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As the ninth meeting of the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) draws to a close in Bonn, Germany the world’s governments are set to unanimously agree a wide-ranging “de-facto moratorium” on ocean fertilization activities. This first-ever global decision on a geo-engineering technology should spell the end of commercial plans to sequester carbon dioxide by dumping nutrients into the open ocean. Nonetheless, one ocean fertilization company, Climos Inc. of San Francisco, appears to be moving full steam ahead in defiance of international consensus.

“The message from the UN Biodiversity Convention is clear. The world does not want commercial ocean fertilization and companies like Climos should be looking for another occupation,” says Pat Mooney, Executive Director of ETC Group, who is in Bonn at the negotiations. “Ocean fertilization could lead to toxic tides, lifeless waters and disrupted ecosystems and livelihoods. There is unanimous agreement among the 191 countries here that it is absolutely the wrong way to tackle climate change.”

Hacia el fin de la novena reunión de Naciones Unidas sobre el Convenio de Diversidad Biológica en Bonn, Alemania, los gobiernos del mundo acordaron unánimemente establecer una amplia moratoria “de facto” sobre las actividades de fertilización del océano. La primera decisión global sobre las tecnologías de geoingeniería debe sentar el precedente para terminar con los planes comerciales de secuestro de dióxido de carbono por medio del vertimiento de nutrientes al océano abierto. Sin embargo, una compañía de fertilización oceánica, Climos Inc., de San Francisco, parece movilizar todas sus fuerzas para desafiar este consenso internacional.
“El mensaje del Convenio de Diversidad Biológica es claro. El mundo no quiere fertilización comercial del océano y las compañías como Climos deben buscarse otras ocupaciones”, afirmó en Bonn Pat Money, Director Ejecutivo del Grupo ETC. “La fertilización del océano podría ocasionar mareas tóxicas, esterilización de aguas y afectar los ecosistemas y las formas de vida marinas y costeñas. Hay acuerdo unánime entre los 191 países aquí presentes en que es totalmente equívoca esa forma de enfrentar el cambio climático.

Farmers’ organizations who were invited to attend a United Nations meeting on the Treaty that governs the exchange of crop seeds for research and plant breeding late yesterday told the assembled governments that the Treaty would have to be suspended. Speaking on behalf of 30 farmers’ and other civil society organizations, Ibrahima Coulibaly of ROPPA (regional farmers’ organization of West Africa) said that, “the Treaty, hosted in Rome by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), must halt the exchange of crop germplasm – the critical material for plant breeding. The suspension should remain in effect until governments meet the minimal obligations of the Treaty including its core financial arrangements,” the African farmer leader concluded.

Based on 2006 revenues, the top 10 seed corporations account for $13,014 million or 57% of the commercial seed market worldwide.

The top 3 seed companies account for $9,000 million – or 39% of the commercial seed market worldwide.

The top 4 seed companies account for 44% of the commercial seed market worldwide.

The world’s largest seed company, Monsanto, accounts for 20% of the world’s commercial seed market.

A report on policy options for governance of synthetic biology is a disappointing effort that fails to address wider societal concerns about the rapid deployment of a powerful and controversial new technology. Synthetic biology aims to commercialize new biological parts, devices and living organisms that are constructed from synthetic DNA - including dangerous pathogens. Synthetic biologists are attempting to harness cells as tiny factories for industrial production of chemicals, including pharmaceuticals and fuels. ETC Group describes the synthetic biology approach as "extreme genetic engineering."