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With over 6000 members, the movement of voluntary Reapers performs his original vow enlist
civil society with farmers and researchers to contain the offensive seed on 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 the effects of the 2008 law? ---- Today, in Europe,
of all GM seeds listed in seed catalog, only MON810 maize is grown commercially. In 2014,
the TC1507, a new corn Pioneer American firm has been authorized, which could make his
arrival in France in the spring of 2015 if we do not act to counter it. Other crops are to
this day as test crops or basic research. ---- Many European countries such as France have
adopted a moratorium on MON810 (and sometimes throughout GMOs). For us, this moratorium
was twice broken by the State Council.
A third emergency prohibition order was issued March 15, 2014, a priori more solid in its
legal construction. The State Council has to decide on it in the coming weeks (he admitted
the notion of emergency). Until then, the cultivation of MON810 in France remains illegal,
which does not prevent Monsanto to packaging in its plants as Tr?bes Aude or to circulate.
Monsanto has consistently enjoyed the intricacies of European law to enter force (eg a
catalog entry opens rights to cultivate to ban fact), and it will come back. The current
moratorium on GMOs is fragile in addition to being ridiculous, concerning only one seed
then we want a moratorium on all GM crops in the field, and stop GMO animal feed imports.
Our movements contain painstakingly offensive multinationals.
As for the law on GMOs in 2008, we exposed the weaknesses from the start. This is a GMO
coexistence channels law and non-GM, gold for us coexistence is impossible due to
uncontrolled spread. By 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 recent actions?
The lobbies of biotechnology and seed prey like a steamroller to Europe, where a lot of
resistance from the late 1990s We work on multiple fronts, always linked to local
realities of each of our groups actions against firms and their lobbies (Monsanto,
Pioneer, the General Association of Corn Producers ...) denunciation of this deadly
agricultural model for our countryside and farmers, mowing of "testing", refusing patents
on living , promotion of biodiversity ... and 2014 was very rich! In January we occupied
Monsanto's seed coating plant in Trebes to flush prohibited seeds, 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 GMOs grown in the world), September saw two
simultaneous actions in Lorient (see photo) and Rennes, one for "poison" soy stock for
livestock, the another full meeting of animal feed manufacturers in Britain (Nutrinoe) to
force them to hear our arguments against GMO feed. And we continue to regularly test maize
plots throughout the country to detect possible illegal crops.
In this regard, vigilance was oriented towards what you called the new GM?
Yes, to tolerate pesticides and herbicides, genetically modified agricultural plants (PGM)
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 appropriate genes
bombarded's what it is to resist, as many generations as necessary to create it herself
the same gene. This is the mutagenesis. The 2001-18 European directive called these
"plants mutated" from GMOs, but without subjecting them to regulation. Objects of
laboratory in 2001, thirteen years after they arrive. It's hard to hear it with the
agricultural world that are genetically modified plants threaten other living organisms.
They contain new genes, synthesis, that nature could have produced so quickly. They are
not tested for their effects 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 those "hidden GMO", mostly varieties of rapeseed and sunflower, in 2011, with
more actions per year on such crops or tests believed to be. But the investigations are
longer, observe for months intercropping practices to identify them. Among farmers, the
debate moves slowly, mainly because firms lie about GMOs.
What are the other substantive issues were talking about?
We denounce the action always INRA in promoting GMOs at the expense of organic and peasant
sectors (only 15% of its budget). Recently we won the case of Colmar, following the
destruction of their test transgenic vines in 2010 (declared illegal by the trial court of
appeal). And since 2012, we focus on their Genius project. In October, we occupied the
premises of Avignon, where he has developed. This is a new project on transgenic crops,
including seven for human food (wheat, corn, rice, canola, tomatoes, potatoes and apples).
In the form of public-private partnership, it combines five financing companies (thus the
direction of research), the rest being borne by public research for patents to be private.
It is a misuse of funds in defiance of the majority rejection of GMOs in France.
Another front for our movement, we have many international ties woven, in farmers' seed
saving networks, food sovereignty defense 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 already fighting (pressure on the health
and environmental standards, challenging the European labeling attack the precautionary
principle) and if it passes, it will make a clean sweep of our efforts since 2003. But
even without it, we have work to do, not to mention the always intense repression of our
alert actions. Fortunately solidarity is one of our greatest strengths.
Interview by Fanny (commission AL ecology)
More information available on infogm.org and Reapers share videos on TVbruits.org
