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GE foods: feeding the hungry or corporate profits?
Fr. Sean McDonagh of the Columban Missionaries is trying to prevent the agri-biotech lobby from persuading the Vatican to endorse GM foods as the solution to world hunger. "In reality famine and hunger around the world have more to do with the absence of land reform, social inequality, biases against women in many cultures, a lack of access to cheap credit, and basic agricultural technologies, rather than with a scarcity of super seeds... Do the proponents of GE food think that agribusiness companies will distribute genetically engineered food free to the hungry poor who have no money? There was plenty of food in Ireland during the famine in the 1840s but those who were starving did not have access to it or money to buy it." Download article (28kb PDF file). |
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Watch out for new GMOs
The biotech industry is now developing transgenic fish, insects, cats, livestock, viruses for biological control and "magnifection," pharmaceutical-producing crops, forage crops, horticultural crops, and trees. |
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Genetically modified trees
Will the Irish government allow GMO trees to be planted here? Its pro-GM track record leads one to fear the worst. Coillte Teoranta (The Irish Forestry Board - www.coillte.ie) is the state-owned forestry business responsible for the monoculture Sitka spruce plantations which blight the Irish landscape. These are widely seen as ecologically unsound, since they provide no habitat for wildlife, reduce biodiversity, and contaminate groundwater with acid runoff and toxic chemicals. The resulting timber is useless for construction and can only be used for making pallets. It therefore boggles the mind that Coillte has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (www.fsc.org), an independent, membership-based organisation that brings people together to promote responsible management of the world's forests through developing standards, a certification system and trademark recognition. However, FSC certification prohibits GMO trees.
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See the article GM Forest Trees - the ultimate threat by Dr. Mae Wan Ho and Professor Joe Cummings.
Members of the GM-free Ireland Network involved in forest issues include Forest Friends Ireland - Cáirde na Coille www.cairdenacoille.org, the Irish Peatland Conservation Council www.ipcc.ie, Just Forests www.justforests.org, and the Woodland League.
Please sign the UN petition for a Global Ban on GM Trees at
http://elonmerkki.net/dyn/appeal.
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European Conference on GMO free Regions, Biodiversity and Rural Development
Berlin, 22-23 January 2005
The conference, organised during the International Green Week in Berlin, heard that with over 100 regional and 3,500 sub-regional areas now declaring themselves GMO-free, it was time for European law to be changed to protect such areas from the cultivation of GM crops. Berlin Declaration.
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200 delegates from GMO free regions and from 30 European countries called on the European institutions to protect conventional and organic seeds from GMO contamination, to establish the regions right to stay GMO-free and to give them a say in the approval process of GMOs, which they find scientifically questionable and not based on the precautionary principle.
Benedikt Haerlin, conference organiser from GENET and the German-based Foundation on Future Farming said: "There is fast growing and unstoppable movement against the cultivation of genetically modified crops all over Europe. A new alliance of local and regional authorities, nature protection agencies and farmers unions with environmental and consumer organizations has emerged to defend their freedom of choice and the self-determination of the regions." See our interview.
Representatives of the Tuscan government announced that agricultural ministers, forming a GMO-free network of regional governments, will meet in Florence, Italy, on February 4th to take further steps to protect their citizens and the rights of the Regions within the European Union. See our interview with Maria Gracia Mammucini.
Full proceedings are available at http://sos.k42.org/conference/
The Conference was organised by the following organisations:
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Assembly of European Regions (AER): www.are-regions-europe.org
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European NGO Network on Genetic Engineering: www.genet-info.org
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Foundation on Future Farming: http://sos.k42.org/conference/Foundation.html
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Note: The GM-free Ireland Network advises Irish County Councils which have already declared themselves GMO-free, or which are considering doing so, to join the Assembly of European Regions which is lobbying to strengthen the legal recognition of GMO-free zones and regions in EC law.
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Will Bertie give us a GMO timebomb for Christmas?
