Stop Monsanto! Bulletin
Posted by Fern Holland
(Today at 10:44am from The Organic & Non-GMO Report, Vol. 9, No.10 November 2009)
The Irish Government will ban the cultivation of all GM crops and introduce a voluntary GM-free label for food - including meat, poultry, eggs, fish crustaceans, and dairy produce made without the use of GM animal feed.
(Oh, I am just so happy I can only dance!) :-)
The policy was adopted as part of the Renewed Programme for Government agreed to by the two coalition partners, the center-right Fianna Faíl and the Green Party, after the latter voted to support it on Saturday.
"EYES OF EUROPE WILL GAZE WITH ENVY ON IRELAND"
The agreement specifies that the government will "Declare the Republic of Ireland a GM-Free Zone, free from the cultivation of all GM plants." The official text also states: "To optimize Ireland's competitive advantage as GM-Free country, we will introduce a voluntary GM-free logo for use in all relevant product labeling and advertising, similar to a scheme recently introduced in Germany."
The President of the Irish Cattle and Sheepfarmers Association, Malcolm Thompson, said he was delighted by the announcement. "The Government's new GM-free policy is the fulfillment of what we at ICSA have held for the last five years. I very much look forward to its full implementation."
Michale O'Callaghan of GM-Free Ireland said the policy signals a new dawn for Irish farmers and food producers: "The Irish Government plan to ban GM crops and to provide a voluntary GM-free label for qualifying animal products makes obvious business sense for our agri-food and eco-tourism sectors.
Everyone knows that US and EU consumers, food brands and retailers want safe GM-free food, and Ireland is ideally positioned to deliver the safest, most credible GM-free food brand in Europe, if not the world."
In London, the Irish Michelin-star celebrity chef and TV host Richard Corrigan laughed out loud when he heard the news at his Bentley's Mayfair restaurant, adding that "the eyes of Europe will now gaze with envy on Ireland!"
Ireland's geographical isolation and offshore Atlantic western winds provide a natural barrier to contamination by wind-borne GM pollen drift from countries such as the UK and Spain which still allow commercial release and/or field trials of GM crops. Together with this natural protection - and Irleand's famous green image and unpolluted topsoil - the new GM-free policy will provide Irish farmers and food producers who avoid the use of GM feed with a truly unique selling point: the most credible safe GM food brand in Europe.
GM-FREE LABEL TO BE INTRODUCED
O'Callaghan said the Irish GM-free lable for algae, meat, poultry, eggs, crustaceans, fish, and dairy produce should set a higher standard than the existing German and proposed French labels. "Ireland's GM-free label should mean what it says, i.e. no feeding of any GM-labeled feedstuffs during the entire life of the animal."
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NOW DON'T YOU JUST LOVE IRELAND?!!! I LOVED IT BEFORE AND I LOVE IT EVEN MORE NOW!!!
PLEASE, SHARE THE NOTE WITH EVERYONE! TELL THEM THERE ARE, INDEED, FOLKS WHO WALK THEIR TALK - EVERYDAY PEOPLE DOING AND BEING EXTRAORDINARY THINGS! YEAAAAAA! :-)
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