trees

This report by Ricarda Steinbrecher (German Federation of Scientists, VDW and Econexus) with Antje Lorch provides an overview of risk assessment and risk management issues of genetically engineered trees. It was prepared for the Ninth Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biodiversity (COP9) in Bonn, May 2008.

On Friday, 30 May 2008, when COP9 closed, the German Ministry on Environment issued a press release, summarizing the results. For GM trees it simply stated: "The de-facto moratorium for the use of genetically modified trees will be continues." (Für den Einsatz von gv-Bäumen wird das faktische Moratorium fortgesetzt.) But now, a few days later, the text is changed: "On the topic of GM trees it was decided that without a risk assessment parties to the Convention have the right to renounce the use of GM trees." (Zum Thema Gentechnisch veränderte Bäume wurde beschlossen, dass ohne Risikoanalyse Vertragsstaaten das Recht haben, auf den Einsatz gentechnisch veränderter Bäume zu verzichten.)
The German Minister of Environment is currently president of the COP, so he should know: Is it a de-facto moratorium or not? Or is it one that can't be called like that?

Since it became common knowledge that fossil oil supplies won't stretch endlessly, a hectic search started for other sources of oil. Especially the debate about so-called 'biofuels' or 'agrofuels' was high on the agenda in the last months, even though problems become obvious. GM agrofuels will also bring their own problems.