Greenpeace Quarantines Government Research Farm in Manitoba,Canada

For Immediate Release
 
Morden,  Manitoba,   June  5th,   2003  -   Greenpeace  activists
quarantined the Agriculture and Agri-food Canada (AAFC)  Research
Farm in Morden,  Manitoba at dawn today.  Four activists  climbed
onto  the  roof  of the building with a 120 sq.  m banner reading
Stop GE Wheat as others locked the front doors of  the  building.
Signs  reading ‘Biohazard:  Stop Genetically Engineered Wheat’ were
driven into the ground at the farm while  the  front  doors  were
blocked with quarantine signs.  The AAFC farm at Morden is one of
the  sites  where open air field trials of genetically engineered
wheat will take place in 2003.  

“We are quarantining this facility because of the risks  GE  wheat
poses   to  the  environment  and  Canada’s  farmers,”  said  Holly
Penfound,   Greenpeace  Genetic  Engineering   Campaigner.    “The
government  should  be  prohibiting the release of GE wheat,  not
growing it for Monsanto in the open environment.” 

The Canadian Wheat Board estimates  that  up  to  80  percent  of
Canada’s  $3  billion  wheat  market will not purchase genetically
engineered wheat.  While Monsanto has proposed segregation of  GE
from  non-GE  crops,  recent research shows that such segregation
would be impossible.  

“Farmers  can  adapt  to  the  ongoing  changes  of  nature   that
ultimately  determine  the success of each year's efforts,"  said
Fred Tait, a farmer from Rossendale,  Manitoba and past president
of the National Farmers Union.  "Farmers are however not prepared
to  allow  Monsanto  and  the  federal  government  to  introduce
permanent  and  costly  changes  to  agriculture   and   to   the
environment with the forced introduction of GE wheat." 

Monsanto  applied  to  the  Canadian  government for unrestricted
environmental release of  its  genetically  engineered  wheat  on
December  23,  2002.   AAFC  is  a co-developer of the wheat with
Monsanto,  and is paying for many of the development costs.   The
Canadian  Food  Inspection  Agency,   a  division  of  AAFC,   is
responsible for approving or denying Monsanto’s application.   The
Royal  Society of Canada found the government to be in a conflict
of interest in how it regulates food biotechnology.  

While the government refuses to reveal the locations of dozens of
on-going field trials of genetically engineered crops,  documents
obtained  by  Greenpeace  in  April  of this year show that field
trials of GE wheat  have  been  on-going  at  several  government
sites.  

For more information contact: 

Holly  Penfound,   Greenpeace  Environmental  Health  Campaigner,
416-597-8408 x3050  cell  416-723-9425  Andrew  Male,  Greenpeace
Communications Co-ordinator, 416-597-8408 x3030 cell 416-880-2757 

Notes to Editors: 

Please  ask  for referenced background document or check websites
listed for more detail.  

Background Materials: 

Greenpeace Canada website contains background  to  this  specific
action  and  details  of  the  current  GE  debate within Canada.
Address: www.greenpeace.ca 

Greenpeace International website  contains  background  documents
including  quotes  from  many  leading  European wheat importers.
Address: www.greenpeace.org 

Canadian  Wheat  Board  web  site  contains  CWB  policy  on  GE,
agronomic  assessment  of  GE  Wheat  and  copy  of CWB letter to
Monsanto asking company to withdraw  its  GE  Wheat  application.
Address: www.cwb.ca 

Canadian  National  Farmers Union web site contains NFU policy on
GE, including a briefing called, '10 reasons why we don`t want GE
Wheat'.  Address: www.nfu.ca 

Stills and Arial footage will be available at 2 pm  Central  time
by calling Greenpeace Communications Co-ordinator Andrew Male.  

Photos also available on Canada Newswire.  Background information
is available at: www.greenpeace.ca