Home > Press releases > 2002
25 Jun 2002
In the Newsnight report, agricultural experts reveal that between 75% and 90% of
US GM maize growers are using a product called Liberty Atz - a
mixture of Aventis' weed killer GA and Atrazine, the traditional herbicide used on
maize crops [1]. Atrazine has been a problem pesticide for decades [2], and
washes readily into rivers and groundwater. It is an EU Red List
pesticide and is on the EU Priority List for hormone disrupting effects in
animals [3].
During Seed Listing Hearings in the UK (held after an intervention by FOE)
Aventis/Bayer have claimed that one of the main benefits of GM maize will
be the substitution of atrazine with glufosinate ammonium. Company documents available from FOE
state that "glufosinate ammonium has a safer Control of Substances Hazardous to Health
Regulations (COSHH) assessment than atrazine" and "is not as mobile in the soil
as atrazine and so will not have the same effects on watercourses as
atrazine" and "has a significantly better environmental profile than atrazine" [4]
FOE food and farming campaigner Pete Riley said:
"Aventis' pro GM maize propaganda has
been thoroughly undermined by Newsnight's findings. In
the US, farmers were sold GM crops with a promise
that atrazine would not be needed. But the reality seems
to be very different. Because glufosinate is not as
effective as Aventis has claimed, we are
threatened with a new regime combining the worst
of GM and the worst of the old system. Meanwhile,
the credibility of the Government's Farm Scale Trials has been further
undermined. The public have been told that the GM crop trials
will show how GM crops will be grown in farming practice. But this has
now been shown to be nothing more than a con trick".
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