Irish call for moratorium on GMO crops

• GMO is "biggest threat" to island's farmers
• Scientists accuse European Food Safety Authority of corruption and fraud
• Doctors invoke the Precautionary Principle
• Consumers want GM-free Irish label to support responsible farmers

This media release can be downloaded at http://www.gmfreeireland.org/press/GMFI53.pdf

DUBLIN — The Irish government and the Northern Irish Assembly must implement a five-year moratorium on field trials and cultivation of GM crops on the island of Ireland, with immediate effect.

Representatives of farm, food, health and environmental bodies from Ireland, Northern Ireland and Wales agreed the demand at the Gathering Momentum: Stop GM! community discussion hosted by the Dublin Food Coop yesterday.

Participants called for the moratorium on GM crops to protect our health, to safeguard our environment, and a voluntary GM-free label to enable farmers and food producers on both sides of the Border to compete in the Non-GMO quality food market that is rapidly spreading across Europe, Asia and the USA.

Irish beef and dairy produce (our two biggest farm exports) benefit from the clean green image of Ireland – the food island. Although no GM crops have ever been released for cultivation on the island, farmers in the Republic bought more than 7.5 million tones of imported GM soy and GM maize animal feed in 2008 – 2010 . Animal produce from livestock fed on these GM feedstuffs is increasingly excluded by leading brands and retailers in the EU and the USA.

Government slammed for mixed messages

Ireland's previous Fianna Fáil / Green coalition government agreed to ban field trials and cultivation of GM crops, and also promised to introduce a voluntary GM-free label which farmers and food exporters need to gain market share . But due to intense lobbying by the US Government and the global pesticide and the animal feed cartels, it failed to implement the policy agreement with any legislation. Two weeks before leaving office, FF’s outgoing Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith voted to weaken the EU’s GM safety rules and claimed that Ireland would now vote in favour of new GM approvals at EU level — without a mandate from the Irish people or the new government that followed.

Farmers and consumers are extremely concerned that the new Fine Gael / Labour government might allow patented GM crops to be grown in the Republic for the first time. Although this government has made no public declaration, contradictory pre-election statements by the coalition partners reveal ignorance and confusion. Fine Gael’s Michael Creed TD, Lucinda Creighton TD, Mairéad McGuinness MEP, and Jim Higgins MEP all promote GM food and farming . Teagasc got €10 million for GM crop research and now wants to experiment with field trials of GMO potatoes.

Biggest threat to farming future

Addressing the meeting on Sunday, Tipperary farmer Richard Auler said "The proposed introduction of GM crops by the new government is now the single biggest threat to the future of farming on this island. It would destroy all of our competitive advantages — including the least polluted topsoil in Europe, our mostly grass-based production system, and our famous clean green image.” The Irish Cattle and Sheepfarmers Association also favours a ban on GM crops . Paolo di Crocia, from Slow Food International , said “Since we live in a global world, stopping the march of GM seeds and crops is not only very important for Ireland, but also for the
developing world, where food security is paramount.”

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