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Statement by delegates from 24 African nations to the United Nations (1998): "We . . .strongly object that the image of the poor and hungry from our countries is being used by giant multinational corporations to push a technology that is neither safe, environmentally friendly, nor economically beneficial to us. We do not believe that such companies or gene technologies will help our farmers to produce the food that is needed in the 21st century. On the contrary, we think it will destroy the diversity, the local knowledge and the sustainable agricultural systems that our farmers have developed for millennia and that it will thus undermine our capacity to feed ourselves." Related Information Ten reasons why biotechnology will not ensure food security, protect the
environment and reduce poverty in the developing world.
Summary: Biotechnology companies often claim that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) --specifically genetically altered seeds -- are an essential scientific breakthrough needed to feed the world, protect the environment, and reduce poverty in developing countries. This view rests on two critical assumptions, both of which we question. The first is that hunger is due to a gap between food production and human population density or growth rate. The second is that genetic engineering is the only or best way to increase agricultural production and thus meet future food needs. We challenge the notion of biotechnology as a magic bullet solution to agriculture's ills, by clarifying misconceptions concerning these underlying assumptions. "Selling Suicide: farming, false promises and genetic engineering in
developing countries" Christian Aid report, May 1999
Summary: According to Christian Aid, the introduction of genetically modified crops to the world's poorest countries could lead to famine instead of feeding more than 800million hungry people worldwide. GM crops will concentrate power in too few hands and will strip small farmers of their independence. Christian Aid also condemns "suicide seeds" that contain a terminator gene which makes the next generation of seeds sterile, forcing farmers to buy new seed every year. Currently, 80% of crops in the developing world are from saved seed. Christian Aid called for a five-year freeze on GM crops and for new resources to be put into sustainable and organic farming. "Engineering Solutions to Malnutrition" by GRAIN
Summary: The sustainable solution to vitamin A deficiency is access to a diverse diet through agricultural diversity. Genetic engineering poses unknown threats to that diversity, and golden rice is part of the problem, not the solution. Up to Top HOME | Email Signup | About Us | Contact Us | Terms of Use | © 2008 Sierra Club |
