Teagasc support for GM food conference criticised by chefs

GROUPS OPPOSED to the growing of genetically modified food have criticised the Government for allowing Teagasc to sponsor a major biotechnology conference which opens in Cork tomorrow.

The chefs’ group Euro-Toques Ireland has called on the Government to reaffirm its promise to negotiate to keep Ireland free of GM crops.

Euro-Toques claims the conference, entitled Agricultural Biotechnology for a Competitive and Sustainable Future, will promote GM algae, crops, trees, fish and livestock as a solution to rising food prices and climate change.

Lorcan Cribbin, commissioner general of Euro-Toques Ireland and head chef of Dublin’s Bang Cafe, said Irish chefs have an obligation to source the safe, healthy, fresh, local, quality food which the majority of EU consumers demand.

“Any release of GM crops will contaminate our food chain, and destroy the brand reputation of ‘Ireland: The Food Island’ which benefits our food, farm and tourist sectors,” he said.

When Fianna Fáil entered coalition with the Green Party last year, part of their programme for Government was “to negotiate for the whole island of Ireland to become a GMO-free zone”, he said.

He pointed out that Teagasc, the agriculture and food development authority, was the lead sponsor of this event and other sponsors included Enterprise Ireland, the Food Safety Authority, Science Foundation Ireland and the Marine Institute, as well as biotech lobby groups and biotech groups such as Monsanto.

“The bottom line is, once this technology is released it cannot be recalled, and the results are unknown. GM technology hands over control of our food chain to huge corporations who care only for profit,” he said.

“The Government has made no effort to hold an open debate on this issue, and now it is providing a platform for promoters of the technology. Why is taxpayers’ money being used to fund the promotion of technologies which consumers reject and which is acknowledged by the programme for Government as being bad for Ireland?” he asked.

Groups opposed to GM crops being grown here will hold a press conference in Cork tomorrow to demand that the Government fund a conference to highlight the dangers of GM production.

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times