National opposition

Press conference

Media coverage

National protest

Protest photos

Experiment location

Protest materials

Sign petition

Join us

Contribute

Contact

KEEP IRISH POTATOES GM-FREE!

The protest at the Dáil on Wed 22 February

Call on EPA to prohibit GMO potato experiment

Hundreds of Irish farmers, food producers and consumers held a public protest at the entrance to the Dáil on Wednesday 22 February 2006 to call for the Government to ban genetically modified (GM) crops in Ireland, and prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from authorising the release of GMO potatoes in Co. Meath.

22 February was the deadline set by the EPA for public submissions on a proposal by BASF Plant Science GmbH to conduct a five-year GMO potato experiment at a Teagasc research centre in Summerhill, Co. Meath, located near the Hill of Tara in the Boyne Valley, one of the oldest cultivated sites in Europe. The experiment is due to begin this April and continue till October 2010.

There was a related press conference (download transcript .

Prof. Joe Cummins (Emeritus Professor of Genetics at the University of Western Ontario, Canada) has issued a scientific warning that this GMO experiment presents a clear risk of contaminating conventional and organic Irish potatoes. Prof. Cummins accused BASF of making specious assumptions that could also produce toxic effects on humans and wildlife, adding "The people and wildlife of Ireland should not be exposed to inadequately tested genetic constructions".

John Flynn, the new rural development chairman of the Irish Cattle and Sheepfarmers Association (ICSA) said "Ireland has a very marketable clean, green image, and it is essential to maintain and develop that. Trials like this are totally counterproductive, and very damaging to that image. We will be making a submission to the EPA, arguing the case for rejecting the proposal, in the strongest possible terms. The ICSA will never allow huge commercial interests like BASF to come into Ireland and ruin the agricultural sector."

There is now overwhelming scientific evidence of deaths attributable to GM products among laboratory and farm animals and in the human population. Three recent studies of the health risks of GM foods have triggered fresh demands for GM components in human food and animal feed to be banned immediately, and have also led to accusations of criminal negligence aimed at the Irish and UK Governments and the European Commission.

Contaminated crops must carry a GM label. But there is no market for GM food in Europe, where GM food is rejected by the majority of food brands, retailers and consumers. GMO seeds, crops and livestock are illegal in Switzerland and prohibited or restricted by 175 regional governments and by over 4,500 local authorities & smaller areas across 22 EU countries because of their health, environmental and economic risks. The EC admits that GM crops may cause higher costs for farmers and that GM foods have no benefits to consumers.

The Dept. of Agriculture and Food excluded 83% of relevant stakeholders from a public consultation based on a legally-flawed EC Recommendation for a national strategy to "ensure the co-existence" of GM crops with conventional and organic farming. After refusing to provide sufficient time for stakeholders to make informed submissions, it then waited a year before publishing its report, which gives the go-ahead for "co-existence" of GMO crops in Ireland.

But GM crops can not "co-exist" without contaminating farmers crops, which must then carry a GM label, for which there is no market. They often do not perform as expected, increase the use of toxic chemicals, create "superweeds", and can never be recalled after their release.

Under the WTO's Trade-related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement, contaminated crops may become the property of patent owners like BASF and Monsanto. EU and Irish patent law allows these companies to file patent infringement lawsuits against contaminated farmers, and force them to pay annual patent royalties. This is part of the transnational corporate strategy to control the food supply through GMO crop patents.

This appropriation of our natural capital would be the biggest rip-off in the history of the State – a catastrophe for farmers, and the death blow to Ireland - the food island.

The protest was organised by the GM-free Ireland Network, representing over 32,000 farmers, foresters, food producers, food distributors and exporters, leading chefs and restaurants, NGOs, professional associations, doctors, economists, lawyers, journalists, students, and consumers collaborating to keep the whole island of Ireland free of genetically modified (GM) animal feed, seeds, trees, crops, livestock, fish and food:

An Taisce / the National Trust for Ireland • www.antaisce.org

Absolutely Organic

An tIonad Glas Organic College • www.organiccollege.com

Atlantic Organics Ltd • www.atlanticorganics.com

Barca, Lismore, Co. Waterford

Body Shop • www.the-body-shop.com

BrookLodge Hotel & Wells Spa, Macreddin, Co. Wicklow • www.brooklodge.com

Cafe Fresh Restaurant, Wiliam St., Dublin • www.cafefresh.com

Cavan Leitrim Environmental Awareness Network Ltd

Chapter One restaurant, Parnell Square, Dublin • http://www.irelands-blue-book.ie/chapter-one.htm

