13 Firms Own 80% of GM Crop Patents The Times of India 14jan02

Solution: 
a democratic control of science and technology
through public involvement in setting science agenda
and establishing ethical boundaries.

BANGALORE -- Nearly 80 per cent of genetic modification of crops worldwide is undertaken by four companies. And there is an increase in control over genetically modified products through patents - 13 companies own 80 per cent of the patents in GM crops. Such statistics raise questions of security of a very small group in the world, holding technology and power born of it in their hands. But Prof Sue Mayer, Director of Greenwatch UK, offered possible solutions: a democratic control of science and technology through public involvement in setting science agenda and establishing ethical boundaries. Prof Mayer is with a public interest science policy research group looking at implications of new genetic technologies. She spoke on Social and ethical issues in biotechnology research,' here on Sunday as part of the on-going Indo-UK Science Festival. 

Crops: The biggest problems these days in the field of biotechnology in UK was the question whether the two systems of organic farming and GM Food farming can co-exist. The other worry was the flow of foreign genes into the wild gene of related species; the damage that could be caused to the non-target species. For example, a dramatic decline in farmlife like birds was seen in GM fields where there were no weeds and pests. Then there is the question of how long will it take for pests to develop resistance to such GM crops like they have developed resistance to many pesticides? The future and third generation of GM crops would see industrial uses -- making oils and biofuels for industry from GM crops and drug production. 

Health: On the health front, the worry was of new toxins, new allergens, and antibiotic resistance genes that could increase problems with more drug- resistant diseases was greatest. 

Animals: The biggest area of benefit for GM animals was in the field of medicine. But there are always plant alternatives for drug production.

Xenotransplantation where GM animal organs are transplanted into humans have an alternative in stem cell production. 

International tensions: Patenting life is creating international tensions because the developed world was pressing for globally homogenous Intellectual Property Laws, and developing countries were worried, among others, about royalty demands. The ethical issue is that a technical risk assessment conceals judgments informed by science but not science alone. Science is necessary but not sufficient explanation alone,'' said Mayer.