Greenpeace dumps gene maize at
Novartis's door
RTw 14.09.98 14:29
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BASLE, Switzerland, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Environmental activists from Greenpeace dumped two
tonnes of genetically modified maize at Novartis AG's Basle headquarters on Monday and
demanded the company pull gene-altered seeds from the market.
But Novartis defended the product as safe for humans and animals and distributed the maize
to local farmers to feed their cows.
Greenpeace had harvested the so-called Bt maize, developed by Novartis to resist the
European corn borer pest, from fields in Germany and France last week to protest against
the cultivation of genetically modified seeds.
It said modified maize had been commercially planted for the first time in Europe this
year on 15,000 hectares in France, Spain and Germany. "If it is harvested in a few
weeks, it could contaminate millions of tonnes of European maize," it added.
Three trucks loaded with the maize and bearing signs "Novartis maize -- back to
sender" rolled up to Novartis on Monday morning, where 20 Greenpeace activists
unloaded the controversial cargo.
"Novartis Bt-176 maize is a failed product in every respect," Greenpeace genetic
technology expert Bruno Heinzer said in a statement.
"It is dangerous for human health, a threat to the environment and a blow to
bio-farmers," he said, referring to farmers who eschew the use of synthetic
materials.
Greenpeace says such altered maize is dangerous because it is treated to resist
antibiotics, and cites concerns that people or animals who eat it may grow more resistant
to the penicillin class of antibiotics.
But Novartis said the maize posed no danger at all to humans, animals or the environment.
"On the contrary, more than 30 scientific bodies and regulatory authorities around
the world have concluded after a thorough review that genetically improved maize from
Novartis is absolutely harmless and is the same as traditional maize as far as safety is
concerned," it said in a statement.