6th of March 2010. the EU asks your opinion on a GMO-carnation (assessment rapport) with changed colour the Moon Shadow, C/NL/97/13. Consent (Dutch authorities. already in1998!). Genetically modified carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) lines 959A, 988A, 1226A, 1351A, 1363A, 1400A (Unique identifier FLO-11363-1) Comments can be send to this e-mail address untill the 21rst of March 00.00 h.
Join the Global Rejection of GE Wheat .
Groups from around the world are invited to sign-on to the statement on this site.
February 9th 2010: GMW: India puts moratorium on Bt brinjal, Here's the Indian Environment Minister's report on his decision not to give the go ahead to Bt brinjal.
29th of January 2010: Subject: Solidarity with India, Jan 30th Reply-To: "GMWatch" < gmwatch-weekly(a)gmwatch.eu >
NOTE: People anywhere in the world can register to fast tomorrow (Jan 30), or light a candle, in solidarity with Indian resistance to the imposition of GM brinjal (eggplant/aubergine). More info and sign up at http://www.brinjal.org
Introduction
This is my webpage (first dating 1996!) where I, as a consumer protest against GMOs in our daily food.
FDA scientists were questioned about the potential health hazards genetically modified (GM) foods would have. Previously secret documents attained by the Alliance for Bio-Integrity's 1998 lawsuit reveal that our food experts were very concerned that GM foods carried “serious health hazards.” They unofficially concluded that GM foods lead to “different risks” for consumers than untreated foods. More...
Important news: 12 december 2009: Research Paper
A Comparison of the Effects of Three GM Corn Varieties on Mammalian
Health 1. CRIIGEN, 40 rue Monceau, 75008 Paris, France
2. University of Rouen LITIS EA 4108, 76821 Mont-Saint-Aignan, France
3. University of Caen, Institute of Biology, Risk Pole CNRS, EA 2608, 14032 Caen, France Press Release.
December 2009, USA: The Farmer to Farmer Campaign on Genetic Engineering (Farmer to Farmer) is a network of 34 farm organizations from throughout the United States that endorsed the Farmer Declaration on Genetic Engineering released in December 1999. Farmer to Farmer seeks to build a farmer driven campaign focused on concerns around agricultural biotechnology and to provide a national forum for farmer action on these issues. Presents; Out of Hand American farmers are feeling the effects of a concentrated seed industry. Seed options are diminishing while prices increase at historic rates. A new report by the Farmer to Farmer Campaign, Out of Hand: Farmers Face the Consequences of a Consolidated Seed Industry , uses industry sources, government data, and personal interviews with farmers and seed industry representatives to document the consequences of concentration in the seed industry.
JOE WHITTINGTON AND ANDREW M. HARRIS
BLOOMBERG NEWS, 5 December 2009 Uitspraak: Bayer CropScience veroordeeld tot het betalen van $2 miljoen, vanwege verliezen die twee boeren uit Missouri leden, betreffende een experiment met een rijstsoort van dit bedrijf dat hun gewas besmette.
$2 million verdict against Bayer CropScience
JOE WHITTINGTON AND ANDREW M. HARRIS
BLOOMBERG NEWS, 5 December 2009
Bayer CropScience LP must pay about $2 million for losses sustained by two Missouri farmers when an experimental variety of rice the company was testing cross-bred with their crops, a federal jury ruled.
Fragment: Federal district court judge Catherine Perry is overseeing some 3,000 suits in which rice farmers allege that Bayer CropScience was careless in.....more
27th of November 2009: Photos and text about the Conference in the Kurhaus Hotel, Scheveningen "GMOs in European Agriculture and Food Production."
London, 4 December 2009
Doc. Ref. EMEA/780391/2009
Questions and answers on the risk of fever with Pandemrix in young children
The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) at the European Medicines Agency has reviewed data on the use of a second dose of the pandemic flu vaccine Pandemrix in children aged from 6 months to 3 years. The Committee noted that this second dose brings a further immune response, but that there is also an increased risk of fever.
A well known coorperation already knew about a pandemie in 2006!
Do NOT Let Your Child Get Flu Vaccine -- 9 Reasons Why
Posted by: Dr. Mercola
October 06 2009 | 12,000 views
o NOT Let Your Child And Loved Ones Get Flu Vaccine ( the H1N1 swine flu, GMO-vaccine) -- 18 Reasons (by Bill Sardi) Why. Posted by: Dr. Mercola October 06 2009 | 12,000 views
H1N1 Vaccine to German Soldiers; Different Than Citizens.
1/6 BELL TOLLING for the Swine Flu (CAMPANAS por la gripe A) subtitled
TERESA FORCADES, doctora en Salut Pública, hace una reflexión sobre
la historia de la GRIPE A, aportando datos científicos, y enumerando las irregularidades relacionadas con el tema.
