Since the appearance of the first GM crops in Europe a few years ago, beekeepers continue to alert the authorities about the impossibility of coexistence between these cultures and beekeeping. Under the influence of the largely US-based GMO lobby, the European Commission and national authorities have so far remained deaf to this call.
However, a German beekeeper who noted the presence of pollen from GM maize MON 810 in her honey has filed a lawsuit. On September 5, 2011, the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) decided that such honey could not be marketed.
Our rulers can no longer pretend to ignore this reality: the authorization of GM crops in the field would be fatal to beekeeping (honey, pollen, propolis) and the bee.
European consumers do not want GMOs in honey. Environmental awareness has become such that the Commission can not take the risk of deliberately sacrificing the bee for the benefit of multinationals. Since the decision of the ECJ, the negotiations are progressing well, however.
The judgment of the Court of Justice relies on the fact that pollen from MON 810 maize is not allowed for human consumption. Legal manipulations that would circumvent this prohibition in the case of honey are under consideration, in violation of the transparency demanded by consumers.
Coexistence of GM crops in open fields and beekeeping is impossible. Nobody can ignore this reality.
The bee is an essential element of the environment, biodiversity, and a key asset for the pollination of many crops. Already undermined by the pressure of pesticides, it could simply disappear from our countryside by political decision, or be accused of disseminating GMO pollen!
Faced with this unacceptable risk, we urge John Dalli, European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Affairs, and our European and national policymakers to protect bees, beekeeping and beekeeping professionals and: suspend immediately and not to renew the authorization of outdoor cultivation of MON 810, block the progress of all cases of genetically modified plants or nectar Pollen, to rigorously assess the impact of transgenic plants on the apiaries, including brood bees and winter, and make public all the protocols and results respect the right to transparency for consumers.
Support the beekeepers of Europe and help them save the bees from the onslaught of pesticide-laden GM crops. Sign the petition here - http://www.ogm-abeille.org/?lang=fr#petition
(The above post is based on the original page in French.)
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