At an Oireachtas Joint Committee on Environment and Development briefing on 24 November 2004, the GM-free Ireland Network, the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association and Friends of the Earth Ireland asked the Government to vote NO on a proposed release of GMO animal feed due for a Council of Ministers decision in Brussels on 20 December. The vote concerns the placing on the market of the first living genetically modified animal feed (Monsanto's patented GT73 oilseed rape seed). This is far more dangerous than other GM animal feeds because it is a living GMO seed which sprouts easily and grows rapidly. If Ireland and/or the UK supports the Council of Ministers effort to allow it on the market, millions of GMO seeds could soon be shipped here, unloaded in harbours, and transported by rail and road to animal feed processing centres around the country. The inevitable spillage along the way would thus result in the de facto release of GM oilseed rape crops without the required government authorisation or the consent of the affected farmers and consumers. This would inevitably contaminate all Irish farmers and create an epidemic of Roundup-resistant Superweeds, increase the use of weedkillers, and threaten consumers' health. Press release. Briefing (876k PDF file.)
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Stop the Government from legalising the "co-existence" of GM crops
The Irish Government has set up an interdepartmental / interagency Working Group (co-ordinated by the Department of Agriculture), to examine issues relating to the growing of GM crops in Ireland. The Working Group has invited the GM-free Ireland Network and other stakeholders to submit their views on the government's proposals "for a national strategy to ensure the effective coexistence of GM crops with conventional crops and organic farming." It set a final deadline for submissions by 12 November with a view to the completion of its report by the end of November 2004.
This attempt to fast-track the so-called "co-existence" of GM crops fails to provide enough time for the stakeholders who would be affected by such a decision to review the relevant documents, assess the economic impact, exchange views amongst themselves, consult independent experts, and shape the final policy in a democratic way, as legally required by the Biosafety Protocol, the Aarhus Convention and other international laws.
To comply with the requirement for stakeholders to participate democratically in the policy-decision making process, the GM-free Ireland Network, the Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association, the Irish Organic Farmers and Growers Association, the Irish Seed Savers Association, the Leitrim Organic Farmers Cooperative and An Taisce demanded an extension of the deadline for submissions from 12 November 2004 to 31 May 2005 (see our letter and related submissions). They also warned the government that failure to comply with these requests will result in the filing of formal complaints to the Ombudsman and the EC.
The Dept. of Agriculture then issued a press release on 12 November announcing a new submissions deadline of 31 December 2004, and stating that "All Member States are obliged to have their measures submitted to the EU Commission by July 2005". GM-free Ireland does not accept this timetable and believes the Department of Agriculture is once again misleading the public by implying that Ireland is under a legal obligation to submit a "co-existence" submission to the Commission by the stated date. The truth is that the Commission recommended that Member States decide their own rules on "co-existence" without any legal obligation whatsoever to do so and thus no legally binding deadline.
The consultation process also fails to reach international best practice because many stakeholders remain excluded. Its stated aim of allowing "co-existence" is based on the false premise that GM crops can exist among conventional farms without contaminating them. The European Commission Joint Research Centre report Scenarios for co-existence of GM, conventional and organic crops in European agriculture found that if GM contamination is almost impossible to avoid and would cause higher production costs (up to 40% for oilseed rape) for EU farmers (see our interview with contaminated farmer Percy Schmeiser and related documents).
Bearing in mind that "co-existence" means contamination, and pending proposed EU laws that fully acknowledge the legal right of governments and local areas to prohibit GM crops, many governments, regions and local authorities are using the EC recommendation for related statutory rules and liability régimes to make GM farming legally difficult if not impossible, resulting in the creation of over 2,000 GM-free zones in 22 EU countries. Ireland should take the bull by the horns and do the same.
Please contact us if you want a GM policy that protects the future of Irish farmers and consumers.