UPDATE: Polish Health Minister, a family doctor, tells Parliament she will not allow use of untested swine flu jabs: reveals secret contracts violate the law. Polish, English.
USA: JUST PUT, HOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! H1N1 Swine Flu "National Emergency" Warning!
2nd of October 2009 About the hearing on Moonaqua tm:
The hearing went well. We were with 6 persons, the ministry too and she had one independent male secretary to take the minutes and he recorded it on a tape. I could speak for half an hour, to read out a.o. the 14 pieces (some in English, one in French, the chair said that I should not read the French piece because nobody could understand but would be recorded in the minutes) from signers who have send me a piece for the hearing.
You can read them here. I have asked whether the decision on the petition from the Ministry could be in other languages. But they stressed that it is not possible and not allowed and they asked me to send the coming (in 10 weeks) decision to all signers of the petition. So I have to translate it myself.
But Portuguese, Italian, Spanish and French is not a language I master. In my plea I have referred to the cooperation between Niaba (Dutch union of multinationals like Monsanto, Unilever etc.) and several ministries and their civil servants and that one was present in the room. He told me afterwards, "You did mean me, but I don't feel addressed, we just can speak to them don't we?"
Furthermore the question was: who is an interested person who can go to a higher court to try to stop the introduction into the market. Ordinairy people cannot go anymore to court when they aren't an interested party according to some judges. But there isn't a law yet that describes what a interesting person or - party really is. And the Actio Popularis, the law that gave everyone the opportunity to go to court in case of undesired decisions of the government is been abolished silently and nobody knew what had happend. More introductions into the market of GMOs will come up, but all is a lot of work.
Three other persons also spoke. One older person who was a tulip grower and nowadays is a pensioner who grows organic bulbs, spoke long and more in a spiritual sence and after an hour and a half the hearing was done.
After the hearing in the Hague
Petition is send, you cannot add your name anymore!
Press Release
Portuguese - and other European citizens don't like lilac/blue GMO-carnations!
Recently I wrote a petition against a GMO-carnation with changed colour, named Moonaqua TM of Florigene, as a spokeswoman of the European GMO-free Citizens to the Dutch Ministry of Environment. People asked me to translate it into English.
I also asked several people to translate a short text on the carnation into Portuguese, German, Italian and French. A lot of Portuguese reacted on my call, which was put on my website, to undersign my petition. It appears that the carnation is the symbol of Portugal because of the carnation revolution of 1974. In no time I have found 20 Portuguese sites (scroll down) where my petition was mentioned ( "uma petição sobre cravos OGM com a cor alterada"). See also Jornal de Notícias (at the moment, 1rst of September 2009, visited 1370 times). More reactions came from Brazil, Mauritius, USA, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, South-Africa, Cyprus, the Philippines, UK, Scotland, Spain, Italy, France, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Poland and the Netherlands. People like dr. Mae-Wan Ho (UK, she has put a link of my petition and a story on it with a call up to sign it on the site of ISIS , ) and Prof. R. Cummins (Canada) of ISIS, Institute of Science in Society signed the petition themselves as well as
Dr. Mae-Wan Ho has put our petition on the site of The Institute of Science in Society the tittle is:
Say No to GM Carnations for Europe
A petition has been posted against the introduction of GM-carnations Moonaqua with altered colours.in the Netherlands.. These carnations are not yet available in Europe because they are not authorized. But the Dutch Ministry of Environment will do that in less than 6 weeks.time. Please join our protest against this flower before than. To test on 'safety' they used mice and human embryo cells, and for a change in colour. We have enough ordinairy flowers with beautiful colours on the globe, we don't need GM ones with all the health and environmental risks involved.
July 28, 2009 We have just made a petition on GMO-carnations with changed colour. Named Moonaqua TM. These carnations are not yet available in Europe because they are genetically engineered and are not autorized. But the Dutch Ministry of Environment will in 6 weeks. You can protest against this flower till than. To test on the safety they use mice and human embryotic cells and that for a change in colour. There are enough ordinairy flowers with beautiful colours on the globe, we don't need artificial ones, I think. Sign my petition by sending an e-mail to this e-mail address by stating: Petition on GMO-carnation Moonaqua ™ , C/NL/06/01 and your name street town country without commas. More about the GMO carnation you can read hereand here (EFSA Summary) . Deadline 1rst of September 2009.
