The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Institute National de la Recherche Agronomique of France and Cornell University are planning to introduce genetically-modified plums for commercial use, RAW STORY has learned. This would make plums the second genetically engineered fruit--along with papaya--to be approved for commercial use.

As a result, many consumer, health, and environmental advocacy groups are now on alert for their potential arrival on the market.

The genetically modified variety of plum, called c5, will enable it to resist the mutation of the Plum Pox Virus among stone fruit trees. The virus has had commercial growers and government officials otherwise at a loss about how to contain it.

First found in Adams County, Pennsylvania and in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Nova Scotia, Plum Pox Virus is considered to be the most serious virus disease of stone fruit, with the potential to devastate stone fruit production.

Genetic Engineering (or GE) refers to a set of technologies used to change the genetic makeup of cells, or move genes across species boundaries to produce other kinds of novel organisms.

The technology has long been a lightning rod for controversy- from contamination of crops, destruction to wildlife, or artificial growth hormones. Anti-GE advocates worry that if regulatory oversight were removed, a Pandora's box for other GE varieties of stone fruits­such as plums, peaches, and apricots- could be opened.

One organization, the Organic Consumers Association, indicated in a nationwide action alert that since the new plum tree will be the first GE temperate tree proposed for commercial planting, it could open the door to the commercialization for other GE varieties of temperate trees-such as poplars, pines, or walnuts.

"This is simply a Trojan horse, to get more GE foods and crops onto the market," said Ryan Zinn, National Campaign Director for the Organic Consumers Association. "There's still not enough research showing GE plum trees are safe or virus resistant."

According to Zinn, this should be a cause for concern, especially for organic farmers and growers, who could be harmed the most if their products are contaminated.

Flowers and fruit in organic and conventional plum orchards can be contaminated if pollen from GE trees were transported by bees and other insects that often travel long distances. Should contamination occur, the result is that organic, or even conventional plum growers will lose their markets.

Recent trials with other GE fruits have confirmed this to happen. Jeffrey Smith, author of the book Seeds of Deception recently wrote in a July e-newsletter that introducing GE papaya in the state of Hawaii did not show the results scientists wanted, and in fact, made the situation worse than before.

GE papaya was first brought into the state in 1998 in order to protect the crop from the ring-spot virus. But a May 2006 Greenpeace study found the crop's failure to withstand the virus caused the selling price of papaya to crash from $1.23 per kilo to $0.89 when traditional buyers like Japan rejected the crop because it was GE contaminated.

Papaya farmers now have to pay extra for segregation and testing of their papayas, to make sure they are non-GE. As a result, Hawaiian papaya production is at its lowest point in more than a generation.

"There is no doubt that whenever a GE crop is introduced, contamination will occur," said Smith. "Even though we could stop pollen or seeds from traveling, accidental mixing does occur in harvesting equipment, during storage or transport, or by human error."

The USDA does admit that the GE plum will contaminate both organic and conventional non-genetically engineered plum orchards, if approved. Since all commercial plum trees are cultivars (a plant variety created intentionally and maintained through cultivation) that are cross compatible within the same species, contamination will infiltrate the plum orchards of organic and conventional growers.

As a result, buffer zones are a preferred method to prevent genetic contamination from being spread by pollinating insects. But Smith doesn't buy that buffer zones will work but in fact already failed.

"In September of 2004, citizen groups announced that tests of nearly 20,000 papaya seeds on the island of Hawaii revealed that half of the seeds were genetically modified. 80% were taken from organic farms and were not supposed to be genetically modified," said Smith. "This is a prime example why co-existence and/or buffer zones cannot work."

USDA Representatives did not respond to RAW STORY requests for comment.

However, the agency is accepting public comments between now and July 17th, 2006 on the petition to formally deregulate and allow commercial growing and marketing of GE plums. There is no indication when the USDA will come to a decision.