A Greenpeace activist climbs the anchor chain and displays a banner on the Panamanian bulk carrier, Keoyang Majesty. The ship, which was intercepted by the Greenpeace ship MV Esperanza early this morning is carrying 40,000 tonnes of Argentinian GE soya bound for the port of Chioggia.
Greenpeace activists from Hungary, Australia and Germany have
boarded the Keoyang Majesty, and are occupying two onboard cranes
and one activist is hanging from the anchor chain, displaying
banners saying "Don't Buy GE Food" and "Defend Yourself from
GMOs".
"Italian consumers do not want GMOs to contaminate their food
supply. We have a right to know and to say no to this GE soya in
our food", said Federica Ferrario, Greenpeace Italy campaigner.
"This GE soya is not feeding the world as claimed by the GE
industries cynical marketing, it is used for feeding pigs, cows and
chickens in Europe."
The Keoyang Majesty from Argentina is transporting GE soyameal
for the multinational companies Bunge and Cargill, to be used for
animal feed. Italy imports 4.2 million tonnes of soya annually for
food and animal feed of which over three million tonnes are
estimated to be GE or GE contaminated (1).
"Almost 100% of soya is GE in Argentina. This GE-soya obsession
has become an environmental and social nightmare in Argentina.
However, Argentina is determined to produce GE soya to feed pigs,
cows and chickens in the developed world. Meanwhile, many
Argentinean families are being evicted from their lands to make
room for large GE soya plantations," said Daniela Montalto,
Greenpeace International GE Campaigner from Argentina, who is on
board the Esperanza.
Greenpeace has stepped up its campaign around the world against
GE food. Many shipments carrying soya suspected of being
contaminated with GE are being targeted in ports around the world.
Yesterday, after a 19 hour-long Greenpeace action, the 'Global
Wind' had to leave the GE-free port of Paranagua, Brazil, without
loading non-GE soya on top of its Argentinian GE soya cargo (2).
Shoppers Guides have been launched in twenty countries including
France, Brazil, China, Germany, Spain, Italy and Australia, the
guides will effectively educate millions of consumers about GE
products.
Follow the global Greenpeace campaign for a GE-free future at:
www.greenpeace.org/stopGMO
Notes: 1) European statistics office 20022) The Global Wind carries about 30,000 tons of GE soya from the company, Bunge in Argentina, and was supposed to load another 10,000 tons of conventional soya from Bunge subsidiary Fertimport, in the port of Paranagua in Parana state, Brazil. Parana, the second largest soya producing state in Brazil, has banned GMOs on its territory and the Greenpeace action against Global Wind was intended to prevent non-GE soya exports from Parana being mixed with GE soya from Argentina. New EU regulations on traceability and labelling of GE crops came into force three weeks ago; however, Greenpeace is highly critical of a major loophole in the new EU rules, with regard to meat and dairy products, insisting that for consumer choice to be meaningful, meat and dairy products from animals fed with GMOs must also be labelled.