Français
28 juillet 2009 Nous avons une pétition qui vient d'être faite sur les OGM a changé de couleur avec des
œillets. Nommé Moonaqua TM. Ces oeillets sont pas encore disponibles en Europe car ils sont génétiquement modifiés et ne sont pas autorisés. Mais le ministère néerlandais de l'Environnement veut donner l'accord ici 6 semaines. Vous pouvez protester contre cette fleur jusqu'à cette date. Pour tester sur la sécurité ils utilisent des souris et des cellules humaines d'embryon et cela pour un changement de couleur. Il ya suffisamment de fleurs ordinaires avec de belles couleurs dans le monde, nous n'avons pas besoin de fleurs artificielles, je crois. Signez ma pétition en envoyer un e-mail à cette adresse e-mail en précisant: Pétition sur les OGM- oeillet, l'oeillet Moonaqua ™, C/NL/06/01 et votre nom rue ville pays sans virgules. Pour en savoir plus sur les OGM- oeillet, vous pouvez lire ici et ici (EFSA Summary). Date limite est le 1er septembre 2009.
German
July 28, 2009 Wir haben gerade eine Beschwerdeschrift an unserem Ministerium für Umwelt geschreiben gegen die Nelke Moonaqua (TM) mit geränderte Farbe. Diese Nelken sind noch nicht verkäuflich in den EU weil sie gentechnisch geändert sind und jetzt noch nicht zugelassen. Das Holländische Ministerium möchte dass machen nach 6 Wochen für ganz Europa . Sie können dagegen protestieren bis an den ersten September. Mann hat Mäuse misbraucht um die Giftigkeit zu testen. Die Tiere werden am Ende getötet. Auch verwendete man menschliche Fetus Zellen bei ähnliche Nelken. Und dass für eine andere Farbe! Es gibt tausende schöne Blumen ohne die Verwendung vom Gentechnik! Unterschreiben Sie bitte mein Beschwerde durch das Schicken von Ihre Name Hausadresse Wohnort Land und e-mail Adresse ohne Kommas zu diese e-mail Adresse mit folgendem Satz: Beschwerde bezüglich genveränderte Nelken Moonaqua ™ , C/NL/06/01".
Portuguese
Acabamos de terminar uma petição sobre cravos OGM com a cor alterada. Nomeado Moonaqua (TM). Estes cravos ainda não estão disponíveis na Europa, porque eles são geneticamente modificados e ainda não não estão autorizados. Mas o Ministério do Meio Ambiente Holandês irá autorizar dentro de 6 semanas. Você pode protestar contra esta flor até esse prazo. Para testar sobre a segurança destas flores utilizam ratos e células embrionárias de humanos e tudo isto por uma mudança de cor. Existem uma grande variedade de cravos com belas cores em todo o globo, não precisamos de cores artificiais. Assine a nossa petição, enviando um e-mail para este endereço info(at)gentechvrij.nl, declarando em assunto: Petição sobre cravos-OGM Moonaqua ™, C/NL/06/01, inicando no corpo da mensagem seu nome da rua cidade país sem vírgulas. Mais informações sobre os cravos OGM você pode ler aqui e aqui (AESA Síntese) . Prazo até 1 de Setembro de 2009. Veja os links em http://www.gentechvrij.nl/thegmofreecitizens.html
Italiano
Firma la nostra petizione sul garofano geneticamente modificato Moonaqua TM . 28 luglio 2009. La petizione riguarda i garofani geneticamente modificati per avere un colore nuovo chiamati Moonaqua TM .
Essendo geneticamente modificato questo tipo di garofano non è ancora disponibile in Europa perché non è autorizzato, ma l'autorizzazione verrà concessa dal Ministero dell'Ambiente olandese entro 6 settimane.
Entro tale data sarà possibile protestare contro l'introduzione di questo fiore.
Per studiare la sicurezza di tali fiori vengono usate topi e cellule embrionali umane.
Non abbiamo bisogno di fiori artificiali, ci bastano i fiori con colori bellissimi offerti dalla natura.
Per firmare la mia petizione manda una e –mail a questo indirizzo* scrivendo: Petizione sul garofano geneticamente modificato Moonaqua TM, C/NL/06/01 e il tuo nome strada città nazione senza virgole.
Ulteriori informazioni sui garofani geneticamente modificati sono reperibili qui e qui (Riassunto EFSA).
Ricordo che il termine ultimo per l'invio della petizione è il 1 settembre 2009.
Per ulteriori informazioni: http://www.gentechvrij.nl/thegmofreecitizens.html
English to Italian translation by Nadia Simonini - ISDE Italia). Grazie tante!
