GENET-news
To stay informed you can subscribe to the GENET-news list.
2007-06-14 | permalink
Is Organic standards under attack from GMOs?
The European Commission’s defense of the 0.9% level is that any lower would ”effectively wipeout” the organic sector by making it too expensive for organic farmers to keep contamination below this level. The real reason according to Jonathan Mathews of GMwatch.org is ”bureaucratic convenience, it suits their ideas about co-existence of GM crops alongside non-GMO crops, the threshold they have set for conventional farming is 0.9%, they don’t want organic farmers popping up with a much lower tolerance of GMO contamination.” Peter Melchett, Policy Director of the Soil Association, told naturalchoices, ”Organic farmers and producers must aim for zero GMO contamination, they must have the processes and procedures in place to protect the purity of organic produce. Any contamination over 0.1% should be clearly labeled.”
- Natural Choices, UK: Is Organic standards under attack from GMOs?
- Scoop Independent News, New Zealand: EU contamination gives NZ market gain
- European Commission, Belgium: Organic Food: New Regulation to foster the further development of Europe’s organic food sector
- Food Business Review, UK: GM foods: relaxing of laws poses threat to organic sector
Overview
News
2007-06-14 | permalink
Is Organic standards under attack from GMOs?
The European Commission’s defense of the 0.9% level is that any lower would ”effectively wipeout” the organic sector by making it too expensive for organic farmers to keep contamination below this level. The real reason according to Jonathan Mathews of GMwatch.org is ”bureaucratic convenience, it suits their ideas about co-existence of GM crops alongside non-GMO crops, the threshold they have set for conventional farming is 0.9%, they don’t want organic farmers popping up with a much lower tolerance of GMO contamination.” Peter Melchett, Policy Director of the Soil Association, told naturalchoices, ”Organic farmers and producers must aim for zero GMO contamination, they must have the processes and procedures in place to protect the purity of organic produce. Any contamination over 0.1% should be clearly labeled.”
- Natural Choices, UK: Is Organic standards under attack from GMOs?
- Scoop Independent News, New Zealand: EU contamination gives NZ market gain
- European Commission, Belgium: Organic Food: New Regulation to foster the further development of Europe’s organic food sector
- Food Business Review, UK: GM foods: relaxing of laws poses threat to organic sector
GENET-news & GENET-forum
GENET-news is providing a daily news service on a range of topics regarding genetic engineering. We are screening the worldwide English news, press releases and other publications to provide you with a strategic selection of information. GENET-news enables you to stay informed about all aspects of the global controversy around GE technologies and GE organisms. You can subscribe by 
email.
The GENET-forum list provides you with additional background information and more voluminous reports. It is only open for GENET members. Please contact the coordinator for membership and subscription.