Let's have some positive news to kick off 2008.
Cultivation of biotech crops in Europe is under an unprecedented, and possibly devastating, threat. EU Environment Commissioner, Stavros Dimas, has called for a rejection of the first two GM crop varieties to be considered for growing here since 1998.
The offending crops are Syngenta's Bt11 maize and Pioneer/Dow's 1507 maize, both producing Bt-toxins. They have been found to harm butterflies and aquatic life, putting wildlife in the associated food chains at risk. The production of the GM toxin in these crops has been found to be unstable, varying widely in different locations and even in different plants in the same field, so that their usefulness and any existing scientific safety data on them are uncertain.
If the ban is implemented it could have serious consequences. It will smooth the way for future GM crop rejections, putting the EU on a collision course with the USA. Also, it will jeopardise the future of the only GM maize currently cultivated in Europe whose approval comes up for renewal in 2008, because the genetic transformations are similar and may well present the same risk.
Hot on the heels of this proposal, came a call to the EU from Germany's agricultural minister to suspend its current approval procedure for GM crops and seeds. He described the existing system as:
- “highly unsatisfactory”
- inappropriately failing to take into account public opinion
- based on insufficiently thorough safety checks which risk human, animal and environmental health
- allowing inappropriate influence from industry
- inappropriately controlled by a political body instead of by science.
The GM approval system in the EU has previously been subject to criticism and opposition from several EU nations including Germany, France, Austria, Greece, Italy Luxembourg and Poland. The European Commission has already declared its intention to toughen the EU's approval procedures in light of national complaints that the current system is unreliable, but was prepared for 'business as usual' while this was in progress.
Following on from these demands, the Scottish Environment Minister announced his intention to back Commissioner Dimas in his rejection of the two GM crops. The Minister reaffirmed that “The Scottish Government is profoundly opposed to the cultivation of GM crops in Scotland”, and that the precautionary principle should be applied to maintain “Scotland's reputation ... (for) ... having a clean and clear environment.”
These rebels will come under severe pressure to change their minds.
Commissioner Dimas is facing opposition from the (British) Trade Commissioner, from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) which has already twice cleared the proposed GM maize, and from the European Commission which has for years been nodding through all applications to import GM crops for human consumption and animal feed.
Germany will face opposition to its drive to tighten up GM regulations from several quarters:
- Britain, the Netherlands and Ireland insist the current system is rigorous enough to meet high public safety concerns
- the EU Farm Commissioner is using typical US-style scare tactics such as linking the current rising food prices to our failure to accept GM (see PPM ALERT – News, November 2007)
- trade rivals, the USA, Canada and others, have demonstrated their readiness to use the leverage of the World Trade Organisation.
The Scottish Environment Minister will face pressure from Westminster which is increasingly irritated by Holyrood's anti-GM stance (see also THE NON-GM BALL – News, October 2007).
OUR COMMENT
As you can see, the Westminster Government is playing a leading role in encouraging GM onto your plate whether you want it or not. Lest you doubt this, right on cue the day after the above initiatives were reported, the out-going UK Chief Scientific Officer urged our Prime Minister to “revisit” Britain's existing “broadly neutral approach” to the GM issue, and to abandon Government priorities of protecting health and choice. This Chief Scientist was “parachuted in by Tony Blair in 2000” to tackle crises like the foot and mouth epidemic. His advice seems to be based on the biotech industry propaganda that GM is the only way possible to feed an inevitably growing world population, ignoring the need for agricultural sustainability and social needs, and ignoring the economic and ecological distortions caused by over-consumption of meat in the diet and over-promotion of biofuels.
These rebels are sticking out their necks to demand safe food for you.
They need and deserve your help: write to your MP, MSP and MEP to voice your support. If you have a spare minute, a word of encouragement and congratulations straight to the person who is daring to take a stand on your behalf wouldn't go amiss.
SOURCES
- The Guardian, 28.11.07
- Independent, 25.11.07
- www.grist.org, 26.11.07
- Associated Press, 26.11.07
- Agence France-Presse, 26.11.07
- Sunday Herald, 27.11.07