Boarding the Etoile

Campaigners reveal illegal varieties of GM are being imported into UK

A jury at Cardiff Crown Court today cleared 13 Greenpeace volunteers of causing a public nuisance after a two-week trial that saw the trade in GM animal feed attacked by defendants from the witness box.

The 13 were tried on charges relating to a protest last June when Greenpeace blocked a 125,000 tonne bulk-carrier from unloading its cargo in Bristol. The Etoile's huge consignment - GM animal feed from the US - was destined to be fed to British dairy cows to produce milk for the UK's biggest supermarkets. Sainsbury's, Tesco, Asda, Waitrose and Morrisons all sell own-brand milk from cows fed on American GM feed.

Speaking immediately after the verdict Ben Ayliffe, one of the defendants, said: "We're obviously extremely happy with the verdict, which vindicates our action in trying to prevent what we believed to be illegal GM organisms being imported into the country. Greenpeace believed our volunteers were rightly acting to protect people's food and the environment when we blocked the shipment."

Greenpeace can now reveal that tests on imports of American GM maize coming into Bristol contained unauthorised illegal GM organisms. The varieties were banned in Europe, but were found by expert laboratory analysts in samples taken from ships over the last two years, both before and after the shipment that the 13 have been acquitted for blocking.

Greenpeace was advised to withhold the results until the trial.

"We told the jury we were convinced illegal GM was being brought into Britain and it seems they believed us," said Ben Ayliffe. "GM crops are untested and unpredictable and pose a threat to the environment. The fact that we found illegal varieties in imported cargo shows this industry is out of control. We'll continue our campaign against GM and call for a government investigation into these GM imports."

The MV Etoile, a Panamanian-registered ship, went to anchor in the Bristol Channel off Rhoose Point, South Wales, and was prevented from docking for 36 hours after Greenpeace climbers boarded the vessel. The protesters asked the captain to turn the ship around and return its GM cargo to the US. The ship eventually entered Bristol's Royal Portbury Dock with climbers still on board.

For more contact Greenpeace on 0207 865 8255 / 07801 212967

GM-free milk bar

Greenpeace teamed up with professional jokesters the Ministry of Fun to promote the Campaign for Real Milk. The aim of the campaign is to rid Wales of GM milk. For one day only a fake pub, The Cow Major, will be opening its doors on Queen Street serving up pints of GM free milk and alerting the people of Wales to the fact that most milk sold in Wales comes from cows fed on GM feed.

The Welsh public have given a decisive NO vote to GM foods but what many do not know is that GM producers have found another near invisible outlet for their unwanted product. Thousands of tonnes of GM animal feed comes into UK ports each year, much via ports in the south, to be used as feed for dairy herds that supply all of the UK major supermarkets.

Greenpeace GM campaigner Emma Gibson said "We're here on Queen Street today pulling pints of GM free milk to alert the public to the fact that hundreds of thousands of pints of GM milk are sold in Wales each day. The public don't want anything to do with GM foods but the supermarkets are still sneaking GM into shoppers baskets." The fake pub was created by The Ministry of Fun and is complete with a pub bar, dartboard and regulars performing bar tricks. As well as pulling pints of milk, Greenpeace will be balloting the people of Cardiff as to whether or not they want to drink GM milk. The results will be delivered to offending supermarkets in the region at the end of August.

The Greenpeace campaign has been hugely successful-Marks and Spencers now sell only GM free milk while Sainsbury's sell a similar product in over 200 stores. A Greenpeace report has shown that retailers could easily take GM out of their dairy feed at no extra cost to customers or farmers.(1)

Studies from the US have shown that growing GM harms the environment.(2) Though there is little chance of GM crops being grown commercially in Wales, this feed is the last loophole for GM to contaminate the food chain. Unless supermarkets stop selling their GM milk, Wales can never be truly GM-free.

Emma Gibson added "We want to stop supermarkets sneaking GM crops in through the back door. Join the campaign for Real Milk and help kick environmentally damaging GM off our shelves for good."

