Biotechnology companies are keeping university scientists from fully
researching the effectiveness and environmental impact of the
industry's genetically modified crops, according to an unusual
complaint issued by a group of those scientists. "No truly independent
research can be legally conducted on many critical questions," the
scientists wrote in a statement submitted to the Environmental
Protection Agency. The E.P.A. is seeking public comments for
scientific meetings it will hold next week on biotech crops. The
problem, the scientists say, is that farmers and other buyers of
genetically engineered seeds have to sign an agreement meant to ensure
that growers honor company patent rights and environmental
regulations. But the agreements also prohibit growing the crops for
research purposes.

So while university scientists can freely buy pesticides or
conventional seeds for their research, they cannot do that with
genetically engineered seeds. Instead, they must seek permission from
the seed companies. And sometimes that permission is denied or the
company insists on reviewing any findings before they can be
published, they say. Dr. Ostlie, at the University of Minnesota, said
he had permission from three companies in 2007 to compare how well
their insect-resistant corn varieties fared against the rootworms
found in his state. But in 2008, Syngenta, one of the three companies,
withdrew its permission and the study had to stop. "The company just
decided it was not in its best interest to let it continue," Dr.
Ostlie said.

Mark A. Boetel, associate professor of entomology at North Dakota
State University, said that before genetically engineered sugar beet
seeds were sold to farmers for the first time last year, he wanted to
test how the crop would react to an insecticide treatment. But the
university could not come to an agreement with the companies
responsible, Monsanto and Syngenta, over publishing and intellectual
property rights.

-- 
Crop Scientists Say Biotechnology Seed Companies Are Thwarting Research
By ANDREW POLLACK
Published: February 19, 2009 -- NY Times

*******************************************************
* Search the BEE-L archives at:                       *
* http://listserv.albany.edu:8080/cgi-bin/wa?S1=bee-l *
*******************************************************