SWEDISH VEGETABLE OIL MANUFACTURER TO STOP IMPORTING GENETICALLY ENGINEERED SOY

SWEDEN 24 March 1997

The vegetable oil manufacturer Karlshamns AB today told Greenpeace that they will not import any more genetically engineered soy oil until after summer at earliest. The company say that they have secured shipments of the 1995 harvest until April and after that expect to buy oil originating from Brazil. Brazilian farmers have not used manipulated soy beans yet.

'What just a couple of days ago was impossible has now suddenly become possible' says Mats Abrahamsson, Campaign Director for Greenpeace Sweden. 'This shows that even large companies like Karlshamns AB cannot force products on consumers that no-one wants. We congratulate Karlshamns AB for their decision.'

The pressure on Karlshamns AB grew steadily as more and more food processors converted from soy oil to other products. There was also pressure from Karlshamms AB next door neighbour, Carlshamns Dairy, who clearly rejected genetically manipulated products, but have still seen their sales go down because people confuse the two companies with each other.

'We will keep an eye on Karlshamns AB also in the future' says Mats Abrahamsson. 'If necessary we will come back after the summer.'

Beside its use for oil, Soy beans are also used in the form of soy meal, soy lecithin and as animal fodder. For these uses it has been possible to use earlier harvests, but many food processors are worried what will happen when there is no more natural soy. Around the corner, manipulated rape-seed, corn and other crops are waiting.

'What has happened in Karlshamn give us much greater hope to be able to stop genetically manipulated products in the future' says Mats Abrahamsson. 'This sends a clear signal to the producers that the market wants unmanipulated products.'

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For more information please contact:

Mats Abrahamsson Campaign Director tel: +46 701 30 00 00

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