A/HRC/13/32 co-signed by Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Slovenia and the Netherlands, for the Council of the European Union to allow national bans on genetically modified crops.56 Hundreds of leading food brands (including the largest dairy coop, Friesland Campina) and dozens of leading retailers (including the largest, Carrefour) in Europe now offer premium meat, fish, eggs, poultry eggs and dairy produce made without the use of GM feedstuffs. Leading food manufacturers, retailers, processors, distributors, farmers, seed breeders and consumers in the United States have set up a joint venture called the Non-GMO Project.57 D. Education systems and food security, including school meals and other systems of combating malnutrition and the promotion of healthy food 66. As part of its commitment to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, in 2007 Bolivia launched the Zero Malnutrition National Programme to combat malnutrition, monitor the nutrition and health of the children and distribute food supplements. As part of the initiative, Plan International, based in the United Kingdom, trained roughly 1,500 women as madres vigilantes (“mindful mothers”), who then returned to their respective communities to monitor child nutrition and educate other women about better eating and cooking habits.58 Such programmes can certainly address malnutrition and related diseases, such as noma (see A/HRC/AC/3/CRP.3). The Government of Bolivia, with the support of WFP, also runs children’s centres that provide children with breakfast, lunch, and two snacks.59 67. The Food and Nutrition Service of the United States Department of Agriculture administers the National School Lunch Program, which provides daily “nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches” to more than 30.5 million children in over 101,000 55 56 57 58 59 cover the high costs of remaining GMO-free. The Government responded by pledging to draw up new laws on the basis of the High Council’s recommendations. Combat Monsanto, “France prepares voluntary ‘GMO-free’ labels,” November 2009 (www.combat-monsanto.co.uk/spip.php?article442). The text of the proposal states: “Given the unsatisfactory situation and the negative attitude towards GMOs in large parts of the population in many member states, the time has come to find a new approach to deal with the authorization and use of GMOs in agriculture (…) The soundest legal solution we can envisage is a set of minor amendments of relevant EU legislation, which should introduce the right of an individual member state to restrict or prohibit indefinitely the cultivation of authorised GMOs in its territory.” Council of the European Union, “Genetically Modified Organisms: A Way Forward – Information from the Austrian Delegation”, 2009 (http://register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/09/st11/st11226-re01.en09.pdf). Other countries, including France, Poland, Portugal and Germany have subsequently backed the proposal; the majority of the Member States now support the proposal. GM-Free Ireland, press release “Ireland adopts GM-free zone policy,” October 2009, (www.gmfreeireland.org/press/GMFI45.pdf). It already provides genetically modified-free labels for over 1,000 food products by individual manufacturers in addition to thousands of genetically modified-free private retail brands. GM-Free Ireland, press release “Ireland adopts GM-free zone policy,” October 2009 (www.gmfreeireland.org/press/GMFI45.pdf). See also www.nongmoproject.org. J. Velasco Parisaca and W. Medina, “Bolivia: mothers teaching mothers to combat malnutrition”, IPS News, 2009 (http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=45348).Similar programmes are being implemented in other countries. See Thierry Delvigne-Jean, “‘Model mothers’ work to combat malnutrition in Mozambique”, 2008, (www.unicef.org/infobycountry/mozambique_45308.html). The Potosi departmental government, for example, runs 360 centres in 35 municipalities, serving 7,600 children. 19