Dutch
24 juli 2009: Gentech anjer Moonaqua C/NL/06/01 goedgekeurd door VROM en NLV voor markttoelating in de hele EU. Je kunt bezwaar maken. Voorbeeldbezwaarschrift hier te downloaden. Je kunt je naam, adres, woonplaats, datum en e-mail adres doorgeven zonder komma's ertussen als je het bezwaarschrift mede wilt ondertekenen. Deadline 1 september 2009. Hoe doe je dat ? 1. Lees het bezwaarschrift. 2. Stuur een e-mail naar dit adres met de vermelding "Bezwaar tegen markttoelating gentech anjer Moonaqua ™ , C/NL/06/01." en je gegevens. Wij zorgen er voor dat het bezwaarschrift met je gegevens naar VROM gestuurd worden.
RESOURCES FOR GERMANY AND FRANCE: A "risk register" for GM crops in Germany is now online providing exact locations of test sites via google maps, plus some analysis and additional info. For France see here.
10 July
AFP, Caen - A study conducted by eight international researchers calls into question the reliability of tests of the European Food Safety (EFSA) and the US FDA to assess the health risks of GMOs and pesticides, it was learned Wednesday.
The article, signed by French, Italian, New Zealand, British and American experts, is published by the website of the International Journal of Biological Science, according to a press release from the Research Committee of Independent Information on Genetic Engineering (CRIIGEN), chaired by former environment minister Corinne Lepage and based in Caen.
30 June 2009, Wassenaar. The European GMO-free Citizens did dine with the AG Secretary Mrs. G. Verburg. More....
23 juni 2009 Scientific American: Weed-Whacking Herbicide Proves Deadly to Human Cells. Used in gardens, farms, and parks around the world, the weed killer Roundup contains an ingredient that can suffocate human cells in a laboratory, researchers say.
Percy Schmeiser warns the Netherlands and Europe: Don't grow GMO-crops! Canada has learned her lesson.
Canada doesn't want any more GMOs on her territory. No pure canola (rapeseed) and pure soy available anymore.
Coexistention: fairytale! Warning for the Netherlands and Europe don't grow GMO-crops!
More on this topic, videos and some text in English, Dutch and German see here.
Percy Schmeiser and Miep Bos of the European GMO-free Citizens Den Bosch, yesterday. Percy and Louise Schmeiser were invited by ZLTO, Biologica and Avalon.
19 June 2009 The Ecologist: WWF and Monsanto - is GM soy now okay?
16 juni 2009 Finally Minister Gerda Verburg does invite The European GMO-free Citizens to come to diner to evaluate the seminar of the 9th of June 2009. We will keep you posted!
EXTRACT: "BASF had eight years in which to produce a potato without an antibiotic resistance gene, but chose not to in order to save money and time. Authorising it now would be as crazy as restarting the production of cars without seatbelts or airbags. The authorisation of GM products should be based on health and environmental assessments, not on protecting the corporate interests of BASF."
DOCTORS CALL FOR A MORATORIUM ON GM FOODS
Irish Medical Times, 12 June 2009
http://www.imt.ie
The Irish Doctors' Environmental Association (IDEA) has backed calls for an immediate moratorium on genetically modified (GM) foods. A new position paper from the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) had said that GM foods 'pose a serious health risk' and called for a moratorium on them.
The paper also said doctors must educate their patients and the public to avoid GM foods and that doctors should consider the role of GM foods in the "patient's disease processes".
"Doctors have an ethical and moral duty to highlight concerns in relation to these issues and in the interest of the health of present and future generations. Permission to grow or consume genetically engineered foors in Ireland should be denied," it stated.
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Comment from GM-free Ireland
CRIIGEN - Scientific Council for Independent Research on Genetic Engineering, the Union of Concerned Scientists, the Independent Science Panel, the U.S. Center for Food Safety, the Institute of Gene Ecology, the International Society of Doctors for the Environment, the Assembly of European Regions, The Foundation on Future Farming, the International Commission of the Future of Food and Agriculture, Slow Food, and numerous agronomic, environmental and health scientists from leading universities and research institutes around the world.
PREMIERES RENCONTRES INTERNATIONALES CONTRE LA BIOPIRATERIE/
First international meeting against biopiratery
Pour la défense des droits des peuples autochtones sur la biodiversité/
For the defence of rights of the original people on biodiversity
Paris les 13 et 15 Juin 2009
Paris, the 13th and 15th of June 2009
Remerciements :
Yves Cochet (député), Danielle Mitterrand, présidente de la Fondation France
Libertés, Centre International des cultures populaires, RTBF Belgique, Fondation
Education et Développement, service « Films pour un seul monde », Fondation
pour une Terre humaine.
Guaranteeing the rights of owners of traditional knowledge
Biodiversity is a treasure of resources which are unequally distributed around the world. In areas of high biological diversity, indigenous people have contributed to the development and preservation of knowledge of biological resources. But these resources are increasingly necessary to the development of life science-based industries in the cosmetics, pharmaceutical and agribusiness markets.
The Day The Dutch Democracy Died (but will rise again!).
