GREEN IRELAND.

1
GREEN IRELAND.

• BRANDING FOR FARMING, FOOD AND ECO-TOURISM.

2
Forging a GM policy for Ireland.

• KATE CARMODY.
• IRISH ORGANIC FARMERS AND GROWERS ASSOCIATION.

3
Ill aim to cover

• The current policy vacuum on GM crops
• The work and views of IOFGA
• The key issues to consider
• The advantages to be gained by keeping Ireland
  GM-free.

4
Policy vacuum

• No major political party has a policy things
  happening by default
• No evidence of consumer demand
• No strong evidence of lack of impact on the
  environment
• No thought about the future direction for Irish
  agriculture
• Need to respond to challenges of globalisation
  high value added products
• Need to focus on sustainability in agriculture
• How does GM fit with this?

5
IOFGA

• We are Irelands largest organic certification
  body.
• We operate an inspection and certification
  scheme, approved by DAF and UKROFS.
• 1992 EU regulation 2092/91-crops.
• 2000 EU regulation 1804/99 livestock.

6
OUR POSITION ON GM CROPS.

• They are prohibited, as are their derivatives.
• This is due to their incompatibility with organic
  principles, their un-recallable nature and risk
  to the environment and human health.

7
Key issues to consider

• Future of Irish Agriculture
• Changing consumer demand, greater concern about
  food production, greater concern about
  environmental impact, food and health, food miles
• Future of the Irish environment
• Green and clean and GMO free!

8
Evidence based decision making.

• The evidence base
• Lessons from medical science and issues to do
  with how to assess the risks of GM.
• The role of epigenetics ignored by the
  agricultural biotechnology industry. They still
  insist on using the dogma that one gene codes for
  one protein.
• Risk assessment based on substantial equivalence-
  a pseudo-scientific concept because it is a
  commercial and political judgement masquerading
  as if it were scientific.
• Coexistence of crops found to be impossible in
  countries already growing GM crops.

9
Conclusions.

• Latest research shows substantial health risks
  from GM food including allergic reactions and
  antibiotic resistance.
• The European consumer is willing to pay for value
  added products to ensure their health benefits.
• Irish Organic market is increasing by 10
  annually.

10
Food for thought?

• You are what you eat?
• Lets hope not, if it is GM.