to provide advance notice of shipments of genetically modified crops, a U.S. official said on Wednesday. David Sandalow, assistant secretary of state for oceans, environment and science, told reporters such a requirement would ``disrupt world food trade without (providing) significant environmental benefits.'' Developing countries plan to push for the notification requirement in upcoming environmental talks. Environmental officials from some 134 countries gather in Montreal this week to try to forge a Biosafety Protocol to protect the world's plants and animals from any adverse effects of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The talks formally open Monday and end Jan. 28. A similar effort last year in Cartagena, Colombia failed. The United States supports ``advance informed agreements'' for shipments of GMOs, such as seeds, that will be directly introduced into the environment, Sandalow said. Genetically modified crops destined for food, feed and processing do not fit that criteria, he said. The United States is the world's largest producer of genetically modified crops. More than half of U.S. soybeans and one-third of U.S. corn are produced from seed varieties that have been genetically modified. In pushing for a broader advance notice requirement, developing countries have argued that some grain imported for food, feed and processing could be used for planting. However, the United States has not seen evidence that would be ``a significant problem for biodiversity,'' Sandalow said. The United States is negotiating as part of what is known as the Miami Group, which also includes Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile and Uruguay. Developing countries are known in the negotiations as the Like-Minded Countries. On another contentious issue, the Miami Group strongly opposes efforts by the European Union to address food safety concerns in the Biosafety Protocol. An EU proposal to require documentation so genetically modified crops can be traced from field to port would require ``billions of dollars of new investment,'' Sandalow said. US SAYS GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS POSE NO THREAT So far, there is no evidence to suggest genetically modified crops pose any food safety threat, he said. Also, the environmental officials negotiating the protocol are poorly equipped to deal with food safety issues because they are not experts in that area, he said. Despite the significant differences that remain, Sandalow was upbeat about the chance for success in Montreal. Most countries agree on the need for prior notification on shipments of GMOs intended for release in the environment. There is also support for a Miami Group proposal to create a Biosafety Clearing House to post and share information about the latest GMO approvals, he said. The United States will urge countries to try to craft a protocol around areas where there is agreement, rather than focus on differences, Sandalow said. -=== FREE Handphone @ http://www.indoglobal.com/dedicated.php3 ===- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/
