Asian groups demand GM rice ban
Monday 17 October 2005
A
coalition of 17 Asia-based NGOs have urged authorities to impose a global
ban on genetically modified (GM) rice. The call follows growing concerns
over biotechnology companies looking to commercially introduce GM varieties
into the region.
"Rice is the world's most important staple food crop and we simply cannot
allow a small number of biotech companies and GE scientists to determine the
future of rice development," said Varoonvarn Svangsopakul of Greenpeace
Southeast Asia. "GE rice is not a solution to world hunger. It poses
unacceptable risks to health and the environment, as well as people's
livelihoods."
As part of the campaign, representatives from ten rice growing countries
delivered the ‘GE-Free Rice Declaration’ to the Bangkok headquarters of the
UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), organisers of World Food Day.
"The real way forward for sustainable agriculture and solution for hunger is
through the protection and use of biodiversity rather than genetic
engineering, and the promotion of ecological agriculture based on the
traditional knowledge of farming communities," added Paul Borja, SEARICE,
based in the Philippines.
|