GM crops in the EU Campaigning opportunities and challenges FoEE and Greenpeace

GMO campaign Objectives: Keep EU GMO free (important for Europe but also for the world) Raise awareness on impacts of EU meat consumption / soy monocultures “Use” GM foods as an example of what intensive farming is about (more of a tactic) Promote alternatives

What’s coming up CULTIVATION GM maize for cultivation Bt11, Syngenta 1507, Pioneer June 25? GM potato for cultivation (AMFLORA, BASF) GM rice for import (LL62, Bayer)

What’s coming up CULTIVATION Reapproval of MON810 EFSA opinion expected July 2009 French ban reliant on outcomes Seeds threshold: early 2010? Impact assessment expected autumn

What’s coming up IMPORT Proposal on “zero tolerance”, could be this month POLITICAL Dutch proposal that countries be allowed to decide on GMOs Socio economic analysis, by June 2010 Working group (DG environment) on GMOs / new techs

Opportunities Only 1 crop authorised: Monsanto MON810 maize National bans 6 countries ban the cultivation (DE, LU, FR, GR, HU, AT) CH 6 countries cultivate (ES, PT, CZ, SK, RO, PL?) GM cultivated area less than 0.2% EU land for cereals (2008) and 0.06% agricultural land No new authorisations for cultivation since 1998 Public opposition remains Food market practically free from GM products Political and scientific controversy Media interest still important

Opportunities Council Conclusions: EU law on GMOs not implemented properly …. improve GMO risk assessment (broaden scientific expertise) assess long-term impacts of GM crops assess effects on non-target organisms fully consider specific geographical characteristics assess environmental consequences of herbicide-tolerant crops assess Bt crops under pesticide rules address the socio-economic impacts of GM cultivation Political recognition of GMO-free areas BUT – we need to push for IMPLEMENTATION

Opportunities International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) Called World Agriculture Report Under the auspices of the World Bank Experts and scientists assessing farming Aim: “the reduction of hunger and poverty, the improvement of rural livelihoods and human health, and facilitating equitable, socially, environmentally and economically sustainable development”

IAASTD Global agriculture needs to change “The ecological footprint of industrial agriculture is already too large to be ignored, and projected increases in future global environmental changes could make the footprint larger” On GM crops Multifunctional solutions needed for local solutions Impacts are not yet well understood, more research needed Other agricultural research should not be neglected The possibility to ban GM crops could be allowed for in biosafety rules (also not excluded at WTO level) BUT: report is more “proGM” for the European region

Biotechnology corporations left process despite having been involved in choosing the scientists and the experts 58 countries have signed conclusions (not US, Canada and Australia) Political context is possibly shifting especially in the light of climate change

Challenges OUTSIDE OF EUROPE / GLOBAL GM crops “through the back door” as animal feed GM soy could be labelled as “responsible” (RTRS issue, wider than just GM) Food crisis (industry propaganda) Financial crisis

Challenges IN EUROPE Pending authorisations (20 cultivation - 32 import and food& feed) Coexistence = contamination according to Commission Legal challenges from companies (Pioneer, BASF) New Commission & EP (New balance of power) Next EU Presidencies (Sweden/Spain/Belgium) New proposals Seed thresholds (seed contamination) Zero tolerance (import contamination) “Dutch proposal” (Fast track)

Some questions Animal product labelling? Pro-active versus defensive? One or both? Why? How best to link and complement national and european campaigning? What do you need from FoE Europe coordination?