On Mon, 18 Aug 2003 00:32:32 +0200, wrote:


On Sun, 17 Aug 2003 10:52:12 +0100, "Jim Webster"
wrote:

tonnes of GM maize have been imported into Europe and no one has noticed any
difference

How many tonnes?

Why are US farmers complaining that they have lost $200-$300 million
per annum in corn exports to Europe because of GMOs?

Because, the export of maize grain from USA to EU has dropped from
about 2 Mtons in 1997 to nearly nothing the last few years. Likewise,
export of wet milling byproduct for animal feed from processing of
maize (gluten) has dropped, but there is still a significant export
from USA to EU of that, It used to be 5-6 Mt before GMO maize was
grown. Currently I guess, it would be about 3-4 Mtons annually.

However, I think noone in Europe using it would've easily known
whether or not 'his' gluten originated from GM maize, or -- assuming
that it came in from USA commingled with gluten from non-GM maize --
what fraction of any given gluten batch he got would have been from GM
maize. There has been no labeling regime for animal feedstuffs derived
from GM.