Category Archives: Agriculture

When will governments learn that GE crops are uncontrollable?

Posted on by

GE Wheat Fields in SaskatchewanShockwaves are being felt across the world’s wheat markets following the first-ever discovery of unauthorised genetically engineered wheat growing on a US farm – a development that gives further proof that GE crops cannot be controlled.

The discovery of Monsanto’s GE wheat, confirmed by US authorities, sparked alarm among Washington’s trading nations, pushed wheat prices lower and is threatening US exports. It should not be seen, however, as totally unexpected.

The GE wheat is a herbicide tolerant wheat (probably MON 71800) that Monsanto tested in fields across 16 states between 1998 and 2005. The wheat was never authorised and never commercialised because Monsanto withdrew its application in May 2004 following massive global opposition from farmers, consumers and environmentalists. Continue reading →

What’s the problem with genetically engineered wheat found in Oregon?

Posted on by
Genetically modified wheat fields in Aberdeen, Saskatchewan.

Genetically modified wheat fields in Aberdeen, Saskatchewan.

You may have heard the news that the USDA found genetically engineered wheat in an Oregon field. The USDA has never approved genetically engineered wheat for US farming so how did it get here?

According to officials, the wheat is the same strand of a tested seed from Monsanto 10 years ago.

This discovery is problematic for US agriculture trade as the US exports half of its wheat crop, and several countries do not accept genetically engineered crops.

“This outbreak of GE wheat growing in the US confirms our concerns that GE crops cannot be controlled. This is the latest in a long line of incidents involving the contamination of our food supply with GE crops not approved for human consumption,” said Greenpeace International scientist Janet Cotter. ”The developers of GE wheat have repeatedly said that GE wheat will not contaminate conventional or organic wheat because it is predominantly self-pollinating (i.e. the pollen does not spread very far, unlike crops such as maize and oilseed rape). Despite these empty promises, GE contamination has happened.”

The Agriculture Department is investigating how the wheat got to the US, and how far it may have spread.

Tell the USDA to ban field tests of genetically engineered crops!

6 Reasons to March against Monsanto May 25th

Posted on by
Aerial view of a crop circle made by local farmers and Greenpeace volunteers

Aerial view of a crop circle made by local farmers and Greenpeace volunteers

There aren’t too many corporations more globally disliked than the sustainable agriculture company Monsanto. And by “sustainable agriculture,” they mean genetically engineering food crops with unknown chemicals leading to health and environmental risks including a jarring decline in global bee populations.

This Saturday, May 25, thousands of global activists will participate in marches against Monsanto in 250 cities around the world. Initially organized and created by Tami Monroe Canal, mother of two young daughters, this global movement aims to fight back against a multinational corporation putting profit over human and environmental health. Continue reading →

Monsanto threatens Hawaii ecosystem and residents

Posted on by

Guest blog by Courtney Bruch, an Earth activist, GMO Free Maui coordinator and Babes Against Biotech Interisland Advisor. Crossposted from Greenpeace India
Protest in Hawaii

Being touched by the true Spirit of Aloha is a lifelong blessing. Hawaii is renowned worldwide as one of the top vacation destinations for many reasons. Each of the six most inhabited islands of this archipelago are equally unique in magnificence, with dramatic landscapes including lush, green mountains, sparkling streams, enchanted waterfalls, white sand beaches, majestic rainbows, an abundance of tropical flowers and mouthwatering fruits. Continue reading →

Will big biotech giants destroy Mexican corn? Join us and say no!

Posted on by

GE Crop Circle Action Against GM Corn (Spain: 2006)

The Mexican government is likely to authorize the cultivation of genetically engineered (GE) corn in Mexico. And until now Mexican citizens, with the help of organisations like Greenpeace,  have managed to prevent agribusiness giants like Monsanto, DuPont and Dow AgroSciences from gaining approval in Mexico for genetically engineered corn.

But this looks like it could change.

The agriculture ministry in Mexico may allow foreign companies to plant genetically engineered corn on 2.4 million hectares of land. Continue reading →

Bees in decline: How long will pesticide companies deny science?

Posted on by

Days before the key EU vote to ban bee-killer pesticides, Greenpeace is attending the annual general meeting (AGM) of Syngenta in Basel, Switzerland, in order to alert shareholders to the company’s role in the global decline in bee populations and ask them to challenge the chair of Syngenta board to stop marketing these deadly products.

Activists and beekeepers are demonstraing outside the shareholders’ assembly, while representatives of Greenpeace and the European Beekeeping Coordination are directing questions to the Syngenta board about the reputational and financial risk faced by the company in light of the probable ban. Last month, the European Commission put forward a proposal for a ban on bee-killer pesticides produced by Syngenta and Bayer.

Continue reading →

‘Monsanto Protection Act’ adopted in the US

Posted on by

Imagine a democratic government adopting a legislation that would instruct its own Department of Agriculture “to ignore any judicial rulings that block the planting of crops that the court determines to be illegal”(according to Senator Jon Tester D-MT).

In essence, this is what the US Congress has done by adopting a small clause (Section 735) inside the 2013 agricultural budget. Continue reading →

Drawing a line the in the sand, not in the forests.

Posted on by

Pristine natural forest in Southeast Alaska. © Bob Taylor

At Greenpeace, we’re often working hard to help save unique and amazing forests in places like the Amazon and Indonesia. This week, we’re excited to announce a major victory for our unique and amazing forests right here in the U.S.

It started with a simple premise – if there’s no road going into a forest, it’s very hard to get in and chop the trees down. This is why, since 1999, Greenpeace and other NGOs have been supporting what’s known as Clinton’s “Roadless Rule”: a formal federal rule proclaimed at the close of his presidency which aimed to protect the remaining 58+ million acres of unprotected roadless areas in our national forest system.

Continue reading →

GMO Labeling Victory!

Posted on by

Whole Foods Market, the eighth largest food and drug store in the U.S. has announced that by 2018, all products sold in U.S. and Canada stores must be labeled if they contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs).  Whole Foods currently provides customers with the choice of over 3,300 Non-GMO products from 250 brands which is more than any other retailer in North America.  While we agree with other groups that want Whole Foods to accelerate their commitment to 2015, we also applaud the company for its leadership.

This is huge news coming just a few months after the California citizen’s initiative  (Proposition 37) that would have mandated clear labeling of genetically engineered ingredients on food packages was defeated. With interest in GMO labeling around the country now at an all time high, recent polls have shown that more than 82 percent of Americans want full GMO transparency making it mandatory to label GMOs. Continue reading →