AGRICULTURE minister Timis Efthymiou has launched an investigation into reports that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) were recently imported into Cyprus.
According to Phileleftheros, the minister has ordered the Institute of Agricultural Research to investigate information that a large quantity of genetically modified corn seeds has been imported from Argentina to be used for animal feed.
But although Greens Party leader George Perdikis was yesterday unable to confirm the reports, he said former Agriculture Minister Costas Themistocleous had ordered a bar on the import of GMOs and therefore anyone found breaking this directive would be penalised.
“Although there is no legislation banning the importation of GMOs, they have been forbidden by order,” he said. “Therefore anyone who has imported GM seeds has committed a criminal offence.”
However, tomorrow the House is expected to pass a bill allowing the controlled importation of GMOs. Perdikis said the government was planning to start giving permission to import GMOs as long as certain strict criteria were fulfilled.
Genetic modification is a special set of technologies, known as recombinant DNA technology, that alter the genetic makeup of such living organisms as animals, plants or bacteria by combining genes from different organisms. The resulting organism is then said to be “genetically modified”. GM products include medicines and vaccines, foods and food ingredients, feeds, and fibres.
The problem is that not enough information is yet available on the possible long-term health effects of GM organisms or how to neutralise the effects of cross-pollination and contamination of non-GM organisms.
Green Party activist Roxanne Coudounaris said yesterday the government was fully aware that Cyprus could not cope with the question of GM leakage into the soil.
“The risks involve GM organisms leaking into the food chain without our knowledge,” she said. “We are not able to ensure that animals eating GM seeds will not leak the product into the soil, into the meat we eat or the milk we drink. We cannot even control the way the winds blow, which could cause the seeds to move from one GM farming field, into another natural farming field.”
Coudounaris said three important questions had not yet been exhaustively assessed and, until they were, the government should apply the precautionary principle and not risk burdening the soil and jeopardising future generations’ use of nature’s resources.
“One, the whole notion of coexistence of GM organisms with naturally produced organisms. Two, the question of withdrawal of GM organisms in case of contamination. And, third, the strict legal liabilities arising from the use of these substances,” she said. “If you are not sure of the outcome, you avoid the process, until you have more information on the effects.
Coudounaris said the precautionary principle stipulated that the public should not have to be on the lookout for what was a danger to them, but that policymakers should be looking out for them. “If you’re not sure you shouldn’t turn man into a human guinea pig,” she said.
“Cyprus is too small and we do not have enough land to control GM farming. Consumers won’t be able to make informed choices about what they are eating because there are too many productions involved in the food chain to avoid a spill somewhere,” she warned. “Instead we should concentrate on selling first rate produce to a smaller, more selective, scrutinising market rather than selling second rate produce to a larger market.”
Seeking to reassure the public over concerns about the new bill, the Agriculture Minister has assured: “The import of genetically modified organisms will be harder than the importation of explosives”.
To which Perdikis replied: “Explosives might be difficult to import but they are still imported. If the minister believes he can control the situation let him find the people who are already reportedly responsible for importing GM corn seeds.”
According to the human genome project information: “GM crops are grown commercially or in field trials in over 40 countries and on six continents. In 2000, about 109.2 million acres were planted with transgenic crops, the principal ones being herbicide and insecticide-resistant soybeans, corn, cotton, and canola. Other crops grown commercially or field-tested are a sweet potato resistant to a virus that could decimate most of the African harvest, rice with increased iron and vitamins that may alleviate chronic malnutrition in Asian countries, and a variety of plants able to survive weather extremes.
“On the horizon are bananas that produce human vaccines against infectious diseases such as hepatitis B; fish that mature more quickly; fruit and nut trees that yield years earlier, and plants that produce new plastics with unique properties.
In 2000, countries that grew 99 per cent of the global transgenic crops were the United States (68 per cent), Argentina (23 per cent), Canada (seven per cent) and China (one per cent). Although growth is expected to plateau in industrialised countries, it is increasing in developing countries.”
