Fwd: GMW:_Ronald_McDonald_quits_over_GM_chicken_feed

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GMW:_Ronald_McDonald_quits_over_GM_chicken_feed

" GM_WATCH "

Wed, 21 Apr 2004 08:30:05 +0100

 

GM WATCH daily

http://www.gmwatch.org

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some great pics with this - go to the story link for cartoons and

http://www.greenpeace.org.nz/photos/21April04/

to see, for example, " Ronald McDonald being foribly removed by the management "

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Ronald McDonald quits over GE chicken feed

Wednesday, 21 April 2004,

Press Release: Greenpeace New Zealand

http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0404/S00138.htm

 

Ronald McDonald entered the Queen Street

branch of McDonalds today and handed in his resignation. The dramatic action was

taken by the infamous fast food clown in protest at McDonalds use of chicken fed

on genetically engineered (GE) soy meal.

 

" I'm so upset to learn that stores named after me are using GE fed chicken, "

said Ronald. The icon red and yellow character was encouraging McDonalds

customers at the Queen Street store to send

messages demanding that the fast food chain stop using GE chicken feed and

commit to a non-GE poultry, egg and ingredient supply.

 

Greenpeace spokesperson Steve Abel commended Ronald's protest actions. " It seems

like a bit of

fun but it's actually a serious issue, " said Abel. Imported GE soy feed is the

biggest source of GE contamination in the New Zealand food chain. McDonalds

chicken is supplied by Australian poultry giant Inghams who bring in around

50,000 tonnes of GE contaminated soy annually (1).

 

Mr McDonald was accompanied by a flock of indignant chickens wearing bibs with

the message " Say NO to McGE - GE fed chicken. " The poultry protesters handed out

mock 'happy meal' packs with crayons, stickers and colour-in postcards for

customers to

send to the fast food giant demanding they make the shift to non-GE feed.

 

" McDonalds and Inghams should stop using GE

ingredients and feed out of a commitment to customer preference (2), concerns

about potential health impacts and for the good of the environment, " said Abel.

" GE soy production in the US and Argentina has led to increased chemical use,

lower yields, herbicide resistant weeds and

contamination of conventional crops. " McDonalds already has a Europe wide policy

of excluding GE in food and poultry feed.

 

The Greenpeace New Zealand activity is part of a

global stepping-up of the international environmental group's campaign against

the spread of GE crops, which includes ongoing mobilisation of consumers against

GE food. Soy is the most widely grown GE crop. Over 80% of GE crops are used for

animal feed and nearly half the world's soy is

now genetically engineered.

 

" There is clearly an urgent need to stop GE soy, " said Steve Abel. " At every

opportunity, Greenpeace will confront GE soy, be it along export routes or in

the food chain. In Brazil, we are at the forefront of the battle against GE soy,

and in China we are working to protect the homeland of soy from genetic

contamination. "

 

The Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior,

currently in Australia, is due to arrive in New Zealand on May 12 for the New

Zealand leg of its GE Free trans-Tasman tour.

 

Images will be free for download as they become

available at:

http://www.greenpeace.org.nz/photos/21April04/

 

(1) Roundup Ready soy DNA content, in relation to the total soy DNA of this

[inghams] sample, is 85% (+/-10%), AgriQuality, 10 June 2003. Full results can

be viewed at: www.greenpeace.org.nz/campaigns/ge

 

(2) Independent research done for Tegel found that 75% of consumers wanted

chickens that had not been fed GE soy meal, NZ Herald, 29 August 2001. Tegel,

New Zealand's largest poultry company, have an

active non-GE feed policy and import certified non-GE feed from the US.

 

Please Note: Ingham claim that their next

shipment of soy meal into New Zealand, due in June, is non-GE soy from Brazil.

However, according to Ingham, the shipment is not certified as non-GE so it

could be significantly GE contaminated. Inghams also have no commitment to

sourcing non-GE soy now or into the future. This unverified shipment cannot

legitimately be used to claim a non-GE policy by Inghams or McDonalds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos: High-quality 4x6 digital prints for 25¢