www.checkbiotech.org ; www.czu.cz ; www.raupp.info

Leading agribusiness Syngenta could be set to introduce the world?s first
genetically modified wheat seed by early next decade, a move fully supported
by American wheat industry organizations, March 2006 by Lorraine Heller.


The Swiss company has already conducted several years of successful trials
on its wheat seed, which has been developed to resist the increasingly
troublesome disease fusarium.

Syngenta now says it needs to conduct more extensive field performance
evaluations and technical success in field trials, emphasizing that it is
still in early stages of development.

Indeed, the firm is still keeping quiet about its GM wheat, making no public
announcements and speaking tentatively when it comes to possible
commercialization dates.

?We have no timelines,? said spokesperson Anne Burt. ?It takes a long time
from initial development to final registration, but the earliest possible
date it could be ready is early next decade.?

The company is currently talking to stakeholders to query market acceptance
of the genetically modified wheat.

?We will go where the market is,? Burt told FoodNavigator-USA.com.

Indeed, Syngenta has good reason to be cautious. With wheat forming a major
staple in the Western diet today, the introduction of a genetically modified
version is likely to cause significant controversy and opposition.

In fact, two years ago, rival company Monsanto did not follow through on
plans to introduce a GM wheat variety that was resistant to herbicide.

?Wheat is such an essential food product. Developing genetically modified
traits does attract the attention of activists who are opposed to
technology; and it is easy to critique because of the emotional values
connected to it,? said Lisa Dry, communications director of the
Biotechnology Industry Organization's (BIO) food and agriculture department.
BIO represents companies in the field of biotechnology, offering legal
support to get FDA approval for new products.

But despite the opposition a GM wheat is sure to raise, US wheat industry
organizations have given their full backing to Syngenta.

Last month, US Wheat Associates (USW), the National Association of Wheat
Growers (NAWG) and the Wheat Export Trade Education Committee (WETEC) passed
resolutions of support for biotechnological research, which they said ?holds
great promise for the future.?

"USW/NAWG/WETEC support continued research and development of Syngenta's
fusarium tolerance transgenic trait in wheat and will work proactively with
stakeholders in the food system for the benefit of customers and consumers
worldwide, US wheat producers and the whole US wheat industry," they said.

The organizations also announced certain positions they have taken ?in
preparation for the future commercialization of biotechnologically-derived
wheat,? which they believe can occur with ?minimum market disruption.?

These include support of wheat growers to ensure that planting and marketing
choices are based on economic, agronomic, and market factors, as well as
backing wheat customers in their decisions to make purchases on the basis of
specific traits.

The wheat organizations also said they encourage the adoption of a
nationally and internationally accepted definition of
biotechnologically-derived products, as well as the international
harmonization of scientific standards and trade rules.

They oppose compulsory labeling of products containing GM wheat in both the
US and international markets if the biotechnologically-derived traits ?do
not differ significantly from their conventional counterpart.? However, they
said they support voluntary labeling, provided it is consistent with US law
and international trade agreements and is not misleading.

They also said they ?support and will assist in the development by all
segments of the industry of an orderly marketing system to assure delivery
of non-transgenic wheat within reasonable tolerances to markets that require
it.?

www.checkbiotech.org

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