On Tuesday, the 9th of June there was a seminar about GMOs. We were invited but didn't get the change to air our views, so a very concerned GMO-free Citizen rose from her seat and she as a farmers daughter, told the audience that people who are very concerned about GMOs did not get a change to speak out. Then the Chair of the afternoon, Mr. Felix Rottenberg, was very rude in his answer and put it like she was speaking in an unproper way. But she spoke from the heart. Then we became very frustrated and some of us went home in protest and others went to the people of the ministry of Agriculture who have organised the seminar, to express their thoughts on this. But although there was some less stress afterwards, we did't get the opportunity to express our views, only pro-people were pushed forward. An exception was Prof. Louise Fresco, she had done her homework and wasn't realy pro but also wasn't being anti GMOs.
We are astonished that this can happen in a democracy like ours! This is very wrong! The great amount of scientific evidence, that states that GMO-food is a danger to all life is rising and rising. Sooner or later all the citizens of the world will know, not to eat this. It is only a matter of time. We got the change to hand over an Open Letter to the minister of Agriculture, Mrs. Gerda Verburg, it is in Dutch, but the most links are to websites in English, so take a look! This was The Day The Dutch Democracy Died (but will rise again!)
European GMO-free Citizen Mr. Robert Verlinden of VoMiGEN at the seminar.
Next to him propaganda billboard from WUR
to tell the elementary schoolkids all about
GMOs in their terms.
Second photo;
Minister Verburg at her pro- GMOs opening speech.
April 2009 GMO Moratorium: The way forward for Europe
The participants of the 5th European Conference of GMO-Free Regions “Food
and Democracy” call for an EU-wide moratorium on the authorization and the
commercial planting of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). In the wake of
six EU member states banning the planting of MON810 and in light of the rapid
increase in GMO-free regions in Europe, there has never been a better moment
for a moratorium than now.
18 april 2009:See the videoand the one on Youtube.Thousands of people have taken to the streets of the Spanish city of Zaragoza calling for a ban on the use of genetically modified crops.15 April 2009 Sign against GMO-corn in Mexico, deadline 30th of April 2009. 14 april 2009 Germany bans Monsanto's GM maize.4 April 2009 Liberty Link of Bayer not welcome in Brazil.
27th of March 2009 Every time you eat, you may unknowingly be eating food that has been genetically engineered, a process that inserts foreign genes into plants and animals to give that organism certain traits it would not naturally have.
24 March 2009 Hungerstrike of two Polish woman farmers, Danuta and Edyta because of the dangers of GMOs. See the photos here.
This is Edyta Jaroszewska. Drawn after a photo.The sign says; " Hungerstrike for a GMO-free Poland".
Edyta Jaroszewska, 42 year old organic farmer and chairperson of the Organic Farmers Association, started fasting for a GMO Free Poland. Two days ago Danute Pilarska, another organic farmer and chairperson of The Organic Farmer's Union, joined her. Yesterday, both women, together with other members of the Coalition for a GMO Free Poland, joined a meeting of the Polish government's Agricultural Committee in the Senate in Warsaw. The committee was discussing the future of GMO in Poland. After a few hours of debate Edyta concluded "There's no political will within the Polish government to stop corporations from illegal planting of the GM maize variety MON 810 - and to ensure that Poland is kept GMO free. This opens the possibility of the widespread planting of MON 810 during this year. So we don't have another choice other than to stay here and fight!" Today, the fasting ladies, supported by other members of the Coalition, have been protesting in front of the Ministry of Agriculture in Warsaw.
Press Release, January 19, 2009 Coalition against Bayer Dangers
Take Glufosinate off the Market immediately!
Bayer´s herbicide among 22 most dangerous substances / Coalition also demands ban on glufosinate-resistant plants.
The Coalition against Bayer Dangers demands an immediate ban on the herbicide glufosinate and a suspension of all approvals of glufosinate-resistant crops. European Parliament members voted last week to ban pesticides classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to reproduction. Permits for 22 substances, among them glufosinate, will not be renewed. MORE
2008 Important research on Roundup (=glyphosate and other material together) by Nora Benachour, Gilles-Eric Séralini: Formulations Induce Apoptosis and Necrosis
in Human Umbilical, Embryonic, and Placental Cells
just released. Read the pressrelease.
so there were 122 petitions against gmo potato fields in Friesland and Drenthe two provinces of the Netherlands. The ministry of environment held a hearing the 8th of December 2008.
Hearing , left Theo Tromp, Ekopark Foundation, Wieteke van Dort, artist and GMO-free Dutch Citizen, right farmer from Friesland.
For some news in English see my homepage here. It is in Dutch but often in English too.
