"Genetically Modified Potato - Coming to a Field near You" Care of: The European Union, the British and German Governments

The Great GM Free Potato Celebration took place in Poland this weekend

08.10.2010 |ICPPC

Over 110 fires are being lit this week-end (9/10 October) all over Poland in "The Great GM Free Potato Celebration." Pots will be boiling and jacket potatoes baking as a symbolic reminder to the nation that our common potato is under threat from contamination by a newly introduced genetically modified potato variety. Also Poles living abroad are planning to organise special potato events.

Hungary, Austria and Luxembourg are taking the European Union to the European Tribunal of Justice for licensing BASF's 'Amflora' GM potato for commercial release in European Union Countries without any consultation with member states.

Amflora has been developed in Germany by BASF and is already licensed for production in that Country. England is also trialling a GM potato under strict security conditions at Leeds in Yorkshire.

More than 70% of Europeans have already rejected GM foods, according to opinion polls. The European Commission is currently looking for a way to de-regulate GM crop introduction within the EU. Under pressure from the World Trade Organisation, the Commission is hoping to devolve responsibility for licensing new GM varieties to member states.

"Allowing genetically modified potatoes out of the laboratory and into our fields is the height of irresponsibility and will lead to the cross contamination of the most widespread staple food in Europe" Said Sir Julian Rose, President of ICPPC.

"Countries are right to challenge the European Commission and Poland should be one of them. We are witnessing a dramatic erosion of our human rights to have free access to uncontaminated foods. Only an outright ban of GMO can save our food chain from becoming one vast experiment on human health." Said Jadwiga Lopata, laureat of Goldman Prize (ecological Nobel) and Vice President of ICPPC.

PHOTOS:
http://picasaweb.google.pl/fundacja.icppc/Tajne?authkey=Gv1sRgCOvh3PuW-4SyTQ&feat=directlink

ICPPC - International Coalition to Protect the Polish Countryside,
Międzynarodowa Koalicja dla Ochrony Polskiej Wsi
34-146 Stryszów 156, Poland tel./fax +48 33 8797114 biuro@icppc.pl
www.icppc.pl www.gmo.icppc.pl www.eko-cel.pl

Przeczytaj - "Zmieniając kurs na życie. Lokalne rozwiązania globalnych
problemów", autor: Julian Rose www.renesans21.pl

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