April 18, 2014
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Way to go, France! The country moved this week to approve a law which will prohibit the cultivation of GMO corn. Reuters reports: “Now, no variety of GM corn can be cultivated because of its toxic threats to the soil, insects and human health.” Hurray!
Last month, France banned the sale, use, and cultivation of Monsanto’s MON810 variety, which was the only GMO crop that was allowed in the European Union. Now, even if the EU allows for them, all future strains of any kind will be banned from France.
“It is essential today to renew a widely shared desire to maintain the French ban,” said Jean-Marie Le Guen, a minister in charge of Parliament relations. “This bill strengthens the decree passed last March by preventing the immediate cultivation of GMO and extending their reach to all transgenic maize varieties.”
This ban will extend beyond Monsanto, prohibiting companies like DuPont and Dow Chemical from infiltrating the French food system. Take that, chemicals!
According to Reuters, the vote now moves forward, even in the face of a prior rejection: “The ban on GM maize will head back to the Senate for approval, but even if it is rejected again, the National Assembly would have the final say.”
In other words, there is a good chance of this passing for good – we sure hope it does! This sort of move sets precedent for other countries across the globe. While the United States has a long way to go in terms of banning GMO crops, especially corn, lawmakers will eventually have to take note that country after country elsewhere is banning this type of food – or at least properly labeling it so as to allow consumers to have a transparent choice at all times.
Source: http://www.onegreenplanet.org/news/french-parliament-votes-to-prohibit-all-strains-of-gmo-corn/
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