Greenpeace activists painted a ship known to be importing GE produce
On May 13, 2003 the US government filed a formal complaint with
the WTO against the EU's de facto moratorium on genetically
modified organisms (GMOs), demanding US$ 1.8 billion from the EU in
lost GE maize exports.
Instead of increasing acceptance of GMOs, the US global war on
farmers, consumers and the environment is consolidating both the
global rejection of GE crops and the global consensus on biosafety
- further isolating the US as a rogue state in the international
arena.
All countries are entitled to refuse GMOs and to demand
mandatory labelling of GE products. Decisions concerning regulation
of international trade in GMOs should be made in accordance with
the UN Biosafety Protocol and not by the WTO.
The 'Amicus Coalition', a coalition of 15 non-governmental
organisations from Europe, Asia and the Americas including
Greenpeace, submitted evidence to the WTO dispute panel considering
the US-led complaint against the EU. The coalition has filed an
'amicus curiae' brief that accuses the US of trying to scare
developing countries into adopting the controversial
technology.
Greenpeace also joined the Bite Back Coalition of groups
defending the right of countries to regulate against GE hazards.
International campaigners from the 'Bite-Back' coalition delivered
a petition to the WTO in May 2004, signed by more than 100,000
people from 91 countries, asking it to not force feed the world GE
products.
If the EU loses the case, it will have to pay compensation
and/or face trade sanctions. This outcome could also discourage
other countries from implementing appropriate measures to protect
the environment from GMOs and effectively force them to accept GE
foods and crops.
The GE giants:
Monsanto : is the global leader in developing and
marketing GE products. In 2002, over 90 percent of GE hectares
worldwide were planted with Monsanto's GE seeds. While the
agrochemical business is still the cash cow of the company, its GE
products are one of the most fiercely rejected product groups ever.
Read More
Bunge: makes US$22 billion in revenue a year, a large
proportion of which is from soya both GE and GE-free. As the
world's leading oilseed processing company and as one of the
world's leading traders and processors of soya, Bunge has a
responsibility for the environmental safety of the products that it
trades. Read
More
Cargill: is the US's largest private corporation, with
diversified operations including commodity trading of grain,
coffee, cotton, rubber, sugar, and petroleum; it is also the number
one US grain exporter. Cargill is one of the biggest marketers for
the three main oilseed crops consumed in Europe, soya beans, rape
(canola) and sunflower seeds, with market shares of up to 10
percent, between 10 and 20 percent and up to 10 percent
respectively.
Syngenta: is a Swiss agricultural company formed in 2000
from the agrochemical and seed businesses of Novartis, and the
agrochemicals and biotechnology research divisions of AstraZeneca.
Syngenta is the world's second biggest player in agrochemicals and
the third biggest seed producer.
Read More
Bayer CropScience : is the agricultural subsidiary of the
German based pharmaceutical and chemical company Bayer AG. In 2002
Bayer AG had sales of 29,624 million. It is a major player in the
development and marketing of GE crops. Read
More
In-Depth:
Help us stop Bush &
Co force feeding the world GE food
Amicus Curiae submited to the WTO
The US War on Biosafety - Renewed Aggression by a Rogue
State
Monsanto & Genetic Engineering - Risks for Investors
(Exec summary)
Food Dictators Won't Feed the World - They Are Part of the
Problem
How does the WTO affect you, and why should you care about
it?