Fwd: Monsanto in Europe (fwd)
sal (sals@rain.org)
Tue, 05 May 1998 09:22:41 -0700
>X-Sender: dianer@kiwi
>Date: Mon, 4 May 1998 21:37:23 -0700
>Reply-To: Organic Gardening Discussion List <OGL@LSV.UKY.EDU>
>Sender: Organic Gardening Discussion List <OGL@LSV.UKY.EDU>
>From: Diane Ridout <dianer@KWANTLEN.BC.CA>
>Subject: Monsanto in Europe (fwd)
>To: Multiple recipients of list OGL <OGL@LSV.UKY.EDU>
>
>Hi all,
>
>Here is the latest about Monsanto in Europe...
>
>
>Diane Ridout, Instructor, ACP.............................................
>Kwantlen University College, "Talk
>12666-72 Avenue doesn't
>Surrey, BC, Canada V3W 2M8 cook rice," they say.
>Tel: (604) 599-2964 Voice mail 9837.......................................
>
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Sat, 2 May 1998 18:45:02 -0500 (CDT)
>Subject: Monsanto in Europe
>
>Subject: Super Heroes Return Monsanto's GE Bullshit
>Date: Thu, 30 Apr 1998
>From: Allsorts <allsorts@gn.apc.org>
>
>Genetically Engineered Bullshit
>
>NEWS RELEASE APRIL 29th 1998
>
>Super Heroes Return Monsanto's Genetically Engineered Bullshit
>
>Staff turning up for work at Monsanto's offices in both London and High
>Wycombe this morning were surprised to be greeted by a pile of putrid
>(corrupt) bullshit which bore the message: "WE DON'T WANT MONSANTO'S
>BULLSHIT". A banner above the door read, "KEEP ORGANIC FREE OF GENETIC
>ENGINEERING". Half-a-dozen dashing Super Heroes Against Genetics (SHAG),
>swooped down upon the multinational's offices sporting colourful capes
>emblazened with the trademark 'X' chromosome. The heroes came to alert the
>world to Monsanto's plans to contaminate organic food with genetically
>modified organisms. Monsanto's offices have been based for the past couple
>of months in the offices of their PR firm Charles Barker in Dean Street.
>
>Today is the eve of the closing date for comments on the United States
>Department of Agriculture's (USDA) highly controversial proposals for
>organic standards. Since the comment period began in November the USDA has
>been flooded with over 115,000 complaints from around the world. Top on the
>list of complaints from farmers and consumers is the suggestion that
>genetically engineered food could be classified as organic. Any decisions
>made now in the US will eventually affect organic produce globally.
>
>Only last week and obviously threatened by this unprecedented public outcry,
>biotech giant Monsanto sent a letter to the USDA recommending that they
>delay, for at least three years, a decision on whether genetically
>engineered crops could qualify as organic. According to Monsanto, "a better
>more informed decision can [then] be made as to whether and how to make
>plants improved through biotechnology eligible for organic certification".
>
>Jacklyn Sheedy from the Genetic Engineering Network (GEN) is highly
>sceptical: "In reality, Monsanto are panicking. They realise that the
>potential market for organic produce is enormous and that with biotechnology
>banned they have no access to that potential profit. They also realise that
>the organic market is a real threat to the billions of pounds that they have
>been invested in the new technology as more and more people are switching to
>organic for the very reason that it can be guaranteed GE free."
>
>Super Hero Lowanna King commented further: "This is yet another assault on
>truly sustainable agriculture by companies such as Monsanto. Monsanto are
>attempting to swamp the market with unwanted and unnecessary genetically
>modified crops as well as threatening the very nature of organic agriculture
>as a safe, natural and sustainable alternative to big agribusiness. We must
>stop this corporate bullying now and support American campaigners, organic
>farmers and the wider public before Monsanto attempt the same tactics with
>organic standards here."
>PHOTOS OF THE ACTION ARE AVAILABLE FROM:
>Andrew Testa on: 0171 281 9566 / (0973) 284307 or Nick Cobbing: 0181 888
>5659 / (0973) 642103
>VIDEO FOOTAGE OF THE ACTION IS AVAILABLE FROM:
> Undercurrents on: 01865 203 661 or 07970 161 886
>SUPER HEROES AGAINST GENETICS can be reached on: 07771 643359 (today
only!)
>FOR MORE INFO ON CAMPAIGNS AGAINST Genetic Engineering CONTACT:
> Genetic Engineering Network on: 0181 374 9516.
>FOR MORE INFO ON ORGANIC STANDARDS CONTACT:
> Tania Maxted Frost from London Organic Food Forum on: 0181 994 2130
>
>NOTES TO EDITORS
>
>1. Only yesterday (Tuesday April 28th) a farmer in Totness, Devon was
>staggered to receive a visit from 600 local people, concerned about his
>release site of GM maize and the threat it posed to the local environment,
>their health and the local organic farmer's corn growing just metres away.
>The neighbouring organic farmer had this to say; " I am concerned about
>contamination of my crops of organic sweet corn with genetically modified
>pollen [from the GE maize] which may threaten the organic status of my
>corn". He is far from being alone in his concerns.
>
>2. In Cupar in Scotland, on Sunday 22nd March, an organic farmer cutback
>genetically engineered oilseed rape from a neighbouring farmers field as it
>was about to flower and there was a very high likelihood that it would then
>cross pollinate with closely related crops on his own farm. The oilseed rape
>was completely pulled up by over 50 concerned local people one week later.
>They were concerned about the long term unknown environmental and health
>risks surrounding GE.
>
>3. Direct action against genetic engineering is building and growing all
>around the UK and many see this as something even bigger than the anti-roads
>movement of the past few years with a wider level of participation from all
>communities.
>
>4. Genetic Engineering is already threatening the more environmentally
>friendly and sustainable methods of organic agriculture through:
>a) cross pollination between GE crops and organic relatives.
>b) the abuse of Bt within many new genetically engineered plants. It
>threatens to quickly remove this natural toxin as an ally of organic
>farmers, as pests quickly build up resistance to it.
>
>5. Tom McDermott, Monsanto's head of European Public Affairs, was quoted
as
>saying:"Our genes are incorporated into approximately nineteen million acres
>around the world, covering an area larger than Switzerland and the
>Netherlands combined. Can Europe at this stage really resist?"
>
>YES! The Super Heroes have shown us that we can all resist.
>
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>Genetic Engineering Network
>PO BOX 9656
>London
>N4 4JY
>0181 374 9516 (this no is for Genetics info)
>For genetics action info on the web check out:
><http://www.dmac.co.uk/gen.html>http://www.dmac.co.uk/gen.html
><http://www.envirolink.org/orgs/shag/genetix.html>http://www.envirolink.or
g/orgs/shag/genetix.html
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>GLOBAL STREET PARTY, May 16th 1998: so far 28 parties in 19
>countries!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!;
>London Street Parties, June 6th 1998 - Get down and local...North info: 0958
>795189; South info: 0961 398257
>Contact Reclaim the Streets: 0171 281 4621; rts@gn.apc.org
>
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