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GM debate could be worse than nitrates'
Irish Farmers Monthly Editorial by Margaret Donnelly
February 2006
The Nitrates Directive turned into an unimaginable farce. No one would have thought all those years ago, when we were supposed to have implemented it, that relations between Teagasc and the IFA would deteriorate to the point where the IFA called on farmers across the country to withdraw their support of Teagasc.
Surely it couldnít happen again? Well, it looks like it could over GM, and on a potentially more damaging level for farmers.
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In this issue we look at the inter-departmental report on co-existence of GM and non-GM crops in Ireland. Every country in Europe must devise its own set of guidelines on how GM and non-GM crops can best co-exist in their country and an inter-departmental working group published Irelandís report in December.
The IFA, ICMSA and Macra na Feirme were all approached by the working group to make a submission when the report was being compiled. However, the three largest farmers organisations in the country decided to sit on the fence.
The only farming lobby group to make a submission for the report was the ICSA, which stated that it is in favour or a GM-free island policy.
And GM is likely to become an even more contentious issue than the Nitrates Directive ever was, because the general public will have a strong interest.
Yet the three farming organisations that claim to represent the vast majority of farmers between then are opting out of laying their cards on the table now.
While the Minister for Agriculture, Mary Coughlan, has said she will take on board any considerations she receives on the report, each of these farming organisations should have made a submission to the working group. Itís even more worrying to hear that the biggest farming lobby group in the country (the IFA) doesnít even have a policy on GM crops.
European consumers, rightly or wrongly, are extremely wary of GM foods. A huge part of Irelandís success as an exporting food country is the image Bord Bia has built to make Ireland a clean, green country. Itís slogan is ëIreland ‚ the Food Islandí. Our food export trade is founded on natural production methods, stringent food controls at farm and processing level and a committed customer service. Our beef is marketed on the principles of being grass-fed and coming from a clean, green unspoiled landscape with a history of traditional farming.
The biggest danger with going down the GM route, in my opinion, is that there is no going back. So if we go down the GM route will Bord Bia have to consider changing its name to "Ireland ‚ the GM Food island?".
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