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Prince of Wales condemns biotech hype
Wales and Cornwall are GM-free zones. In a speech given to 5,000 small farmers and artisanal food producers from 150 countries at the Terra Madre conference organised by Slow Food in Turin in October 2004, the Prince of Wales (who is also Duke of Cornwall) said "I doubt whether GM food will be a contribution to the greater good of humanity... I believe it is both legitimate and important to ask whether some people's faith in the potential of this technology is a product of wishful thinking or of the hype generated by vested interests. Are these methods really going to solve mankind's problems, or just create new ones? And how will we regulate them effectively? There are a great many examples of earlier well-meaning attempts to control pests or improve the environment which have gone drastically wrong. And I am simply not convinced that we have absorbed the lesson, which is that manipulating Nature is, at best, an uncertain business." Transcript.
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A message to Irish farmers from Percy Schmeiser
Percy Schmeiser is a Canadian farmer who got sued by Monsanto after his fields became contaminated by their patented GM oilseed rape (Canola) in 1996. Monsanto wanted the profits from his entire crop, a technology charge, plus a million dollars in court costs. Eventually, the Supreme Court of Canada dismissed Monsanto's financial claims but ruled the patented GM crops are the company's property. This ruling opened the door for massive class action lawsuits currently underway against Monsanto for losing control of its patented crops. At the Terra Madre festival hosted by Slow Food in Turin, Italy in October 2004, we videotaped Schmeiser's message to Irish farmers.
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Monsanto now wants Ireland to support a European Council Decision to legalise its GM oilseed rape for use as animal feed in the EU. GM-free Ireland will advise the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Environment and Local Government against this in the Dáil on 24 November 2004.
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EC legalises 17 varieties of GM maize seeds but postpones proposal for contamination of conventional and organic seeds
On 8 September 2004, the European Commission decided to allow farmers to grow 17 different types of Monsanto's genetically modified (GM) maize seeds in fields across the whole of Europe. But according to a leaked Communication from outgoing EU Healh and Consumer Affairs Commissioner David Byrne, "any member state may object to the marketing on their territory of any such GM variety if they consider there is a risk for human health, the environment or agronomic reasons".
The Commission dropped from the agenda any decision to legalise the widespread contamination of conventional and organic seeds with genetically modified varieties, due to irreconcilable disagreements between the Commissioners and widespread public opposition. This decision to pospone the seed contamination proposals buys time for the Commission to bring out better proposals that will protect people and the environment. The existing proposals would introduce GMOs in all seeds and food against the will of consumers and farmers. It would make non-GM farming most difficult and would massively increase the costs of farming and of non-GM products. It would also render control and monitoring of GMO releases into the environment practically impossible and induce widespread and uncontrolled GM contamination throughout Europe. The European Parliament, NGOs, consumer groups, farmers organisations and trade unions have appealed to the Commission to set the seeds labelling contamination threshold at the reliable detection level of 0.1%. EU Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner David Byrne is the villain of the piece, arguing for a 0.5% threshold (Fischler and Wallström wanted 0.3%) and for the contamination of 17 agricultural seed varieties. Byrne repeatedly denies the existence of scientific evidence of GM risks, which even the WTO now recognises (see below). Please take action now to prevent this disaster before it happens.
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EU wins first round against USA in WTO GM dispute
The EU won the first round in the WTO trade dispute filed by the USA, Canada and Argentina, which argue that the EU's de facto moratorium on the approval of GM products - together with national bans in Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy and Luxembourg on some GM products - hinder trade and violate the WTO rules, claiming that GM agriculture is "of proven safety and brings great benefits, including in reducing hunger and improving health and crop productivity worldwide".
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But in August 2004 the WTO Dispute Panel decided that it will require scientific advice in making its decision about the US challenge. The USA, Canada and Argentina had argued that there is no need for scientific advice and that the dispute was about procedural matters. Europe argued that in a complex matter which relates to the risks of GMOs, the Dispute Panel has to take wider advice. The Panel's decision on this point indicates that they see strength in the European case. Now a scientific advisory panel is to be appointed, this will delay the process for many months. There will be arguments about which advisors are appropriate and, following agreement, time needed for their advice to be sought. It is unlikely that a decision will be made before spring 2005 at the earliest. Complete details on the WTO dispute may be found on the GeneWatch UK web site at www.genewatch.org/WTO/WTO_AugustUpdate.htm.
