Press release - October 15, 2009
Farmers are bringing the issue of genetically modified (GM) crop contamination right to the Commission’s front doorstep today. They are meeting European Commissioner for health, Androulla Vassiliou, and joining Greenpeace in handing over a petition signed by 180,000 people to stop the authorisation of Bayer GM rice.
Samnieng Huadlim, a rice farmer from Thailand, hands EU Commissioner Vassiliou a petition with 180,000 signatures. Farmers from Spain, Sweden and Thailand are at the EU today to meet European Commissioner for health, Androulla Vassiliou, and join Greenpeace in handing over a petition to stop the authorisation of Bayer GM rice.
The farmers, from Spain, Sweden and Thailand, are sharing testimonies 'from the field' of the destructive effects of GM contamination, and contrasting it to their successful experiences with natural farming. The farmers have brought with them ecologically grown produce for a light organic brunch: maize, potatoes and rice, whose GM-equivalents are awaiting authorisation from the European Commission.
"By signing a petition to stop the authorisation of GM rice, people have shown that they do not want GM food on their plates," said Marco Contiero, Greenpeace EU agriculture policy director. "We have already seen how GM maize is threatening the environment and the livelihoods of farmers. If the Commission authorises the import of Bayer's rice and other GM crops, the world's major staple foods will be at risk."
A Greenpeace report, 'Testimonies of Contamination', presented to the Commission today, documents the dangers of GM contamination and the effects on the livelihoods of Europe's farmers and local communities.
"Organic maize may disappear because of GM crops. My experience with maize is that pollen travels more than the Spanish agriculture ministry's studies say it does and is contaminated much more often than reported. In my case, the closest maize is 500 metres from my field - it is not GM, nevertheless my crop has been contaminated," said Eduardo Campayo García, organic farmer in Albacete, Spain.
"Farmers are rejecting GM crops and are turning to ecological farming. They do not want to be at the mercy of bullying multinationals that are threatening to take control of our food," said Contiero.
Ecological farming protects soils, water and natural habitats, produces healthy food and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Growing a mix of crops and varieties in one field is the most effective strategy to allow agriculture to adapt to climate change, increase resistance to diseases and decrease pesticide use.
Greenpeace calls on the Commission to protect our food and our farms by rejecting the authorisation of Bayer's GM rice, BASF's GM potato and Monsanto's MON810 GM maize.