GE Free NZ

GE Free New Zealand in Food & Environment,21^st November 2003

Global protest over contamination in Mexico puts NZ industry on notice.

International Biotechnology companies- including those that operate in New Zealand and Australia- will be held liable for the contamination of Mexico's native Maize stock and any other gene-banks and natural gene-reserves.

That is the message from a massive international protest issued around the world following confirmation that "patented GE genes" have spread into native flora as a result of failure by companies to control and contain their experimental GE food-products.

GE Free New Zealand in food and environment believes the contamination of Mexico's indigenous plants is a warning of what may happen here if these same companies push for commercial release of GE crops.

" In the absence of strict liability laws, (which the NZ government has refused because it might stifle capital investment in GE) no commercial GE releases should be considered. The international experience involving the spread of GE constructs through Mexico is proven, though the mechanisms are still little understood," says Jon Carapiet from GE free NZ in food and environment. "These are unacceptable events arising from ignorance- verging on criminal negligence- of the basic processes at work."

GE contamination of genetic centres of diversity as has happened in Mexico is in effect a crime against all of humanity, and not something the New Zealand government should be supporting through its legislation or financial backing of Crown Research Institute's planning GE release.

Just as we have seen with the tobacco industry and the threat of legal action against companies linked to increased obesity, the actions of the biotech companies pushing GE release could one day see them charged in court.

The challenge for the international community and regulatory authorities is to prevent such criminal activities from causing irreversible damage in the first place, but if and when that fails- as has happened in Mexico- these companies must be held to account.

The international message of protest (see below) demands that patent infringement claims against farmers who are victims of DNA contamination are not permitted, and that companies are held legally liable for the contamination.

Organizations from five continents around the world are also asking the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO),the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to adopt these
issues on their agendas and take action.

They also urge intergovernmental bodies to call for a global moratorium on the release of GMOs in crop centres of origin and diversity

Jon Carapiet 09 815 3370

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Background_ RAFI News Release 20 November 2003

Massive International Protest on GM Contamination of Mexican Maize

An open letter to Mexican government authorities and intergovernmental bodies was sent today, signed by 302 organizations from 56 countries, demanding actions to stop contamination of farmers' maize with DNA from genetically modified (GM) maize, and to prevent any further contamination in the world's centers of crop diversity and origin.

See the letter and signatories here:
http://www.etcgroup.org/article.asp?newsid=417.

"People all over the world are showing solidarity with the campesinos and indigenous people of Mexico," said Ana de Ita from CECCAM, "GM contamination is a potential threat to their land and livelihoods, but also to the heart of the Mexican culture and food systems. It must be stopped."

The open letter asks the Mexican government to maintain the moratorium against the planting of transgenic maize in Mexico, stop the importation of transgenic or non-segregated maize - likely the main source of contamination in Mexico- and conduct urgent studies to determine the extent of the contamination. They also call upon the Mexican Congress to reject the biosafety bill now under consideration because it is "deeply flawed."

"The issue goes far beyond Mexico because all centers of crop diversity could be endangered," said Silvia Ribeiro of ETC Group. "The international community's lack of action is appalling. The only beneficiaries are the multinational Gene Giants, who are hoping that governments will surrender to GM contamination. But surrender is not on our agenda."

Organizations from five continents around the world are also asking the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO),the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to adopt these issues on their agendas and take actions to ensure the application of the precautionary principle to prevent further GM contamination of farmers' varieties. They also urge intergovernmental bodies to call for a global moratorium on the release of GMOs in crop centers of origin and diversity, and to insure that the biotechnology industry will not be allowed to make patent infrigement claims against farmers who are victims of GM contamination.

For more information:
Hope Shand, ETC Group, hope@etcgroup.org, +1-919-960 5223
Silvia Ribeiro, ETC Group, silvia@etcgroup.org
Ana de Ita, CECCAM, Centro de Estudios para el Cambio en el Campo
Mexicano, ceccam@laneta.apc.org

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