Cyprus’ Friends of the Earth have joined Greenpeace and Save our Souls (SOS) in a pan-European campaign against Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) cultivation within Europe.
The campaign follows the European Commission (EC) decision last month to approve the commercial farming of the GM Amflora potato strain. It will be the first GMO to be approved for cultivation within Europe since 1998, when the only other such authorisation was granted to the GM maize “MON 810”. Amflora is intended for industrial purposes and animal feed and is not for human consumption.
Despite opposition, the EC claims that “a considerable amount of scientific work constitutes the basis of this decision”, insisting that scientific assessments have confirmed the safety of the GM potato.
The approval of new GMO’s for planting within the EU is welcomed by biotechnology companies and the latest authorisation is being backed by President of the EC Josι Manuel Barroso and Health Commissioner John Dalli.
The Cyprus Friends of the Earth organisation said: “We view that Mr.Barroso and Mr. Dalli’s plans contradict the will of European citizens and place industry profits above the protection of public goods, the environment and health”. The organisation urged Cypriot citizens to join the campaign by sending e-mails to the Minister of Agriculture Demetris Eliades, demanding he does not give in to pressures to approve new GMO’s in the EU.
Supporters of biotechnology view GM products as a safe use of modern biological tools, but generally European consumers are suspicious of their safety. “It’s the X-factor; scientists cannot predict what will happen after some generations of cultivation of GMO’s. It may lead to huge uncontrolled genetic changes in animals and plants. Genetic pollution is very dangerous as there’s no turning back”, said Green Party leader George Perdikis.
Last month the EC announced plans to come forward by summer with a proposal “to allow more choice to Member States in deciding whether to cultivate GMO’s on their territories”.
Measures for Cyprus to be legally declared ‘GMO-free’ by the EC are currently in progress with the government promising to “carry out studies in order to prove that agricultural conditions in Cyprus are such that we cannot allow cultivation”, according to Perdikis. However he added that at the moment “our concerns are concentrating on GM foods and feed on the market, since there is no interest from companies or farming enterprises that want to cultivate GMO’s here”.
According to the Europa website there are currently 32 authorised GM products for food and feed purposes in the EU market, with only products containing above 0.9% GM content legally required to be labeled as GMO containing. In Cyprus in 2007, Parliament passed a bill which had been declared “non-admissible” by the EC, which provided for segregation of products with GMO content on supermarket shelves. The bill was vetoed by former President Tassos Papadopoulos, fuelling claims of pressure from the US, which is the main GM product producer. The US Embassy reportedly sent a warning letter shortly after the bill was proposed, stating that approval could hurt US-Cyprus relations by “stigmatizing” GM products. The bill is currently still under consideration.
2010 Cyprus mail Ltd.
