1.A Letter from the Little People
2.'Battle' on GM foods can't be won: EU official

NOTE: Thanks to Gill Rowland for letting us circulate this letter (item 1) which is a response to Jerzy Buzek's claim that although he's against GMOs, the battle can't be won. Others may like to write to Buzek too and don't forget to sign the Avaaz petition for a GM moratorium: http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_health_and_biodiversity/98.php?CLICK_TF_TRACK

EXTRACT: On Wednesday, Buzaek was handed 3,000 postcards hand-made by Bulgarian children calling for Bulgaria to remain GM free. (item 2)
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1.For the personal attention of Professor Jerzy Buzek
President, European Parliament
Brussels
 
4th March 2010

A Letter from the Little People of Europe
 
Dear Professor Buzek
 
I am writing to you on behalf of the little people of Europe.  We are not listened to very often despite the fact that we are supposed to live in democracies where what we think and want is taken into account when decisions are made by those who we put into positions of power to represent us and to act on our behalf and in our interests and who we thought would always want the best for us in terms of health, education, food, shelter and economic wellbeing.  Not to mention providing us with a good working infrastructure and transport system so that, without too many hurdles being put in our paths, we could, through our various skills, talents and desires, contribute to the successes of a Europe that provides first and foremost for the needs of its citizens but also for the little people of this world.
 
We hoped and believed that you, as President of the European Parliament and as someone from a nation whose little people have suffered endlessly at the hands of the big people over many years, would listen more than most to the voices of the little people who you represent, and that you would shut out the voices of the bullies.
 
We were therefore shocked to read what you said following your lecture at Sofia University on March 3rd, in response to the questions about GM crops being grown in Europe and the desire of the people of Bulgaria to decide what they grow on their soil.   Here once more we heard the interests of the big people, the multinational companies, being voiced by you, dressed up as the interests of the poor and needy of the world.  You said "We cannot win this battle, so I am not fighting".  You said that if Europe decided to keep itself free from genetically-modified products it risked losing out in terms of competitivity.  You are President of the European Parliament and as such you are required to fight for the people of Europe and fulfil their wishes not those of the big multinational companies who seek profit at all costs.  The EU policy on GMOs is to keep them out of Europe unless they can be proved safe, and until each one is assessed in a very strict regulatory environment prior to approval.  As for competitivity there is plenty of science and technology out there for Europe to promote and compete with without embracing a dubiously tested, unpopular and risky technology that a large number of those that you represent do not want and will not benefit from.
 
Yes, as you said, we do need to boost economic performance through investment in science and technology.  But we do not need the kind of science and technology that is marketed by huge multinational companies, that do not allow independent scientists access to material (1) allowing them to study the validity of their claims relating to production methods and safety.  These corporations only took an interest in seed production in the 1980s when they were allowed to patent seeds for the first time.  They then seized upon the chance to make vast amounts of money by taking over as much of the world's seed production as possible.  Then they promised that their GM technology would solve all sorts of problems, not least of which was that it would feed the world.  Over the next twenty years they did nothing to help the poor and hungry, while at the same time appropriating vast amounts of money for their research that was then denied to other potentially much more successful agricultural
technology research.  When top scientists, agronomists, environmentalists and medical bodies questioned the validity, usefulness and safety of these crops millions of dollars were spent by the PR companies and scientists representing these companies in trying to convince politicians, farmers and anyone who would listen of the excellence of these GM crops and in discrediting and indeed threatening anyone of the well informed and learned people who got in their way.  
 
When on the ground, after a few years, yield went down, pesticide use went up and problems such as weed resistance and crop failure emerged, the companies fell back on their last resort argument - that these crops were needed to feed the world.  This argument was debunked in 2008  (3) when the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development  (IAASTD) Report concluded that the best way to feed the world was through the use of traditional agriculture.  They did say that GM technology might have only a small part to play at which point the multinational seed companies, who had been involved in the process walked out (2).   This Report was funded by, amongst others, UNESCO, WHO and the |World Bank.  It was worked on by 400 top scientists and took four years to compile.  The Report answered the question that had been asked by the little people concerned about GM crops.  Were the seed companies intent on "Feeding or Fooling the World"(4)
 
The flood resistant rice, grown in Bangladesh, that you used as your example of successful and essential GM crops, was in fact developed by using a technique known as precision breeding and so was genetically improved not genetically modified (5).  It is a favourite trick of GM proponents to say that a successful crop using another technology is a GM crop.    This PR trickery ensures that the huge GM seed companies get the lion’s share of research funding and starve other very successful methods of plant breeding of funding.   
 
Yes -- let Europe help itself through investment in science and technology.  But please Mr Buzek listen to the independent scientists and not the industry backed scientists sitting on decision making committees and please listen to the little people and the learned amongst us and don't be swayed by the gold backed arguments of the big people.  Please fight this battle on our behalf.  And a final please Mr Buzek, now that Commissioner Dalli has kindly allowed us to grow Amflora potatoes in the EU (6), please will you ensure that food that is produced using GM feed such as meat, eggs and milk be labelled as such.  We would really like to know about and be allowed to choose what we eat.  Surely that is not too much to ask.  

(1) http://www.gmwatch.eu/component/content/article/11573-gm-industrys-strong-arm-tactics-with-researchers-nature-biotechnology-
 
(2) http://www.inesglobal.com/_News/iaastd.html
 
(3) http://www.agassessment.org/index.cfm?Page=IAASTD%20Reports&ItemID=2713
 
(4) http://www.farmingsolutions.org/pdfdb/Feed_Fool_World.pdf
 
(5) http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/a-13-2009-03-12-voa83-68829232.html
 
(6) http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/fury-as-eu-approves-gm-potato-1915833.html
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2.'Battle' on GM foods can't be won: EU official
Agence France-Presse, 3/3/2010
http://news.ph.msn.com/lifestyle/article.aspx?cp-documentid=3921425

European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek said on Wednesday he was against genetically-modified foods but said they were an unavoidable part of the future.

Asked by students in Sofia whether he was against GM foods, after the EU approved their cultivation, he said: "I am, generally speaking, against because we don't know what will be the long-term effect of it."

"But we cannot win that battle," added the Polish European lawmaker.

If Europe decided to keep itself free from genetically-modified products it risked losing out in terms of competitivity, he warned.

"We cannot win this battle, so I am not fighting," the European Parliament president said.

GM foods were also necessary in countries like Bangladesh, where salty-drop hurricanes were devastating rice paddies, he argued.

"No rice can grow there except for GM rice. Without GMO (genetically-modified organisms), half their population should die. Can you take such a decision?" Buzek asked.

A European Commission decision on Tuesday to approve the cultivation of genetically-modified potatoes prompted an angry response from environmental campaign groups across Europe.

Asked whether he supported individual EU member states declaring themselves free from GM food despite the EU ruling, Buzek said no country could run checks on every single imported product in a global economy.

"We are having a lot of GMO around even if we are against. It is very difficult for us to stop it. But it is always possible to try," he said.

Bulgarian organic food supporters recently staged a string of protests following a parliament debate on easing restrictions for growing GM products outside research laboratories and close to protected areas.

On Wednesday, Buzaek was handed 3,000 postcards hand-made by Bulgarian children calling for Bulgaria to remain GM free.