Half of Poland Declares Itself GMO Free Zone

Mazowieckie Province with a population of over five million has become the sixth Province in Poland whose local authorities have passed a resolution declaring them a GMO Free Zone.  Warsaw is the capitol of the Province.

Earlier, similar decisions were made by the boards of five other provinces: Podkarpackie (whose capitol is Rzeszow), Malopolska (capitol, Krakow), Podlaskie (capitol, Bialystok), Lubelskie (capitol, Lublin) and Kajawsko-Pomorskie (capitol, Torun). Further, strong declarations of intent against GMO's have been made by the main farmers’ organisation in Donaslaskie.

In individual communities in different parts of Poland local authorities have declared GMO Free Zones. Almost half the Polish population is now living in a GMO Free area.  Another four Provinces are currently taking steps in this direction.

This situation highlights the success of ICPPC's campaign "Stop GMOs in Poland' for a GMO Free Poland. However, this is just the beginning of the campaign. Provinces and local authorities, in common with many other European GMO Free Zones, are not empowered to 'make laws' to stop GMOs in their regions. So consequently, growing pressure is needed to persuade the Polish Government and European Commission to officially recognize and respect regional declarations of GMO Free Status; and to create legal tools for local governments.

This March 17, 2005, report is from Jadwiga Lopata and Julian Rose, ICPPC Directors, who are solely responsible for its content. 

The Horizon case study about ICCPC is at: http://www.solutions-site.org/artman/publish/article_30.shtml

This update has not been reviewed by Horizon’s Scientific Review Board.

=========================
ICPPC - International Coalition to Protect the Polish Countryside,
Miêdzynarodowa Koalicja dla Ochrony Polskiej Wsi
34-146 Stryszów 156, Poland tel./fax +48 33 8797114 biuro@icppc.pl,
http://www.gmo.icppc.pl/

http://www.icppc.pl/

http://www.eko-cel.pl/