GREENPEACE PROTESTS AGAINST GE SOYA SHIPMENT ENTERING EUROPE

3 December 2000

Ghent/London - Greenpeace today condemned the importation of sixty thousand tonnes of genetically contaminated soya to Europe from the United States. The volunteers protested at the entrance of the Ghent-Terneuzen canal in Belgium, as the bulk carrier George attempted to go through the locks, demanding the cargo's owner - the US based agribusiness giant Cargill - respect the clear choice of the Europeans for a GE free food chain.

The load originated from New Orleans and was bound for Ghent to be used mostly for animal feed, despite opinion polls in several European countries showing consumers do not want genetically engineered (GE) ingredients in animal feed any more than in their own food. Neither consumers nor farmers are able to reject GE products as there are still no regulations in Europe to force suppliers and producers to label GE ingredients in animal feed.

"Europeans are being force-fed with GE animal products by multinational grain traders like Cargill. They exploit the current legal vacuum in Europe and their dominant market position, leaving no real possibility for the consumers to get rid of GE in their food chain, or for farmers to accommodate this demand by choosing non-GE feed for their livestock. Cargill could easily provide GE-free soya for the European market, but it chooses to do so only for high surcharges," said Jean-François Fauconnier, Genetic Engineering Campaign for Greenpeace.

A growing number of retailers and food producers reject animal products coming from animals fed with GE crops. This has reduced but not stopped the flood of GE crops to Europe. Hundreds of thousands of tonnes of GE-crops are still being imported to Europe to be used in animal feed.

Until last year, the US soya and corn industry claimed that it was impossible to segregate GE crops from conventional crops for a reasonable price. In the meantime all major companies in the US have started segregation programmes and offer GE free supplies also for animal feed - taxing those who want to go GE-free.

"It is simply outrageous that costs from genetic contamination, which takes place when GE crops are mixed with conventional ones, is systematically avoided by the polluters, such as Cargill. Cargill and its close GE business partner, Monsanto, make farmers lose on both sides of the Atlantic. In the US they are forced to either grow a GE contaminated product which they may not be able to sell abroad, or face corporate surcharges for guaranteeing they are GE free. In Europe, the failure to label GE animal feed means farmers can't be sure the animal products they are producing are GE free." Fauconnier added.

Greenpeace demands the world's largest animal feed trader Cargill implement strict segregation of GE and non-GE crops at source and that they comply with consumers' and farmers' right to know whether they are eating or feeding GE contaminated products.

Background information:

The True Cost of Food (adobe pdf)

Animal production and feed by species (adobe pdf)

GE animal feed is sneaking into the feed chain (adobe pdf)

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
In Gent-Terneuzen: Jean-François Fauconnier, Genetic Engineering Campaigner, Greenpeace Belgium +32 49616 15 87 ;
Jan Turf, Campaigns Director, Greenpeace Belgium +32 496 16 15 81; Elysabeth Loos, Press Officer, Greenpeace Belgium +32 496 16 15 89;
Greenpeace International: Lorenz Petersen, GE campaigner, Tel: +49 171 8780813;
Teresa Merilainen, Media Officer, Tel: +31 625031001

Pictures available from Greenpeace International Picture Desk, John Novis, Tel: +31653819121.
Footage available from Greenpeace Belgium, +32 2 2740216