GREENPEACE International and GeneWatch UK launched on Wednesday (June 1) the first-ever online register of incidents of GM contamination.

The searchable web site gives details of all the known cases of GM contamination of food, feed, seed and wild plants that have taken place worldwide.

GeneWatch UK director Sue Mayer said there was a need for such a register, since no government or international agency has established a public record of contamination incidents or other problems associated with GM crops.

“This register has been established because the official approach of ‘turning a blind eye’ is not good enough when dealing with a technology like GM where living organisms are released to the environment,” Dr. Mayer said.

She added: “We hope this register will form an important resource for citizens and regulators in the future.”

According to the register, there have been over 60 incidents of illegal or unlabelled GM contamination documented in 27 countries on 5 continents since GM crops were introduced in 1996.

“This register is being launched when governments are meeting in Montreal to decide on liability regulations for GM crops. If states don’t act and set strict rules now, GM crops will further contaminate lands, seeds and food around the world,” said Doreen Stabinsky, of Greenpeace International.

The register, which can be found at www.gmcontaminationregister.org, also gives links to more information about the incidents.