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NAFTA refutes "substantial equivalence" of GM and GM-free crops
The WTO concept of "substantial equivalence" between GM and conventional crops was dealt a major blow on 10 November 2004 in a scientic report from the North American Free Trade (NAFTA) commission. The report refutes the U.S. claim that GM maize is, for trade purposes, the same as GM-free maize. Mexican farmers asked NAFTA to look into the matter after wind or insects carried GM maize pollen from the USA across the border into Mexico. The commission said the contamination of Mexican farms is unacceptable because the Mexican government never approved the GM hybrids. NAFTA's decision will strengthen the EU's side in the WTO trade war described above. See article. |
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Scientific evidence of health and environmental risks of GM food and farming
There is abundant scientific evidence of the health and environmental risks of GM food and crops, including substantial evidence of GM-related death and disease in laboratory and farm animals, and humans - although the biotech industry and our government would have you believe otherwise. We have compiled a selection of related dowloadable documents published by BioTech InfoNet, the ECO-RISK Office of Ecological Risk Research, the Independent Science Panel on GM, the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements, the UK Soil Association, and the University of Bergen Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. See download menu. |
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GM dangers exposed at the National Future of Food Forum
Renowned geneticist & biophysicist Dr. Mae-Wan Ho and Jeffrey Smith, author of Seeds of Deception warned of the risks of genetic engineering and the cover-up of these risks by biotech companies and governments at the National Future of Food Forum chaired by Nobel Peace Laureate John Hume and hosted by Euro-Toques Ireland on 4h July 2004 at Brook Lodge, Macreddin, Co. Wicklow. Press release. Dr. Ho's speech. Dr. Ho is Director of the Institute of Science in Society (www.i-sis.org.uk), co-founder of the International Science Panel on GM (www.indsp.org), a member of the Roster of Experts for the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, Scientific Advisor to the Third World Network, visiting Professor of Biophysics at the University of Catania (Sicily), former Senior Research Fellow at the Open University, and author of The Case for a GM-free Sustainable World (see review below).
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Jeffrey M. Smith is the author of the biotech bestseller Seeds of Deception: exposing corporate and government lies about the safety of genetically engineered food (now on sale in Dublin - see review below). He is a member of the US national Genetic Engineering Committee of the Sierra Club, the Steering Committee of the Genetic Engineering Action Network (GEAN), the Advisory Board of the Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods, and is the founding director of the Institute for Responsible Technology. Smith also appeared on TV3's Ireland AM TV programme on 7 July 2004 and has produced two highly recommended handouts which you can download here:
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GM Foods Are Inherently Unsafe and Eating GM Food is Gambling With Your Health. For more info visit his web site at www.seedsofdeception.com.
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Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association joins campaign
The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association called on the Government to pursue an all-Ireland GM-free policy as part of an integral strategy to leverage the green image of Irish farm produce. ICSA Rural Development Chair John Heney said our island status provides an unique opportunity for a credible GM-free policy for high value beef and lamb markets. Briefing.
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Irish Farmers Association opposed to release of GM crops
Speaking at the Forging a GM Policy for Ireland workshop at the Convergence Festival in Dublin on 26 April 2004, Ruaidhri Deasy, Deputy President of the Irish Farmers Association said "The IFA's stance on GMOs is: Keep GM products out of Ireland. We don't need them. We certainly can't pay for them. And our customers don't want them." Continues.
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Proceedings of the Forging a GM Policy for Ireland workshop
This workshop was held on 26 April 2004 at the Convergence Festival in Dublin to introduce Irish stakeholders to GM issues, in preparation for a follow-up conference planned for Spring 2005 (see below). The workshop involved some 50 participants and a panel of expert speakers from Ireland, England, Wales, Germany and India. Proceedings.
