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Public Opposition Increasing GM Potato Scandals The decline in area under GM crops is a result of years Europe is the only region in the world that allows the of public opposition, which is increasingly being backed = commercial cultivation of GM potatoes. up by independent scientific opinion.” Governments n March 2010, the new European Health have heeded widespread health and environmental Commissioner John Dalli authorised BASF's GM Amflora concerns by banning GM crops. Six countries across potato for the production of industrial starch and as Europe have now banned the main EU-authorised animal feed. commercial crop, Monsanto's MON810 GM maize. n addition to that, Amflora is allowed to contaminate France, Germany, Austria, Greece, Hungary and food up to a threshold of 0.9 per cent—even withou Luxembourg have all put in place bans on MON810 GM ___ being approved for human consumption. maize based on health and environmental concerns. In This is unprecedented, and is a concession to biotech February 2010, Bulgaria also initiated a total ban on company BASF (since it protects BASF against produc! GMOs.”* recalls and liability). The tide of public rejection of GMOs So far, the contamination threshold is sweeping across Europe, with 169 of 0.9 per cent has only been applied regions, 123 subregional provinces and to GMOs authorised for human departments and 4,713 local This decision consumption (and only if the governments officially declaring ; Q contamination is accidental and themselves GMO-free zones.” delivers a major technically unavoidable). According The latest Eurobarometer, published blow to the to BASF's own admission, it would by the European Commission in . not be possible to prevent Amflora October 2010, showed that 61 per cent biotechnology entering the human food chain.” of EU citizens are opposed to GMOs, 4 Since the authorisation, Amflora's an increase over the previous year.” In corporations, cultivation has been characterised by December 2010, a petition with which have been contamination scandals, public signatures from over one million EU q opposition and judicial proceedings citizens was delivered to the using broad legal initiated by five European definitions of patents to gain control over farming and the food chain. European Commission, calling for a GMO moratorium and the creation of an independent, scientific and ethical body to test and regulate GM crops.*' This appeal followed the requirements of a new legal process, the European Citizens’ Initiative,” and is a landmark event. governments. The Amflora* potato has been banned by Austria, Luxembourg and Hungary because of the presence of an antibiotic- resistance marker (ARM) gene. There are concerns that this gene could transfer horizontally into pathogenic bacteria, which would worsen the problem of antibiotic resistance in veterinary and human medicine. Patent Decision Along with the national bans, another recent successful development for consumers and farmers is the decision by the European Patent — EU Animal Feed Imports Office (EPO) that essential biological methods of While MON810 GM maize and the Amflora potato are breeding plants and animals cannot be considered a _ the only GM crops authorised for cultivation in the EU, technical process to be covered by patents.” there are around 40 GMOs approved for feed and food Patents on plants and animals block innovative imports.” Imports of GM animal feed into Europe are breeding and weaken the independence of farmers and the main method of entry for GMOs into Europe. consumers, while allowing multinationals to take Currently, animal products from animals fed on GM control over global food production. crops do not have to be labelled, although due to This decision delivers a major blow to the consumer demand some European dairy and meat biotechnology corporations, which have been using companies and retailers in the UK, Austria, Germany broad legal definitions of patents to gain control over and France have started voluntarily labelling their farming and the food chain. products as GM free.” evertheless, conventionally bred plants and animals In fact, non-GM soya cultivation in Brazil could also can still be patented in Europe, since the EPO decision increase in response to European consumers’ rejection only excludes processes for breeding; it does not of GMOs. concern itself with patents on plants and animals more Alarmingly, both the GM industry and the animal feed generally. industry are pushing for the acceptance of thresholds in delivers a major _ blow to the corporations, which have been using broad legal definitions of control over farming and the food chain. EU Animal Feed Imports While MON810 GM maize and the Amflora potato are the only GM crops authorised for cultivation in the EU, there are around 40 GMOs approved for feed and food imports.” Imports of GM animal feed into Europe are the main method of entry for GMOs into Europe. Currently, animal products from animals fed on GM crops do not have to be labelled, although due to consumer demand some European dairy and meat companies and retailers in the UK, Austria, Germany and France have started voluntarily labelling their products as GM free.” In fact, non-GM soya cultivation in Brazil could also increase in response to European consumers’ rejection of GMOs.“ Alarmingly, both the GM industry and the animal feed industry are pushing for the acceptance of thresholds in APRIL - MAY 2011 NEXUS ¢ 21 This decision biotechnology patents to gain www.nexusmagazine.com