Greenpeace today, successfully intercepted and is still occupying after 12 hours, the bulk carrier 'Iolcos Grace', which is carrying up to sixty thousand tonnes of genetically modified soya into Britain.
US grain exporter Cargill, who owns the cargo has said today that "genetically modified soyabeans are fully regulated and have been approved for safe use in food and feed in the UK and the rest of the EU since 1996."
Greenpeace however questions the assumption that GM soya has been approved for use as animal feed and has written to Nick Brown, Agriculture Minister, asking for answers.
Greenpeace however questions the assumption that GM soya has been approved for use as animal feed and has written to Nick Brown, Agriculture Minister, asking for answers to the following questions:
- On what date did the UK Government first notify the European Commission of its application for approval of GM soya for use as animal feed - as required by EU law?
- What risk assessments have been conducted to ensure compliance of GM soya in animal feed under existing UK product legislation?
- If no approval has been sought for GM soya in animal feed from the Commission, on what authority does the Government allow the importation of such products into the UK?
Greenpeace has also written to the Environment Minister Michael Meacher urging him to take immediate steps to stop any further import of GM animal feed until the legal situation has been clarified.
Charlie Kronick, Greenpeace GM campaigner said, "We believe that the UK Government should ban GM crops because of the unpredictable and irreversible nature of GM pollution. Cargill is hiding behind questionable legal assumptions to import a crop for which there's no demand. It's pointless bringing in thousands of tonnes of the stuff only to contaminate the food chain."
Further information:
Contact:
Greenpeace press office on: 020 7865 8255
