Budweiser beer made with genetically engineered rice. True.
Budweiser is an international brand exported to 60 countries
worldwide. Anheuser-Busch controls 50 percent of the US beer
market and is the largest single purchaser of rice in America. They
buy between a staggering six and ten percent of the entire annual
US rice harvest.
(more...)
The contamination
In 2006, over 30 percent of the US long grain rice crop was
contaminated by multiple strains of genetically engineered (GE)
rice. It is still not clear how this happened. We do know that
these GE rice strains, called "Liberty Link", came from Germany's
Bayer CropScience.
The plot thickened when it was revealed the GE rice that
eventually ended up in Anheuser-Busch's brewing mix was supposed to
be confined to test sites only. This GE rice was never cultivated
or marketed for sale. The US Department of Agriculture
retroactively approved the use of the Liberty Link rice strains,
but their sale is still outlawed in most of the world.
The contamination wreaked havoc with US rice farmers and
processors. It is estimated in a class action lawsuit filed against
Bayer that 63 percent of the US rice industry's export trade was
disrupted. Orders and contracts were cancelled, products were
removed from shelves, shipments were halted and recalls ordered.
Testing and certification requirements were imposed. There was
extensive brand damage and a large loss of market share for US
producers.
Anheuser-Busch's responsibility
Although Anheuser-Busch did not cause the genetic contamination
of the rice, the company has a responsibility to their customers.
It should have refused to purchase or use any rice contaminated by
the GE strains. Tests conducted for Greenpeace show Anheuser-Busch
let the ball drop.
Anheuser-Busch has made a commitment to use only GE free
ingredients at its brewery in Wuhan, China, but has to date refused
to make the same commitment to American and European consumers.
Whassup with that?!
Greenpeace is calling on the makers of Budweiser,
Anheuser-Busch:
A)
To make a global commitment - for itself, its partners and
subsidiaries - that it will be GE free in all its beer
ingredients.
And
B)
To actively oppose the growing of GE rice including current
fields in Arkansas being cultivated by Bayer CropScience.
Send a letter
Ask wassup?! Sign the open letter to Budweiser.
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