1rst of March 2008. You can join our GMO-free Citizens Group (De Gentechvrije Burgers= DGB) by sending us your name, address and e-mail address. Its free! Send it to info@gentechvrij.nl
Greenpeace writes; If you have access to ARTE tv, and have some free time Tuesday evening, then don't miss this important documentary: "The World According to Monsanto" .
A groundbreaking TV documentary about the chemical and biotech industry giant, Monsanto, airs for the first time on pan-European television station ARTE, March 11 2008 at 9pm.
28 February 2008. You cannot sign my petition anymore. 302 signatures have been send to the Dutch ministries of Environment and Agriculture.
February 2008 Sign my petition against GMO-maize of Monsanto and Pioneer. You can sign untill 15th of february.
October 30, 2007.Important; Look closely at these three movies (scroll down) especially part 3, let all your friends, family etc. know!
Protest against the threatening introduction of genetically engineered components in our daily food products. It is, (and a lot of groups as Greenpeace and The Natural Law Party agree on this) a great danger to all life, because the blueprint of life will be changed by genetically engineering. The first genetically engineered food products to be sold in Holland, are genetically engineered soybeans. This soya is made resistant against Glyfosate. This is a weed killer.Genetically engineered maize, now on the market in Europe is made resistant to glufosinate-ammonium this is also a weedkiller. So, the consumers become guinea pigs, without their permission.
60 % of processed consumer food products contain soybean material - from margarine to baby food and chocolate bars. There will be no label which points out whether there will be genetically engineered soy or other GMO's in the products, they only label a few ingredients. We will have no free choice. In april 1998 three genetically engineered maize types were introduced in the EU and also one type of genetically engineered rapeseed oil.
60 % of processed consumer food products contain soybean material - from margarine to baby food and chocolate bars. There will be no label which points out whether there will be genetically engineered soy or other GMO's in the products, they only label a few ingredients. We will have no free choice. In april 1998 three genetically engineered maize types were introduced in the EU and also one type of genetically engineered rapeseed oil.
Quotes of scientists:
Samuel Epstein, M.D., Professor of Environmental Medicine at the University of Illinois School of Public Health and Chairman of the Cancer Prevention Coalition: Genetic modification of food is a dangerous game of ecological roulette. To take one example, I'm sure there will be a significant increase in deaths from certain types of cancer. If that is the only adverse effect we will have been lucky.
We simply cannot predict the ecological effects of genetic modification. GM forces evolution to take place in one generation rather than hundreds.
Manipulating DNA creates a new substance and it may not behave in the same ways as the original version. And existing tests, which only detect already-known toxins, may not reveal man-made ones.
We simply do not know what we are doing.
Professor Richard Lacey, microbiologist, medical doctor, and Professor of Food Safety at Leeds University, world famous for his accurate prediction of the dangers of " Mad cow disease". Professor Lacey has spoken out strongly against the introduction of genetically engineered foods, because of 'the essentially unlimited health risks'> The fact is, it is virtually impossible to even conceive of a testing procedure to assess the health effects of genetically engineered foods when introduced into the food chain, nor is there any valid nutritional or public interest reason for their introduction.
And additionally with reference to the BSE crisis: We know to our cost that an organism which was utterly unknown to science 30 years ago, the prion, is capable of jumping from species to species, and changing its own physical characteristics each time it crosses the barrier. This shows that it is impossible to foresee what dangers lie in store... If we continue to create new life forms artificially, we lay ourselves open to the possibility of similar unimaginable dangers.
Malcom Walker, Chairman and Chief Executive of Iceland Foods: Millions of ordinary people are very worried about genetically modified foods and I am one of them....With genetically modified foods I believe we have reached the thin edge of the wedge, we are messing with the building blocks of life and it's scary.
On January 20th and 21th 2000, the American Embassy in The Hague had organized a conference called "Biotechnology: The Science and the Impact" .
The Natural Law Party of The Netherlands, Nederlands Platform Gentechnologie and I have demonstrated before "Het Nederlands Congresgebouw" where the conference was held.( more pictures )
The EU has a plan to okay GMO-cotton (name Bollgard). Cotton plays a role in our daily life, from clothes to sanatairy towels and nappies. Artists canvas can also be made of it. Trees can also be genetically engineered.
If you want to print this article as a leaflet, download a PDF .
With the cost of food recently skyrocketing – hitting not just shoppers but the poor and hungry in the developing world – genetically modified (GM) foods are once again being promoted as the way to feed the world. But this is little short of a confidence trick. Far from needing more GM foods, there are urgent reasons why we need to ban them altogether.
1. GM foods won't solve the food crisis
A 2008 World Bank report concluded that increased biofuel production is the major cause of the increase in food prices.[1] GM giant Monsanto has been at the heart of the lobbying for biofuels (crops grown for fuel rather than food) — while profiting enormously from the resulting food crisis and using it as a PR opportunity to promote GM foods!