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Forging a GM Policy for Ireland conference scheduled for Spring 2005
This conference is designed for policy makers to explore the economic, environmental, health and security benefits of keeping Ireland GM-free. The programme includes keynote speeches by the Rt. Hon. Michael Meacher MP (former UK Environment Minister) and Rémi Parmentier (former Political Director, Greenpeace International), together with policy briefings by a line-up of European experts in related science, business, farming, environment, safe food, EU regulations and international law. The line-up includes Darina Allen (Ballymalowe Cookery School), Dr. Arpad Pusztai (Norwegian Institute of Gene Ecology), Jeffrey M. Smith (author of Seeds of Deception), Mike Barry (Sustainable Development Manager, Marks & Spencer, UK), Dr. Mae-Wan Ho (Institute of Science in Society), Professor Peter Saunders (King's College, London), Dr. Vyvyan Howard (Independent Science Panel / University of Liverpool), Ian Panton (GM Free Cymru), Dr. Sue Mayer (GeneWatch), Adrian Bebb (Friends of the Earth Europe), Bernward Geier (International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements), Father Seán McDonagh (Columban Missionaries), Lim Lee Ching (Independent Science Panel / Third World Network), Benedikt Haerlin (Future Foundation Farming), Bridget Carlin (Irish Seed Savers Association), and Evan Doyle (Euro-Toques Ireland - the European Community of Chefs). The programme will also feature open space discussions, a choice of informative and action-oriented workshops, strategy co-ordination for stakeholders, and a press conference. A workshop outlining the procedure for setting up a local GM-free zone under EU Directive 2001/18/EC will be of particular interest to County Councils, local authorities, national parks and farmers.
Sponsorship of this conference presents an unique opportunity for any organisation wishing to link its brand with safe food and sustainable farming. The proceedings will be filmed and widely disseminated on video and DVD. For enquiries please call Michael O'Callaghan on + 353 (0) 404 43 885.
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Biotech lobby, Bush administration and Irish government distort science
The White House suppresses or distorts objective scientific analysis that fails to support its political goals, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists (www.ucsusa.org). The May 2004 issue of Scientific American magazine (www.sciam.com) editorial on "Bush-League Lysenkoism" says "It is increasingly impossible to ignore that this White House disdains research that incoveniences it." The UK Charities Commission has been asked to revoke the charitable status of the Royal Society because of its unscientific claims that GM food and crops are safe. And Greenpeace accused the Director General of the EU Joint Research Centre (www.jrc.cec.eu.int), Dr. Barry McSweeney of trying to suppress an EU report on coexistence of GM and conventional crops which found that GM varieties will inevitably contaminate conventional and organic crops and cause higher production costs (up to 40% for oilseed rape) for EU farmers. On 24 June 2004, Tánaiste Mary Harney appointed McSweeney as Ireland's first Chief Scientific Officer.
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Minister of State Tim O'Malley TD at the Department of Health and Children with responsibility for Food Safety claims there is no scientific evidence of GM health risks. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland wants to legalise GM food, and the Environmental Protection Agency is ready to legalise GM crops. Our government's denial of the existing scientific evidence of GM health and environmental risks is not acceptable. This erosion of credibility gives science a bad name and is of grave concern to members of the scientific community, farmers and consumers.
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GM food on sale and 82 GMO patents now valid in Ireland
In reply to a question by Martin Ferris TD, Tánaiste Mary Harney stated on 26 May 2004 that the Irish Patents Office has granted 15 patents for the commercial release of GM seeds and crops, and that the European Patents Office has granted a further 67 GM patents which are valid in Ireland - a total of 82 GMOs. See full list including names and proprietors.
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The Irish Times revealed on 14 May 2004 that about 16 food products containing GM ingredients are already on sale in Ireland, but that consumers are unware of this because it is not mentioned on their labels. The joint Oireachtas Committee on Healh and Children asked both the Department of Health and the European Commission to refuse permission to market the controversial Bt11 sweet corn, and for all foodstuffs containing GM ingredients to be labelled as such, regardless of how small the content.
