GREENPEACE AND FARMER DECONTAMINATE OIL SEED RAPE FIELD IN GERMANY

29 May 2000

Amsterdam / Langenau - Greenpeace today helped a German farmer to cut down five hectares of contaminated oil seed rape in south-western Germany. The field had been unwittingly planted with seed contaminated with genetically engineered organisms (GMOs). This is the seed imported by Dutch company Advanta and which has caused an European-wide scandal in the past weeks.

"This illegal genetically engineered oilseed rape has to come off the field before it can disperse its engineered DNA into our environment," said Benedikt Haerlin of Greenpeace. Oil seed rape has dozens of wild relatives in the European environment with which it is capable of cross breeding."

"Today we took the necessary preventive measures," said the owner of the field who wanted to remain anonymous. "Tomorrow I will sue Advanta to compensate for the damages. How can a farmer trust these seed companies any more? I also wonder why I have to have Greenpeace help me out rather than the German Ministry of Agriculture."

Greenpeace urged the EU agricultural ministers to agree on immediate action to deal with GE contamination of conventional seeds. "We expect the ministers to agree on clear measures to prevent GE pollution in the fields," said Haerlin. "We also expect them to directly help the farmers affected and to order seed companies to certify that their conventional seeds are 100 percent GE free." EU agricultural ministers are discussing the contamination a two-day meeting starting in Portugal today.

One of the major US seed exporters, Pioneer Hi-Breed, admitted last week that their conventional seed was contaminated with GMOs. "The US seed industry is trying to pressure the EU to accept one percent contamination threshold of conventional seed," said Haerlin. "European Ministers must reject this blackmail and stick to the law. Any company which cannot guarantee a GE-free supply should not be allowed to sell it in Europe."

Greenpeace urged European Ministers and Members of the European Parliament to set clear liability rules within the European GMO directive, presently being negotiated. A clear liability scheme is missing from the directive. "The biotech industry has been lobbying hard against any liability rules, both in Europe and within the global Biosafety Protocol. This crisis has made it clear why. Advanta must take immediate responsibility for the recall of their seed. But there is also an urgent need for clear rules on liability and redress."

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
- Jan van Aken, Greenpeace Germany +49.40 30618-361
- Benny Haerlin, Greenpeace International GE co-ordinator, +49 171 8780813
- Mika Railo, Greenpeace International Press Desk, +31.20.5249 548