Fears GM move will damage our food reputation

LEADING chef and television presenter Clodagh McKenna has warned that the Government’s U-turn on genetically modified (GM) foods will damage Ireland’s reputation.

Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith will travel to Brussels today to support EU Commission proposals to introduce a tolerance for the low-level presence of, as yet, unauthorised GM varieties in animal feed imports.

Earlier this month, Mr Smith confirmed Ireland’s intention to change its voting position to support EU Commission proposals aimed at authorising the marketing of food, food ingredients and feed containing, consisting of, or produced from GM maize and cotton.

Mr Smith said he decided to change Ireland’s voting position because of the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) positive scientific opinion, which the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) agreed with.

Ms McKenna, who was speaking at a press conference organised by concerned representatives in the food sector, said they should have been consulted about how they felt about GM foods being brought into Ireland.

“We are getting our name out there because of our growing reputation for good food and we cannot allow GM feed to be brought into Ireland,” she said.

Board member of Irish Seed Savers Association and food spokesperson for Afri, Clare O’Grady Walsh, said the minister was voting for the lifting of zero-tolerance rule on GM food and feed ingredients, even though legal challenges were being prepared by Luxembourg and Germany.

“The food and agricultural sector is worth €16.6bn to our economy — that’s 8% of Gross Domestic Product, employs 150,000 people directly and 250,000 in the wider economy and supports 128,000 family farms,” she pointed out.

One or Ireland’s best known and longest established organic growers, Richard Auler, from Cahir, Co Tipperary, said there was a need for more independent research on genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

“This is about democracy and accountability as much as it is about issues of irreversible contamination, dubious scientific review, risk assessment and liability,” he said.

Executive researcher of the Irish Cattle and sheep Farmers’ Association (ICSA), Gillian Westbrook, said GM was not associated with quality food in the minds of consumers and that many supermarkets were moving towards GM-free ranges.

“ICSA believes that the future for Irish farming must be based on top quality products targeting the highest priced markets and it is now urgent that we have a national strategy which defines how we will achieve this goal,” she said.

The press conference was supported by Afri, an organisation that seeks to promote debate and influence policy and practice in Ireland and internationally on human rights, peace and justice issues.