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Italian region orders GM maize fields destroyed, Monsanto reportedly urges farmers to resist ruling
(Tuesday, July 15, 2003 -- CropChoice news) -- ABC News, 07/12/03: Italy's Piedmont region has ordered the destruction of 381 hectares of
maize fields thought to contain genetic material, a spokesman for its
president said.
"The President of Piedmont region, Enzo Ghigo, has ordered the
destruction of 381 hectares of genetically modified maize in the
region," spokesman Massimo Tesio said.
Mr Tesio said the order would be published on Saturday (local time) and
carried out no more than five days later.
Under Italian law, the sowing of genetically modified crops in open
fields is banned under a so-called "zero tolerance" policy.
The Piedmont authorities did not say how the contamination of the maize
arose.
Farming sources said the farmers on whose land the crops were growing
were not being held responsible.
The farmers expected to be compensated by the regional government.
Officials of Italy's biggest farmers' association, Coldiretti - a
staunch
opponent of commercial biotech plantings in Italy, said the group
welcomed the news as it underscored Piedmont's support for the "zero
tolerance" policy.
The Bologna-based Italian Seeds Association (AIS), which represents 175
seed companies, said any decision to destroy maize fields underlined the
inability of Piedmont to handle the situation.
"They [Piedmont] are trying to put all the responsibility on the seed
companies," AIS director Marco Nardi said.
"The Piedmont decision is a disheartening confirmation of the
authority's
incapacity to manage the problem.
"Interfering with fields that were certainly sowed with traditional seed
varieties... is an absurd decision that will end up just penalizing the
farmers who are involved."
Regional public prosecutors had decided in a meeting late on Thursday
local time to give Piedmont the right to decide whether to destroy the
crops.
The maize fields, located between Turin and Cuneo, were found to contain
genetic material during a recent routine inspection.
Piedmont is a major growing area for maize, Italy's biggest cereal crop
in tonnage terms. Italy is the European Union's second biggest maize
producer after France.
Maize harvesting in Italy will start in a few weeks' time.
The United States, Canada and Argentina are taking the European Union
(EU) to the World Trade Organization for refusing their genetically
modified exports, which US farmers say costs them $US300 million a year.
Italy was one of the original members of a group of EU states that in
1999 said they would refuse EU permits for any new genetically modified
products pending new regulations on safety testing, labeling and product
tracing, all of which are now approved in principle.
Only a handful of genetically modified crops are allowed to be imported
or grown in the EU as the bloc has not granted any permits since 1998.
Meanwhile, according to the following story, Monsanto and Pioneer have urged farmers not to destroy the corn.
MONSANTO, PIONEER URGE ITALIAN FARMERS TO FIGHT GM CROP CULL - REPORT
The story says that the newspaper cited the leader of a farmers'
organisation, after farmers began meeting legal demands for them to plough
up fields of maize grown from genetically modified seed, it said.
Giorgio Ferrero, from the Coldiretti farmers organization, was quoted as
saying, "Representatives of the two companies are contacting farmers one by
one to convince them not to destroy the fields. In exchange, they are
offering free legal assistance and asking them to sign a mandate to appeal
the order that obliges them to destroy the crop."
However, the Confagricoltura organisation was cited as saying that about 30
farmers have asked their lawyers to fight the destruction demands, it said.
And, it appears to be working:
ROME - Farm officials were cited as saying on Monday that farmers are
resisting an order by Piedmont region in north Italy to destroy almost 400
hectares of maize fields thought to contain genetic material, and may take
the matter to court.
An official with Coldiretti, Italy's biggest farmers' association and, the
story says, an opponent of commercial biotech sowings, was cited as telling
Reuters that just 10 hectares of maize near Cuneo had been destroyed by
Monday morning.
The story explains that Piedmont on Friday ordered the destruction within
five days of 381 hectares of maize found to contain genetically modified
organisms (GMOs) after a recent routine inspection.
Under Italian law, the sowing of genetically modified crops in open fields
is banned.
Officials with Confagricoltura, another farmers' group, questioned whether
farmers who destroyed their crops would receive compensation.
Some Confagricoltura farmers were considering going to court to challenge
the Piedmont order because the amount of genetic material had not been
established, farm sources said.
The Piedmont authorities did not say how the contamination of the maize
arose. | |
