Translation: EU market authorisation via the Netherlands of genetically modified maize resistant to and sprayed with, among other things, 2,4-D (ingredient of Agent Orange, used during the Vietnam War)
Open Consultations
| Maize MON 87429Assessment of genetically modified maize MON 87429 for authorisation under Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 (application EFSA-GMO-NL-2019-161) EFSA opinion: 18 November 2022 Deadline: 18 December 2022 Form to make comments Source: Public consultations (europa.eu) |
Have your say in your own language! Geef je mening, dit kan in elke taal!
Comments of the European GMO-free Citizens below/Het commentaar van De Gentechvrije Burgers is hieronder te vinden.
Lelystad, NL, 12-4-2022 From Gentechvrij.nl
Maize MON 87429
Assessment of genetically modified maize MON 87429 for authorisation under Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 (application EFSA-GMO-NL-2019-161)
Requestor Competent Authority of The Netherlands
“Maize MON 87429 was developed to confer tolerance to dicamba, glufosinate, quizalofop and 2,4-D herbicides.”
https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.2903/j.efsa.2022.7589
Call to re-think genetically engineered herbicide-tolerant crops
DetailsPublished: 25 August 2019
Quote:
“Monsanto’s new proposed corn MON 87429 is the first GM crop plant to be tolerant to both 2,4-D and dicamba. Most herbicide tolerant crop plants on the market are now tolerant to more than one herbicide. MON 87429 is genetically engineered to tolerate four herbicides: dicamba, 2,4-D, quizalofop, and glufosinate.”
We have read this news:
(News from 2021) Mexico to replace 16 million tonnes of gm corn by native variaties and ban the toxic herbicide glyphosate.
“The federal government will go ahead with its plan to stop importing genetically modified (GM) corn and replace it with homegrown maize, according to Deputy Agriculture Minister Suárez.
The official also told the news agency Reuters that the government is sticking to its plan to ban glyphosate, a controversial herbicide.”
https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/mexico-proceeds-with-plan-to-replace-16mn-tonnes-of-gm-corn-with-homegrown-variety/
In addition to banning Monsanto/Bayer’s cancer-causing Roundup herbicide by 2024, Mexico is now pledging to rid the country of GMO corn by the same date.
To do so, it plans to gradually replace 16 million tons in annual imports of GMO corn from the United States with ancient, indigenous varieties.
https://returntonow.net/2021/11/07/mexico-replaces-16-million-tons-of-gmo-corn-with-native-varieties/
“The Mexican Society of Organic Producers called the move a victory. The group blames GMO crops for contaminating the native, ancient varieties of corn while saying that the widespread use of dangerous pesticides endangers the health of both producers and consumers while undermining biodiversity.”
A question from us
How long will it take before this will happen in every country and with every GM crop?
We, the GMO-free Citizens and Stichting Ekopark in Lelystad, The Netherlands, do not want to eat this genetically modified maize MON 87429.
We also do not want it as feed for animals. And we don’t want you to market this on the EU. (Under Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 (application EFSA-GMO-RX-026/2.)
(We are shocked that the application is from the Netherlands! In widespread use since the late 1940’s, 2,4-D was also an ingredient in Agent Orange, the highly toxic defoliant used by the U.S. during the war in Vietnam!)
When you approve this, which we will regret, we want every product and every final product to be labelled as GMO, even if you can no longer detect it in a final product.
Our conclusion. Poison stacked with poison.
Below some examples.
Dicamba
Growing frustration that time is up for the industry to fix its off-target dicamba movement problem, now in its fifth year
EXCERPT: “The situation has driven Harry Stine, the normally reserved founder of Stine Seed, a longstanding independent seed company based in Adel, Iowa, to speak out forcefully and publicly about the perennial issue of dicamba injury in agriculture. “We keep thinking that we’ll wake up from this nightmare and it will …… “see:
https://www.gmwatch.org/en/106-news/latest-news/19847-dicamba-herbicide-injury-on-the-rise
“In my opinion dicamba has caused more damage to American agriculture than anything I have witnessed in my lifetime,” wrote Stine, who has worked in agriculture for over five decades.”
