For a GM-free agriculture
The organizations signing this statement, Friends of the Earth, COAG, Greenpeace, Red Seed SEAE require standards to ensure the continued coexistence of conventional and organic agriculture GMO-free, under the right priority for organic farmers and conventional non-genetic pollution and establishing a civil liability regime in which environmental damage, social and economic issues associated with GMOs, including genetic contamination may lie with the owners of authorizations for release into the environment. In addition to asking, as long as these conditions are not met, prohibit the cultivation of all varieties of genetically modified seeds on Spanish soil.
On June 9th, the Ministries of Agriculture and Environment submitted a new version of the Draft Decree of coexistence with the organizations of farmers, environmentalists and industry representatives from organic agriculture. Today, these ministries had sent a document of allegations and comments to the Draft Decree.
For the signatory organizations, the text is clearly insufficient because it remains the main defects that have been criticized in previous versions and therefore legitimate, in fact, genetic contamination in place to ensure the protection of crops and non GM products. However, by the ministries, there has been an improvement in transparency and readiness to convene working groups to this area and a reunion with the intention of creating a slightly more restrictive standard than the previous proposal (new distance between GM and non GM fields increased from 50 to 220 meters). In addition, the draft text is not explicit enough about the possibility of declaring GM-free zones and legalizes the existence of areas reserved for GM by the possibility of agreements between farmers. This, despite the existence of a genuine movement of European regions declared GM-free zones.
Recently, prominent concerned members of the Ministries have been making statements that could suggest that the Spanish authorities do not show such unconditional support and to biotech companies and their activities. The signatories hoped that this will lead to real change of policy on non-transgenic and a simple maneuver political makeup.
This project does not prevent or reduce the risks of genetic contamination, but tolerates, guarantees and legitimizes the contamination, that is accepted and the presence of GMOs in conventional and organic agriculture. It is difficult to understand that a regulation that aims, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, making difficult planting transgenic plant continues to have serious flaws, including:
- It minimizes the problem of genetic contamination, evading the obligation to respect a zero level of contamination in organic agriculture.
- Sets thresholds that allow contamination of crops that may be contaminated by GMOs.
- Equips the rights of farmers who practice GM, conventional and organic agriculture.
- Reduces the existence of a trade problem.
- Exempts from any liability to the companies that produce seeds and does not establish an appropriate regime of sanctions.
- It improves the existing conditions of complete lack of transparency.
Source: Greenpeace