1.African consumers need food security - not GMOs
2.USAID's deceptive propaganda
3.GM & Africa resources
EXCERPTS: "there is no evidence that GM crops will solve world hunger and the claims made by biotechnology companies are detracting attention from the real causes of hunger in Africa." (item 1)
"GM will... be getting the lion's share of funding, at the expense of sustainable, ecological and socially resposible solutions." (item 2)
"... a disturbing trend is gathering pace across Africa. While policymakers rightly call for Biosafety laws to be put into place, this is more and more being seen as a preliminary to GM acceptance, rather than an actual means to regulate GM crops and prevent risks." (item 2)
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1.African consumers need food security - not GMOs
Press Release
For immediate release
Date: 30 June 2005
In the lead up to the G8 meeting (6-8 July, 2005) Consumers International (CI) is calling for food security in Africa, not genetically modified (GM) food. Large biotechnology corporations, and some governments, are trying to promote GM crops as miracle solutions to world hunger and malnutrition. However, there is no evidence that GM crops will solve world hunger and the claims made by biotechnology companies are detracting attention from real causes of hunger in Africa.
Some reasons that cause African consumers to go hungry are problems related to lack of access to and distribution of food, as well as internal conflict and poor infrastructure. African farmers are faced with unfavourable international trade rules and regulations. African farmers are keen improve farming methods, but the use of GM crops could do more damage than good.
David Cuming, GM Campaign manager, CI Head Office says: "In Africa farmers save their seeds to use the following year. When they use GM seeds they are forced to buy them each year so destroying their food production systems. This puts control of the food chain in the hands of a small number of unscrupulous biotech corporations."
Amadou Kanoute, Director of CI Office for Africa says: "Genetic modification will not solve world hunger. The supposed benefits of GM have not been proven to outweigh potential risks to the environment, human and animal health. It would make more sense to put scarce money in other technologies that are more ecologically and economically suited to poor farmers and consumers."
CI will have a stand at the 'Make Poverty History' rally on the 2 July 2005 in the Meadows, Edinburgh, Scotland. CI supports the goals of the 'Make Poverty History' rally including:
- trade justice for poor countries so they can choose trade policies which work in the interest of poor people rather than against them
- end of export subsidies that damage the livelihoods of poor communities around the world
- laws to prevent big business from profiting at the expense of people and the environment
David Cuming, GM Campaign Manager and Amadou Kanoute, Director of CI Office for Africa are available for interview. For more information please call: Julia Crosfield on + 44 20 7226 6663 ext: 212 or mobile: 07932 563 491
Consumers International... currently represents over 250 organisations in 115 countries. For more information, see: www.consumersinternational.org
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2.ECOWAS Ministers talk Biotech for West Africa
From Gaia:
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have finished their Ministerial Conference on Biotechnology, held in Bamako, Mali. It seems that the majority of ministers participating have fallen for the same old deceptive propaganda that USAID and Monsanto have been pushing about GM crops, claiming that they will bring bigger yields and more food security etc etc etc. At least the Minister of Environment and Science from Ghana points out that any adoption of GM crops should be guided by socio-economic considerations.
But a disturbing trend is gathering pace across Africa. While policymakers rightly call for Biosafety laws to be put into place, this is more and more being seen as a preliminary to GM acceptance, rather than an actual means to regulate GM crops and prevent risks. Of course with many countries getting their Biosafety advice and funding from USAID, (an organization whose mission is to push for worldwide acceptance of GMOs), this is hardly surprising.
We also continue to see a blurring of the lines between "biotechnology" and "genetic engineering". Promoters of GMOs can appear reasonable by talking about a variety of biotechnology techniques, and pointing out that genetic engineering is only one of those techniques”¦whilst really channelling the majority of their funding and effort towards GM. By referring to brewing of yogurt, bread and beers as biotechnology, they are able to claim that biotechnology has been around for hundreds of years and is nothing new. This, obviously, distracts from the fact that the moving of genes between species in a laboratory environment and patenting the crop, is a very new development that has barely been tested.
Biotechnology is also increasingly being seen as such an incredible technology with all the answers, that ECOWAS discussions have led to the recommendation that countries prioritize biotechnology research in their budgets. GM will therefore be getting the lion's share of funding, at the expense of sustainable, ecological and socially resposible solutions. USAID must be happy.
Best wishes,
Teresa
*Churcher Urges Ecowas Ministers
Article from Accra Mail. Date: 29 June 2005
Ama Kudom-Agyemang
http://www.accra-mail.com/mailnews.asp?id=13318
*The Future of Africa is Not in GM Crops: Open Letter to ECOWAS Ministers
Open Letter from Friends of the Earth Africa. Date: 21 June 2005
http://allafrica.com/stories/200506270068.html
*Civil Society Statement at the Closing of the ECOWAS Ministeral Conference on Biotechnology in West African Agriculture
Date: 24 June 2005
http://biotech.indymedia.org/or/2005/06/4526.shtml
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3.GM & Africa resources
*for more on the push to force GM into Africa:
http://www.gmwatch.org/africa.asp
*USAID in Africa - new report
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=5158
*have you signed on to the "Africa and the G8" statement?
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=5422
*check out some of the sites on GM in Africa:
Biowatch South Africa
http://www.biowatch.org.za/
GM-FREE AFRICA
http://www.gmfreeafrica.org
SAFeAGE
http://www.safeage.org/
Africa Centre for Biosafety
http://www.biosafetyafrica.net
Pelum-Zambia
http://www.pelum-zambia.net/front_page/article_04.htm
Earthlife Africa
http://www.earthlife-ct.org.za/ct/index.php
Environmental Justice
http://www.ejnf.org.za/