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GM crops are an economic disaster
Despite claims to the contrary by giant biotech companies desparate to recoup their bad invesments, GM crops often don't perform according to expectations and the global food market increasingly rejects their products. According to a UK Soil Association study released in September 2002, GM crops cost the US an estimated $12 billion in farm subsidies, lost sales and product recalls due to genetic contamination. Massive failures of GM cotton were reported in several Indian states including failure to germinate, root-rot and American bollwom infestation for which the Bt cotton was supposed to be resistant. More.
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world markets force Monsanto to abandon GM wheat
Monsanto announced on 11 May 2004 that is had given up its plan to release GM wheat to the world market, after investing seven years and hundreds of millions of dollars to develop the crop, because of pressure from US and Canadian farmers who realise the GM wheat would lead to the collapse of their billion-dollar markets in Europe and Japan. Press release.
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Seeds of Deception: exposing biotech lies
Irish consumers, farmers and policy makers should read the book Seeds of Deception: exposing corporate and government lies about the safety of genetically engineered food by Jeffrey M. Smith, with a foreword by former UK Environment Minister Michael Meacher MP who said "This is a brilliant book which combines shrewd dissection of the true nature of GM technology, a devastating critique of the health and environmental hazards of GM crops, and scarifying examples of the manipulation of both science and the media by the biotech industry. It is a call to arms, not only to prevent the contamination of the nation's food supply, but even more to tackle the poisoning of the nation's decision-making system by the undercover wielding of economic and financial muscle and PR manipulativeness of Big Biotech." Press release.
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On sale at the Cultivate bookshop, Essex St. West, Temple Bar, Dublin, tel (01) 491 2327. Website: www.seedsofdeception.com.
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GM-free zones now spreading across Europe
13 GM-free regions and thousands of local GM-free zones have been established in 22 European countries. These include the whole of Wales, Moray and the Highlands of Scotland, and 40 other local councils in the UK. Download the Guide to Campaigning for GMO-free zones in Europe (804kb PDF file) and visit www.gmofree-europe.org for detailed information.
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Ireland in lead position to become EU biosafety reserve
Ireland is ideally positioned to become a GM-free biosafety reserve for the food security of all EU member states because we are: (i) upwind from most transboundary GM pollen contamination (80% of our wind blows from the Atlantic), (ii) geographically isolated and surrounded by water, and (iii) we probably have the lowest previous GM exposure in Europe. EU governments, regions and NGOs opposed to GM crops are invited to support this endeavour under the Biosafety Protocol (see below). Please contact us for enquiries.
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Slow Food Ireland opposed to GM food
Slow Food Ireland - the national branch of the global Slow Food movement with 40,000 members in 40 countries - joined the GM-free Ireland Network in May 2004. Co-chaired by Darina Allen, Slow Food Ireland supports the development of Irish artisan food produce and the rejuvenation of Irish agriculture and rural socio-economies through value-added, cottage-scale foods for the premium world market. Visit www.slowfoodireland.com.
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Ireland's leading chefs demand GM-free produce
Speaking at the Forging a GM Policy for Ireland workshop on 26 April 2004, restaurateur and Euro-Toques Ireland / European Commission of Chefs spokesperson Evan Doyle called for the Government to (1) declare Ireland a GM-free zone, (2) prohibit the use of GM ingredients in animal food, and (3) negotiate with the UK to keep the whole of Ireland GM-free. More.
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J.P. Donleavy declares first GM-free farm in Ireland
Author and beef farmer J.P. Donleavy declared his farm near Mullingar as Ireland's first GM-free zone on Earth Day, 22 April 2004. This is expected to herald similar declarations by farmers and landowners North and South of the border, as a precautionary step against the contamination of their produce with GM animal feed and crops. (See Press release and Irish Times article.)
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GM safety claims based on outdated science
The International Science Panel, whose members include leading scientists from around the world, has produced an excellent report entitiled The Case for a GM-free Sustainable World detailing the biotech lobby's pseudo-scientific claims that GMOs are safe, based on the outdated reductionist paradigm which ignores 30 years of new scientific insights in molecular biology, ecology, complexity theory, and the emergent properties of complex systems. There is no need for "new scientific evidence" to prove the health and environmental risks of releasing GMOs. Moreover, insurance companies rate the risk of GMO disasters the same as Asbestos and Thalidomide, and refuse to provide cover. Download (408kb PDF file).
