Genetically engineered corn and its risk to monarch butterflies.
July 14, 1999
Environmental Group Seeks Buffer Zone Around
Biotech Corn
By REUTERS
WASHINGTON -- Until scientists learn more about the risks of corn
genetically-engineered to resist insects, fields planted with it should
be surrounded by wide buffer zones to protect monarch butterflies
from harm, an environmental group said Tuesday.
In a petition to the Environmental Protection Agency, the Environmental
Defense Fund said buffer zones of up to 60 feet were crucial to shield the
monarch butterfly caterpillars from pollen on the Bt corn.
Bt corn is engineered to contain Bacillus thuringiensis, a bacteria found in the
soil that is toxic to the European corn borer. An estimated 22 million acres of
U.S. farmland will be planted this year with Bt corn.
Scientists at Cornell University recently discovered that while Bt corn was
safe for human consumption, its pollen could kill some monarch butterfly
larvae. The researchers involved in the study have cautioned that their lab
tests did not duplicate real-world conditions, but the data has raised new
concerns among green groups about the safety of genetically modified (GM)
crops.
The Environmental Defense Fund, which has about 300,000 members, said
buffer zones were the best way to protect butterflies until more is known
about the potential risks.
"Planting a buffer zone of Bt-free corn is an effective and practical way of
protecting monarchs, and other butterflies ... from toxic Bt pollen while
additional studies on this newly identified problem are completed," said
Rebecca Goldburg, a scientist with the environmental group.
Last month, nine other green and consumer groups urged the Clinton
Administration to ban Bt corn.
An E.P.A. spokeswoman was not immediately available for comment.
The E.P.A. and U.S. Agriculture Department have previously said additional
studies may be needed to determine if Bt corn poses a threat to beneficial
insects like the monarch butterfly.
In the European Union, where consumer groups have been more outspoken
against GM crops, regulators are not expected to approve any additional crop
varieties until 2002 when new rules are in place. Two kinds of Bt corn made
by Monsanto and Novartis have been approved for sale in the EU.
Copyright 1999 The New York Times Company |