Columban Missionaries • www.columban.com

Columban Sisters

Corry Lane Smokery

Courthouse Restaurant, Kinlough, Co. Leitrim • www.thecourthouserest.com

The Douglas Hyde Bar and Restaurant, Cork • www.douglashide.com

Dublin Food Coop • www.dublinfoodcoop.com

Earthwatch Clare • www.gvp.ie

Earthwatch Kerry

Euro-Toques Ireland - The European Commission of Chefs • www.eurotoquesirl.org

Forest Friends Ireland - Cáirde na Coille • www.cairdenacoille.org

Friends of the Earth Ireland • www.foe.ie

Friends of the Irish Environment • www.friendsoftheirishenvironment.org

Fruit Hill Farm • www.fruithillfarm.com

Food and Wine Magazine

Food Writers Guild

Garryvoe Food Products Ltd • www.garryfoods.ie

Global Vision Consulting Ltd • www.global-vision-consulting.com

Green Planet • www.greenplanet.ie

Gubeen Cheese Ltd.

Harvest Fare Health Food Store, Ballymore Eustace.

Highdell Organic Farm

Irish Association of Health Stores (IAHS) • www.irishhealthstores.com

Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association (ICSA) • www.icsaireland.com

Irish Doctors' Environmental Association (IDEA) • www.ideaireland.org

Irish Farmers Markets • www.irishfarmersmarkets.ie

Irish Institute of Nutrition and Health • www.iinh.net

Irish Organic Farmers and Growers Association (IOFGA) • www.iofga.org

Irish Organic Herbs Ltd

Irish Organic Partnership Ltd

Irish Organic Trading Ltd • www.irish-organic.com

Irish Pages literary journal • www.irishpages.org

Irish Peatland Conservation Council • www.ipcc.ie

Irish Seal Sanctuary • www.irishsealsanctuary.ie

Irish Seed Savers Association • www.irishseedsavers.ie

Irish Wildlife Trust • www.iwt.ie

ItsaBagel • www.itsabagel.com

Jacques Restaurant, Cork

Jaipur Restaurant, Sandyford, Dublin • www.jaipur.ie

Just Forests • www.justforests.org

Kerry Earth Education Project • www.earthedkerry.com

Kerry Organics • www.kerryorganics.com

Kildare Chilling Company

Ladybird Organic

Leitrim Organic Farmers Co-operative

Marc Michel Organic Life, Co. Wicklow

Meitheal Chill Mhantain • http://meitheal.net

National Beef Association (Northern Ireland)

Oakfield Organic Gardens

Old Bakehouse Restaurant, Bruff, Co. Limerick

Organic Matters magazine • www.organicmattersmag.com

Organic Trust • http://ireland.iol.ie/~organic/trust.html

Oscars Restaurant, Galway • www.oscarsgalway.com

Otto's Creative Catering • www.ottoscreativecatering.com

People Against Pesticides

Restaurants Association of Ireland • www.rai.ie

Roscarbon Organic Eggs

Slow Food Ireland • www.slowfoodireland.com

Sol Rio Restaurant, Westport, Co. Mayo

Sonas Health Foods, Newcastle, Co. Limerick

Sustainability Research Design Group

Sustainable Ireland Co-operative • www.sustainable.ie

The Atrium Cafe, Sligo

The Forge Restaurant, Carnaross, Kells, Co. Meath

The Little Irish Apple Co.

The Spire Restaurant, Duleek, Co. Meath • www.spirerestaurant.ie

Thornton's Restaurant, Stephen's Green, Dublin • www.thorntonsrestaurant.com

Voice of Irish Concern for the Environment • http://voice.buz.org/

Wexford Flower and Foliage Producers' Group • http://www.wexfordfoliage.com

Woodland League • www.woodlandleague.org

Sponsored by Global Vision Corporation

© 2003 - 2006 Global Vision Consulting Ltd • updated 24 February 2006
Privacy policy
For enquiries contact mail@gmfreeireland.org
URL of this page: www.gmfreeireland.org/potato/protest.php