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GE
food a controversial topic for UN labelling committee
HALIFAX,
CANADA, 6 May 2002 - When the UN committee responsible for
setting global food standards meets this week, it will have
to deal with the long-overdue and highly controversial issue
of labelling genetically engineered (GE) foods.
 The
Codex Alimentarius Committee on Food Labelling (CCFL) is the
intergovernmental body that must create food labelling guidelines
for use with international trade agreements under the WTO
(World Trade Organisation), and for trade disputes over food
labelling. The CCFL meets in Halifax, Canada from 6-10 May
2002.
More
than 35 countries around the world either have, or expect
to make, laws that require GE-containing foods be labelled
as such. These countries represent more than half the world's
population. What's more, GE food crops have been grown and
sold since 1996.
Even
though the need for GE labelling is both widely accepted and
long overdue, the CCFL has been unable to make any progress
so far. The main GE food producers, the USA, Canada and Argentina,
have systematically blocked these attempts, asserts Greenpeace.
Greenpeace
condemns the efforts of these governments to impose GE food
on all, and dictate non-labelling for all. Even American
and Canadian
citizens want labelling that will distinguish GE-containing
foods.
The process now begins its final round of talks. The issue
of GE food will be placed in the agenda of CCFL for last time
in March 2003.
Greenpeace
opposes the release of any GE organisms into the environment.
As long as they exist, Greenpeace demands clear and mandatory
labelling of all food products that contain or are derived
from GE organisms. The labelling system must include a reliable
system to trace the possible presence of GE products throughout
the whole production chain.
Notes
(1) Codex Alimentarius Commission is an intergovernmental
organisation established in 1962 by Food and Agriculture Organisation
and World Health Organisation (WHO) to protect consumers'
health and keep fairness of food trades through establishing
international food standards. The food standards established
by Codex Alimentarlius Commission would be used for harmonisation
of international regulations under the WTO multilateral trade
agreement. Codex Alimentarius
Commission has 165 member countries.
Image
credit: Greenpeace/Hindle, 1999
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