La Leva di Archimede

For Immediate Release November 20, 2002

Decatur, Alabama - Two grandmothers will go to court today to defend their right to let consumers know that they are eating risky genetically engineered (GE) food. Gerry Coffey, 62, and Jean Tune, 79, were arrested by local police after they refused to leave the parking area of a Kroger supermarket where they were petitioning and handing out information to shoppers about the risks of genetically engineered food. The women are a part of a national supermarket campaign, led by the GE-Free Markets Coalition and Greenpeace, to demand that grocery store chains eliminate the use of genetically engineered food in store brand products.

"I saw nothing wrong with telling Kroger's shoppers that 60% of the processed food they buy contains genetically engineered ingredients," said Gerry Coffey. "I had no idea Kroger management would have us
arrested for telling the truth about their food. "

Greg Reeves, a local Decatur attorney, will defend the grandmothers, pro bono. "The people of Alabama should be able to speak directly to shoppers about genetically engineered food without fear of arrest," said Reeves.

Genetically engineered food is on our supermarket shelves with no warning to consumers. GE food is created when foreign genes from bacteria, viruses, plants and animals are inserted into common food crops like corn, soy, canola and cotton to make them resistant to herbicides or pests. GE food can cause novel food toxins, food allergies, increased toxic pesticide use and environmental pollution. The Food and Drug Administration does not require long term health or environmental safety testing of genetic experiments. Furthermore, there is no warning to consumers that they are eating these gene-altered foods.

"It's a sad day when grandmothers are arrested for letting people know the truth about genetically engineered food on their supermarket shelves," said Jeanne Merrill, Campaigner with the Greenpeace Genetic Engineering Campaign. "We should be arresting the biotech company executives that
are contaminating our food, not peaceful grandmothers."

In March 2002, Greenpeace and the GE-Free Markets Coalition launched a campaign to demand that supermarkets, like Kroger's, stop their use of GE food in store brand products. Supermarket chains like Whole Foods, Wild Oats and most recently, Trader Joe's, have pledged not to use GE food ingredients in their own brand products. An ABC poll conducted last year found the 93% of Americans want labeling of genetically engineered food and over 50% of those people would avoid GE food if given the option.

"They need to know that consumers in Europe refuse to be guinea pigs in this genetic experiment," said Gerry Coffey. "That is not so here at home in the land of the free and the home of the brave. Blind to the way they are being misused, most Americans are being lead down the yellow brick road by being denied their basic right to know about what's in their food."

Gerry Coffey is a health educator and her family farms cotton. Jean Tune recently started a community-supported, organic farm. Both women are hoping to get the support of mothers and concerned others on this important issue.

Organic Consumers Association
6101 Cliff Estate Rd., Little Marais, MN 55614
Activist or Media Inquiries: (218) 226-4164, Fax: (218) 226-4157