France Bans GM Monsanto maize

[key2thecup]

French government bans GM maize MON 810

France’s agricultural ministry on Saturday banned the sale, use and cultivation of Monsanto’s genetically modified maize MON 810, after France highest court twice previously struck down similar measures.

Currently the MON 810 is the only insect-resistant maize authorized in the EU. But France insists that GM crops pose significant environmental risks. The current socialist government of Francois Hollande, like the conservative one before it, has opposed supporting GM crops in light of public suspicion and protests from environmentalists and farmers.

The decree by the agricultural ministry is timed to prevent farmers being able to sow GM maize before a draft law is debated on April 10, which will seek to permanently ban the planting of any genetically modified crops. Maize is sown in France in the second half of March.

“The sale, use and cultivation of varieties of maize seed from the line of genetically modified maize MON 810 is banned in the country until the adoption, on the one hand, of a final decision, and secondly, of [EU] community action,” said the statement, which was published Saturday.

The Ministry of Agriculture considered that emergency legislation was needed, “given the proximity of the beginning of the planting season.”

Earlier, EU countries failed to agree on whether to approve a variety of GM maize, Pioneer 1507, produced by DuPont and DowChemical.

In February 19 EU member states voted against authorizing the cultivation of the crop, but because of so-called comitology voting rules, their votes were insufficient to overturn the votes of bigger member states that were in favor of introducing Pioneer 1507.

This means that the European Commission will go ahead and approve the GM crop for cultivation, although individual countries, such as France, may introduce legislation to stop its introduction.

France is staunchly against their introduction and wants to overhaul EU rules on the issue. The UK argues that without GM Europe risks becoming “the museum of world farming” and Spain says its own farmers have to be able to compete with those not from the EU, many of whom are growing GM crops.

GM crops, though still unpopular in Europe, are widely grown in the US and Asia.

http://rt.com/news/france-gm-maize-ban-134/

[drummer4now]

Good. Too bad they have such a big hold here in North America.

[aGENT]

Good. Too bad they have such a big hold here in North America.

[BiginJapan]

Good ol' French!

[Warhippy]

That's awesome good for them. Not quite as loud of a statement as when Hungary burned their own crops to help get them out of the country but awesome.

To bad our government will not just oust them as well

[RonMexico]

Nice to see the UK's sole concern (stated in the article) is competitiveness in the market and not about the long term safety of the public. Keep fighting the good fight France!

[Neversummer]

We should grow some and do the same here in Canada!

[Offensive Threat]

Crops that can grow in areas with little waterfall and poor soil conditions would be a miracle to millions of starving people worldwide. Crops that are more resistant to insects and disease. Crops that reap more well developed and abundant fruit and vegetables. These are the positives to GM crops. What , exactly, are the negatives?

[drummer4now]

Crops that can grow in areas with little waterfall and poor soil conditions would be a miracle to millions of starving people worldwide. Crops that are more resistant to insects and disease. Crops that reap more well developed and abundant fruit and vegetables. These are the positives to GM crops. What , exactly, are the negatives?

Personally I don't have any issues with them being used in poor impoverished nations where the environment isn't optimal for crops, but its unnecessary for them to be used in North American and Europe. Especially since we have large amounts of fertile land, consistent amounts of rainfall, and alternative means to fertilize/cultivate crops (fertilizers, greenhouses, gardens, etc...). In my opinion companies like Monsanto's only care about their bottom line, which is money... It seems odd they are spending so much time and money trying to enter North American/European markets when theres barely ever any news of these GMO crops being used by poor nations. Could it be because of our affection with eating large amounts of food? like fast food. We are basically cash cows for these companies.

Now to the health aspect. These crops still require further testing to determine any potential adverse health effects. I am putting my tinfoil hat with this statement lol but i think the food corporations are in bed with the big Pharma companies. It seems odd that many people in this day and age are increasingly becoming allergic to traditional foods like Wheat, Peanuts, etc... when they have been consumed by humans for centuries. I believe the GMO crops might have its hand in this.

[The Colt 45s]

The irony in this story about maize is that maize is already naturally genetically modified. It is a hybrid of a hybrid of a hybrid and so on.

[Offensive Threat]

Now to the health aspect. These crops still require further testing to determine any potential adverse health effects. I am putting my tinfoil hat with this statement lol but i think the food corporations are in bed with the big Pharma companies. It seems odd that many people in this day and age are increasingly becoming allergic to traditional foods like Wheat, Peanuts, etc... when they have been consumed by humans for centuries. I believe the GMO crops might have its hand in this.

There is broad scientific consensus that food on the market derived from GM crops poses no greater risk to human health than conventional food. Thousands of studies done in nations around the world over the last 25 years bear this out. People are not becoming more allergic. Its more people realizing that what has been bothering them for so long can now be indentified. My sister has a gluten intolerance, she has had it since childhood and it took over 20 years for it to be diagnosed correctly. Luckily it isnt a severe intolerance. If she was born a generation earlier she would have lived her whole life with it not knowing why she got rashes and felt bad every so often.