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Dail questions raised on GM issues
During the week of 3 May 2004, Martin Ferris TD submitted questions to the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Mr. T. O'Malley (see transcript) and to Minister for Agriculture Joe Walsh (see transcript) regarding biotech industry links of the regulatory authorities, GM testing, labelling, cross contamination, liability, compensation, and insurance.
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liability and lawsuits
GM-free Ireland is considering legal action in Ireland, the European Parliament, and the European Court of Justice on behalf of Irish stakeholders concerned inter alia about the lack of insurance and liability provisions for GM contamination, the Precautionary Principle, the Principle of Subsidiarity, Agenda 21, biodiversity, wildlife, human health, food monopoly, sustainability, fundamental property rights, commercial stability, consumer choice, inter-generational equity, and the WTO's attempt to bully EU consumers to accept environmentally unsound GMOs against our will which violates the Biosafety Protocol and the human rights, biosafety and food security of present and future generations.
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gene detectives in supermarkets
Greenpeace International is asking people to go into Irish supermarkets and be "gene detectives" by finding and reporting GM food products which must now be labelled under the new EU
legislation. Digital pictures of the products are then uploaded to a virtual map of Europe so consumers can see the GM products to avoid in their local shops. More
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GM-free Ireland protesters picket Dáil
GM-free Ireland protesters dressed up as cloned sheep picketed the entrance to the Dáil Wednesday 10 December 2003 to meet with politicians and protest the Government's pro-GMO policy and demand that it put the well-being of Irish citizens and the environment before the business interests of the US Government and the biotech industry. Press release.
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Ireland's voting record to legalise GM food and animal feed in EU
Despite thousands of emails sent to Irish politicians by GM-free Ireland supporters, Ireland voted in favour of legalising the first GM food and animal feed (Syngenta's controversial Bt11 maize) for release in the EU at an EU regulatory meeting on 8 December 2003. The vote was rejected by a qualified majority against, but EU Health and Consumer Affairs Commissioner David Byrne then persuaded the commission to legalise it anyway on 19 May 2004. More. As shown in the EU voting record, this pattern has continued ever since.
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Irish citizens: act now or never
Across the EU, thousands of regions, municipalities, local areas and companies have already taken legal measures to protect themselves from the GM invasion. If we don't do the same, we will have no-one to blame but ourselves. As citizens of a democracy, we must take the initiative to keep Ireland GM-free and we are all responsible - including politicians, political parties, government agencies, local authorities, national parks, landowners, civil servants, farming organisations, certification bodies, producer groups, co-ops, food processors, distributors, traders, wholesalers, supermarkets, retailers, hotels, restaurants, environmental NGOs, consumers associations, religious groups, farmers, educators, students, children and the media.
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Another world is possible, but don't count on the government to make it happen: as Gandhi said, you have to be the change you want to see in the world! So please join us today and sign the petition holding our politicians accountable to prevent the GM invasion before it happens.
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dangers of GM seeds, food, animal feed, crops and livestock
Genetically modified living organisms (GMOs) include patented seeds, plants and animals that have had foreign genes inserted into them by giant multinational biotech companies with little concern for the damage they can do. These companies have hired the US and other governments to force them into European markets through the World Trade Organisation. More.
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biotech giants poised for GM invasion of Ireland
Monsanto, Syngenta and other transnational biotech corporations have filed at least 16 applications to invade Ireland with their dangerous GM products. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has 10 applications pending for GM food, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering 6 applications for crops and animal feed. EU Environment Commissioner Margaret Wallstr–m said US biotech companies tried to lie to Europe in an attempt to force genetically-modified crops upon us, adding "It's the wrong approach: you cannot force it upon Europe". More.
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EU Directive authorises local GM-free zones in Europe
Article 19 of the EU Directive on GMOs (2001/18/EC) allows for specific environments, ecosystems and geographical areas to be exempt from GM crops. Hundreds of regions – especially quality food exporters – are doing so including provinces, municipalities, local authorities and national parks.
