Animal Feed Lobby Targets EU's Zero Tolerance Policy on GM
Corporate Europe Observatory, 25 January 2011
http://www.corporateeurope.org/agribusiness/content/2011/01/eus-zero-tolerance-gm-under-fire

A recent draft Commission proposal to change the legislation governing genetically modified (GM) foods and feeds has revealed that the Commission is giving in to a long-standing combined demand from the biotech, food and animal feed industry to break down the so-called 'zero-tolerance policy' regarding contamination with non-authorised GM food and feed.

This policy means that imported food and feed stuffs are not allowed to contain even the smallest amount of genetically modified material (referred to as genetically modified organisms or GMOs) that has not been approved for sale in the European Union.

This article examines evidence from the feed industry which shows how they distorted the facts and exaggerated the impacts as part of their lobby campaign to get rid of zero tolerance.

Read the full article here

EXTRACT: Lobby campaign revealed

Internal newsletters from the animal feed lobby, FEFAC (the European Feed Manufacturer's Federation) - normally only available to members - reveal details of how their lobby campaign. FEFAC's lobbying has been supported by the biotech industry association EuropaBio, food companies such as Unilever and the food industry lobby group, the Confederation of Food and Drink Industries (CIAA).

According to the EU Commission's transparency register, FEFAC estimates that it spends 250,000-300,000 on lobbying1. This is bound to underestimate the reality, with six staff members in the secretariat, who are based in one of Brussel”Ÿs prime office locations, opposite the Commission”Ÿs headquarters. In addition, FEFAC has a Praesidium, a Council and various working committees, whose members are all paid to lobby for the industry, either paid by FEFAC or by a member organisation.

FEFAC has also been lobbying to improve the image of the animal feed industry, which has come under attack because of its reliance on damaging soy imports to Europe. It has become an active member of the equally controversial Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS), which accredits a voluntary "responsible" label scheme (which for example has agreed to brand Monsanto's RoundupReady (GM) soy as a "responsible" product).

This comes at a time where the seventh Eurobarometer survey on GMOs published in November 2010, showed that an increased percentage of the EU population object to GMOs in their food2.