GM crops cause massive, unmanageable contamination;
Europe cannot ignore official warnings, say leading environmental groups

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, 27 March 2002 - Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth (FoE) and the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) today urged EU governments and the European Commission to safeguard European agriculture and biodiversity by preventing any genetically modified (GM) crops of beet and oilseed rape being grown in the EU. A recent report by the European Environmental Agency (EEA) (1) confirmed a risk of massive contamination if GM crops are commercially grown in Europe. Based on the EEA's conclusions, such a risk is unmanageable particularly for oilseed rape and beet, the environmental NGOs said.

In its report, the EEA warned that: "oilseed rape can be described as a high risk crop for crop-to-crop gene flow and from crops to wild relatives … It is predicted that plants carrying multiple [herbicide] resistance genes will become common post-GM release … Oil seed rape is cross compatible with a number of wild relatives and thus the likelihood of gene flow to these species is high". The problem was already recognised by the French government, which banned cultivation of GM oilseed rape in 1998 (2).

Massive and unmanageable genetic contamination is not only probable but has already happened in Canada where so-called 'superweeds' tolerant of three different herbicides are becoming common place, as was confirmed in a recent study by English Nature (3). The problem occurs when one variety of GM oilseed rape pollinates another, causing 'gene stacking' and multiple tolerance. When seed is spilled at harvest, it remains in the ground and germinates later as unwanted weeds in crops of different species. These multi-tolerant superweeds were first identified in 1998, only 3 years after GM herbicide-tolerant oilseed rape was first grown in Canada. A study found evidence of gene stacking at all 11 sites sampled in 1999, with gene flow taking place at distances up to 800 metres (4). In 2000, non-GM oilseed rape imported into the EU from Canada was contaminated by GM oilseed rape grown over 4 kilometres away.

Agrochemical companies are now actively marketing new chemicals designed to deal with herbicide-tolerant superweeds. Rather than GM crops reducing the use of harmful chemicals as the biotech industry claimed, weed-killer applications for herbicide-tolerant oilseed rape in Canada are actually higher than for conventional oilseed rape. Between 1997-2000, there was an average of 2.13 herbicide applications per crop with GM Roundup Ready and Liberty Link crops, compared to 1.78 applications for conventional varieties (see note 3).

Similar contamination problems exist for beet, another plant that is indigenous to Europe and has a number of wild relatives. According to the EEA: "Sugar beet can be described as medium to high risk for gene flow crop to crop and from crop to wild relatives. Pollen from sugar beet has been recorded at distances of more than 1 Km at relatively high frequency … The possible implications of hybridisation and introgression [of transgenes] between crops and wild plant species are so far unclear because it is difficult to predict how the flow of genetically engineered genes will be expressed".

Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and the EEB claim that EU authorities cannot ignore the EEA's findings, and that the report fully justifies the use of the Precautionary Principle, enshrined in the EU Treaty, in order to prevent irreversible damage to European agriculture and biodiversity. The NGOs therefore demand that cultivation of GM oilseed rape and beet should not be allowed in the EU, and that the European Commission and Member States take action to suspend several authorisations already granted for GM oilseed rape.

Finally, the environmental NGOs call on the European Commission - which is currently drafting a Directive to establish tolerance levels for adventitious contamination of non-GM seeds by GM seeds - to set a maximum threshold no higher than detectability level (0.1%) for all crops. Anything above that, say the NGOs, will lead to creeping contamination of seed supplies and ultimately to the erosion of Europe's agricultural and natural biodiversity.

For further information please contact:

Lorenzo Consoli, Greenpeace EU Unit, T. (32) 2.274.1906, Mobile: (32) 496 122.112
Gill Lacroix, Friends of the Earth Europe, T. (32) 2.542.0182, Mobile: (32) 476.244.161
Geert Ritsema, Friends of the Earth Europe, T. (32) 2.542.6100, Mobile: (31) 6.290.05908
Mauro Albrizio, European Environmental Bureau, T. (32) 2.280.6416, Mobile (32) 496.940.251

Notes:

1. "Genetically modified organisms (GMOs): The significance of gene flow through pollen transfer", European Environmental Agency

2. On 30th July 1998, the French government announced a national moratorium on the cultivation of plans such as oilseed rape which present risks of cross-pollination with other species.

3. "Gene stacking in herbicide tolerant oilseed rape: lessons from the North American experience", English Nature, February 2002

4. Beckie, H.J., Hall, L.M. & Warwick, S.I. (2001): Impact of herbicide-resistant crops as weeds in Canada, proceedings Brighton Crop Protection Council - Weeds pp 135-142.

See also:

GE oilseed rape – out of control in Canada, Greenpeace briefing, March 2002, (pdf)

Zero tolerance: no GM seed releases via seed contamination

Genetic Pollution - A Multiplying Nightmare, Greenpeace briefing, February 2002, (pdf)

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