"The EU has kept genetically modified (GM) crops out of its countries much more so than other nations. But recent industry pressure and soft politicians have started changing course. The European Commission unveiled plans in the summer to allow the production of GM crops in some member countries. Additionally, even before that, the EU (in a back-room sort of way) approved cultivation of a genetically modified potato, the Amflora potato (aka Frankenstein potato). Of course, a number of people aren’t very happy with these decisions. Over a million people, to be precise."
“Over a million people across Europe have set the EU a democratic test — will the EU address the real concern people have about GM crops and food, or will it side with the chemical industry lobbyists controlling GM technology?” Greenpeace’s EU Director Jorgo Riss said."
For the rest, click here.
If you haven't known about it yet, the EU is allowing GM corn to be imported for processing, for animal feed and for human consumption, as of July this year. Be aware of all corn derivatives in your food supply and also look for organic meat, non-GM meat and organic dairy. The big bully, i.e. the US finally got through.
According to Wikileaks, "The former United States ambassador to France suggested "moving to retaliation" against France and the European Union (EU) in late 2007 to fight a French ban on Monsanto's genetically modified (GM) corn and changes in European policy toward biotech crops, according to a cable released by WikiLeaks on Sunday."
"Country team Paris recommends that we calibrate a target retaliation list that causes some pain across the EU since this is a collective responsibility, but that also focuses in part on the worst culprits," Craig Stapleton wrote to diplomatic colleagues.
To read about Stapleton's connection to Bush and Monsanto, click here.
Good on the millions who signed the GM petition. I am sure that many more oppose it than even that.
ReplyDeleteShame that the EU caved in to corporate lobbying, and it seems US pressure. The EU should have carried on resisting GM in the EU, and move towards a total ban, the public would have been happy with that. Having said that, this is not the end, we need to keep going, and work towards a total ban worldwide.
And as for the US government, so they wanted to "retaliate" against Europe because Europeans didn't want GM frankenfood rubbish from the likes of Monsanto, Dow Chemicals, and elsewhere within the chemical and biotech industries?