Eastern Arkansas faces potential 650,000 to 800,000 acres of dicamba damage
By Hannah Campbell
KAIT8, Jul 15, 2021
Quote: “On Wednesday, Senator Ron Caldwell toured thousands of acres of crops damaged by dicamba. He is trying to get the Arkansas Agriculture Board to change spraying rules.
Dicamba is a herbicide used to kill pigweeds but can be very damaging if it’s transmitted from one crop to another.”
Arkansas lawyer fights dicamba damage to crop and trees, warns of arson and intimidation
Published: 15 July 2021
Quote: “Our valuable ancient forest remnants are under threat, sycamores, cypress, pines and white oak trees in particular. Trees that were old when De Soto crossed the Mississippi [in 1541] are damaged and dying. Soybeans, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and other garden crops are damaged.”
EPA allows use of dicamba through 2025, with new restrictions
Published: 28 October 2020
Quote: “This is a wildly irresponsible decision by the US EPA that will spell ongoing catastrophe for US farmers who grow crops other than GM dicamba-tolerant ones, as well as for wild and garden plants.”
glufosinate (GLA)
About GLA. Reprinted with permission.
“Research by Hoechst (Dr. Arno Schulz) on the substrates of Phosphinothricin acetyltransferase(PAT).”
Amsterdam, November 7, 1999. J. van der Meulen, L. Eijsten Quote
GLA and glyphosate.
In 1987, the following article was published: Thomson, C. J. et al., ‘Characterisation of the herbicide-resistance gene bar from S.hygroscopicus’, EMBO Journal Vol. 6 No 9, pages 2519-23. It described how phosphinothricin-acetyltransferase also has glutamic acid as a substrate, by mixing the two substances and demonstrating the reaction product. Hoechst contested this in a report (93-01) by Dr Arno Schulz: ‘L-phosphinothricin N acetyltransferase biochemical characterisation’. Glufosinate had been exposed, TOGETHER with a seriously excessive amount of glutamic acid (and other amino acids) to the effects of the acetyltransferase. Schulz had been unable to demonstrate ANY reaction product with glutamic acid and thus concluded that glutamic acid was not a substrate.
THIS IS INCORRECT AND HIGHLY MISLEADING because • in situations in which the acetyltransferase (present in the modified plant) could have a toxic effect, as in our gastrointestinal tract, large quantities of glufosinate are not simultaneously present (see Thomson). Unbelievable! • it is only logical that, under Schulz’s test conditions, the acetyltransferase would acetylate the glufosinate using not only the added acetyl source but also acetylated glutamine acid as an acetyl source (because the transferase has a higher affinity for glufosinate). In a MIXTURE a reaction product will be produced only with the substrate for which it has the highest affinity.
A VERY MISLEADING REPORT. We object to the development of a GMO containing this gene product.
- According to Hoechst, it is not teratogenic. E. Ebert et al.: ‘Summary of safety evaluation toxicity studies of glufosinate ammonium’, 1989/1990. Defects found in rabbit progeny were brushed under the carpet by Hoechst, which claimed that they were the result of ‘maternal toxicity’!! The toxic effect on the mother was claimed to prevent her giving birth to healthy progeny.
We believe they are playing fast and loose with the words they use. We would put forward instead the research data of Tomoko Fujii et al., from 1996: ‘Alterations in the Response to Kainic Acid in Rats Exposed to Glufosinate Ammonium, a Herbicide, during Infantile Period’, a study sponsored by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture.
‘Exposure to GLA, even in low doses (1 mg/kg) during Infantile Period in the rat, induces alterations in the kainic receptor in the brain’.
