Monsanto suffers major defeat as majority of EU states say 'No to GMO'

F. William Engdahl
New Eastern Outlook
Tue, 20 Oct 2015 14:40 UTC

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Monsanto and the GMO agribusiness cartel have suffered a major new defeat as two-thirds of the 28 EU member states have opted for a full ban on GMO crops according to the terms of new Brussels rules allowing national decision on the toxic agro-technology. The bans across the EU greatly expand the EU acreage off-limits to GMO from the previous somewhat chaotic EU procedures.

By the October 3 deadline, the EU Commission has announced that 19 of the 28 EU member countries have filed for a full "opt-out" or ban on GMO commercial crops in their countries. Other states can still file no GMO opt-outs after October 3 on certain grounds.

The states saying fully No to GMO now include Germany (except for limited research only, not commercial planting), and France. France continues its previous ban, including for Monsanto MON810 GMO maize, the only GMO crop presently in commercial cultivation in the EU, , mainly in Spain and Portugal. In addition to Germany and France, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, and Slovenia all now have full GMO bans.

As wel there are regional bans within the UK of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, a major portion of the best UK agricultural land. The UK Cameron government however remains pro-GMO. In Belgium, the southern part, Wallonia, adjacent to France and Luxemburg, also opted to ban GMO. The decision of Ireland, which had a total ban on GMO in 2009, is at this point unclear.

New rules weaken EFSA

While many environmental groups feared the new rules would allow companies like Monsanto to "divide and conquer" by spreading its seeds in pro-GMO countries, it is clear that EU countries overwhelmingly reject the now proven dangerous GMO plants and their paired very toxic herbicides such as Monsanto roundup with glyphosate, a suspected carcinogen.

In January 2015, the European Parliament overwhelmingly approved the new opt-out rules. Previously, the notoriously corrupt European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in Brussels, where many of the scientists responsible have documented ties to the GMO industry, was the sole deciding body and all EU countries were required to permit planting unless they made difficult exceptional legal appeals.

Despite that, only Spain and Portugal today plant most EU GMO crops. In all other countries widespread population opposition to GMO has kept farmers from planting it. Now under the new Opt-Out rules, member states can officially ban GMOs on environmental policy grounds other than the difficult and costly to prove criteria of risks to health and the environment already assessed by EFSA. States can also ban GMO crops for other reasons, such as town and country planning requirements, socio-economic impact and farm-policy objectives, or contamination - avoiding the unintended presence of GMOs in adjacent crops.

The result of the new EU rule is a national and regional rejection of GMO crops across the EU, a fact that now will undoubtedly strengthen the GMO resistance of African and Asian countries, Latin America and China to impose their own prohibitions on GMO. It represents a huge blow to Monsanto and company. Last month the Russian Federation announced its decision to declare a total ban on GMO crops.

The new rules are not without loopholes that could allow Monsanto and Co. to use their significant legal muscle to try to open new markets through court action. Dublin MEP Lynn Boylan told the Irish Times last January that the final legislation was a "watered down" version of earlier drafts. She said, "It is also disappointing that the liability system has been removed thereby offering no compensation for non GM farmers whose produce is contaminated by GMOs."

Now all eyes turn to Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Finland and Estonia, as well as the northern Belgian region and rest of UK. If farmers there begin to feel the pain of not being able to guarantee GMO free crops, they could force a ban there as well. In brief, a positive gain for all those interested in food and health in the EU.

F. William Engdahl is strategic risk consultant and lecturer, he holds a degree in politics from Princeton University and is a best-selling author on oil and geopolitics, exclusively for the online magazine "New Eastern Outlook".

Comment: It looks like the GMO myths have not taken root in Europe:

1. Myth: GMOs have been adequately tested.

Truth: For years the biotech industry has pushed the message that there is a broad scientific consensus on the safety of GMOs. However, when asked about the safety of GMOs, the World Health Organization stated, "...individual GM foods and their safety should be assessed on a case-by-case basis and that it is not possible to make general statements on the safety of all GM foods." In terms of research, there have been no independent or long-term feeding studies conducted on any commercially produced GMOs to date. Additionally, the only testing currently being done is by the same companies that have developed and hold the patent on genetically engineered crops.

There exists a growing concern about the connection between GMOs and their impact on human health, the environment and societal responsibilities, and more research needs to be done.

2. Myth: GMO crops decrease the use of chemicals.

Truth: More than 80 percent of commercialized GMOs are engineered to be herbicide tolerant, insect resistant or both. As a result, "super weeds" and "super bugs" have emerged, which require the application of even more toxic chemicals to be combated. Consumers have started asking questions about the effects GMOs and the chemicals associated with their production are having across North America.The danger is that once these experimental organisms have been released into the environment they cannot be recalled.

3. Myth: We need GMOs to feed the world.

Truth: This is one of the main arguments supporters of genetically engineered crops use. Though there is mounting pressure on the world's food supply, studies show GMOs won't solve the problem. According to a 2015 report by the Environmental Working Group, 80 percent of the world's genetically engineered crops are corn and soybeans, which are predominantly used to produce animal feed and biofuel. There are also other strategies to feed the world, which would not have such great impacts on the environment, such as better use of the resources that do exist. Ultimately, the issue of global hunger requires political attention and much more than agricultural practices alone need to be examined.

Keeping consumers out of the dark: Debunking GMO myths: