Conference: 'Co-existence', contamination and GM-free zones: Jeopardising consumer choice?

At the conference, organised by Consumers International and Regione Emilia-Romagna, international experts on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and consumer rights spoke on the controversial topic of 'co-existence' of GM and GM-free crops.

Speakers discussed the biological infeasibility of 'co-existence' of GM and GM-free crops, cases of GMO contamination, current legislation on GMOs in the EU and the USA, and the fight to be GM-free. They also emphasised the importance of labelling of GMO shipments and GM products worldwide, and the need for consumer action. Links to speeches are below.

Read interviews, with key speakers, revealing major problems with GMOs and GM contamination: Ignacio Chapela,  Benedikt Haerlin, Marijane Lisboa, and Muyunda Ililonga.

The conference took place in Bologna, Italy on 9 September 2005 and was part of SANA, the 17th International Exhibition of Natural Products - NUTRITION, HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT.

Conference Speeches

Welcome and Introduction
Sergio Rossi, Consigliere Delegato SANA srl, Italy

David Cuming, GM Campaigns Manager, Consumers International, UK
Cuming introduced the conference by explaining the goals of the CI GM Campaign and by emphasising the need for protection of consumer rights regarding GMOs. Read Cuming speech. 

Panel 1 -  Regional perspectives and experiences on GM-free zones and 'co-existence'
Gianni Cavinato, Secretary General, Associazione Consumatori Utenti, Italy
Anti-GMO sentiment in Italy and the conflict between GM-free regions and the Italian national government were described by Cavinato. Read Cavinato speech.

Els Cooperrider, Co-owner of the Ukiah Brewing Company and co-author of Measure H for a GM-free Mendocino County, USA
Cooperrider explained how, against the odds, Mendocino County became the first GM-free zone in the USA. Read Cooperrider speech.

Marijane Lisboa, Co-ordinator, Instituto de Defesa do Consumidor (IDEC) and Sociology lecturer, São Paulo Catholic University (PUC-SP), Brazil
Read Lisboa speech (Italiano) 

Gerald Lonauer, Head of the Liaison Office of Upper Austria, Assembly of European Union, Austria
The legal and social aspects of GM-free regions at the European, national, and regional levels were discussed by Lonauer. Read Lonauer speech.

Muyunda Ililonga, Executive Director of ZACA - Zambia Consumers Association, Zambia
Ililonga explained the decision by the Zambian government to decline GM food aid in 2002, and consumer involvement in the development of biosafety and GM labelling legislation in Zambia today. Read Ililonga speech.

Saree Aongsomwang, Director, Foundation for Consumers, Thailand
Problems with widespread GMO contamination of papaya plantations in Thailand were described by Aongsomwang, as well as action being taken by consumer and farmer groups to stop the spread of GMOs. Read Aongsomwang speech.

Panel 2 -  What are the main scientific issues surrounding the debate over GM-free zones and 'co-existence'?
Ignacio Chapela, Associate Professor, Division of Ecosystem Sciences, Berkeley - University of California, USA
Chapela referred to unfulfilled promises of genetic engineering, the diversion of research funding into biotechnology, and the biological impossibility of 'co-existence' of GM and GM-free crops. Read Chapela speech.

Angelika Hilbeck, Project coordinator, Geobotanical Institute,  ETH - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Switzerland
The processes required to try to avoid GMO contamination including biological, agronomic and analytical issues are summarised by Hilbeck in this informative presentation. Read Hilbeck speech.

Claudia Sorlini, Dean of Faculty of Agriculture, Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy

Panel 3 - What efforts have government and industry taken to ensure 'co-existence' is viable for all sectors of agriculture and are they working?
Benedikt Haerlin, Director, Save our Seeds and Foundation on Future Farming, Germany
Haerlin provided an overview of European Union policy on GMOs from labelling and traceability to 'co-existence'. Read Haerlin speech.

Lim Li Lin, Senior Legal and Environmental Researcher, Third World Network, Malaysia
The importance of the Cartagena Biosafety Protocol (CBP) for developing countries was emphasised by Lin. She stressed the need for an agreement on bulk labelling of GMO shipments and liability for contamination, and urged civil society groups to organise for the upcoming CBP meeting in Brazil, March 2006. Read Lin speech.

Victor Gonzalvez, Technical Co-ordinator, Sociedad Española de Agricultura Ecológia (SEAE), IFOAM - EU Spain Board member, Spain
IFOAM remains opposed to the introduction of GM crops, explained Gonzalvez, and regions in Spain are trying to prevent GM contamination in the absence of national legislation. Read Gonzalvez speech.

Panel 4 - What are the main legal concerns surrounding GM-free zones and 'co-existence'?
Paolo Martinello, President, Altroconsumo, Italy
Martinello explained that EU legislation does not make GM farmers liable for GMO contamination or even aim to prevent GMO contamination. He proposed European consumer groups work together for change. Read Martinello speech.

Peter T. Jenkins, Attorney and Policy Analyst, Center for Food Safety and the International Center for Technology Assessment, USA
The US government policy of 'substantial equivalence' means there are few laws regulating GMOs in the USA. However, according to Jenkins there are existing laws, unrelated to GMOs, that could be used to protect GM-free areas in the USA. Read Jenkins speech.

Benedikt Haerlin, Director, Save our Seeds and Foundation on Future Farming, Germany
EU law does not yet clearly determine who pays for GM contamination according to Haerlin although he explained that Austria has the most developed 'co-existence' legislation. Haerlin also stressed the importance of GM labelling for consumers. Read Haerlin speech.

Concluding remarks
Tiberio Rabboni, Assessore Agricoltura, Regione Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Assessore Rabboni strongly reaffirmed the Region's commitment to a scientific moratorium on GMOs and appealed to Italian ministers to approach upcoming 'co-existence' guidelines with caution. Read Rabboni speech (English and Italiano)

The meeting was chaired by:
Anna Fielder, Director, Office for Developed and Transition Economies, Consumers International, UK

Anna Bartolini, Italian representative of the European Consultative Consumer Group (ECCG), Italy. Read Bartolini statement (Itlaliano -downloads word)

GM Activist meeting

An activist meeting was held on the 8 of September prior to the conference. 31 people attended, representing 18 countries. Participants included representatives from consumer groups and other civil society organisations, academia, the scientific community, journalism, the organic sector and government.

Common issues raised were: the strategy of the biotech industry (particularly Monsanto) is a problem; need for a source of independent scientific information; impact of GMOs on the environment; regions must have a democratic right to choose to be GM-free; and need for consumer education.

'Co-existence' resource documents 
Read papers on 'co-existence' and GMO contamination.

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