For more information please contact Emma Gibson in Cardiff on 07801 212 994 or Greenpeace Press Office on 0207 865 8255 (1) See GM and dairy cow feed - Steps to a GM-free future for the UK dairy industry (2) Read the Guardian article GM crops linked to rise in pesticide use

Greenpeace milkman with Maizy the milkfloat

Greenpeace are holding a Cardiff wide day of action against supermarkets still selling genetically modified (GM) milk. Shoppers the length and breadth of Cardiff will be offered the chance to exchange their GM milk for an organic alternative free of charge to show their rejection of GM goods.

Greenpeace are holding simultaneous milk exchanges outside six Cardiff branches of Tesco, Asda and Safeway throughout the day. Attending the milk exchanges and warning shoppers that the milk they've just purchased could be GM milk will be a herd of pantomime cows, Greenpeace milkmen and women, and Maizy the GM free milk float complete with fake fur, horns and udders. A 50-foot inflatable milk bottle stating 'GM free milk sold here' will warn shoppers at one venue.

Although shoppers have already given a resounding no to GM foods being on Welsh supermarket shelves many do not know that a million tonnes of GM animal feed comes into the UK each year. This GM feed ends up as food for dairy herds who in turn produce milk for many of the UK's leading supermarkets such as Asda, Safeways, Sainsburys and Tesco.

A recent report shows that supermarkets could go non-GM in their milk at virtually no cost to the consumer (1) Marks & Spencers have shown the way and already sell only non-GM milk.

Emma Gibson, Greenpeace GM campaigner, said "We're here today to expose the supermarkets who continue to sneak GM goods into Welsh shoppers baskets. Most people would be horrified to know that it's GM milk that they're pouring on their cornflakes in the morning. Welsh shoppers have already said NO to GM foods and today they can show Asda, Safeways and Tesco that they don't want GM milk either."

For more information please contact Marge Glynn on 07932 897315 or Emma Gibson on 07760 188 045

Note
(1) See GM and dairy cow feed - Steps to a GM-free future for the UK dairy industry

Scary dairy - the cows uncover Asda's GM milk

A herd of costume cows and milkmen and women hit the streets of Cardiff to protest about supermarkets selling genetically modified (GM) milk in Wales. The campaigning cows will be touring Cardiff in an open top bus and visiting supermarkets that continue to use GM animal feed for their dairy herds. The worst offenders will be awarded the "Greenpeace Cowpat Award for Supporting GM milk".

Although shoppers in Wales have said they don't want food containing any GM ingredients, the cows that produce the milk you buy in supermarkets like Asda and Tesco are still being fed imported GM feed. As there is little chance of GM crops being grown commercially in Wales this feed is the last loophole for GM to contaminate the food chain. Unless supermarkets stop selling their GM milk, Wales can never be truly GM-free.

Greenpeace Campaigner Ben Ayliffe said, "We're here in Cardiff today to give out the Greenpeace Cowpat Awards for supporting GM milk and to expose supermarkets that are sneaking GM milk into shoppers' baskets. Most people out doing their weekly shop would be horrified to know that they've been pouring GM milk on their cornflakes. People in Wales have said no to GM and it's time supermarkets like Asda, Tesco and Safeway ditched their GM milk."

Joining the cows will be Maizy, the Greenpeace GM-free milk float, which has been redecorated in cow style - complete with fake fur and udders. Maizy will be outside Cardiff supermarkets with Greenpeace milkmen and women who will be making shoppers cups of tea with GM-free milk and asking them to sign postcards demanding supermarket managers stop supporting GM milk.

Supermarkets like Asda, Tesco and Safeway have made no effort to stop selling GM-milk. The GM crops that these supermarkets use comes from the US where studies have shown GM has harmed the environment.(1) Other supermarkets such as Marks & Spencers have shown the way forward by only selling milk from cows fed on non-GM. A recent Greenpeace report has shown that retailers could easily take GM out of their dairy feed at no extra cost to customers or farmers.(2)

Ben Ayliffe added, "Our research shows that supermarkets can move to GM-free milk and it will hardly cost them a penny. Unless they stop selling this GM milk, our food chain will continue to be contaminated and Wales won't be really GM-free. The vast majority of Welsh shoppers want GM-free milk and supermarkets ought to respond to this."

For more information contact Ben Ayliffe on 07801 212 994 or Marge Glynn 07932 897315

Notes

(1) Guardian article: GM crops linked to rise in pesticide use
(2) Download the report GM and dairy cow feed - Steps to a GM-free future for the UK dairy industry as a pdf