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The list includes Wales, the Scottish Highlands, the English Lake District, and more than 30 councils in the UK; Tuscany and Piemonte in Italy; Upper and Lower Austria, parts of Switzerland, Slovenia and more. Irish Local Authorities, National Parks and land owners wishing to exclude specific GM crops from their area should apply to do so as soon as possible. A guidebook is available now. More
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Biosafety Protocol affirms Ireland's right to refuse GMOs
The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, to which the EU is a party, recognises the right of any country to say "no" to GMOs on the basis of the precautionary principle. Ireland thus the legal right to prohibit or restrict GMOs when there is scientific uncertainty about their short to long-term safety. The Protocol explicitly upholds the right of Parties to ban imports of GMOs and to impose higher safety standards. The treaty recognises the precautionary principle whereby governments should take preventative action before environmental damage starts to occur, when there is a reasonable cause for concern. A ban or embargo on GMOs in the Irish Repbublic and the North of Ireland would therefore be fully legitimate and backed by science. Details may be found in the Explanatory Guide to the Protocol published by IUCN - the World Conservation Union. More.
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Fianna Fáil erodes government sovereignty through GM policy lies
Fianna Fáil's current pro-GM policy violates its 1997 election campaign promise that "Fianna Fáil will not support what amounts to the largest nutritional experiment in human history with the consumer as guinea pig... The rush to market with genetically modified foods is unscientific, unseemly and premature. Prevention is wise because cure is impossible. Genetically modified organisms once released can never be recalled." But after returning to power in 1998, Fianna Fáil promptly reversed its policy and said "the area of Irish economic interest where biotechnology... has greatest potential is in agriculture"! More.
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religion and love of nature
Ireland's traditional respect for the fertility of nature goes back to the Stone Age when the mythic Tuatha Dé Danann (People of the Goddess Danu) introduced agriculture and built astronomically-designed megalithic monuments like Newgrange which first enabled humans to synchronise our farming activities to the cosmic cycles of the sun, moon and stars. Celtic myth, poetry and song celebrated the sacred immanent in nature, as did the early Irish Christians. The Columban Missionaries and the Columban Sisters are the only religious orders to join the GM-free Ireland Network thus far. In Germany, the Protestant churches prohibit GMOs on most of their farmlands. Ireland's religious landowners should adopt a similar policy to protect the fertility of nature - and the long-term value of their property.
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GMOs may ruin Ireland's organic farming sector
Because EU law requires certified organic seeds and food to be GM-free, Ireland's burgeoning organic farm and food sector could face ruin from windborne contamination by pollen from GM crops under the so-called "co-existence" policy advocated by the Government and the EU. This would be particularly ironic when CAP reform provides an historic opportunity for conventional farmers to survive by going organic and leveraging Ireland's world famous green image to increase our share of the € 25bn global organic market. For details, visit www.irish-organic.com.
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background reading
The prerequisite for democratic policy making is an informed electorate. Unlike other EU countries, coverage of the GM controversy has been almost non-existent in the Irish media, so the governemnt gets away with pure biotech propaganda. For a more balanced view, we have compiled a list of recommended reading about the downside of GM. Irish food and farming stakeholders should especially read Fatal Harvest with 40 essays by leading thinkers including Wendell Berry, Wes Jackson, Helena Norberg-Hodge, and Vandana Shiva, Seeds of Deception by Jeffrey Smith (see details above), and The case for a GM-free sustainable world which you can download.
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stand up for your legal right to be GM-free
Individuals and organisations: join the GM-free Ireland network (free of charge) and sign the GM-free Ireland petition. Food companies: improve your image by excluding GM products from your shelves. County councils, municipalities, landowners and farmers: use your legal right to set up a local GM-free zone. Hotels and restaurants: raise your profile by refusing GM food. Universities and schools: go GM-free. Religious groups: prohibit GM farming on your lands. Media people: focus on the GM issue. Artists and musicians: support GM-free Ireland! Contact us for details.
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