MEDIA COVERAGE OF 1,000 GMO-FREE ZONES DECLARATION
IRISH INDEPENDENT:
FARMERS AND PRODUCERS UNITE TO DECLARE 1,000 GM-FREE ZONES
Irish Independent, 23 April 2005. By Aideen Sheehan, Agriculture Correspondent. One thousand GMO-free zones were declared in Ireland yesterday by farmers, food producers, hotels, restaurants, markets, retailers and homes who want to protect their areas from genetically modified seeds, crops, trees, livestock, fish and food.
The GM-free Ireland Network, which represents 32,000 farmers, food businesses, chefs, professionals and consumers opposed to the new technology, are stepping up a campaign to keep GM crops out of Ireland as the Government finalises measures to permit their cultivation.
Co-ordinator Michael O'Callaghan called on the Government to abandon the policy of allowing "co-existence" of GMOs with conventional crops which, he said, would contaminate all farms and destroy Ireland's green "food island" status.
Independent research had shown that GM crops often fail and inevitably contaminated surrounding regions, produced superweeds, and could never be recalled, Mr. O'Callaghan said.
The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association said they were opposing GMOs because the majority of European consumers were against them - their cultivation in Ireland would damage markets for Irish meats.
"As food producers we are aware of not alone our legal obligation to the people who consume our produce. We have yet to be reassured of the safety of GM food," said ICSA rural development chairman John Heney. The BSE crisis had shown the damage that could be done by food scares, and last week's cover-up of unauthorised GM maize imported from the US was also worrying.
Mr Heney said he had been shocked to discover that most animal feed purchased in Ireland now contained GM ingredients.
The GM-free Ireland Network is calling on the EU to recognise the democratic right of regions to ban GM crops which is currently denied them because of a trade war on the issue with the US.
Counties Clare, Monaghan and Fermanagh have already passed GM-free motions, while city and town coucils that have done likewise, including Clonakilty, Derry, Navan and Newry, and others are considering the matter.
However, there has been ambiguity throughout Europe about the rights of regions to ban GM crops, with the Italian Government backing such moves, whereas Westminster, for example, had denied the right of Wales to be GM-free.
A farmers' market opening in Dundrum today will become the first here to be officially declared GM-free.
Organiser Seán McArdle said he would work with stall-holders to make sure all ingredients of the food they sold were GM-free.
MEP Cathy Sinnott said if the EU insisted on continuing with the GM "experiment", then Ireland should be kept as a control zone free of GM because as an island with prevailing western winds, its geographical location was ideal. Uncontaminated Irish land and seedstocks would then become incredibly valuable if GM crops went belly-up in the rest of Europe, she added.
