By Robin Pomeroy
Italian food producers, consumers and conservation groups hope to get
three million signatures in a petition drive to ban genetically modified
food, a move they hope will renew Europe's rejection of biotech crops.
At a time when the companies that make the GM crops grown widely in
North and South America hope that European resistance is dwindling, Italian
campaigners said they were confident they could turn the tide.

"What's happening is an extraordinary experiment in participatory
democracy," Mario Capanna, chairman of Genetic Rights, one of the members of
the "GMO Free" coalition, said.

In hundreds of marketplaces and food fairs across Italy, campaigners
have been handing out forms that look like ballot papers.

They invite people to answer "yes" or "no" to whether food production
should be "genuine ... founded on biodiversity and free from GMOs."

The campaign, supported by consumer associations, agriculture lobby
Coldiretti and green groups like Greenpeace and WWF, hopes to have 3 million
signatures by November 15.

European consumers have expressed concern that crops whose genes have
been altered in a laboratory, for example to provide higher yields, might
contain hidden risks to health or the natural environment, but the issue is
far less prominent in the news media than it was five years ago. The
unofficial referendum comes at a time when the EU's approvals procedure
appears to be becoming less hostile to new biotech crops.

Following a complaint by major GMO producers the United States,
Canada, and Argentina in 2003, a World Trade Organisation ruling last year
found "undue delays" in EU procedures where GM-skeptic countries have been
blocking approvals.

At recent votes, some previously anti-GMO countries have abstained
rather than vote against.

The Italian campaign has no explicit government backing but Capanna
said a mass "no" from the Italian people would force politicians to impose a
complete ban on GM food in Italy where at present no GM crops are allowed to
be planted but some GM organisms are imported as animal feed such as soy.

He acknowledged this would be considered illegal by the European
Commission which polices the EU's single market and would launch legal
action against Italy. The Commission can impose hefty fines on countries but
only after lengthy legal hearings.

"We will not be afraid, we will say: 'Tell us how much it will cost
and we will pay it.' And this will be the biggest advertisement in the world
to promote quality agriculture."

As a major exporter of high-end produce like ham, cheese, olive oil
and wine, Italy would benefit by having a world renown for traditional food,
he said.

[uk.reuters.com]