Greenpeace claims victory in GE battle with McDonald's

1.00pm - By KENT ATKINSON

Greenpeace is ending its campaign against McDonald's restaurant chain in New Zealand because the fastfood chain has asked its chicken suppliers to use feed that is not genetically engineered (GE).

"McDonald's has given us a position statement consistent with the stance the company has taken in Europe which urges its chicken suppliers to source non-GE soy feed," Greenpeace GE campaigner Steve Abel said today.

"We understand that is due to happen for the immediate future."

For the past four weeks Greenpeace has targeted McDonald's restaurants with chicken-suited activists and a Ronald McDonald look-alike who staged a mock resignation.

The look-alike was later arrested for blockading the "golden arch" gates of McDonald's Auckland distribution centre at Wiri.

McDonald's spokesman Liam Jeory said today the company was "aware of concerns" over the use of GE animal feed and had asked its suppliers to identify sources of non-GE soya.

The company told Greenpeace this yesterday at meetings of the two groups, and Inghams, the main chicken supplier to McDonald's.

Inghams told McDonald's its next two shipments of soy meal into New Zealand were to be sourced from a non-GE contaminated region of Brazil, Mr Abel said today.

"We will be keeping a close eye on these shipments and seeking independent testing of the soy to demonstrate its non-GE purity," he said.

Greenpeace would also continue to campaign for an ongoing commitment from Inghams to source GE-free feed.

He said Inghams had continued to import GE-contaminated soy to Australia.

Mr Abel said McDonald's had been "pro-active" in sourcing non-GE derived ingredients for their products over the past three years.

"We commend McDonald's for its efforts to date," he said.

"For McDonald's to request that its chicken supplier seek a non-GE feed supply is more good news for both the environment and for the public's GE-free food preference".

He said New Zealand's largest poultry producer, Tegel, had been buying non-GE soy from the US since 2001, after its own research into customer preferences.

This soy, certified as GE-free came at a premium of up to US$30 ($50) a tonne.

"Inghams are apparently not prepared to pay this premium for the non-GE US supply so have sought less costly, non-GE Brazilian soy," Mr Abel said.

Mr Abel said that if Inghams could be persuaded to make a long-term commitment to GE-free soy, it would signal a return to a level playing field in the New Zealand chicken industry.

Tegel was the biggest player in the New Zealand chicken market, in 2001, when it announced its switch to the more expensive GE-free feed.

But in 2002, it lost its contract to supply another fast-food company, KFC, after 30 years of supplying that chain.

A side-effect of that change was a poultry boom in the Waikato, where Inghams spent $26 million building 35 new chicken broiler sheds.

Until then, most of KFC's chicken was supplied from Tegel farms in Taranaki.

- NZPA