T. Watanabe, 1996: ‘Apoptose induced by GLA in the neuroepithelium of developing mouse embryos in culture’. Programmed cell death as a result of the secretion of substances which destroy the cell from within; this ‘suicide’ is regulated by a suicide gene which appears to be activated by GLA. T. Watanabe et al., 1997: ‘Developmental and dysmorphogenic effects of GLA in mouse embryos in culture’.
Deformities.
- It is not considered to be sensitising.
Ms L. Eijsten discovered for herself the exact opposite of GLA’s ‘non-sensitising properties’, something she has reported previously. In 1992, she – and her dog – became sensitised: a parks department employee carried on spraying the edges of the grass in a park, where she was sitting reading on a bench, with Finale SL 14. Nothing apparently amiss.
However, a year later she was walking her dog by grass which had shortly before been sprayed with the same herbicide and promptly, seven hours later, her legs were covered in eczema. She walked the same route the next day, this time in a sleeveless blouse, and within no time her arms and face were also covered in eczema (the dog too had red patches on its stomach).
She has reported on this many times already. The serious thing is, however, that every attempt is made to brush these facts under the carpet, arguing that her symptoms were caused by a food allergy (letter of 10 June 1996 from Mr Top / Ms Terpstra at the Netherlands Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS); a very scientific communication.)
The photograph sent showed clearly that the eczema was on unprotected parts of Ms Eijsten’s body. And there was no eczema on the back of her hands – logically, because she had washed her hands after the contact. A dermatologist carried out tests involving patches with Vaseline to which the herbicide had been added.
This meant that a hydrophilic substances was being tested using a hydrophobic substance. It was logical that no effect should be visible after the test. The dermatologist carried out tests in the same way three times, despite Ms Eijsten’s request that a hydrophilic substances, such as lanolin, be used, or that the herbicide be tested on her skin by itself.
His argument was that he always worked that way, thus making his incompetence clear. He had previously told her that he did not know the herbicide in question and had asked her to bring some with her. That was strange, because Finale had already been in use for some 20 years.
This was also why she collected various articles about Finale and showed the dermatologist an American book describing methods for demonstrating sensitisation. EU LEGISLATION prescribes many methods for demonstrating sensitisation. Ms Eijsten constantly wondered why the dermatologist did not want to carry out any different tests. She found this all very improper. If all dermatologists in the Netherlands took the same approach as ‘her dermatologist’, no cases of eczema resulting from GLA would ever be found!
Why should the correct tests not be done? We believe that everything possible is being done to cover up the harmful effects of GLA. The annual report of the organisation Consument en Biotechnologie for 1996/1997 reported that Fujii’s 1996 report stated that high doses had been found to cause brain damage.
And it should be noted that it was Ms Eijsten who sent the report in question to Consument en Biotechnologie, at their request. The report concerned precisely the fact that the work had been done using very small doses (1 mg/kg). When she complained, they promised to correct the errors.
Recently she was informed that no correction is to be made. No reason was given. This twisting of the truth is an example of false lobbying. We believe that the above information on sensitisation has to be communicated once again, against the background of the dangers which arise when herbicides are sprayed and as a result of drift when herbicide resistant crops are cultivated, be it on a large or a small scale. Murphy’s law.
Extract from: “Onderzoek van Hoechst (dr. Arno Schulz) betreffende de substraten van Phosphinothricinacetyltransferase(PAT). – Gentechvrij by J. van der Meulen, L. Eijsten”
(Fujii et al., 1996) . Exposure to GLA, even in low doses (1 mg/kg) during Infantile Period in the rat, induces alterations in the kainic receptor in the brain.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/244754595_Alterations_in_the_Response_to_Kainic_Acid_in_Rats_Exposed_to_Glufosinate_Ammonium_a_Herbicide_during_Infantile_Period
T. Watanabe. 1996
“Apoptose induced by GLA in the neuroepithelium of developing mouse embryos in culture. Programmed cell death by secretion of substances that destroy the cell internally; this suicide is regulated by a suicide gene, which is apparently clicked on by GLA.
