Geert Ritsema, GE Campaigner, Greenpeace International said: “Today’s
tide of protests marks the launch of a global campaign to protect maize
from genetic contamination.”
The Greenpeace campaign is demanding that:
* Governments around the world place a ban on the release of any
transgenic crop or seed
* Governments withdraw existing authorizations for both commercial and
experimental growing of GE crops
* Genetic contamination of crops must be cleaned up, with costs borne by
biotech companies such as Monsanto, according to the “polluter pays”
principle.
In Zuera (Zaragoza), Spain, Greenpeace activists entered the site of a
GE maize field trial, and carved a 50-metre crop circle, marking the
field a genetic contamination zone. Juan-Felipe Carrasco GE campaigner
of Greenpeace Spain said: “This experimental field, only centimetres
away from commercial fields, poses an unacceptable risk to both, our
food and the environment. Contamination from GE rice has already proved
disastrous for farmers in the US – why should we wait till our maize is
similarly tainted?”
In Isabela, the Philippines Greenpeace activists carved a 45-meter “M”
with a slash through it in the field of a friendly farmer, thus marking
it as a no entry zone for Monsanto (2). Danny Ocampo, GE campaigner,
Greenpeace Southeast Asia, said "Monsanto is the largest promoter of Bt
corn in the Philippines, and has persistently sold the crop even in
GMO-free provinces like Oriental Mindoro.(3). Farmers have been lied to
and lured into planting Bt corn, but the reality is that it endangers
sustainable farming, which is safe, ecologically superior and
economically beneficial. GMOs are none of the those things."
In Jocotitlàn, Mexico(4), a huge crop circle simply stated ‘NO’, in a
demand for the government to reject Monsanto’s proposal to break a
long-standing moratorium against the cultivation of GE maize. Gustavo
Ampugnani GE campaigner of Greenpeace Mexico said: “Mexico is the source
of all the world’s maize varieties. It began here. If Monsanto is
allowed to introduce GE maize into Mexico, the result will be the
genetic contamination of Mexico’s native maize varieties. We have to
ensure that we don’t let that happen.“
Many of the long-term effects of genetic engineering on the soil,
animals, plants and human health are still unknown. Genetic
contamination of crops is a disturbing reality in all parts of the world
where GE crops are being grown, and the technology continues to be a
serious threat to biodiversity, food security, farmers’ livelihoods and
consumers’ right to choose.
