Source: The Press, 4 November 2003 via Life Sciences Network

Report concludes onions pose 'negligible risk'

The first day of a public hearing on field trials of genetically modified (GM) onions went into a secret session yesterday after it emerged the Government-funded researchers had a mystery US collaborator.

The hearing was called by the Environmental Risk Management Authority (Erma), to consider the first application in three years for a GM field trial.

Lincoln Crop and Food researcher Dr Colin Eady has applied to trial onions resistant to the herbicide glyphosate (found in Roundup).

It attracted a record 1900 written submissions, 41 to be made orally at the hearing in Christchurch.

In opening the three-day hearing, chairman Colin Mantell warned that many submitters raised issues beyond the application's scope.

The application was for a small field trial – less than 15m square – and the hearing could not consider issues relating to the release or commercialisation of a GM crop.

Many in the small audience of scientists and anti-GM lobbyists were then stunned to hear Crop and Food lawyer Michael Garbett say details of a research collaborator must remain confidential.

Further, he said, the collaborator would be carrying out the trials, but its research results would also be kept confidential.

Susie Lees, of GE Free New Zealand, said secrecy was pointless when an Internet search made it clear it was international seed company Seminis.

Both Crop and Food and Seminis are applying for patents related to the transformation of onions using agrobacterium.

Dr Eady refused to comment.

Outside the hearing, Greenpeace pointed out Dr Eady had co-authored a scientific paper on his herbicide-resistant onion which acknowledged the help of Monsanto, a US biotechology firm which is the world leader in GM crops and manufacturers of Roundup.

Greenpeace spokesman Steve Abel said New Zealand taxpayers were part-funding the research and bearing the potential risks yet the benefits could be going overseas.

Despite this, the four-member Erma panel went into a closed session to discuss the commercial funding, the patent application, the potential value of the GM onion seeds and their potential cost, and to confirm that Crop and Food had public liability insurance.

In the face of rigorous questioning from biologist and Erma member Dr Lin Roberts, during the open part of the hearing, Dr Eady insisted the GM onions could benefit the environment by dramatically cutting the use of chemicals.

Onion consultant Richard Wood, appointed by Erma, said Dr Eady's application overstated the likely reduction in sprays and costs and underestimated the chemicals needed to grow his GM onion.

He said GM onions did have the potential to cut herbicide usage by up to 50 per cent.

In a 163-page report, Erma staff concluded the trial posed a "negligible risk" to people, animals, and the environment.

They concluded it was "highly improbable" the onion plants would flower in the field, as plants could be readily spotted and removed weeks before any flower developed.

Erma further concluded there was a "negligible risk" of gene transfer to weeds and an "insignificant risk" of transfer to other crops.

They questioned whether there was any benefit in the research for the wider community and that Crop and Food had been "unable to verify" claims the trial would provide information on environmental effects.

Lincoln University organics expert Dr Tim Jenkins said that, as United States trials were being conducted, there was no need to do them in New Zealand.

He added that the amount of organic onion produced in New Zealand was small but "growing steadily" and, due to its high margins, was a "significant income earner" for growers.