Greenpeace activists block shipment of GM maize and soy in Greece

ATHENS (AFP) May 22, 2004
Greenpeace environmental activists on Saturday blocked a shipment of genetically-modified (GM) maize and soy from being unloaded near the western Greek town of Corinth until they received guarantees the produce would be controlled according to EU law.

Four activists boarded the "Flag Tom", which sailed from Argentina, while Greenpeace speedboats blocked the ship's access to the small port of Kalamaki, Myrto Pispini, spokeswoman for the organisation in Greece, told AFP.

The ship was due to unload 12,000 tonnes of GM soy and 7,000 tonnes of GM maize in Corinth, she said.

"We have taken action to protest against the uncontrolled importation of genetically-modified products into the Greek market.

"We are asking the agriculture ministry and the food monitoring agency (EFET) to carry out the necessary tests and to inform consumers about products which contain genetically-modified organisms (GMOs)," Pispini said.

The environmental activists ended their blockade later Saturday, saying they had received guarantees the shipment would be handled appropriately.

"We obtained guarantees from the authorities on the control of the unloading, and we ended our operation", Greenpeace Greece director Nikos Haralambidis told AFP.

Under new EU rules that took effect on April 18, all food and animal feed must be labelled if they contain at least 0.9 percent of GM ingredients.

Producers and buyers must also store all data about the origin, composition and sale of GM products for a five-year period.

Greenpeace has complained, however, that there is no requirement to label the meat, milk or eggs of animals reared on bio-engineered feed -- GM products are widely used in Europe as composites of animal feed.

"This vacuum allows the massive flow of GMOs into the food chain," the group charged in a statement.

"The only way to stop this is to mobilise; we have right to know what we are eating and to have control over our food," said Pispini.

In Argentina, according to Greenpeace, bio-engineered soy from seeds supplied by the agro-industrial giant Monsanto accounts for more than 98 percent of overall production.

Concerning maize, the situation is "even more alarming given that Argentina is growing genetically-modified species which are not recognised by the European Union," the group charged.

TERRA.WIRE