Of interest to Iowa Sierrans - posted by Ericka Dana, Iowa Chapter Genetic
Engineering Chair:
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From: Laurel Hopwood <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: Biotech Forum <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Sat, 13 Apr 2002
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Ag experts discuss pollen drift

AG EXPERTS DISCUSS CONCERN OVER POLLEN DRIFT FROM BIOTECH CROPS
March 17, 2002 Associated Press
DES MOINES, Iowa
edited

According to this story, agriculture experts, according to this story, say
there is a renewed concern that pollen from genetically engineered crops
could drift to nearby fields, contaminating grain intended for use in food.
Iowa State University scientist Stephen Howell, director of the Plant
Sciences Institute, was cited as telling the Des Moines Sunday Register in
a copyright story that, "In any of these kinds of products, containment is
always an issue."

One transgenic corn-protein product - trypsin, an industrial enzyme used to
produce drugs - will be grown commercially this year on hundreds of acres
throughout the Corn Belt.

John Nason, an assistant professor of botany at Iowa State who has studied
gene flow, was cited as saying corn plants are "basically just
broadcasting piles of pollen out into the air and hoping it  lands where
it's needed."

The story says that environmentalists, organic growers and even some
proponents of the new class of engineered crops worry that drifting pollen
could get into grain intended for  use in cereals, chips and dozens of
other foods. That could result in ingredients intended for industrial
products, or worse, drugs end up in food grains. They also worry that
pollen drift would contaminate so-called commodity corn destined for
export, closing major foreign markets to U.S. grain.

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