Greenpeace (USA) Press Release | December 2, 1999
CARGILL GMO FACILITY IN BREST, FRANCE, SITE OF ACTION BY 30 ACTIVISTS
WASHINGTON - Greenpeace today blocked the gates of a soybean mill owned by the world's largest grain trader, Cargill, in Brest, France, and prevented transportation of genetically modified (GMO) crops from leaving the plant. The action was intended to stop the flood of GMO crops from the U.S. to Europe and to call on Cargill to cease importing GMO crops to Europe. Cargill is the leading importer of soybeans to Europe.
"The message has been sent by the European public: 'We don't want U.S. GMO crops,'" said Charles Margulis, Greenpeace GMO campaign. "So why is Cargill continuing to act as a conduit for this stuff into Europe? Today we delivered the message that enough is enough."
Most supermarket chains and major food producers in France and Europe have now adopted a GMO-free policy. Most animal-feed producers and animal breeders in France want to use non-GMO animal feed only, but have not been able to locate the supply, according to information acquired by Greenpeace.
It is also impossible for farmers to avoid animal feed with GMO ingredients since no labelling rules for animal fodder exist in the EU.
"Two days ago Cargill issued a statement about studying the segregation of GMO crops from conventional crops, if consumers were prepared to pay a higher price for that," said Arnaud Apoteker, Greenpeace International GMO campaigner. "But European consumers expect food giants like Cargill to respect their rejection of GMOs in the food chain, including animal feed.
We demand that Cargill immediately stop force-feeding European consumers with unwanted and unneeded GMOs."
About 95 percent of the soya grown in the U.S. is used for animal feed. In 1998, the EU imported nearly 15 million tons of soybeans. During the three years of commercial growing of GMO soybeans, U.S. soya exports to Europe have dropped by about 39 percent, while GMO-free exports from Brazil rose from 3.1 to 5.4 million tons.