T. Watanabe et al. 1997.
“Developmental and Dysmorphogenic Effects of GLA in mouse Embryos in culture”. Malformations..
Quizalofop
Monsanto stole herbicide-resistant plant tech, Corteva says
Monsanto and Bayer have been using a rival’s genetically modified plant technology to make their own plants that produce an enzyme that is resistant to weedkillers like Roundup, according to a patent infringement suit filed in Delaware federal court. Corteva Agriscience LLC developed GM plants tolerant to two different herbicides, 2,4-D and quizalofop,……more
https://www.law360.com/articles/1519939/monsanto-stole-herbicide-resistant-plant-tech-rival-says
Call to re-think genetically engineered herbicide-tolerant crops
DetailsPublished: 25 August 2019
Quote:
“Monsanto’s new proposed corn MON 87429 is the first GM crop plant to be tolerant to both 2,4-D and dicamba. Most herbicide tolerant crop plants on the market are now tolerant to more than one herbicide. MON 87429 is genetically engineered to tolerate four herbicides: dicamba, 2,4-D, quizalofop, and glufosinate.”
https://cban.ca/call-to-re-think-genetically-engineered-herbicide-tolerant-crops/
South Africa: Fierce opposition to Corteva’s 2,4-D GM maize seed
Published: 18 April 2019
“If the GM maize is approved, South African farmers will for the first time be cultivating GM maize seed with 2,4-D, one of the two active ingredients in the monstrous war chemical Agent Orange…..”
“Numerous objections were also lodged by concerned South African citizens across the country pursuant to ACB’s…….”
More: https://www.gmwatch.org/en/main-menu/news-menu-title/archive/99-2019/18894-south-africa-fierce-opposition-to-corteva-s-2-4-d-gm-maize-seed
2,4-D herbicides
EXCERPT: In widespread use since the late 1940’s, 2,4-D was also an ingredient in Agent Orange, the highly toxic defoliant used by the U.S. during the war in Vietnam. A number of studies have linked 2,4-D to adverse health effects including cancer, Parkinson’s disease and decreased sperm count.
https://www.gmwatch.org/en/main-menu/news-menu-title/archive/100-2020/19461-with-dicamba-cancelled-legal-challenge-shifts-to-corteva-s-enlist
“But 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, as it’s known to chemists, has a less wholesome side. There’s a growing body of scientific evidence that the chemical poses a danger to both human health and the environment.”
https://www.nrdc.org/stories/24-d-most-dangerous-pesticide-youve-never-heard
The Lancet:
NEWS| VOLUME 16, ISSUE 8, P891-892, AUGUST 01, 2015
Carcinogenicity of lindane, DDT, and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid
Quote: “Mechanistic studies provided strong evidence that 2,4-D induces oxidative stress that can operate in humans and moderate evidence that 2,4-D causes immunosuppression, based on in-vivo and in-vitro studies.”
Dana Loomis
Kathryn Guyton
Yann Grosse
Fatiha El Ghissasi
Véronique Bouvard
Lamia Benbrahim-Tallaa
et al.
Show all authors
Published:June 22, 2015DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(15)00081-9
Environ Health Perspect. 1991 Dec; 96: 213–222.
doi: 10.1289/ehp.9196213
PMCID: PMC1568222
PMID: 1820267
Abstract, quote: “Weight of the evidence on the human carcinogenicity of 2,4-D* The predominant opinion among the panel members was that the weight of the evidence indicates that it is possible that exposure to 2,4-D can cause cancer in humans,……..etc.”
envhper00416-0203.pdf (nih.gov)
Finally: Remarkable.
We read:
From: The New Lede
Guest column: “EPA has lost its way”, quote.
“The EPA’s new chemicals and pesticides programs are supposed to manage the potential risks to human health and the environment from chemicals entering the marketplace. However, we have clear evidence that the system is rigged to support the interests of the chemical industry and to pressure scientists to quickly and efficiently serve these interests.” (Author Tim Whitehouse executive director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility)