Crop Scientists Say Biotechnology Seed Companies Are Thwarting Research

18.06.2009

By Andrew Pollack in The New York Times February 19th 2009

Over two dozen university crop scientists told the Environmental Protection Agency that research controls demanded by companies that sell genetically-modified crops are hampering their ability to investigate crop safety and yields, the New York Times reported http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/20/business/20crop.html?ref=todayspaper. The complaint was included in public comments for an EPA scientific advisory panel that meets this week to consider the environmental impact of insect-resistant biotech crops.

Unlike regular seeds, which can be commercially purchased for research purposes, biotech crops are patented and companies maintain strict controls over their use. The scientists said company demands range from reviewing research findings before publication to an outright ban on using GM seeds for research purposes. "If a company can control the research that appears in the public domain, they can reduce the potential negatives that can come out of any research," Ken Ostlie, an entomologist at the University of Minnesota, told the Times.

The statement to the EPA was sent anonymously, although a number of signers agreed to be interviewed by the paper. "People are afraid of being blacklisted," said Elson J. Shields, an entomologist at Cornell University. An official at DuPont, which owns Pioneer Hi-Bred, offered to discuss the issue, which he said arose out of concerns for protecting intellectual property and meeting government regulations. An EPA spokesman told the Times that the government only required management of the crops' insect resistance, and other research controls were company imposed.