Consumer effort pushes for global GM moratorium

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Consumer effort pushes for global GM moratorium

 

11/10/2004 - Evidence that the consumer backlash against GMOs is far

from dying down comes as consumer groups consolidate to launch a

global effort to push for a moratorium on genetically modified

organisms (GMOs) in seeds, crops and foodstuffs.

 

Yesterday in Bangkok, Thailand Consumers International, a worldwide

federation of consumer organisations, launched a campaign to stop the

spread of GM crops until `internationally agreed regulations are in

place and there are clear benefits to consumers, farmers and the

environment.'

 

Now in their tenth year since commercialisation in North America, GM

crops continue to be planted on an ever increasing global area. Yet in

the European Union, the area planted to GM crops is negligible,

compounded by a moratorium on the regulatory approval process for the

use and planting of these crops that only turned around earlier this year.

 

Many people in the EU perceive that there is little current or future

demand for GM crops and their derivatives. And the EU now has a tough

set of labelling rules, some of the strictest in the world, for the

presence of genetically modified organisms in food products that

easily alert consumers to any GM material in a food formulation.

 

The CI signalled with regards to existing GM foods it will focus on

four areas – aiming to ensure that all GM foods are subjected to

rigorous, independent safety testing; are adequately labelled, and

traceable back to their origin; and that producers are held liable for

environmental or health damage which they may cause.

 

The campaign kicked off in Thailand, where, according to the CI,

farmers and consumers are `deeply concerned at the unregulated

introduction of GM papaya' from a research facility into the open

environment.

 

CI reports that although the authorities have ordered the destruction

of the unauthorised GM papaya, scientists `fear that that

contamination has spread'. Thailand's exports, they continue, have

`already suffered' - one large European importer cancelled an order

for papaya, stating that European consumers did not want GM foods.

 

Moving on from GM labelling rules, Europe is now tackling the

controversial subject of seed thresholds. At a hearing last week the

EU's incoming farm chief Mariann Fischer Boel told members of the

European Parliament that GMO seed thresholds should be set at the

lowest possible level, a position favoured by green groups.

 

" My clear view is that (GMO) residues should be as low as possible,

taking into account all the interests at stake in setting a limit, "

she said, set to start work in November when the current EU Commission

is replaced. " If we want to continue with organic production in the

long term, we have to pay attention to that. "

 

Last month, the current Commission failed to agree over the latest

version of the seeds proposal. The proposal that was discussed would

have allowed maize and rapeseed, the only two GMO crops authorised, to

contain 0.3 per cent GMOs before being labelled as biotech. A

'detection level' of 0.1 per cent, is the lowest level technically

feasible.

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