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have also failed to address global food security © GM CROPS IN EUROPE concerns" or to raise yields consistently." The area dedicated to GM crop cultivation in Europe, Just four crops—soya, maize, oilseed rape and which is limited to Monsanto's MON810 maize and cotton—dominate almost all the production on land BASF's Amflora potato, has fallen steeply over the last under GM cultivation. Staple food crops such as wheat, two years. At the same time, popular opposition to tice, cassava, barley, oats, sorghum and millet are GM genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the EU has free as far as commercial production is concerned. The increased to 61 per cent.” These concerns over GM cultivation of GM potatoes for industrial use in Europe contamination are warranted, and new cases of GM is marred by controversy. potato contamination have also led to bans: the 2010 Despite PR by biotech companies and pro-GM approval of a new GM potato by the European research institutes, acceptance Commission has resulted in of GM crops is in fact declining, bans on the potato in Austria, even in the countries that have : Luxembourg and Hungary.” historically cultivated the largest These unsubstantiated However, while these are the areas of GM crops. In the US, a claims ignore widespread only two GM crops permitted for hugely pro-GM country, GM cultivation in Europe, a number alfalfa has been banned from resistance to GMOs of GMOs are approved for feed commercial cultivation” and including by farmer and food imports. The feed sugar beet seedlings were industry is currently exerting ordered to be uprooted due to mass movements such as pressure on the EU to repeal its inadequate environmental 1 1 zero-tolerance regulation of non- impact assessments.'® In India, La Via Campesina... approved GM feed and food. Bt brinjal, its first GM food crop, Furthermore, the European Food remains banned." In Brazil, the Safety Authority (EFSA), which commercial release of Bayer's GM maize has been assesses the risks associated with GMOs with respect to stopped."* In Europe, concern about GM food is on the ood and feed safety, has had its close relationship with increase while the area under GM cultivation continues biotechnology corporations exposed.” to fall." In its 2009 report, ISAAA states that 14 million small | GM Cultivation Declining in Europe and large farmers, 90 per cent of whom are described as As the biotech industry continues to be hit by legal resource poor, benefit from biotech crops.” These proceedings, scandals and public concern over the unsubstantiated claims ignore widespread resistance to safety of GM crops, the cultivation of GM crops GMOs including by farmer mass movements such as La _ continues to fall in the European Union. Between 2008 Via Campesina, which has a global membership of 200 and 2010, the total area under GM crops declined by 23 million.”! per cent. In Romania, the area under cultivation claims ignore widespread resistance to GMOs GM Cultivation Declining in Europe As the biotech industry continues to be hit by legal proceedings, scandals and public concern over the safety of GM crops, the cultivation of GM crops continues to fall in the European Union. Between 2008 and 2010, the total area under GM crops declined by 23 per cent. In Romania, the area under cultivation declined by 87 per cent, in Slovakia by 55 per cent and in the Czech Republic by 42 per cent. Over 80 per cent of the total area of land dedicated to growing GM crops in Europe is in Spain, which cultivates Monsanto's MON810 GM maize. Even within this exceptionally GM-receptive European country, official data show there was a 15 per cent drop over two years, with 11 per cent of that drop taking place between 2009 and 2010. (See Table | [not shown here; Ed.]). In Spain, GM crops have contaminated conventional and organic maize and the human food chain, which in turn has had negative economic impacts and resulted in some of the largest-ever demonstrations against GM crops in Europe.” Yet, new evidence shows the Spanish government collaborating with the US to push for greater acceptance of GM crops in Europe.” Za Zz somervilfe 20 * NEXUS APRIL - MAY 2011 These unsubstantiated ; including by farmer mass movements such as La Via Campesina... “Meteorites have been annoying this summer.” www.nexusmagazine.com