A group of 22 academic plant scientists sent a letter March 5, 2012 to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) telling regulators that action is needed to avoid harmful effects from biotech corn that is losing resistance to pests.
Monsanto introduced its corn rootworm protected products, which contain a protein referred to as "Cry3Bb1," in 2003. The corn rootworm product is supposed to reduce the need to put insecticides into the soil, essentially making the corn plants toxic to the worms that feed on their roots. Problems with insect resistance have been reported in parts of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota. New evidence shows the genetic modification for corn is losing its effectiveness, making plants vulnerable to rootworm damage and potentially significant production losses.
"This is not something that is a surprise... but it is something that needs to be addressed," said Joseph Spencer, a corn entomologist with the Illinois Natural History Survey, part of the University of Illinois.
France announced March 16, 2012 that it would temporarily ban the growing of Monsanto's genetically modified corn, citing recent scientific studies that show growing the corn variety poses "important risks" to the environment.
View March 19, 2012 Digital Journal article
View March 18, 2012 Nation of Change article
View March 17, 2012 Global Research article
View March 16, 2012 Bloomberg article
View March 9, 2012 Reuters article
View March 28, 2012 Huffington Post article
Sources:
Bloomberg and Reuters
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