[Pressrelease] G8-summit: Protest bycicle caravan active against GM test fields

[Presswork G8 2007 (english)]

Press Release of the bicycle caravan info office in Rostock 

G8-summit: Protest bicycle caravan active against GM test fields 

On friday May 4 the Gr8chaoskaravaan - one of six bicycle caravans
against the G8 summit in Germany - carried out a protest action against
a planned test field with gentically manipulated maize by Pioneer in the
dutch town of Werkendam. The caravan finds it outrageous that the
municipality has not been properly informed about the test field in
advance. It stopped in several villages of the district to make clear
what is problematic about these field tests and genetically engineered
agriculture in general by means of street theatre and dsitributing info
leaflets. Although it was a relatively small and simple action it did
attract a lot of local and regional media. One journalist started a
investigation in all the shops; no shop owner new about the plans for
the field nearby and they all seemed to be surprised and frightened.
"This is not very surprising", said Sven, a member of the caravan: "the
plants themselves are toxic and lead to stronger herbicide use". 

By means of this action members of the caravan wanted to draw attention
to the growing readyness by corporations to cultivate genetically
engineered crops in Europe. The Dutch government is proponent of
biotechnological applications in agriculture, but there is little public
discussion about the issue. Pieter, one of the activists who
participated in the action, said "It is undemocratic that an
international company and national governments stipulate where such a
test will take place and not the municipality itself". 

"But we are against every form of genetic engineering in agriculture"
says Antje, a member of the bicycle caravan. "Breaking through natural
borders is not the way to reach a sustainable agriculture. Field tests
with completely incalculable consequences for the environment are
irresponsible!" Sven explains why genetically manipulated crops are
unnecessary: "for the consumer this technology brings absolutely nothing
and for the farmers the results in the longer term are generally
negative. It's especially large companies such as Monsanto and Pioneer
that profit from it. They reinforce their unjust hold on agriculture by
making farmers believe that their
products are the only solution and by dominating the market". 

 From Werkendam the G8-bicycle caravan will continue to Utrecht, and from
there via Nimwegen to Germany, where the G8 summit will be held in the
seaside resort of Heiligendamm in early June. The issue of genetic
engineering will play a large role in the protests against the G8. 


 -- Contacts & informations: 

More information about Gr8chaoskaravaan
(western europe bicycle caravan against the G8 summit in Heiligendamm)
and its earlier activities:
Web: http://dissentnetzwerk.org/wiki/Bicycle-Caravan_%22West%22
Mailkontakt: karavaan07 at yahoo.co.uk 

Informations about all bicycle caravans against the G8 summit:
http://www.g8-bikerides.net 

Bicycle caravan info bureau in Rostock
Knut Rassmussenstr. 8
18106 Rostock
Tel: 0049-179-6268785 

 -- Information about genetic engineering 

http://genet.iskra.net/
http://www.aseed.net/