The end of Organic?
Last July, the European Community divided over its policy on Genetically Engineered agriculture. Britain, Spain, The Netherlands, Sweden and Czech Republic have all decided in favour of GE. Whilst countries including Luxembourg, Greece, Germany, Hungary, and Austria, have decided to keep a ban on GE agriculture in their country. This split is the result of years of increasing pressure that the US government and World Trade Organisation have been putting on the EC to adopt a supportive stance on Biotechnology.
Recently Wiki leaks have released cables from the US Ambassador in France, Craig Stapleton. Pushing the GE agenda in Europe.
"Country team Paris recommends that we calibrate a target retaliation list that causes some pain across the EU since this is a collective responsibility, but that also focuses in part on the worst culprits.
"The list should be measured rather than vicious and must be sustainable over the long term, since we should not expect an early victory. Moving to retaliation will make clear that the current path has real costs to EU interests and could help strengthen European pro-biotech voices,"
The UK is expected to join the US in its supportive position over GE. If we introduced GM food crops for cultivation in the UK, what could this mean for none GE and organic agriculture?
With the possibility of cross pollination, seed travel and soil contamination, surrounding crops grown by none GE methods would likely pick up transgenic DNA. Meaning that Organic farms would have to be uncertified.
This scenario is already happening throughout the world. In Canada for example, The UN has reported that, “Since the advent of GM canola in Canada, farmers can no longer grow organic canola in Western Canada.”
The unintended spread of GE crops seems to be part of the Biotech Industries´ game plan to eliminate Organic competition. The organic food industry in the UK was estimated to be worth 1.8 billion pounds in 2009, and is rapidly growing industry throughout Europe. But if we start growing GE crops in the UK that cannot be contained, we may just contaminate all none GE plant life.
Last July, the European Community divided over its policy on Genetically Engineered agriculture. Britain, Spain, The Netherlands, Sweden and Czech Republic have all decided in favour of GE. Whilst countries including Luxembourg, Greece, Germany, Hungary, and Austria, have decided to keep a ban on GE agriculture in their country. This split is the result of years of increasing pressure that the US government and World Trade Organisation have been putting on the EC to adopt a supportive stance on Biotechnology.
Recently Wiki leaks have released cables from the US Ambassador in France, Craig Stapleton. Pushing the GE agenda in Europe.
"Country team Paris recommends that we calibrate a target retaliation list that causes some pain across the EU since this is a collective responsibility, but that also focuses in part on the worst culprits.
"The list should be measured rather than vicious and must be sustainable over the long term, since we should not expect an early victory. Moving to retaliation will make clear that the current path has real costs to EU interests and could help strengthen European pro-biotech voices,"
The UK is expected to join the US in its supportive position over GE. If we introduced GM food crops for cultivation in the UK, what could this mean for none GE and organic agriculture?
With the possibility of cross pollination, seed travel and soil contamination, surrounding crops grown by none GE methods would likely pick up transgenic DNA. Meaning that Organic farms would have to be uncertified.
This scenario is already happening throughout the world. In Canada for example, The UN has reported that, “Since the advent of GM canola in Canada, farmers can no longer grow organic canola in Western Canada.”
The unintended spread of GE crops seems to be part of the Biotech Industries´ game plan to eliminate Organic competition. The organic food industry in the UK was estimated to be worth 1.8 billion pounds in 2009, and is rapidly growing industry throughout Europe. But if we start growing GE crops in the UK that cannot be contained, we may just contaminate all none GE plant life.
