3 Nov, 2006 @ 04:21
1 min read

Organic maize contains traces of GMOs

ORGANIC farmers in Spain are abandoning maize after traces of genetically modified strains (GMO) were found in the crop, a recently published report shows.

Although the amount of GMO contamination is less than 1 per cent, farmers believe bigger problems lie ahead with market prices dropping.

Aragon is the centre of Spanish organic maize growing. According to the region’s organic farmers’ union CAAE, of the 120 hectares of organic maize planted there in 2004 all but 37 showed traces of GMOs – 32 per cent of the total crop yield. The figure rose for last year’s crop (40 per cent containing traces of GMOs). This year’s harvest is currently being tested.

Under Spanish law, conventional maize has to be labelled as genetically modified if sample tests show the crop contains more than 0.9 per cent of GMO material.

However, an organic crop must show zero levels of gene modified material for it to retain its organic label and subsequent higher market price.

Gene modified maize accounts for 12 per cent of all the maize grown in Spain (a little more than 58,000 hectares), all of which is destined for the animal feed industry.

Major GMO seed producer Monsanto said cross-pollination between GMO and non-modified maize was possible when the two are planted next to each other.

CAAE spokesman David Olmo confirmed organic maize farmers in the region are financially suffering.

“In Aragon, many organic maize crops have been disqualified because they were found to be containing more than 0.03 per cent GMO.

“This forces farmers to sell their organic maize as standard. So, instead of 20 centimos a kilo for their harvest they receive 15 centimos.”

Jon Clarke (Publisher & Editor)

Jon Clarke is a Londoner who worked at the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday as an investigative journalist before moving to Spain in 2003 where he helped set up the Olive Press.

After studying Geography at Manchester University he fell in love with Spain during a two-year stint teaching English in Madrid.

On returning to London, he studied journalism and landed his first job at the weekly Informer newspaper in Teddington, covering hundreds of stories in areas including Hounslow, Richmond and Harrow.

This led on to work at the Sunday Telegraph, Sunday Mirror, Standard and even the Sun, before he landed his first full time job at the Daily Mail.

After a year on the Newsdesk he worked as a Showbiz correspondent covering mostly music, including the rise of the Spice Girls, the rivalry between Oasis and Blur and interviewed many famous musicians such as Joe Strummer and Ray Manzarak, as well as Peter Gabriel and Bjorn from Abba on his own private island.

After a year as the News Editor at the UK’s largest-selling magazine Now, he returned to work as an investigative journalist in Features at the Mail on Sunday.

As well as tracking down Jimi Hendrix’ sole living heir in Sweden, while there he also helped lead the initial investigation into Prince Andrew’s seedy links to Jeffrey Epstein during three trips to America.

He had dozens of exclusive stories, while his travel writing took him to Jamaica, Brazil and Belarus.

He is the author of three books; Costa Killer, Dining Secrets of Andalucia and My Search for Madeleine.

Contact jon@theolivepress.es

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