When the German Minister of Economics and Technology recently endorsed a Genetically Engineered (GE) potato, he said "no" to public opinion, "no" to the health and safety concerns of scientists, "no" to biodiversity, "no" to farmers' livelihoods and "no" to German food security.
The only things he said "yes" to were the demands of the potato's owners, the chemical giant BASF.
The minister, Rainer Brüderle, participated in a media event on Monday (31st August) organised by BASF to harvest the antiobiotic-resistant potato known as Amflora.
77% of the German public is against the cultivation of the Amflora, which BASF has been trying to commercialise for 14 years.
But the company finally found two allies in the European Commission, President Barroso and Commissioner Dalli, who were willing to ignore scientific evidence and European legal requirements (along with the majority of European citizens) to give the spurious spud a green light.
The BASF potato was altered to include a gene which conveys resistance to antibiotics. And not just any antibiotics, but ones defined by the World Health Organisation as being of 'critical importance:' vital to fighting tuberculosis and other deadly diseases. Using genes that may affect human health and the environment is not supposed to be permitted under EU law. But let's not let a little thing like law stand in the way of corporate profit, shall we?
The genetically altered potato, which is intended for use as industrial starch, in animal feed and in fertilisers, will invevitably end up directly on our dinner tables through genetic contamination and leave a bad taste in everybody's mouth. The company admits that contamination is inevitable, that's the reason they requested and obtained authorisation to contaminate the food chain as well.
The good news is that the Hungarian government is challenging the European Commission's decision to authorise Amflora in the European Court of Justice.
Until this case is heard, we need to act. Avaaz and Greenpeace, under the Lisbon Treaty EU Citizens' Initiative, are collecting one million signatures calling for a moratorium on GE crops - we've got 700,000 signatures so far.
This year Amfora is being cultivated in 3 countries -- Germany, Sweden and the Czech Republic - to create more seeds for wider cultivation.
If we act now we can prevent the further cultivation, and let BASF know that we're saying "no" to this "Darth Tater". Sign the petition, and may the forks be with you.
(Photo © Doerthe Hagenguth/Greenpeace)