Amsterdam/ Brussels Two days before new European Union rules on labelling and traceability of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) come into effect, international environmental group Greenpeace announced that it was stepping up its campaign against the spread of genetically engineered (GE) soya and to mobilise consumers against GE food. Greenpeace believes that the new European Union labelling and traceability rules will ease consumer and market rejection, but strongly criticises the loophole that allows meat and dairy products from animals reared on a GMO diet to be sold without a label to this effect.
"With half the world's soya, which is widely used in food products and animal feed, now GE, the urgency is clear for all to see," said Dan Hindsgaul from Greenpeace. "At every opportunity, Greenpeace will confront GE soya, be it along export routes or the food chain. In Brazil, we are at the forefront of the battle against GE soya, and in China we are working to protect the homeland of soya from genetic contamination. In Europe, we have launched Operation Trolley Watch, where concerned consumers are joining up to rid supermarket shelves of products containing GMOs."
Greenpeace consumer guides or red/green lists for food products are being released in more than 20 countries in the Americas, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. In Germany today, the largest supermarket chain Edeka with Greenpeace 'Gene Detectives' are conducting consumer education, identifying GE products. Edeka has made clear commitments to avoid GE ingredients in their own brand products.
Since the beginning of April, 'Gene Detectives' have visited supermarkets in 40 cities across Germany to check for GE labelled produce. Food brands from over 400 companies are listed in the latest edition of the German Consumer Guide to assist the consumer in avoiding GE products. Almost one million copies of the consumer guide have been distributed.
Earlier this week, a consumer guide listing food products with and without GMOs on the Brazilian market was released onboard the Greepeace vessel Arctic Sunrise in Porto Alegre. The new guide shows that global food companies such as Nestle, Unilever and Kraft have committed to not using GE ingredients in their products for Brazil.
Very few food items in Europe contain GE ingredients, due to massive consumer opposition. With the help of the public, Greenpeace will closely monitor the situation to ensure that the European food market remains closed to GMOs.
"We are confident that European food companies and retailers will have the wisdom to keep on shunning GE food," said Greenpeace consumer campaigner Martina Holbach. "Should food producers or retailers be tempted to test the resolve of consumer opposition to GE food, we are more than ready and believe we have the tools and consumer support to force such products off the market."
Greenpeace is highly critical of the major loophole in the new EU rules, with regard to meat and dairy products, insisting that for consumer choice to be meaningful, meat and dairy products from animals fed with GMOs must be labelled too. Some 80% of the current worldwide crop of GMOs is used as animal feed. Since the new EU rules and a traceability system in place require the animal feed itself to be labelled, there is no excuse to exclude meat and dairy products from the requirements.
Greenpeace is also very concerned that the EU Commission still plans to adopt a Directive, at the end of April, setting up thresholds for the "adventitious presence" of GMOs in conventional seeds, as this would lead to a general contamination of European agriculture.
"If seed contamination is legalised through thresholds, there will soon be no choice left for anybody, be they farmer or consumer," warned Eric Gall, political advisor at Greenpeace EU unit. "Consumer choice will only be secured when seeds and European agriculture are protected from genetic contamination, and when GM seed companies can be held liable for any damage caused by their products to the environment and to organic and conventional farmers."
For more information about the implications of the new EU labelling and traceability rules, download The European Union's new labelling rules for genetically engineered food and feed (PDF report).
Follow the campaign against GE soya and GE food at www.greenpeace.org/stopGMO
For more information, contact the Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255.
