HEALTH: A Good Day to Turn Modified Foods Away

By Sanjay Suri Reprint | | Print |

Sanjay Suri

LONDON, Mar 15 2003 (IPS) - It should be about one company and two countries really, but protests were held around the world against genetically modified foods on World Consumer Rights Day Saturday.

Protest meetings were held by about 250 consumer organisations under the wing of the London-based Consumers International. Meetings were reported to have been held in many cities across Europe, Africa and Asia.

In Jamaica, Consumers International launched a study into the prevalence of GM foods in the local markets, and will lobby for a regulatory framework to protect consumers. In Vietnam action events were held in 18 different provinces aimed at raising awareness around the issue of GM foods.

Much of the protest was aimed at the U.S. company Monsanto. That is the company developing more than 90 per cent of genetically modified (GM) foods.

Most GM food is being grown in the U.S. and in Argentina, and also to a smaller extent in Canada and in China. These four countries produce about 99 per cent of the world’s GM food.

"But public concern outside of these countries, in Europe, India and other places seems greater than in the U.S. or in Argentina," Julian Edwards, director-general of Consumers International told IPS.

That is at least partly because GM products are increasingly being grown in many other countries. There are also fears around the world over new products. "Monsanto has already developed a form of genetically modified wheat, and is trying to gauge the right moment to release it in the market," Edwards said.

About a third of the maize grown in the U.S. is reported to be genetically modified. Much of the GM crop was intended as animal feed, but there are increasing signs these foods are being developed for human consumption. The use of GM foods in the U.S. is already widespread, though the proportion of an average diet that it takes up is not very high.

In Argentina some of the GM soya crop meant for animal feed has been diverted for human consumption, Edwards said.

There is little evidence so far of damage to health caused by GM foods. But that may not by itself be reason to feel reassured. "When the first pesticides were introduced in the thirties, we were all told by scientists that they were safe," Edwards said. "Their effects began to surface 30 years later, and many of them are now banned."

There are indications already of allergies from GM foods if proper pre-marketing tests are not carried out, Edwards said. "GM crops are something which nature would not do," he said. "There will have to be questions over something which challenges natural development."

Consumers International has produced a report ‘Corporate control of the food chain – the GM link’ to raise concerns over GM food. Development of these foods has an immediate bearing on both the environment and on economy, author of the report John Madeley told IPS.

"This whole development is really about control," he said. "This is about controlling the food chain from the seed to production and even distribution. And its promoters are trying to gain economic and political control to influence governments."

If allowed to develop GM crops unchecked, they can begin to take over natural crops. "Wind can spread pollen from these crops, and there is no limit how far it can spread," Madeley said. "And patents will mean that producers will want to control all crops it spreads to." Millions of small farmers will be threatened, the Consumers International report warns.

In one such case a GM producer has successfully sued a farmer in such a case.

Development of the so-called Golden Rice brought promise of Vitamin A additives. But an average portion of such rice gives no more than 4 per cent of a person’s daily requirement of Vitamin A, Madeley says.

Zambia’s refusal to accept GM foods by way of aid has helped greatly to place the issue on the map. But similar efforts have been successful in many other parts of the world.

Among the successes against GM foods, Consumers International lists the following:

– As a direct result of legal action by Brazilian consumers group, Instituto Brasileiro de Defesa do Consumidor (IDEC), Brazil became the first country in the world to prohibit the planting and commercialisation of GM foods.

– GM flax seed was taken off the market in Europe in 2001 because European customers said they did not want it.

– Due to consumer pressure in Europe, GM tomatoes and GM tobacco – the first GM crops to be commercialised – have failed to win market acceptance and have been abandoned. GM potatoes were withdrawn from the U.S. market.

– As a result of pressure by the Ukrainian Consumer Association (UCA) and the Consumer Institution (CI), the Ukrainian government adopted a law last year to ensure labelling.

– Consumers in Japan have halted the development of a herbicide tolerant GM rice, promoted by Monsanto.

– Pressure from a coalition of groups including, the Foundation for Consumers of Thailand (FFC) and the Confederation of Consumer Organisations of Thailand led the Thai government to issue a ministerial regulation on the labelling of GM foods.

– Testing conducted by Consumidores Colombia (COCO) forced the withdrawal of donated GM soya from national food aid programmes aimed at young people. COCO secured a further victory when they succeeded in reducing the area permitted to Monsanto for planting cotton in Colombia from 2000 to 200 hectares.