P. Dines
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Source: http://www.greenpeace.org/~comms/cbio/prgnov11.html
NESTLE
VEVEY SWITZERLAND, NOVEMBER 11TH 1996
This morning Greenpeace activists climbed onto the roof of Nestle's
international headquarter in Vevey (Switzerland) and roped down the building
enrolling a banner.
With the banner-hanging and with loudspeaker messages in different
European languages Greenpeace protested against the force feeding of the
consumers with genetically engineered (GE) soya. After heavy protests all over
Europe during the last few weeks almost all the main foodproducers gave in to
the growing consumer-pressure: Kraft Jakobs-Suchard guarantees their European
customers GE-free soya-products, and even Unilever is already giving such
guarantees in some European countries. With its stubborn position in favour of
genetically engineered foods Nestle stands alone and in absolute contrast to the
consumer's demand.
This morning Greenpeace activists enrolled a huge banner on the front
of the Nestle-headquarter in Vevey (Switzerland) saying <Gene Food: Force Fed
by Nestle> and showing a GE-coockoo egg in Nestle's bird's-nest (Nestle-logo).
Greenpeace calls on the international food producer to resign the use
of the genetically engineered soya. The series of protests against the
scandalous intimidation of consumers to be force-fed with genetically engineered
soya against their will is growing rapidly all over Europe. Soya and its
components - like the bonding agent lecithin - are found in about 30'000
foodstuffs (60 % of all food-products). Claiming that a seperation of GE-beans
from conventional beans is impossible American and European multinational
companies tried to confront the European consumers with a "fait accompli". Today
the US-group Monsanto who produced the GE-soya, and the Nestle-group stand alone
with the convenient lie of the inevitable import of the GE-soy beans.
Not only is the seperation of the Monsanto-soya possible, it is even
explicitly demanded by Monsanto. Many US-farmers have signed contracts with
Monsanto saying that the company will buy back the beans as seeds for the next
crop. Already two weeks ago Greenpeace published a list with more than 40
American and Canadian traders which offer GE-free soya. Greenpeace demands
Nestle to use this offer and respect the consumer's wish for GE-free food.
While the responsible Swiss federal bureau (for human health) still
has not decided on the admission of the GE-soybean, the next genetically
engineered plant is threatening to soon be found on Swiss dinner-tables: The
Swiss multinational company Ciba has made an application to import its
genetically engineered corn. In the Euroean Union the decision will officially
be made this week. Greenpeace is in posession of EU-internal documents which
show that the admission is already decided upon allthough the scientific
comission that was called upon because of the resistance of 14 of the 15 members
still has not given its final verdict.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Stefan Weber, genetic engineering campaigner 0041 79 / 405 68 20
Clement Tolusso, Greenpeace-press officer 0041 79 / 213 41 06
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