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"The moratorium on GMOs is ridiculous" ---- With over 6000 members, the volunteer movement
Reapers fulfilled his vow of Origin: enlist civil society with farmers and researchers to
contain the seed offensive in France. At what price and for how long? ---- Where is the
legislation on GMOs? Does the moratorium on Monsanto 810 maize is done, and what are the
effects of the 2008 Act? ---- Today, in Europe, all GM seeds listed in the catalog of
seeds, only MON810 maize is grown commercially. In 2014, the TC1507, a new corn of the US
firm Pioneer was cleared, which could make his arrival in France in the spring of 2015 if
nothing is done to counter it. Other cultures are not so far that crop trial or basic
research.
Many European countries such as France have adopted a moratorium on MON810 (and sometimes
on all GMO crops). For us, this moratorium was broken twice by the State Council. A third
measure prohibiting emergency was taken March 15, 2014, a priori more robust in its legal
construction. The Council of State has to decide on it in the coming weeks (he admitted
the concept of emergency). Until then, the cultivation of MON810 in France is illegal,
which does not prevent Monsanto to condition in its factories as Trebes Aude or to
circulate. Monsanto has consistently enjoyed the intricacies of European law to force
through (eg a catalog entry entitlement to a de facto ban grow up), and he will return.
The current moratorium on GMOs is fragile in addition to being ridiculous, concerning only
one seed while we want a moratorium on all GM crops in the field, and stopping imports of
GM animal feed. Our movements contain painstakingly offensive multinationals.
As for the GMO Act of 2008, has denounced the weaknesses from the start. It is a law of
coexistence of GMO and non-GMO, gold for us coexistence is impossible because of the
uncontrolled spread. Transferring into French law the European Directive 2001-18, this law
does not apply to new GMOs from mutagenesis. In short, it is a totally inadequate text.
There is still much room for disobedience actions on these fronts and fields.
Can you detail the past actions?
Lobbies biotechnology and seed attack like a steamroller to Europe, where many resistance
since the late 1990. We operate on multiple fronts, always in line with the local
conditions of each of our groups: actions against companies and their lobbies (Monsanto,
Pioneer, the General Association of Corn Producers ...) denunciation of this deadly
agricultural model for our countryside and farmers, mowing "trial" no patents on living ,
promotion of biodiversity ... and 2014 was very rich! In January we occupied the factory
coating of Monsanto seeds in Trebes to flush prohibited seed thwart his inclination to sow
MON810 enjoying a French legal vacuum in early 2014, and also to denounce a new extension
this strategic site for Monsanto.
On imports of GM animal foods (80% of the world's cultivated GMOs) September saw two
simultaneous actions in Lorient (see photo) and Rennes, one for "poison" a stock of soy
for livestock, the another full meeting of livestock feed from Brittany (Nutrinoe)
manufacturers to force them to hear our arguments against GMO feed. And we continue to
test regularly cornfields across the country to detect possible illegal crops.
In this context, the vigilance was directed towards what you called the new GM?
Yes, to tolerate pesticides and herbicides, agricultural crops genetically modified (GM)
in the 1990s were from transgenesis, the direct introduction of foreign genes into those
of the plant. Today, it accelerates the process of evolution: to develop the appropriate
genes, it bombards of what it is to resist, as many generations as it takes to create it
herself the same gene. This is the mutagenesis. The 2001-18 European directive called the
GM "mutant plants", but without subjecting them to regulation. Objects laboratory in 2001,
thirteen years after they arrive. It's hard to hear it with the agricultural world that
are genetically modified organisms threatening other plants. They contain novel genes,
synthesis, that nature could have produced so quickly. They are not tested for their
impact on health and their use has been shown to contribute to the strengthening of all
weeds (weeds then invading cultures despite ever more herbicides).
We focused on these "hidden GMOs", mostly varieties of rapeseed and sunflower, in 2011,
with more shares per year on such cultures or tests believed to be. But investigations are
longer, observe for months intercropping practices to identify them. Farmers in the debate
moves slowly, mainly because these firms lie about GMOs.
What other background files you were talking about?
We always condemn the action of the INRA in promoting GMOs at the expense of organic
farmers or industries (15% of its budget only). Recently we won the case of Colmar,
following the destruction of their testing of transgenic vines in 2010 (test declared
illegal by the Court of Appeal). And since 2012, we focus on their Genius project. In
October, we held their local Avignon where it is developed. This is a project on new
transgenic crops, including seven for food (wheat, corn, rice, canola, tomatoes, potatoes
and apples). Form of public-private partnership, it combines five companies to finance
(thus the direction of research), the remainder being borne by the public search for
patents that are private. It is a misuse of funds in defiance of majority rejection of
GMOs in France.
Another front for our movement, we have developed many international links within networks
of farmers' seed saving, defense of food sovereignty, in the struggles against the
patenting of life or invoking the output of the WTO. In all this, we converge with Spanish
movements, Belgian, Indian, etc. Collectively and individually, we are anchoring and in
global solidarity.
Reapers are invested against the Tafta?
Of course, since it requires logical that we are fighting already (pressure on the health
and environmental standards, challenging the European labeling, attack the precautionary
principle) and that if it passes, it will make a clean sweep of our efforts since 2003.
But even without him, we have work to do, not to mention the always intense repression of
our alert actions. Fortunately solidarity is one of our greatest strengths.
More information available on infogm.org and share videos on the Reapers TVbruits.org
