|
13 june 2002: roma,
italy
gmos are not the solution to hunger
industrial nations and biotech companies
have shown they cannot control their
technology
Six years after the 1996 World Food
Summit, Friends of the Earth deeply regrets
that once again world agriculture and food
policies are not addressing the real causes
of hunger and instead remain locked in
mythical policy solutions that have no chance
of ever bringing benefits to the world’s
hungry. A clear example of a mythical
solution to world hunger problems is
biotechnology which while widely discredited
as a genuine solution to hunger, nonetheless
has been the focus of a powerful lobby
campaign by the biotechnology industry and
the US Administration in the run up to the
Rome Summit.
The widespread condemnation during this
week’s Summit of the discovery that food
donated by USAID comprised of GM corn
StarLink not authorized for human consumption
anywhere in the world reflects the complete
lack of control that biotech companies have
over their products. Friends of the Earth US
has requested the US Administration to recall
the StarLink corn and to require Aventis to
pay for any costs incurred by recalls and
replacements (see www.foe.org/foodaid).
According to Juan Lopez of Friends of the
Earth International, "The promises of the
biotech companies are broken every time one
of these contamination incidents happens. FAO
should think twice before getting so closely
in bed with biotechnology."
Additionally, as illustrated by
contamination results recently reported from
Mexico, distribution of whole seed intended
for consumption likely leads to planting in
centers of origin threatening agricultural
diversity. Corn seed sent as food aid to
Guatemala has been confirmed to contain GMOs
not authorized in the European Union. In
Nicaragua the presence of GMOs was also
confirmed in corn seed as food aid in a
donation made by Germany.
"The fact that Germany is financing corn
seed contaminated with GMOs and has sent it
to a center of origin of corn such as
Nicaragua is another proof of the
irresponsible management of this technology"
said Julio Sanchez from Centro
Humboldt-Friends of the Earth Nicaragua.
Other discovery of genetic contamination
in food aid has also happened in several
Latinoamerican countries in the last
months.
“Food Aid programmes when used
systematically in impoverished countries
serve as instruments for the dumping of
production surplases from Northern countries
and contribute to the destruction of local
production and create dependency” says Ana
Lucia Bravo Acción Ecológica-Friends of the
Earth
Ecuador. Friends of the Earth
Latinoamerica is requesting the Governments
in the Summit, the FAO and the WFP to forbid
GMOs in food aid programmes, in accordance
with the precautionary principle.
Increasing numbers of organizations have
been expressing concern about the promotion
of biotechnology as a solution for developing
countries. The international development
organization, Oxfam International, recently
announced a moratorium on GMOs and the needf
for improved enforcement of monitoring
systems to stop GMOs from entering countries
in food aid.
Contact: Juan Lopez, FoEI, tel.
3397449630
|
