The FAO report ("Agricultural biotechnology: meeting the needs of the
poor?") was publicly presented on the 17th of May, and in the space of a
few weeks more than 650 civil society organisations and 800 individuals from more than 80 countries have drafted and signed this open letter which strongly condemns its bias against the poor, against the environment and
against food production in general. Amongst the signatories are many
peasant and indigenous peoples organisations, social movements and
scientists, as well as NGOs.
The 200-plus page document attempts to appear neutral, but in reality is
highly biased and ignores available evidence of the adverse impact of
genetically engineered crops.
The civil society organisations denounce that, although the FAO report
does mention that genetic engineering is dominated by corporations, it
overlooks the fact that only one company - Monsanto - controls over 90% of
the total world area sown to transgenic seeds. Not surprisingly, the
report has been received enthusiastically by the industry and other groups
that push this technology with the claim that it will solve world hunger.
With this report, the FAO now appears to support 'Terminator' technology -
the production of sterile seeds that stop farmers from saving and re-using
seeds from previous harvests. This is a radical departure from its
position adopted only four years ago.
"We believe that FAO has broken its commitment to civil society and
peasants' organisations to consult on issues of common concern", the open
letter states. It continues: "Farmers and civil society organizations will
meet and consult in the coming months to determine what further actions
should be taken regarding FAO and the negative repercussions of this report."
The open letter was delivered today in the headquarters of the
organisation in Rome, and constitutes the start of a process in which
civil society organisations will reconsider their relation with the FAO in
the future.
"For those of us in civil society organisations and social movements that
considered the FAO as an institution that we could relate to and a forum
to debate these issues and possibly move forward, this is a tremendous
setback", states the letter. "The report turns FAO away from food
sovereignty and the real needs of the world's farmers, and is a stab in
the back to the farmers and the rural poor FAO is meant to support."
Contrary to what the FAO proposes, genetically engineered crops do not
help fight hunger in the world. The letter clarifies: "History
demonstrates that structural changes in access to land, food, and
political power - combined with robust, ecological technologies via
farmer-led research - reduce hunger and poverty. The 'gene revolution'
promises to take us in the opposite direction."
Genetic contamination is polluting the very heart of the world's centres
of crop diversity. But the FAO brushes aside this tragedy with hardly a
comment. Yet, for the very cultures that created agriculture this is an
aggression against their life, against the crops they created and nurture,
and against their food sovereignty.
The organisations qualify the document as "highly biased", and being
disgraceful public relations tool for the genetic engineering industry and
for those countries that seek to export this technology.
At the same time, notes the open letter, the report "sadly, raises serious
questions about the independence and intellectual integrity of an
important United Nations agency."
"It is unacceptable that the FAO endorses the need for intellectual
property for corporations. This amounts to FAO support for corporate
biopiracy since the genetic resources that corporations seek to patent
result from the collective breeding work of farmers over thousands of
years", the letter notes.GRAIN and IATP:
