Ireland aims at becoming a GMO-free zone

After the Green Party’s historic agreement to form a coalition government with Fianna Fail, the parties revealed their agreed policy “to negotiate for the whole island of Ireland to become a GMO-free zone”. The Green Party, working on both sides of the border, will get two Cabinet Minister positions in the new government. Green Party leader Trevor Sargent, TD, confirmed he would work very hard within the new government to get Green Party policies implemented. He added that the establishment of a GMO-free zone in Ireland was a project that he would enthusiastically work on since there was not much time left to rescue that status, but it was vital as a food-producing island operating in markets looking for GM-free food and if that status was lost, there would be no turning back.

The GM-free Ireland Network had brought main farmer organisations together with Brazil’s largest exporter of certified non-GMO soy beans for discussion to phase out the use of GM animal feed in Irish farming. Representatives of the Irish Farmers Association, the Irish Creamery and Milk Suppliers Association, the Irish Cattle and Sheepfarmers Association as well as of the Northern Ireland branch of the UK National Beef Association were present.

A GM-free Ireland Network spokesman congratulated the new government and invited Trevor Sargent to address a briefing on Food Safety and GMO at the European Parliament Office in Dublin.

http://www.gmfreeireland.org