A rough translation of Greenpeace Sweden press release:
March 22, 1997
After more than a week of blockading by Greenpeace in an ongoing action against the Swedish vegetable oil manufacturer Karlshamns AB, the company yesterday told Greenpeace that they will not import any more genetically engineered soy oil until earliest after summer. The company says that they have secured shipments of the 1995 harvest until April, and after that expects to buy oil originating from Brazil. Brazilian farmers have not used manipulated soy beans yet.
- - What just a couple of days ago was impossible has now suddenly become possible, says Mats Abrahamsson, Campaign Director for Greenpeace Sweden. This shows that not even big companies like Karlshamns AB, can force products on the consumers that no-one wants. We congratulate Karlshamns AB for their decision.
The pressure on Karlshamns AB has grown lately when more and more food processors have converted from soy oil to other products. There has also been some pressure from their next door neighbor Carlshamns Dairy, who clearly has rejected genetically manipulated products, but who still have seen their sales go down because people confuse the two companies with each other.
- - We will keep an eye on Karlshamns AB also in the future, says Mats Abrahamsson. If necessary we will come back after the summer.
Soy beans is used, besides for oil, also in the form of soy meal, soy lecithin and as animal fodder. In these uses it has been possible to use earlier harvests, but many food processors are worried what will happen when there is no more natural soy. Around the corner, manipulated rape-seed, corn and other crops are waiting.
- - What has happened in Karlshamn give us much greater hope to be able to stop genetically manipulated products also in the future, says Mats Abrahamsson. This sends a clear signal to the producers that the market wants unmanipulated products.
For more information, please contact:
Mats Abrahamsson, Campaign Director, +46 701 30 00 00