Brussels, Belgium
April 4, 2002

In an editorial, Nature(1) has admitted yesterday that a paper on gene flow to local Mexican corn varieties, called landraces, published last November, was lacking scientific evidence and should not have been printed. EuropaBio, the European association of bioindustries, welcomes the rectification.
"Scientific statements on biotechnology have important policy implications," says Hugo Schepens, Secretary General of EuropaBio. "They should always be handled responsibly."

The Nature statement follows a letter published in November 2001(2), by two scientists from the University of California - Berkeley who reported that they had found traces of GM material in landrace corn in Mexico. The article has been called into question by many scientists who refute the authors' claims.(3)

Whether there are traces of GM material in Mexican landraces and how they got there remains an unresolved issue. "It is predictable that transgenes could be found in non-GM crops, whether they are "land races" or modern hybrids, as gene flow between cultivated varieties is natural," says Simon Barber, Director Plant Biotechnology Unit at EuropaBio. "Gene flow from modern agricultural corn, which has many agronomical benefits, has not threatened the continuance of Mexican landraces, neither should genes from GM approved crops as their pollination mechanisms are identical."

It is important to consider the potential effect of GM crops on biodiversity but there is no reason to believe that existing levels of biodiversity are threatened by GM approved crops. When approving GM crops, regulators take this aspect into consideration. Assessing the impact of GM plants on the environment forms an integral part of GM plant safety assessment around the world. EuropaBio supports science-based procedures which have been developed by representatives of National Governments through organisations like the OECD, the FAO and the WHO. "What is important is not
that gene flows can occur but what is the consequence of that occurrence. Some will have no consequence, but others might - hence it is important to assess each biotechnology project on a case by case basis," says Simon Barber.

Twenty years of experience with GM products and hundreds of studies have reinforced the fundamental safety of GM products on the market. The Mexican environmental ministry(4) and the agricultural ministry(5) stated that the gene flow would not pose a risk to human health. The European Commission after 15 years of research on GM crops declared "...the use of more precise technology and greater regulatory scrutiny probably make them (i.e. GM crops) even safer than conventional plants and foods."(6)

EuropaBio has nearly 40 corporate members operating worldwide and 18 national biotechnology associations representing some 1000 SMEs involved in research and development, testing, manufacturing and distribution of biotechnology products. EuropaBio, the voice of European bioindustries, aims to be a promoting force for biotechnology and to present its proposals to industry,
politicians, regulators, NGOs, and the public at large.

(1) http://www.nature.com 
(2) Nature (29 November 2001) Letter to the Editor 'Transgenic DNA introgressed into traditional
maize landraces in Oaxaca, Mexico' by David Quist and Ignacio H. Chapela

(3) Transgenic Research - Paul Christou http://www.checkbiotech.org/pdf/credibility.pdf 
(4) SEMARNAT http://www.semarnat.gob.mx
(5) SAGARPA http://www.sagarpa.gob.mx (Spanish only)
(6) European Commission report: http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/quality-of-life/gmo/