UK to back imports of animal feed with traces of GM crops in move to benefit US exporters
by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
What part of "NO GM" do they not understand... it is not that difficult. European consumers, and esp. the British, DO NOT want GM. It is irrelevant what Monsanto may want and how much they lobby politicians, especially the unelected politicians of the EU that are answerable to no one.
The decision to allow feed containing traces of GM crops into the UK is likely to alarm environmentalists who have long resisted such imports and I am also certain it will also alarm anyone in this country who does not want GM foods. Allowing feed containing traces of GM crops into the UK, I am sure, is also going to be the back door to allow general GM foods into the country.
Genetically modified crops will be allowed to enter the UK food chain without the need for regulatory clearance for the first time under controversial plans expected to be approved this week.
I understand that the Britain intends to back plans of the European Union permitting the importing of animal feed containing traces of unauthorized GM crops in a move that has alarmed environmental groups around the country and in other parts of Europe.
Importing animal feed containing GM feed must at present be authorized by European regulators. However, a vote recently in favor of the scheme put forward by the EU's standing committee on the food chain and animal health would overturn the EU's "zero tolerance" policy towards the import of unauthorized GM crops.
This move is going to mark a significant victory for the GM lobby, which has pushed for a relaxation of the blanket ban for years. Environmental groups claim the GM industry wants to use the presence of unauthorized organisms in animal feed as part of a wider strategy to promote its technology, and we can be more than certain of that. Monsanto and others have but one aim; to bring GM to every part of the planet.
The GM industry is pushing this proposal in order to be able to wedge its foot firmly in the door and open up the British and European markets to food no one wants to eat. Its long-term aim is to contaminate the food chain to such an extent that GM-free food will disappear.
We must not forget that Monsanto is patenting seeds in such a way that, even if the stuff would be capable of germinating and reproducing, the mere act of retaining seeds from those patented plants would constitute a felony and the farmers doing so would be prosecuted.
Relaxing the EU's zero-tolerance position would greatly benefit US feed exporters. The push for Europe to drop its zero-tolerance policy began in 2009 after EU authorities found traces of GM maize in soy shipments from the US and refused to allow its entry. Such recalls are expensive and those affected are unlikely to receive compensation and the US went into a frenzy. This can also be seen from the embassy cables leaked by WikiLeaks which bring us proof that the US has been pushing hard, on behalf of Monsanto, including, more than likely, the use of bribery, for entry into the markets of the EU with the GM stuff.
GM supporters warn that the current zero-tolerance policy could result in a dramatic shortage of feed for livestock. But critics dismiss the claims as scaremongering and say there is no evidence to back up them up. The British government has tried to brainwash the public in the first quarter of 2011 that we need to have not just GM maize, soya and other animals feeds, but that we need “proper” GM fruit and vegetables, with the fear-mongering that without it we will have famines even in Britain.
"This is a solution without a problem, and the price could be very high indeed when unknown genetically modified organisms are let loose in the food chain," said Eve Mitchell, food policy adviser at Food and Water Europe, a campaign group.
"Rather than ignoring EU food safety laws to help the US soy industry cut costs, we should simply buy the stuff from countries that segregate their GM properly. If it hasn't been tested, why eat it?"
Many of the GM crops, notably soy and maize, that have been found in animal feed imported into Europe are resistant to multiple herbicides. Critics blame these new GM crops for the recent rise of "super weeds" across vast tracts of the US farm belt.
Friends of the Earth Europe said it had obtained expert legal advice questioning the legality of the EU's plan. But European regulators believe that allowing the import of animal feed containing no more than 0.1% of GM traces does not jeopardize food security.
There is one answer to this dilemma and that is for the UK to leave the EU, is is as simple as that. Not in the EU and they cannot tell us what to do, at least theoretically. But it also would appear, from what I have said above, that the British government itself is being pressured by the US on behalf on Monsanto and others to go with GM. We must not permit this.
© 2011
