Forwarded from [environmentaljournalists]
>PRESS RELEASE > > >Friends of the Earth Europe and Greenpeace > >Immediate release - Tuesday 26 August > >******************************************************** >FAILING IN THE FIELD > >GM crops in Spain don't deliver promises, but harm farmers and environment >********************************************************* > >A new study published today by Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace >demonstrates that the growing of GM crops in Spain is causing contamination >of organic crops, producing low yields and its benefits are grossly >overstated. The report is also highly critical of the Spanish Government >for failing to properly control or monitor the situation. [1] > >Spain is the only country in the European Union where GM crops are grown at >a commercial scale: since 1998, an estimated 25,000 hectares are planted >each year with a genetically modified corn variety (called Bt176) sold by >the Swiss biotech company Syngenta. The corn has been engineered to resist >the European Corn Borer, a potentially harmful insect for maize. > >The cultivation of GM corn in Spain is taking place without any >official evaluation (although prescribed by Spanish law). However, there >is now information - made available through a few independent studies- that >shows that the GM plantings pose serious economic and environmental problems: > >* A study by IGTA [2] demonstrates that - over the years 1998 to 2000 - in >most cases there were no differences between conventional and GM crops when >attacked by the corn borer. This indicates that the corn borer survives the >toxin produced by the GM plant, which poses a real risk if resistance >develops. This can not only create an economic problem to farmers, but also >an environmental problem, since heavier and more environmentally damaging >pesticides will be needed to fight the "armed" insects. > >* The first cases of organic crops contaminated by GMOs have been >discovered in the northern region of Navarra by the Council of Organic >Farming in Navarra (CPAEN, a public organic certifying body). Consequently >the organic certificate was withdrawn and farmers suffered losses because >their product could not be labelled organic anymore for marketing purposes. > >* Studies have shown that the yields for the GM crop are substantially >lower then comparable conventional varieties. For example, one study >reported that in 1999 the GM corn yielded 25% less then the top yielding >variety. > >* The Spanish Governments own Working Group on Pesticides reported in 2002 >that corn borer incidence in Spain is "low" and "does not justify the use >of these GM varieties" [3]. In contrast, the biotech industry states that >"Spanish farmers have suffered European Corn Borer for generations". [4] > > >The report by Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth also explains the >approval process in the USA and the EU as well as the legal issues related >to GMOs since 1996. It reveals for example that Bt 176 varieties were >already withdrawn in 2001 from the list of approved varieties by the >competent authorities in the US, a country known for its support to GM crops. > >The findings of the report are supported by mainstream Spanish farmers unions. > >Liliane Spendeler from Amigos de la Tierra/Friends of the Earth Spain, one >of the authors of the report, said: "This research shows that GM crops are >not the miracle crops that they are often taken for. On the contrary: the >only ones benefiting from these crops are the biotech companies, while >farmers and the environment are suffering from negative effects." > >Co-author Juan-Felipe Carrasco of Greenpeace Spain said: "Spain has become >a big experimental field, where GM crops have been cultivated for the last >5 years without any agronomic advantage compared to conventional varieties >and where no measures have been adopted to prevent their negative impacts. >The Spanish example illustrates what could happen on all European farmlands >if the EU Commission allows contamination >thresholds in conventional seeds and if biotech companies are not held >liable for their contamination of conventional and organic fields." > > >NOTES TO EDITORS > >1. The report "The impact of GM corn in Spain" is available from Friends of >the Earth and Greenpeace websites in Spanish and English: www.tierra.org >and www.greenpeace.org/espana_es >2. Instituto TŽcnico de Gesti—n Agraria del Gobierno Navarra, the Official >Farm Research Institution in Navarra >3. Spanish Ministry of Agriculture- Report of the Working Group on Pests >and Diseases in Extensive Crops. April 2002. >4. Europabio press release, 27th September 2002. > > > >CONTACTS >Liliane Spendeler, Amigos de la Tierra: >Tel: (+34) 91 847 92 48 Mobile (+34) 666 507 647 >Juan Felipe Carrasco, Greenpeace: >Tel: (+34) 91 444 14 46 Mobile (+34) 626 99 82 44 > >Geert Ritsema, Friends of the Earth Europe Mobile (+31) 629 >005 908 >Eric Gall, Greenpeace European Unit, Mobile (+32) 496 16 15 82 ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for Your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark Printer at Myinks.com. 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