[pp.int.general] Fwd: Big pharma should combat bee decline, MEPs say

[Amelia Andersdotter]

Yeah, it actually struck me afterwards that big pharma, and particularly 
big chemicals (BASF/Bayer/Monsanto), make GMOs that don't, to as large 
an extent, depend on chemicals as older plants.

When looking at particularly the cultivation of potatos, chemicals use 
(especially herbicide) in the potato industry is up by almost 200% the 
past 20 years. Other chemicals are also used more now than earlier and 
the entry of new potato varieties in the market place is very very slow. 
I mean, Bintje (Dutch potato) has been used for well over 60 years, 
everyone knows it's super-sensitive to potato mould, there are or could 
be alternatives that work just as well but they're not getting applied 
on an industrial level. Why?

On 18.11.2011 08:51, Pirat at LennStar.de wrote:
> The important industry we are talking about is not the honey. That's
> really only a byproduct. We are talking about half of agriculture.
> Bees do "work" in die Region of X00.000.000.000 Euro. Or to put it in
> other words: Without bees half of the earth population, if not more,
> would not have anything to eat! The other insects are not able to do the
> needed pollination.
>
> LennStar
>
> Am 17.11.2011 22:23, schrieb Amelia Andersdotter:
>> commercial background:
>>
>> The EU is the world's third largest producer of honey (through
>> beekeeping), and domestic production accounts for approx 50% of its
>> domestic consumption.[1] So this is a quite important industry we're
>> talking about for Europe, and the European food industry (we consume,
>> and produce a lot of it).
>>
>> The pharmaceutical industry is already offered incentives for the
>> development of new medicinal products through patents. The only thing
>> that I can think of that isn't the same for medicinal products for
>> animals and for humans is the patenting of second indications for
>> certain drugs.
>>
>> I would assume it has more to do with tax cuts or so, although I can
>> imagine research money from the Commission being put into this field as
>> well, in so called "public-private partnerships" the revenues of which
>> may well end up in IP rights. In Europe, drugs for both humans and
>> animals - especially animals used to produce stuff that is to be
>> consumed by humans - are subject to very extensive clinical tests. One
>> can imagine that slightly laxer testing methods would be an incentive.
>>
>> [1] http://www.uco.es/dptos/zoologia/Apicultura/euroapi_botton.htm
>>
>> On 16.11.2011 22:02, Sina Amoor Pour wrote:
>>>  From the article:
>>>
>>> "The resolution also stresses the "need to offer the pharmaceutical
>>> industry incentives for the development of new medicinal products
>>> designed to combat bee diseases.”"
>>>
>>> What kind of incentives? If this word is not defined it will probably
>>> be interpreted at "more patents".
>>>
>>>
>>> On Wed, Nov 16, 2011 at 6:03 PM, Amelia Andersdotter
>>> <teirdes at gmail.com<mailto:teirdes at gmail.com>>  wrote:
>>>
>>>      yeah, let's fight!
>>>
>>>      -------- Original Message --------
>>>      Subject: 	Big pharma should combat bee decline, MEPs say
>>>      Date: 	Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:45:01 +0100 (CET)
>>>      From: 	News from EUobserver.com
>>>      <news-twice-daily at list.euobserver.com>
>>>      <mailto:news-twice-daily at list.euobserver.com>
>>>      To: 	teirdes at gmail.com<mailto:teirdes at gmail.com>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>      ***** THE NEWS *************************************************************
>>>
>>>      1. Big pharma should combat bee decline, MEPs say - 16/11/2011 09:58:35
>>>      ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>      The European Parliament has called on the pharmaceutical industry to play a
>>>      role in finding a solution to halt the rapid decline of the honey bee.
>>>
>>>      http://euobserver.com/885/114294
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>
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