Greenpeace barking up the wrong tree on GE soy

Greenpeace barking up the wrong tree

Rather than trying to stop imports of GE soy for the livestock feed industry in New Zealand and Australia the Greenpeace activists should be welcoming the shipments with open arms, the Chairman of the Life Sciences Network, Dr William Rolleston, said today.

“Apart from the fact many countries, including European countries, import GE soy as the preferred source of protein because of the known benefits for livestock the production of transgenic soy carries with it many environmental benefits.

“US soy farmers use many millions of litres less fuel; and less herbicides and pesticides to produce their crops. This has huge environmental benefits on their land and results in much cleaner ground water supplies.

“Greenpeace should be encouraging farmers to use GE soy meal. European livestock farmers have been using GE soy meal for several years as a substitute for meat meal since it was discovered that meat meal may have been the source of the BSE and foot and mouth animal health crises.

“Greenpeace should also realise that Australian farmers have already been feeding their animals GE cotton seed as a feed supplement because of the severe drought conditions which have been faced there this summer.

“The regulatory authorities in the US, Europe, Australia and New Zealand have all examined GE soy animal feed very carefully and have passed it as being safe for animal consumption and safe for humans to eat the meat derived from animals fed on the GE soy meal,” concluded Dr Rolleston.

ENDS

© Scoop Media