“The climate crisis was used to boost biofuels, helping to create the food crisis; and now the food crisis is being used to revive the fortunes of the GM industry.” — Daniel Howden, Africa correspondent of The Independent[2]
“The cynic in me thinks that they're just using the current food crisis and the fuel crisis as a springboard to push GM crops back on to the public agenda. I understand why they're doing it, but the danger is that if they're making these claims about GM crops solving the problem of drought or feeding the world, that's bullshit.” — Prof Denis Murphy, head of biotechnology at the University of Glamorgan in Wales[3]
2. GM crops do not increase yield potential
Despite the promises, GM has not increased the yield potential of any commercialised crops.[4] In fact, studies show that the most widely grown GM crop, GM soya, has suffered reduced yields.[5]
“Let's be clear. As of this year [2008], there are no commercialized GM crops that inherently increase yield. Similarly, there are no GM crops on the market that were engineered to resist drought, reduce fertilizer pollution or save soil. Not one.” — Dr Doug Gurian-Sherman, former biotech specialist for the US Environmental Protection Agency and former advisor on GM to the US Food and Drug Administration[6]
3. GM crops increase pesticide use
Official data shows that in the US, GM crops have produced an overall average increase, not decrease, in pesticide use compared to conventional crops.[7]
“The promise was that you could use less chemicals and produce a greater yield. But let me tell you none of this is true.” — Bill Christison, President of the US National Family Farm Coalition[8]
4. There are better ways to feed the world
A major recent UN/World Bank-sponsored report compiled by 400 scientists, and endorsed by 58 countries, concluded that GM crops have little to offer global agriculture and the challenges of poverty, hunger, and climate change, because better alternatives are available.[9]
5. Other farm technologies are more successful
Integrated Pest Management and other innovative low-input or organic methods of controlling pests and boosting yields have proven highly effective, particularly in the developing world.[10] Other plant breeding technologies, such as Marker Assisted Selection (non-GM genetic mapping), are widely expected to boost global agricultural productivity more effectively and safely than GM.[11]
“The quiet revolution is happening in gene mapping, helping us understand crops better. That is up and running and could have a far greater impact on agriculture [than GM].” — Prof John Snape, head of the department of crop genetics, John Innes Centre[12]
6. GM foods have not been shown to be safe to eat
Genetic modification is a crude and imprecise way of incorporating foreign genetic material (e.g. from viruses, bacteria) into crops, with unpredictable consequences. The resulting GM foods have undergone little rigorous and no long-term safety testing, but animal feeding tests have shown worrying health effects.[13] Only one study has been published on the direct effects on humans of eating a GM food.[14] It found unexpected effects on gut bacteria, but was never followed up.
“We are confronted with the most powerful technology the world has ever known, and it is being rapidly deployed with almost no thought whatsoever to its consequences.” — Dr Suzanne Wuerthele, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) toxicologist
7. Stealth GMOs in animal feed — without consumers' consent
Meat, eggs and dairy products from animals raised on the millions of tons of GM feed imported into Europe do not have to be labelled. Studies have shown that if GM crops are fed to animals, GM material can appear in the resulting products.[15] As GM foods have been shown to affect animals' health, eating such “stealth GMOs” may affect the health of consumers.
8. No one is monitoring the impact of GM foods on health
It is claimed that Americans have eaten GM foods for years with no ill effects. But these foods are unlabeled in the US and no one has monitored the consequences. With other novel foods like trans fats, it has taken decades to realize that they have caused millions of premature deaths.[16]
9. GM and non-GM cannot co-exist
GM contamination of conventional and organic food is increasing. An unapproved GM rice that was grown for only one year in field trials was found to have extensively contaminated the US rice supply and seed stocks.[17] In Canada, the organic oilseed rape industry has been destroyed by contamination from GM rape.[18] In Spain, a study found that GM maize “has caused a drastic reduction in organic cultivations of this grain and is making their coexistence practically impossible”.[19]
The time has come to choose between a GM-based, or a non-GM-based, world food supply.
“If some people are allowed to choose to grow, sell and consume GM foods, soon nobody will be able to choose food, or a biosphere, free of GM. It's a one way choice, like the introduction of rabbits or cane toads to Australia; once it's made, it can't be reversed.” — Roger Levett, specialist in sustainable development[20]
10. We can't trust GM companies
The big biotech firms pushing their GM foods have a terrible history of toxic contamination and public deception.[21] GM is attractive to them because it gives them patents that allow monopoly control over the world's food supply. They have taken to harassing and intimidating farmers for the "crime" of saving patented seed or "stealing" patented genes — even if those genes got into the farmer's fields through accidental contamination by wind or insects.[22]
“Farmers are being sued for having GMOs on their property that they did not buy, do not want, will not use and cannot sell.” — Tom Wiley, North Dakota farmer[23]
If you want to print this article as a leaflet, download a PDF .
