Publication date: 16 October 2006

Summary

The government has published its proposals for managing the coexitence of GM, conventional and organic crops within the UK.

Our position is that the proposals legitimise contamination of organic and conventional crops by GM varieties, putting farmers' livelihoods at risk, endangering public health, and removing the ability of consumers to choose food that is free from GM contamination.

Contaminated US rice has been found all over Europe, including in the UK and Germany

Bayer's illegal GM rice continues to inflict damage on US rice industry

In yet another blow to the US rice industry, the world's largest rice processing company, Ebro Puleva [1], which controls 30 per cent of the EU rice market, has confirmed to Greenpeace that it has stopped all imports of rice from the USA to the EU due to the threat of contamination by genetically modified (GM) rice.

The move follows a string of scandals, with illegal GM contamination found in rice products all over Europe. In January 2006, a strain of Bayer's GM rice, which was not approved for human consumption, was found in US rice intended for export. As a result of Bayer's recklessness, the global food industry is facing massive costs associated with this contamination, including testing costs, product recalls, brand damage, import bans and cancelled imports and contracts.

In a letter to Greenpeace [2], the Chairman of Ebro Puleva states: "We regret that US rice is facing a problem with GM rice and decided to stop any imports of US rice since August 2006."

Ebro Puleva has also indicated that it will not consider purchasing from the US until the situation is under control. Instead, the company will purchase rice from other countries, with the exception of China, which continues to have problems with GM contamination of its rice.

"By imposing a blanket ban on rice imports from the US, Ebro Puleva has acknowledged how real and costly the risk of GM contamination is," pointed out Jeremy Tager, GM campaigner, Greenpeace International. "With GM now as uneconomic as it is unacceptable, governments in countries that grow or import GM must stop placing farmers, consumers, the environment and industry at such high risk."

At least three multi-million dollar class action lawsuits have been filed by US rice farmers against Bayer CropScience already, as farmers struggle to protect their livelihoods [3]. Ebro Puleva has said they expect to bring legal actions against Bayer as well.

The strain of Bayer's illegal GM LL601 rice was first detected in rice intended for export from the US earlier in 2006. This variety has not been approved for human consumption anywhere in the world. It has only been grown in field trials that ended in 2001, and yet in September 2006, testing commissioned by Greenpeace and then by various European government agencies showed a broad variety of products on supermarket shelves in Europe had been contaminated by Bayer's illegal GM rice. Following the Greenpeace exposé a leading German supermarket chain Edeka announced that they would cease selling all US long grain rice. A number of European retailers, millers and processors have followed suit.

"It is now time for governments to respond strongly as well. They cannot leave enforcement of food safety laws to industry alone. We urge the EU to enforce its laws more vigorously and ensure that all member states comply, particularly those that have thus far refused to enforce EU law," concluded Jeremy Tager.

For further information, please contact:
Greenpeace Press Office: 0207 865 8255
Graham Thompson, GM Campaigner, Greenpeace: 0207 865 8293

Notes for editors:
[1] Ebro Puleva, with a presence in 40 countries, is the first supplier of rice as a raw material for the major companies of the European food sector. It has taken over and now owns Riviana Foods, Inc, the leading company on the US rice market, with extensive distribution networks in the United States and Central America; Kraft Foods' rice business in Germany, Austria and Denmark; and Panzani, one of the leading food enterprises in France. http://www.ebropuleva.com/ep/en/acerca_ebro/negocioarroz.jsp

[2] The letter from the Chairman is available online.

GM activists boarding the MV Etoile

A South Wales magistrates court today ruled that 13 Greenpeace volunteers who stopped a shipment of GM crops from entering in the UK do not have to face charges under the Merchant Shipping Act.

The charges alleged that the Greenpeace volunteers endangered the safety of the MV Etoile when they stopped it docking at Bristol to unload a cargo of GM crops. However, the judge decided that there was not enough evidence for a crown jury to consider the charge.

Greenpeace Campaigner Sarah North said: "We are delighted that these charges have been dropped. Greenpeace has a long history of undertaking peaceful direct actions of this nature and safety is always of paramount importance. These volunteers took non-violent direct action to prevent a cargo of GM being smuggled into our food against the wishes of the UK public. The support we've had from locals has been huge. We're very grateful."

Although some charges were dropped today, the 13 defendants must still stand trial for allegedly causing a public nuisance. Judges today bailed the defendants to appear at the Cardiff Crown Court at a later date.

The MV Etoile, a 125,000 tonne, Panamanian-registered ship, was carrying thousands of tonnes of GM maize derivative into Bristol from the USA. The ship went to anchor in the Bristol Channel off Rhoose Point, South Wales, and was prevented from docking for 36 hours after Greenpeace climbers attached themselves to the sides of the vessel and asked the captain to turn the ship around and return its GM cargo to the US.

The chances are that this imported feed will not be labelled as GM, even though new EU labelling legislation came into force in April.

The GM maize derivative was destined for dairy farms that supply milk to Britain's biggest supermarkets. Despite promising to remove GM-fed products from their lines Sainsbury's, Tesco, Asda and Safeway all sell own-brand milk from cows fed on American GM crops.

Further information
For more information call the Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255

A field of GM maize

A new Government report on 'coexistence' designed to examine whether GM crops can be grown without contaminating non-GM and organic crops has failed to answer this crucial question. The report published today (Tuesday) by the Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission (AEBC) also looks at who should foot the bill if something goes wrong. 'GM Crops? Coexistence and Liability ' is the Government's final piece of evidence in helping decide whether or not GM crops are to be grown commercially in the UK.

Responding to the report, Greenpeace GM Campaigner Ben Ayliffe said:

"The Commission has failed to answer the crucial question about whether GM can actually coexist with conventional and organic crops in the UK. This is because they can't - coexistence is impossible and widespread contamination will be inevitable if GM is commercialised in this country."

"This comprehensive report at least acknowledges that GM crops could pose an irreversible threat to the environment. The Government now has a stark choice: either regulate coexistence and liability, effectively by stopping GM commercialisation, or regulate it ineffectively and open the floodgates to GM contamination.

"As there is practically zero demand for GM, the Government has a duty to protect our environment and health rather than promoting this risky and unpredictable technology. The GM industry still refuses to accept liability for their products. Why should we be left to carry the can?"