Background - September 13, 2004
A huge mobilisation of European consumers and environmentalists has held GE food at bay in Europe over the past eight years. Unfortunately European governments and the EU Commission appear to be bending under the combined pressure of a powerful GE industry led by powerful companies like Monsanto, the Bush Administration and the WTO "forced trade" regime.
Activists at the World Food Business Summit in Rome, Italy say no to GMOs
Genetic engineering companies are not in this business to feed the world, as their publicity material crassly suggests. They are in this business to make huge profits by owning and controlling major staple food crops that are genetically engineered to be used along with the chemicals that the companies also sell. For example, a major product of GE companies is a patented plant engineered to tolerate the company's own herbicide. The companies make money selling not only the chemical but also the designer seed to go with it.
Genetic engineering companies want us to believe that GE food is safe and thoroughly tested. Thankfully, growing awareness about its threats has sparked a global wave of rejection by consumers, farmers and food companies in many of the world's largest food markets.
So we have to taken the fight to the supermarkets to stave off a new GE industry offensive by targeting the labelled products currently available in the EU. We have also been targeting the GE giants and the WTO.
Further reading
GE activists make themselves heard in Rome
Victory: Moratorium on GE expansion in Argentina
Monsanto retreat continues in Australia
Victory: Monsanto drops GE Wheat
McDonald's NZ goes GE-free
Supermarket Success!
Seventy-Eight Food Brands Go GE-Free in China