7. “Genetically engineered crops and pesticide use in the United States: The first nine years”, Benbrook, C., BioTech InfoNet, Technical Paper No. 7, October 2004, http://www.biotech-info.net/Full_version_first
_nine.pdf ;
“Agricultural Pesticide Use in US Agriculture”, Center for Food Safety, May 2008, using data from US Department of Agriculture
8. “Family Farmers Warn of Dangers of Genetically Engineered Crops”, Bill Christison, In Motion magazine, 29 July 1998, http://www.inmotionmagazine.com/genet1.html ,
accessed October 2008
11. “Marker-assisted selection: an approach for precision plant breeding in the twenty-first century”, Collard, B.C.Y. and D.J. Mackill, Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B, Vol. 363, 2008, pp. 557-572, 2008; “Breeding for abiotic stresses for sustainable agriculture”, Witcombe J.R. et al., Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B, 2008, Vol. 363, pp. 703-716
12. “Gene mapping the friendly face of GM technology”, Professor John Snape, Farmers Weekly, 1 March 2002, p. 54
13. Here is just a small selection of these papers: “Genetically modified soya leads to the decrease of weight and high mortality rate of rat pups of the first generation”, Ermakova I.V., EcosInform, Vol. 1, 2006, pp. 4-9; “Fine structural analysis of pancreatic acinar cell nuclei from mice fed on GM soybean”, Malatesta, M. et al., Eur. J. Histochem., Vol. 47, 2003, pp. 385–388; “Ultrastructural morphometrical and immunocytochemical analyses of hepatocyte nuclei from mice fed on genetically modified soybean”, Malatesta, M. et al., Cell Struct Funct., Vol. 27, 2002, pp. 173-180; “Ultrastructural analysis of testes from mice fed on genetically modified soybean”, Vecchio L. et al., Eur. J. Histochem., Vol. 48, pp. 448-454, 2004; “A long-term study on female mice fed on a genetically modified soybean: effects on liver ageing”, Malatesta M. et al., Histochem Cell Biol., Vol. 130, 2008, pp. 967-977; “Effects of diets containing genetically modified potatoes expressing Galanthus nivalis lectin on rat small intestine”, Ewen S.W. and A. Pusztai, The Lancet, Vol. 354, 1999, pp. 1353–1354; “New Analysis of a Rat Feeding Study with a Genetically Modified Maize Reveals Signs of Hepatorenal Toxicity”, Séralini, G.-E. et al., Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol., Vol. 52, 2007, pp. 596-602.
14. “Assessing the survival of transgenic plant DNA in the human gastrointestinal tract”, Netherwood T. et al., Nature Biotechnology, Vol. 22, 2004, pp. 204–209.
15. “Detection of Transgenic and Endogenous Plant DNA in Digesta and Tissues of Sheep and Pigs Fed Roundup Ready Canola Meal”, Sharma, R. et al., J. Agric. Food Chem., Vol. 54, No. 5, 2006, pp. 1699–1709; “Assessing the transfer of genetically modified DNA from feed to animal tissues”, Mazza, R. et al., Transgenic Res., Vol. 14, No. 5, 2005, pp. 775–784; “Detection of genetically modified DNA sequences in milk from the Italian market”, Agodi, A., et al., Int. J. Hyg. Environ. Health, Vol. 209, 2006, pp. 81–88
19. “Coexistence of plants and coexistence of farmers: Is an individual choice possible?”, Binimelis, R., Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics, Vol. 21, No. 2, April 2008
20. "Choice: Less can be more", Roger Levett, Food Ethics magazine, Vol. 3, No. 3, Autumn 2008, p. 11, http://www.foodethicscouncil.org/node/384 , accessed October 2008
21. See, for example, Marie-Monique Robin's documentary film, “Le Monde Selon Monsanto” (“The World According to Monsanto”), ARTE, 2008; and the website of the NGO, Coalition Against Bayer-Dangers, www.cbgnetwork.org
22. GM company Monsanto has launched many such lawsuits launched against farmers. A famous example is the case of the Canadian farmer Percy Schmeiser. Just one article on this case is “GM firm sues Canadian farmer”, BBC News Online, 6 June 2000, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/779265.stm ,
accessed October 2008
All of the information contained within this website has been sourced from books, medical journals, articles and websites to present you with what, at the time of writing, we believe is accurate and relevant information. Any opinions expressed are those of the author. Nothing contained herein is a replacement for medical advice from a competent and well-informed medical professional.
Friesland wants to stay GMO-free, 
