Third World Network: Doc. TWN/Biosafety/2001/F
WORLDWIDE INTITIATIVES AGAINST GMOs
AFRICA
Algeria: Ban on the import, distribution, commercialization and utilization of
GE plant material, except for research purposes.
Egypt: Declared not to import GE wheat.
The draft Organization of African Unity (OAU) model biosafety law requires
that all GMOs, whether classified as food, crops, pharmaceuticals, or
commodities, and products thereof must be approved before import, transit,
contained use, release, and market release can take place. Any GMOs or
products thereof must be labeled as such and there is a strict liability
regime in place. This model law will serve as a model for national
implementation in African countries.
ASIA
Sri Lanka: A ban on the import of all genetically modified foods, raw and
processed, went into effect on May 1, 2001. This includes GMOs and
products thereof.
Thailand: Ban on field trials of GE crops, and the termination of ongoing
field trials of Monsanto’s GE cotton and corn. Ban on all commercial
planting of GE crops. Thailand will be drawing up legislation for labeling of
GE food by the end of 2001.
China: Ban on commercial planting of GE rice, wheat, corn and soybean.
Japan: Declared not to import GE wheat. Recent legislation has set zero
tolerance for imports containing unapproved GE products. Imports found to
contain unapproved GMOs will be destroyed or shipped back to origin.
Violators may incur penalties of up to one-year imprisonment and may be
fined. The legislation also seeks mandatory labeling for GMOs in food.
Philippines: The community of Valencia called for a five-year moratorium
on GE food and GE crop trials and commercialization. The Philippine
president recently announced a moratorium on GE crop research.
EUROPE
The European Union is expected to approve very strict legislation on
labeling and traceability; products thereof will have to be labeled even if
traces of GE material cannot be found in them.
Norway: Ban on the import of six GE crops and products which contain
antibiotic resistance genes - two GE vaccines, GE maize, tobacco, chicory,
and oil swede rape. 31 GE applications have been rejected to date.
Austria: Bans on three varieties of GE maize - Novartis, Monsanto and
AgrEvo. The Federal Institute for Less-favored and Mountainous Areas is
pressing for GE-free legislation and published a study on GE free zones,
initiatives in the States of Vorarlberg and Salzburg to ban GE trials.
Germany: Ban of Novartis Bt maize. The initiative “No GE on communal
land” of BUND (Friends of the Earth Germany) launched activities in
several German communities to discuss and vote on the GE free
resolutions. Applications have been launched in: Bad Vilbel, Blauenstein,
Lahr, konstanz, Hannover, Hamburg. Applications have been accepted in:
Mynchen, Reutlingen, Freidrichsdorf, Blomberg, Selingenstadt, Niddatal,
Maintal, Riedstadt, Adendorf, Schwebheim, Pinneberg, Schwabach,
Lan-genhagen, Wyhe, Burgdorf, Neetze, District Traunstein. Several
Protestant regional church organizations have banned GE crops from their
land: Hannover, Hessen und Nassau, Sachsen, Protestantic Church of
Westfalen, Protestantic Church in Berlin-Bradenburg, Church Province of
Sachsen.
United Kingdom: The Church of England has refused permission for GE
crop trials on 60,000 hectares of its land, dozens of local authorities supply
GE free school lunches, while the House of Commons has banned GE
food for its catering. The Island of Jersey has banned GE crops.
Spain: The Basque government has imposed a five-year blanket
moratorium for GMOs. The provinces of Castilla-La Mancha and Baleares
have banned GE food, while Andaluc’a declared a five-year moratorium on
GE crops trials and food.
Italy: Bans on GE crops in four regions - Tuscany, Molise, Lazio and
Marche - and 25 provinces, cities and communes, including Rome, Milan,
Turin, Brescia, and Genoa.
Greece: Ban on AgrEvo herbicide resistant rapeseed, moratorium on GE
crop trials.
France: Ban on PGS and AgrEvo herbicide resistant rapeseed.
Luxembourg: Ban on Novartis Bt maize.
Portugal: Ban on Novartis Bt maize.
LATIN AMERICA
Brazil: Ban on the planting of GE seeds. The states of Rio Grande do Sul
and Mato Grasso do Sul have declared their intentions to remain GE-free.
18 states have called upon the central government to block commercial GE
crop planting.
Paraguay: The Ministry of Agriculture plans to ban the commercial planting
of GE crops.
MIDDLE EAST
Saudi Arabia: Ban on GE food and declared not to import GE wheat.
NORTH AMERICA
United States of America: Maryland has banned GE fish. There are various
bills calling for moratoria on GE food (Vermont), and bans on GE wheat
(North Dakota and Montana) have been filed within the last year. Several
municipalities have declared moratoria on GE food (Burlington, Vermont),
bans of GE crops (City of Boulder, Colorado), or urged the federal
government to ban GE food (City and County of San Fransisco, California).
PACIFIC
14 South Pacific countries - American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati,
Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Papua
New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu - have
recommended a moratorium on the import of GMOs pending the
implementation of appropriate national risk assessment and risk
management procedures.
Australia: Ban GE rapeseed as weed in Tasmania, and a ban on
commercial planting of GE crops in Western Australia. Australian States
have been given the right to declare themselves GE free. Some
communities (e.g. Bondi/Sydney, West Wimmera Shire) have declared
themselves GE free.
New Zealand: Trials of GE salmon have been blocked by the government.
Some local bodies in Auckland and Wellington have declared themselves
GE free.