Campaign for seeds free of GM

Published: 03/18/2010 - Updated: 02/10/2018

The "Save our Seeds", which attempts to mobilize society to get a GM-free Europe continues to gain support from different ecological Associations. Such is the case of Green Coordinator, which has joined in the last days the initiative.

Support was concreted in the request sent to the European Commissioners Dalli (Health), Potocnik (Environment) and Ciolos (Agriculture) to halt the uncontrolled social transgenics problems and, in parallel, Europe protecting its seeds.

The helper of coordinator Florent Marcellesi, explained that his organization supports agriculture "to optimize nutrition and health, and to ensure that the genetic heritage we have received in traditional seeds in our territories will also help the hands of the next generation. " Marcellesi says that "sustainable agriculture should not be toxic or depleted to the ground and should be another instrument for the extension of social and environmental justice, so it is clear that we make a decisive commitment to farming and we consider to GM as a growing threat that must be stopped ".

According to the United Nations Organization for Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), during the twentieth century, 75 percent of traditional varieties used in agriculture worldwide have disappeared. A loss of biodiversity and resource for humanity, whose causes must be found in the gradual replacement of local seed varieties called "improved", and other causes such as deforestation, population pressure or military conflicts.

Faced with this tragic loss of seed variety, the Green Coordinator chooses to defend national and European agencies to increase financial and technical resources for the recovery of traditional varieties and encourages the participation of farmers and consumers in decision-making bodies and the Developing regulations and standards that protect human food industries production of genetically modified seeds.

Sonia Ortiga notes that "large corporations in the global agricultural industry looking to maximize their profits are indifferent to the public health or genetic contamination which may affect other crops.“ Governments and administrations should protect, promote and support traditional farming and organic farming, not only because of its vital importance to human health but to avoid agriculture dependent on these corporations. "We can and must also produce and distribute regionally, reflecting a recovery of hundreds of thousands of jobs across Europe”.

The spokesman concluded with an appeal: "200,000 people from the EU have already signed this petition individually, along with 300 organizations representing 25 million people. The Green Coordinator joins these voices calling for protecting the seeds, and encourages all citizens to be heard before the European Commissioners. "

Some organizations that support the Save Our Seeds in Spain:

  • Friends of the Earth
  • EHNE, Basque farmers union
  • Friends of l'Escola Agraria de Manresa
  • Hypatia
  • Green Utopia Foundation
  • Platform Transgènics Fora!
  • Local officers of the Green Islands in Adeje
  • CECU – Confederation of Consumers and Users
  • CIFAES, Center for Research and Training in Sustainable Economic Activities
  • COAG-IR
  • Ithaca
  • Ecologists in Action
  • Alborán environmental group
  • Rural Platform Alliances for a countryside alive
  • Luz de Vida

For more information: Healthy Lifestyle www.saveourseeds.org

About the author
3 Replies to “Campaign for seeds free of GM”
  • Lisa says:

    Gm-products have already affected too much people, the world needs a change talking about the crops and the production of ?natural? foods like vegetables and fruits which are not so natural now, people should be informed about this and try to stop it by giving information and participating in events like this one

  • darla says:

    more canpaigns please! this must be stopped, but people look like they already have forgotten

  • Stacy says:

    I started gardening from seed roughly 2 years ago, and last year I was wanting to get away from GMO’s, which of course, led me to plant heirloom varieties. I was shocked and apalled by how ridiculously difficult it was to find heirloom seed varieties in stores, or to even find information about them. Ordering them online is essentially the only recourse if one wants to start an entirely heirloom based garden.