Campaign groups say trade body must not be stooge for biotech
Fifteen leading anti-GE groups from Europe, Asia and the Americas have submitted evidence to a World Trade Organisation dispute panel currently considering a high-profile U.S. led complaint. The Bush administration wants the WTO to force European Union countries to overturn regulations and accept GE food. But Greenpeace and other groups from across the world have now filed a so-called amicus curiae brief that accuses the U.S. of trying to scare developing countries into adopting the controversial technology.
The WTO will next week hold the first oral hearings in the case. The coalition of 15 groups believes that the trade body should reject the challenge because it undermines countries' choice and the capacity of a country to decide how it wants to deal with GE crops and foods. The coalition's submission states:
- GM crops are being developed by corporations primarily to meet the needs of large farmers in the developed world;
- intellectual property rights and monopoly control of seeds by multinationals mean that poor farmers in developing countries are unlikely to benefit;
- herbicide use may increase and yields in GE crops are variable;
- Argentina is suffering harmful social, environmental and health effects from the introduction of GM crops, especially soya.
The Amicus Coalition also demonstrates that in spite of claims made that the safety of GM crops and foods is 'proven', there are risks to the environment which are serious and may be irreversible in nature. The brief states:
- increased use of chemical weedkillers may damage wildlife;
- contamination of non-GM crops and related wild species may arise;
- there has been no monitoring for adverse effects;
If the European Union loses the case it will have to pay compensation and/or trade sanctions may be imposed against it. Greenpeace fears that other countries might then feel unable to implement appropriate measures to protect the environment from GE products and effectively be forced to accept GE foods and crops.
Charlie Kronick of Greenpeace said: "It's not the job of the WTO to promote GE on behalf of the Bush administration and the biotech industry. This isn't about free trade, it's about forced trade, and more specifically about the U.S. trying to force smaller countries to accept GE crops whether they like it or not. Our submission to the panel highlights the enormous potential problems posed by GE crops. We're telling the WTO that the U.S. complaint is designed to scare countries around the world into toeing the line."
The US, Canada and Argentina argue that the European Union has violated WTO agreements. As the largest producers of GM crops they have the most to lose from restrictions on trade in GM technology.
For more information contact: Charlie Kronick, Greenpeace UK, Chief Policy Adviser, + 44 207 865 8228
