URGENT: Paraguay GM sign-on letter - please send an email to Paraguay local authority before April 16th!

The Paraguayan community of La Pastora last year drew up a truly groundbreaking Land Use Plan, which would effectively create a GMO-free municipality. Following municipal elections last November, this process has stalled, and the Land Use Plan is in danger of being significantly watered-down or abandoned, DUE TO LOBBYING BY SOY GROWERS.
 
This Saturday, April 16th, a public hearing will take place in La Pastora. Support for adoption of the Land Use Plan could make an enormous difference. A draft letter prepared by Sobrevivencia/Friends of the Earth Paraguay is below.
 
Please write in support, on letterhead or with the name of your organisation at the beginning, by APRIL 15th. Please use the Spanish original of the letter, below - the English translation is also below, for your reference. Don't forget to include a paragraph about your organisation at the beginning and your name at the end. Don't worry if this paragraph is in English.
 
Letters to be sent to the secretary, Coordinadora en Defensa del Medio Ambiente, La Pastora:
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And copied to Sobrevivencia/FOE Paraguay:
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[English]

Dear Mayor:

REF: Support for the Land Use Plan (Ordenamiento Territorial) for the District of La Pastora

** Insert Short Paragraph to INTRODUCE YOUR ORGANISATION HERE, if possible!*****

We learned with interest of the public hearing which will be held shortly in the town of La Pastora on 16 April, and we write to express our support for the adoption of this important initiative.

We are concerned about the severe impacts Paraguay is suffering due to the high European demand for soybeans, and that most soy crops are genetically modified. Our experience with transgenic production in Europe is not positive. GM crops are living organisms, once released, can move through the environment via insects, pollen and seeds. The use of transgenic seeds causes loss of traditional seed varieties and loss of control by farmers. In Europe, many opinion polls have shown that people do not want GM food.

As a result of high levels of concern about these impacts, several communities in Europe have declared themselves GMO-free. We recognize the recent measures proposed by the community of La Pastora, which represent an innovative initiative in Paraguay.
 
For the reasons given above:

Ӣ We support the adoption and implementation of the Land Use Plan, prepared jointly by the municipality and SEAM, and with the support of the Committee in Defence of the Environment of La Pastora. We believe that it is a key tool to set out the actions which will contribute to improving the environment and quality of life of the inhabitants of the municipality.

Ӣ We urge a resumption of the ordinance implemented in 2009 which declared La Pastora a "municipality free of GMOs" and that you abide by this ordinance, which is supported by "The Land Use Plan" for the district of La Pastora of 2010. Both standards strengthen the traditional family farm model, and other economic activities in the context of sustainability, ensuring food security and territorial sovereignty for the people of La Pastora. In this regard we strongly support the proposal of the Committee in Defence of the Environment, that La Pastora become an agroecological municipality.

Ӣ We warn that GM soy monocultures are fueling a destructive process that leads to deforestation, pollution of soil and water sources, biodiversity loss, and ultimately affects the health and welfare of the people and territory of the municipality. This model hinders the possibility that La Pastora become a sustainable municipality.

We believe the Land Use Plan is a beneficial initiative, that has been developed in a democratic, participatory and consensual manner. Moreover, this initiative is in line with the requirements of the Municipal Organics Law, we urge the adoption of Land Use Plan in its entirety and without any further modification.

Yours sincerely,
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[Spanish]

Estimado Sr. Intendente:

REF: Apoyo al Ordenamiento Territorial del Distrito de La Pastora

**add short paragraph to INTRODUCE YOUR ORGANISATION HERE if possible!*****

Nos enteramos con interes de la audiencia publica que proximamente se llevara a cabo en el municipio de La Pastora el 16 de abril, y le escribimos para expresar nuestro apoyo a la adopcion de esta importante iniciativa.

Nos preocupan los impactos severos que sufre Paraguay debido a la alta demanda europea de la soja, y que la mayoria de los cultivos sean de soja transgenica.  Nuestra experiencia con la produccion transgenica en Europa no es positiva. Los cultivos transgenicos son organismos vivos que, una vez liberados, pueden esparcirse por el ambiente a traves de los insectos, el polen y las semillas. El uso de semillas transgenicas produce la perdida de variedades tradicionales de semillas y del control de la produccion por los campesinos. En Europa, muchas encuestas de opinion han demostrado que el publico no quiere comida transgenica.

Como consecuencia de los altos niveles de preocupacion de la gente sobre estos impactos, varias comunidades en Europa se han declarado libres de transgenicos.    Reconocemos las recientes medidas propuestas por la comunidad de La Pastora, que representan una iniciativa innovadora en Paraguay.  Por todo lo expuesto mas arriba:

”¢    Apoyamos la aprobacion e implementacion del Plan de Ordenamiento Territorial, elaborado conjuntamente entre la municipalidad y la SEAM, a traves de un convenio de cooperacion interinstitucional y el apoyo de la Coordinadora en Defensa del Medio Ambiente del Distrito de La Pastora. Creemos que la misma es una herramienta clave para determinar las acciones que contribuiran al mejoramiento del ambiente y a la calidad de vida de los habitantes del municipio.

”¢    Instamos a que se retome la ordenanza ya implementada en el ano 2009, que declaraba a La Pastora "Municipio Libre de Transgenicos", y que sea respetada la ordenanza por la cual se declara de Interes Distrital "El Ordenamiento Territorial" del Distrito de La Pastora del ano 2010. Ambas normas fortalecen el modelo de agricultura familiar tradicional y otras actividades economicas desarrolladas en el marco de la sustentabilidad, garantizando asi la soberania alimentaria y territorial de la gente en La Pastora. En ese sentido apoyamos fuertemente la propuesta de la Coordinadora de Defensa del Medio Ambiente de que La Pastora se convierta en un Municipio Agroecologico.

”¢    Alertamos que los monocultivos extensivos de soja transgenica impulsan un proceso destructivo que acarrea deforestacion, contaminacion del suelo y fuentes de agua, pérdida de biodiversidad, y a la larga repercute en la salud y el bienestar de la gente y el territorio del municipio. Este modelo obstaculiza la posibilidad de que La Pastora se convierta en un municipio sustentable.

Vemos provechosa la iniciativa del Ordenamiento Territorial que fue desarrollada de forma democratica, participativa y consensuada. Ademas, esta iniciativa se adecua a los requerimientos de la Ley Organica Municipal, por lo que instamos a la adopcion del Ordenamiento Territorial en su totalidad y sin ninguna otra modificacion.

Lo saluda muy Atte.,