This week social movements of farmers, citizens and ecologists in Spain are denouncing the pro-GMO policies of the Spanish government during a week of action.
This is the fifth annual ‘Action week against GMOs and in support of food sovereignty’ organised by farmers trade unions, consumers associations and green groups.
People are invited to participate in a range of activities such as uploading their ‘I don’t want GMO’ photos to flickr, or participating in workshops and demonstrations in different regions in Spain.
The activities demonstrate once more that Spanish people don’t want GMOs on their plates or in their fields. The government continues to support the planting of crops despite consumer demand for more information about GMOs and how they are introduced into the food supply chain as legislation about the labelling of products is still weak.
90% of GM crops grown in Europe are in Spain. Other countries like France, Germany, Poland, Greece, Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Sweden, Ireland, Hungary and Austria have banned GM crops on their territories due to serious doubts about their so-called benefits and the impacts on health and the environment.
The Spanish action week is organised in the context of a wider week of actions all over the world.
Last month, Friends of the Earth Spain launched a campaign to raise awareness about the reality behind the growing of GM crops in Spain. The campaign is called UNICOS EN EUROPA (Unique in Europe) because Spain is the only country in Europe that plants GM crops extensively.
They also have a website where people can read the falsehoods spread about the so-called benefit of GMOs.